NokosazuDownloadOn-device or cloud transcription: which to choose?
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In short. On the device, the recording is not sent to a transcription service. In the cloud, a service processes it remotely; some also let several people work together. The right choice depends on how you use it.
Two approaches, without naming an app
This page compares two approaches, not products. Each row describes what changes between the two; when it varies from one service to another, the row says so. The “Nokosazu” mentions say how our app works, which follows the on-device approach. For a specific service, read its own security and pricing pages.
| Question | On the device | In the cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Where does the recording go? | It stays on the device. Nokosazu: it stays on the iPhone; if you turn on iCloud backup in the settings, it goes into your iPhone's iCloud backup (Apple holds the key, except with Advanced Data Protection). | It is sent to the service's servers, which process it. |
| Where is the text? | On the device, with you. Nokosazu: on the iPhone, the publisher does not receive it. | Depends on the service: kept or not on its side, synced or not to other devices. It is in its commitments. |
| Do I need an account? | Not necessarily. Nokosazu: no account. | Depends on the service: see its terms. |
| Do I need a connection? | For the first download of the app's components, then not for the processing. | Yes, to send the audio and receive the text. |
| Who provides the computing power? | The device: its memory, battery and power limit what is possible. | The service's servers. |
| How is it paid for? | Nokosazu: 2 hours of transcription included, then an annual subscription (7-day trial), a monthly one, or a one-time purchase. | Depends on the service: see its price list. |
When the cloud may fit better
- Some services let several people work on the same text, with comments and sharing.
- Some services sync transcripts across the devices of one account.
- Connecting transcription to other tools (calendar, messaging, project management) when the service offers those links.
- Leaving the computing to servers: a very long file does not depend on the phone's power (each service sets its own size and duration limits).
When the device may fit better
- A confidential interview, a source to protect, a sensitive subject: the recording does not have to leave the device.
- Not creating an account, or handing over an email address, to transcribe.
- Keeping control over what is exported, and to whom.
These points do not say which one is more accurate: we have not measured the accuracy of any service here, and this page does not claim to.
Questions
- Does on-device transcription need no connection at all?
- Not quite: the first download of the components it needs requires a connection. The processing then happens on the device.
- Is an online service less safe?
- This page does not compare safety: it compares the path the recording takes. In the cloud, the audio is sent to a third party, whose commitments (retention, encryption, access) you need to read. On the device, safety also depends on how you protect the phone.
- Who wrote this page?
- The publisher of Nokosazu. It is not an independent view: also read the sources of the services you are interested in.
Sources
What this page says about Nokosazu comes from the privacy policy, the support page and the app's App Store listing (plans and trial). This page is written by the publisher of Nokosazu: it is not an independent third-party review, and it is not an accuracy test.