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News · head to head

Ground News vs Steno

Ground News logo

Ground News

News

See every side of every story

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Steno logo

Steno

News

AI transcription and analysis for news and media

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ground News has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Ground News only one paid tier (Vantage) is publicly offered; Steno no free tier available; entry point at $500/month
  • They diverge on capability: Ground News covers News comparison, Steno covers AI transcription.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ground News and Steno actually diverge.

Attributes where Ground News and Steno differ
AttributeGround NewsSteno
Starting priceFree$500/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsIos, Android, WebWeb
Founded20182020

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (News).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Ground News

  • News comparison
  • Bias ratings
  • Source transparency
  • Blindspot analysis
  • Ownership data
  • Browser extension
  • Ios support
  • Android support

Only in Steno

  • AI transcription
  • Broadcast search
  • Real-time monitoring
  • Clip creation
  • Media analysis
  • Slack
  • Email
  • API

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Ground News

  • News consumptionnot Steno
  • Media literacynot Steno
  • Researchnot Steno
  • Fact checkingnot Steno

Steno

  • AI-powered content creation platformnot Ground News
  • Voice and text content generationnot Ground News
  • Multi-channel content distributionnot Ground News
  • Programmatic content syndicationnot Ground News

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Ground News

  • Only one paid tier (Vantage) is publicly offered
  • Annual billing required for the disclosed $8.33/month rate
  • Pricing for monthly billing not disclosed

Steno

  • No free tier available; entry point at $500/month
  • Enterprise plan pricing not published; requires custom quote
  • Premium add-ons (iOS/Android app, Pro Voice) pricing not disclosed

Pricing, plan by plan

Ground News

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic news comparison
    • Bias ratings
    • Limited stories
  • Pro$9.99/month
    • Unlimited stories
    • Blindspot feed
    • Ownership data
  • Vanguard$19.99/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • Support journalism
    • Early features

Steno

$500/month
  • Starter$500/month
    • 16,500 credits per month
    • 1 Twin
    • Web app deployment
  • Growth$1000/month
    • 40,000 credits per month
    • 2 Twins
    • Web app deployment
  • Scale$2000/month
    • 100,000 credits per month
    • 3 Twins
    • Web app deployment
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • 200,000+ credits per month
    • 5 Twins
    • Web app deployment

Which should you pick?

Choose Ground News if

  • You need news comparison.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want bias ratings.
Ground News review

Choose Steno if

  • You need ai transcription.
  • You also want broadcast search.
Steno review

Questions people ask

Is Ground News or Steno better?
Neither clearly leads. Ground News starts at Free and Steno at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ground News or Steno?
Ground News has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ground News and $500/month for Steno.
Does Ground News or Steno run on more platforms?
Ground News runs on Ios, Android, Web. Steno runs on Web.
Can I use Ground News for free?
Yes. Ground News has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Steno starts at $500/month.
What is Ground News best used for?
Ground News is most often used for news consumption, media literacy, research, fact checking. Of those, news consumption and media literacy are not what Steno is typically brought in for.
What can Ground News do that Steno cannot?
Ground News covers News comparison, Bias ratings, Source transparency, Blindspot analysis. Steno covers AI transcription, Broadcast search, Real-time monitoring, Clip creation. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ground News: Does Ground News have a free option?

Yes. Ground News offers free access through its website, browser extension, or mobile app. The free tier shows news stories and basic information.

Source
Steno: What is the minimum cost to start using Steno?

The Starter plan is $500/month with 16,500 monthly credits. Steno does not offer a free tier, and monthly billing options include annual subscriptions with 10-15% savings.

Source
Ground News: How much does Ground News Vantage cost?

Ground News Vantage is $8.33/month when billed annually, with no hidden fees. Users can cancel anytime.

Source
Steno: What are Steno credits and how many do I get?

Credits are the universal currency used for content processing, training, and user interactions across text, voice, and video. Starter includes 16,500/month, Growth 40,000/month, Scale 100,000/month, and Enterprise 200,000+/month.

Source
Ground News: What features does Ground News Vantage include?

Ground News Vantage includes blindspot analysis, global coverage maps, unlimited saved stories, full coverage comparison, ownership and funding transparency, bias and factuality ratings, and the My News Bias dashboard.

Source
Steno: What is a Twin in Steno's pricing?

Twins are included in Steno plans at different quantities: Starter includes 1 Twin, Growth 2, Scale 3, and Enterprise 5. Specific features of Twins are not detailed on the pricing page.

Source
Steno: What are Steno's platform fees?

Steno charges monetization platform fees that decrease with plan tier: Starter at 9%, Growth at 8%, Scale at 7%, and Enterprise at 6%.

Source
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