Apple Voice Memos vs Cleft
Apple Voice Memos
support.apple.comCleft
cleftnotes.comSide by side
| Figure | Apple Voice Memos | Cleft |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $3.33/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 3 |
| Spec score · Voice Note Apps | 6.1 (#34) | 8.3 (#10) |
Plans
In their own words
Apple Voice Memos
Apple Voice Memos has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Cleft
Cleft is an iOS and macOS app that turns spoken thoughts into notes with main points, actions, summaries, and transcripts. Its built-in output styles are Structured, Structured Prose, and Clean Transcript; Plus users can also save custom styles. Cleft says it works offline and supports 99 languages, including switching languages mid-sentence. Transcription runs locally using Whisper, and temporary audio is deleted afterward unless Keep Audio is enabled. Optional cloud formatting sends transcript text, not audio, to OpenAI, with Groq as a backup. Cleft lists support for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and CarPlay. Its Basic plan includes recordings up to five minutes, on-device transcription, tags, search, and export. Plus raises the recording limit to 30 minutes and adds attachments, Notion and Zapier integrations, and Family Sharing for up to five. Plus costs $6.99 per month or $39.99 per year through the App Store, with automatic renewal unless canceled. Cleft says notes are encrypted at rest and in transit.