⚔️ Abrège vs HearType
HearType summarises too. The difference is in the details.
HearType is the closest thing to Abrège on this list: a French service, run by a sole trader in Nice, whose bot summarises the voice notes you forward on WhatsApp and on Telegram, using Google Gemini. You sign up on its site, pick a plan, and the bot messages you first. Abrège starts with a forward: no signup, 5 free summaries a month.
When is HearType a good choice?
Credit where it's due: HearType does two things we don't. It works on Telegram as well as WhatsApp, and its seven languages (English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, Arabic) include German and Italian, where Abrège's summary languages are English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Portuguese. Its entry plan is cheap too: €1.99 a month for up to 5 voice notes a day, which can add up to around 150 a month, then €3.99 for 30 a day and €7.99 unlimited, with no commitment. And the flow is neat: the reply is a summary, and a thumbs-up reaction gets you the word-for-word transcript. Checked in September 2026.
What does Abrège do differently from HearType?
Where Abrège differs is how you start and what you get by default. HearType shows no free tier on its site: you sign up, choose a paid plan, then send your first note. With Abrège you forward a voice note straight away, with 5 free summaries a month and no card. By default, Abrège sends the summary and then the full transcription, with nothing extra to tap (you can switch the transcription off). Under the hood, HearType names Google Gemini for AI processing, Abrège uses OpenAI, and both say the audio is deleted after processing. Prices on both sides are in euros.
The comparison
Abrège vs HearType, point by point
| 🍿 Abrège | HearType | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it works | WhatsApp and Telegram | |
| Getting started | Forward a voice note, no signup | Sign up on the site, pick a plan |
| Free tier | 5 summaries a month, no card | None shown on the site |
| Paid plans | €3 (50), €15 (200), €29 (500) a month | €1.99 (5/day), €3.99 (30/day), €7.99 (unlimited) |
| Full transcript | Sent after the summary by default | On request, react with a thumbs-up |
| Languages | Summary in the note's language, or EN, FR, ES, AR, PT | 7 listed, including German and Italian |
| AI provider | OpenAI | Google Gemini |
| Publisher | French company | Sole trader, Nice, France |
Comparison checked and updated in September 2026. Source: heartype.com.
« They ask you to sign up. We ask you to forward. »
Choose HearType if...
- → You use Telegram as much as WhatsApp.
- → Your voice notes are in German or Italian.
- → You get lots of notes and €7.99 unlimited suits you.
Choose Abrège if...
- You want to try it for free before paying anything.
- You'd rather forward a note than sign up first.
- You want the full transcription to follow the summary automatically.
Frequently asked questions
- Its site shows no free tier: plans start at €1.99 a month for up to 5 voice notes a day (checked September 2026). Abrège gives you 5 summaries a month for free, no card, then paid plans from €3 a month. Both are priced in euros.
- HearType, if you get a lot of voice notes: €1.99 covers up to 5 a day and €7.99 is unlimited, where Abrège goes from €3 for 50 a month to €29 for 500. For a handful of notes a month, Abrège's free tier costs nothing.
- Yes. HearType sends it when you react to the summary with a thumbs-up. Abrège sends it after the summary by default, and you can turn that off in settings.
- HearType's privacy policy names Google Gemini for AI processing of audio and text. Abrège sends the audio to OpenAI for transcription and summary, then deletes it. Both say the audio is deleted after processing; the difference is the AI provider.
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Made in France · GDPR · audio deleted after processing