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Ava vs NALscribe: Side-by-Side Comparison

Checked November 10, 2026. Next full check February 2027.

Email to a family member

This page puts Ava and NALscribe side by side. It shows what each maker or store says. It does not pick a winner.

At a glance

FeatureAvaNALscribe
MakerTranscense, Inc.National Acoustic Laboratories
GroupLive captionsLive captions
Works oniPhone, iPad, AndroidiPhone, iPad
Built into the phoneNoNo
CostNo-cost tier and paid plans. The App Store says the free plan gives basic captions in sessions up to 40 minutes. The Community plan is listed at $14.99 a month or $119.99 a year.No cost. The App Store lists the app as free.
Good forPeople who join group talks or meetings and need to see who is speaking.People who want a simple captioning app with privacy controls.

Main differences

  • Ava works on iPhone, iPad, Android. NALscribe works on iPhone, iPad.
  • Ava: no-cost tier and paid plans. NALscribe: no cost.

What each one does

Ava

  • Writes live captions from your phone's microphone.
  • Colors the text by speaker in group talk.
  • Lets you add custom words and fix words.
  • Reads your typed text aloud.
  • Saves transcripts.
  • Translates into 16 languages on the Community plan.

NALscribe

  • Writes real-time captions of speech.
  • Works offline, after you download a language.
  • Clears the screen on its own, with privacy settings you choose.
  • Offers large captions, a dark background and VoiceOver support.
  • Lets you save, edit and share transcripts.
  • Translates between 12 languages on iOS 15 or later.

What each one needs

Ava

  • An iPhone or iPad with iOS 18.6 or later, or an Android phone.

NALscribe

  • An iPhone or iPad with iOS 14 or later.

Good to know

Ava

  • Workplace and school plans, named Ava Pro and Ava Enterprise, are sold apart from the personal plans.
  • Prices come from the App Store listing on the checked date. They can change.

NALscribe

  • The listing says offline mode needs a downloaded language model.
  • The listing shows an English profanity filter.

How to choose

  • Check your phone first. Some apps work on one kind of phone only.
  • Read the limits for each app above. Then read each full page.
  • Check the cost on the store listing before you install.
  • Try one app at a time. Tell your audiologist which one helps.

This guide is general information. It does not diagnose hearing loss and it does not replace a hearing evaluation. An app cannot tell you why you hear less. An audiologist can.

More comparisons

Read more on our site

Sources

We read these pages on November 10, 2026. Prices and phone requirements change, so check the listing before you install.

Need help choosing?

Using captions all day? Your hearing may need a closer look. Call 650-342-9449.

California Hearing Center has offices in San Mateo and San Carlos. One phone number reaches both: 650-342-9449.

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