Best Sermon Notes Apps in 2026: 14 Compared

Hedy is our product. Everything below about the other apps comes from their App Store listings, pricing pages and privacy policies. Prices are US prices at the time of writing.

A few of these apps have a real following on the US App Store: Bible Note has more than 24,000 ratings, Sermon Scribe more than 1,500, Sermon Notes & Bible Journal more than 1,000 and Spirit Notes about 600. The other dedicated sermon apps are new, with six ratings or fewer at the time of writing. That does not make them bad, but expect them to change quickly, including their prices.

At a glance

How to choose

1. Do you want help while the pastor is preaching, or notes afterwards? Most apps here record during the service and do their work after it. Hedy, Sunday Notes AI, Spirit Notes and Sermon Scribe work during the sermon too.
2. Which devices do you use? Apart from Hedy, Bible Note is the only dedicated sermon app here with an Android app. If you watch services on a computer, your choice narrows to Hedy and the general tools.
3. Do you want a Bible inside the app? Bible Note, Spirit Notes, Sermon Notes & Bible Journal, Sermon Keeper, Sunday Notes AI and Faith Notes include one. Hedy does not. It lists the passages and gives background, and you read them in your own Bible or Bible app.

1. Hedy: help during the sermon and notes across a series

Hedy is an AI note-taker for conversations and talks, with a Spiritual Teaching session type built for sermons. It transcribes the sermon live, on your device by default, in more than 30 languages.

During the sermon, you can tap a quick action for the background to the passage just quoted, a theological term explained in plain words, or a recap of the last five minutes. Suggestions also appear on their own, at most three at a time. After the service, Hedy produces a recap and detailed notes, including a Referenced Texts & Readings section that lists every scripture the pastor used and how each one was applied.

Where Hedy differs most is the series. Put each week’s sermon into one Topic and you can ask, “What has the pastor said about grace across this series?” On a Mac or Windows computer, Hedy hears a church livestream directly. Sermons already posted to YouTube, Vimeo or Facebook can be imported by link.

• Price: free for 5 hours a month, with live suggestions for the first 30 minutes of each session. Pro is $12.99 a month or $99.99 a year, or $299 once for Lifetime.
• Best for: people who want to understand the sermon while it is happening, follow a series over weeks, or use Android or a computer.
• Not for: anyone who wants a Bible reader built into the notes app. Hedy has none, and it costs more than most of the iPhone sermon apps.

The setup guide for sermons and Bible study covers the details.

2. Bible Note: the most popular sermon app, on Android too

Bible Note has more than 24,000 ratings on the US App Store, far more than any other sermon app we found, and it runs on Android as well as iPhone. It records the sermon, transcribes it afterwards and turns it into study material: a summary, applications, a prayer, discussion questions and flashcards. It detects the scriptures the pastor read aloud and attaches the passage text, and it has a built-in Bible reader. You can also import a sermon from a YouTube, Facebook or TikTok link.

Transcription and summaries run in the cloud, so they need an internet connection.

• Price: free to download, with trial access whose length the app does not publish. Paid plans are weekly, from $6.99, or yearly, from $39.99 to $69.99 depending on the offer shown.
• Best for: iPhone and Android users who want a full study guide after Sunday.
• Limits: no live transcript, and the free allowance is not published.

3. Sermon Scribe: live transcript and study outlines

Sermon Scribe has more than 1,500 US ratings. It records the sermon with a live transcript and then writes an outline, a summary and reflection questions. You can share a note as a web link. Its privacy policy says AI processing goes to third parties, including OpenAI.

• Price: free to download, with a trial. The App Store lists $4.99 a week, $9.99 or $12.99 a month, and $39.99 to $69.99 a year across its offers.
• Best for: iPhone users who want a live transcript and a ready-made outline.
• Limits: Apple devices only, and no published free allowance.

4. Spirit Notes: a private live transcript while you type

Spirit Notes records while you type timestamped notes. Its October 2026 update added live transcription done on the device, and detection of the scriptures mentioned in the sermon. It has a built-in Bible with ten named translations, including ESV, NIV, NKJV, NLT, CSB and KJV, and it can also transcribe imported recordings.

• Price: five free notes with every feature, then $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year.
• Best for: iPhone users who write their own notes and want a private transcript next to them.
• Limits: no Android app, which the developer confirms.

