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News · head to head

SmartNews vs Steno

SmartNews logo

SmartNews

News

Local news and breaking news from top sources

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 SmartNews has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: SmartNews no specific pricing published for SmartNews+ subscription; Steno no free tier available; entry point at $500/month
  • They diverge on capability: SmartNews covers Machine learning curation, Steno covers AI transcription.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SmartNews and Steno actually diverge.

Attributes where SmartNews and Steno differ
AttributeSmartNewsSteno
Starting priceFree$500/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsIos, AndroidWeb
Founded20122020

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 SmartNews

  • Machine learning curation
  • Smart Mode
  • Local news
  • Breaking alerts
  • Offline reading
  • Social sharing
  • News publishers
  • Ios support

Only in Steno

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

What people use each for

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

SmartNews

  • Daily newsnot Steno
  • Local newsnot Steno
  • Breaking newsnot Steno
  • Quick readingnot Steno

Steno

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

Where each one falls short

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

SmartNews

  • No specific pricing published for SmartNews+ subscription
  • Requires visiting separate product page for pricing details
  • Subscription service model described but not detailed with costs

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

SmartNews

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Trending news
    • Local news
    • Smart Mode reading

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 SmartNews if

  • You need machine learning curation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ios, Android.
  • You also want smart mode.
SmartNews review

Choose Steno if

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

Questions people ask

Is SmartNews or Steno better?
Neither clearly leads. SmartNews 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, SmartNews or Steno?
SmartNews has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for SmartNews and $500/month for Steno.
Does SmartNews or Steno run on more platforms?
SmartNews runs on Ios, Android. Steno runs on Web.
Can I use SmartNews for free?
Yes. SmartNews has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Steno starts at $500/month.
What is SmartNews best used for?
SmartNews is most often used for daily news, local news, breaking news, quick reading. Of those, daily news and local news are not what Steno is typically brought in for.
What can SmartNews do that Steno cannot?
SmartNews covers Machine learning curation, Smart Mode, Local news, Breaking alerts. Steno covers AI transcription, Broadcast search, Real-time monitoring, Clip creation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SmartNews: How much does SmartNews cost?

SmartNews does not publish specific subscription pricing on its main website. The vendor offers SmartNews+, described as a subscription service aggregating paid business news and coupons, but cost details must be found on the dedicated SmartNews+ product page.

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
SmartNews: Does SmartNews offer a free tier?

SmartNews provides free access to curated news content. For additional business news and coupons, the vendor offers SmartNews+ as a paid subscription service. Pricing and trial details for SmartNews+ are available on the dedicated subscription product page.

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
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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