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Microsoft Start vs Steno

Microsoft Start logo

Microsoft Start

News

Your personalized news feed powered by Microsoft

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 Microsoft Start has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Microsoft Start no pricing information available; Steno no free tier available; entry point at $500/month
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Start covers Personalized news, Steno covers AI transcription.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft Start and Steno actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft Start and Steno differ
AttributeMicrosoft StartSteno
Starting priceFree$500/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, WindowsWeb
Founded19752020

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 Microsoft Start

  • Personalized news
  • Topic following
  • Weather updates
  • Sports scores
  • Finance news
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Windows 11
  • Microsoft Account

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.

Microsoft Start

  • Daily newsnot Steno
  • Topic trackingnot Steno
  • Weather updatesnot Steno
  • Quick informationnot Steno

Steno

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

Where each one falls short

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

Microsoft Start

  • No pricing information available
  • Service appears to be consumer-facing rather than commercial product
  • No pricing model published

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

Microsoft Start

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Personalized news feed
    • Topic following
    • Cross-device sync

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 Microsoft Start if

  • You need personalized news.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows.
  • You also want topic following.
Microsoft Start review

Choose Steno if

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

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Start or Steno better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Start 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, Microsoft Start or Steno?
Microsoft Start has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Microsoft Start and $500/month for Steno.
Does Microsoft Start or Steno run on more platforms?
Microsoft Start runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows. Steno runs on Web.
Can I use Microsoft Start for free?
Yes. Microsoft Start has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Steno starts at $500/month.
What is Microsoft Start best used for?
Microsoft Start is most often used for daily news, topic tracking, weather updates, quick information. Of those, daily news and topic tracking are not what Steno is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Start do that Steno cannot?
Microsoft Start covers Personalized news, Topic following, Weather updates, Sports scores. Steno covers AI transcription, Broadcast search, Real-time monitoring, Clip creation. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Microsoft Start: How much does Microsoft Start (MSN) cost?

Microsoft Start (formerly MSN.com) is a free service with no subscription required. The platform provides news, weather, and personalized content at no cost to users.

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
Microsoft Start: Does Microsoft Start offer any paid services or premium features?

Microsoft Start does not publish any paid tiers or premium features. The service is entirely free to access and use without any payment or subscription.

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
Microsoft Start: Are there ads on Microsoft Start?

Microsoft Start provides personalized news and content free of charge. Any advertising present on the service helps support the free platform offering.

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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