5. Sermon Notes & Bible Journal: on-device recaps and an offline Bible

Sermon Notes & Bible Journal has more than 1,000 US ratings. It records while you write, with timestamped bookmarks. On supported devices it makes the transcript and a recap (summary, main points, discussion questions and practical actions) on the device, without uploading the audio. It identifies the scriptures mentioned, includes six offline Bible translations (KJV, WEB, ASV, BBE, Darby and Young’s Literal), and also runs on Apple Watch.

• Price: free to download. Upgrades are in-app purchases from $9.99 to $99.99, and the store labels do not say which are subscriptions.
• Best for: Apple users who want private processing and an offline Bible.
• Limits: Apple devices only, and the AI features need a supported device, which the developer does not list.

6. Sermon Keeper: the most complete Bible features

Sermon Keeper records the sermon on your iPhone and produces a transcript and AI summary after the service, with reflection questions and application steps. Its strength is the Bible side: an offline Bible in seven translations (KJV, NASB 1995, ESV, NKJV, NIV 1984, WEB and Reina-Valera 1909), verse autocomplete while you type notes, and verse cards. It can also read the text off photos of sermon slides.

Notes stay on your phone, with optional iCloud sync and no account. Audio is uploaded temporarily for cloud transcription.

• Price: one free sermon a month, then $6.99 a month or $64.99 a year.
• Best for: iPhone users who take their own notes during the sermon and want verse lookup built in.
• Limits: iPhone only, English and Spanish only, and no live transcript.

7. Sunday Notes AI: live transcript with verse detection

Sunday Notes AI shows a live transcript and detects Bible references while the pastor speaks, with tappable references that open a built-in KJV. After the service it writes a summary with themes, takeaways and reflection prompts, and it makes shareable verse cards. It also imports sermons from YouTube links.

Sermons are stored on your phone, but transcription and summaries run on cloud services, which its privacy policy names.

• Price: $6.99 a week or $59.99 a year. The App Store listing requires Pro or a trial to process sermons.
• Best for: iPhone users who want to see the transcript and verses live.
• Limits: iPhone only, KJV only, and the weekly price adds up if you do not take the annual plan.

8. Faith Notes: the cheapest paid option

Faith Notes is a sermon notebook first. You write timestamped notes during the sermon with scripture autofill and a free NKJV Bible reader, while it records. After each message it writes an AI summary.

• Price: your first recorded note and summary are free. After that, $2.99 a month or $19.99 a year.
• Best for: people who like writing their own notes and want an AI summary as a backup, at the lowest price.
• Limits: iPhone only, no live transcript, and the policy says audio may be processed by a cloud service.

9. Remain: study guides and a church plan

Remain turns a sermon recording into something like a study guide: an outline, the scriptures referenced, discussion questions, reflections and an application plan. Each sermon has its own chat for follow-up questions. It also imports audio and video files and advertises around 99 languages.

Its privacy page names the services it uses, OpenAI Whisper for transcription and Anthropic Claude for the notes, with audio and notes stored on your device and private iCloud.

• Price: three recordings a month free. Pro is $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year. A church plan covers up to ten users for $59.99 a year.
• Best for: small group leaders who want discussion questions ready after Sunday.
• Limits: iPhone only, and no live transcript.

10. Church Recap: on-device speech and a sermon chat

Church Recap records and transcribes sermons, and its release notes say it uses Apple’s on-device speech recognition on iOS 26 and later. It extracts the scriptures, writes summaries, and has a chat companion that answers across all your saved sermons. It can also read photos of handwritten notes.

• Price: unclear. The App Store lists $6.99 a month or $49.99 a year, while the website describes a free beta.
• Best for: iPhone and iPad users who want on-device transcription and to chat with their sermon history.
• Limits: Apple devices only, and confirm the price before you commit.

11. YouVersion Bible App: free, if your church uses Events

The YouVersion Bible App does not record or transcribe. It is on this list because many churches already use its Events feature to publish sermon outlines, verses and notes, and you can add your own private notes as you follow along. It has more than 3,500 Bible versions.

• Price: free, with no ads.
• Best for: anyone whose church publishes Events, and anyone who wants notes tied to Bible passages without AI.
• Limits: no transcript and no summary, and it depends on your church creating the Event.

12. Otter.ai: general transcription with live chat

Otter is a meeting transcription app, not a sermon app, but people use it for sermons. It shows a live transcript and lets you ask its AI questions during a recording. It runs on every major platform.

• Price: free for 300 minutes a month, but each recording stops at 30 minutes, which cuts off most sermons. Pro is $16.99 a month, or $8.33 a month billed annually.
• Best for: people who already use Otter for work.
• Limits: no sermon or scripture features, transcription in six languages, cloud only, and it does not take a pasted YouTube link (its browser extension can capture playback).

13. Notta: many languages, short free recordings

Notta is another general transcription app, with live transcription and 58 transcription languages. It imports public YouTube videos, though not livestreams.

• Price: free for 120 minutes a month, but only three minutes per recording. Pro is $13.49 a month or $97.99 a year on the web, with 1,800 minutes a month and recordings up to five hours.
• Best for: sermons in less common languages.
• Limits: no sermon features, and the free plan is too short for a sermon.

14. TurboScribe: upload a file, get a transcript

TurboScribe is a web service for transcribing files after the fact. Upload a recording or paste a YouTube link and you get a transcript, with no live features. It handles long files and many languages.

• Price: free for three files a day of up to 30 minutes each. Unlimited is $20 a month or $120 a year.
• Best for: churches or individuals transcribing a back catalog of sermons.
• Limits: web only, no official app, nothing during the sermon, and no sermon-specific notes.

For khutbahs and other traditions

Two apps focus on Friday khutbahs. Khutbah Notes records the khutbah and returns a transcript, summary and the ayahs referenced, with a built-in Quran. New accounts get 30 free minutes, then $4.99 a month or $44.99 a year. Clear Khutbah translates Arabic khutbahs into English live, with Quran verse detection, for $4.99 a month after 30 free minutes a month.

Hedy’s Spiritual Teaching session type is written for any tradition, so it also works for khutbahs, Torah study and dharma talks. Tell it your tradition once and it explains concepts accordingly.

What to check before you subscribe

• Where transcription happens. Storing notes on your phone is not the same as transcribing on your phone. Most sermon apps send audio to a cloud service, and their privacy policies say which one.
• How long the free tier lasts. A 30-minute or 3-minute cap per recording ends before most sermons do.
• Whether you will use it during the sermon. If you only read the summary on Monday, a cheaper after-the-service app is enough.
• Your church’s view on recording. Many churches post their sermons online anyway. In a small group, ask first.

For a method that works with any of these apps, read how to take sermon notes with AI.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best AI app for sermon notes?

It depends on how you listen. For help during the sermon and notes across a whole series, Hedy is the closest fit, and it runs on Android, Mac and Windows as well as iPhone. The most popular dedicated sermon app is Bible Note, which builds a study guide after the service on iPhone or Android. For a private live transcript next to your own notes on iPhone, try Spirit Notes. On a tight budget, Faith Notes costs $2.99 a month. If you only want to follow your church’s outline, the free YouVersion Bible App covers it.

Is there a free AI sermon transcription app?

Hedy’s free plan includes 5 hours of transcription a month, which covers a weekly sermon. Most sermon-specific apps offer only a small free allowance: Sermon Keeper one sermon a month, Remain three recordings, Spirit Notes five notes, Faith Notes your first recorded note. Otter’s free plan cuts each recording at 30 minutes, and Notta’s at three minutes. TurboScribe’s free web tier handles three files a day of up to 30 minutes each.

Which sermon app works during the sermon, not just after?

Sunday Notes AI shows a live transcript and detects Bible references as the pastor speaks. Spirit Notes and Sermon Scribe also show a live transcript. Hedy shows a live transcript and also answers on request during the sermon, with background on a passage, a term explained, or a recap of the last five minutes. Otter offers live AI chat but has no sermon-specific features. Most other sermon apps produce their transcript and summary after the service.

Do sermon notes apps work on Android?

Few do. Of the dedicated sermon apps in this roundup, only Bible Note has an Android app. Hedy, Otter, Notta and the YouVersion Bible App also run on Android, and TurboScribe works in any mobile browser.

Can I transcribe a sermon from YouTube?

Yes. Hedy, Bible Note, Sunday Notes AI, Notta and TurboScribe accept YouTube links. Otter does not take a pasted YouTube link but can capture playback through its browser extension. Notta excludes livestreams and private videos.

Is it okay to record a sermon?

Many churches already publish their sermons online, so a note-taking app in the pews is usually fine. Ask if your church prefers no recording. In a small group or Bible study, ask everyone first and pause during prayer requests.

Which sermon apps keep the audio private?

Check where transcription runs, not just where notes are stored. Hedy transcribes on-device by default and saves audio only if you turn recording on. Spirit Notes transcribes live on the device, Sermon Notes & Bible Journal makes its transcripts and recaps on supported devices, and Church Recap uses Apple’s on-device speech recognition on iOS 26 and later. Several apps that store notes only on your phone, including Sermon Keeper, Sunday Notes AI and Remain, still send audio to a cloud service for transcription.