Free does the job. Premium gives you room to grow.
Everything you need for class is free. Premium is for heavy course loads: more space for recorded lectures, audio playback for the recordings you upload, and the newest study tools first.
What’s the difference between Free and Premium?
Here’s the whole list. Everything in Free stays in Free.
| Feature | Free$0, forever | PremiumComing soon |
|---|---|---|
| Live transcript in your browser, in five views | Included | Included |
| Audio recording, notes, handwriting and key moments | Included | Included |
| Flashcards, cloze cards, trivia, study guides and search | Included | Included |
| Dictionaries and the semester planner | Included | Included |
| Upload recordings, transcribed on your device | Included | Included |
| Storage for lecture audio | Included | More room |
| Keep uploaded audio for playback | Not included | Included |
| New study tools first | Not included | Included |
| Priority support | Not included | Included |
How much does Premium cost?
Premium is billed monthly or yearly, and paying yearly costs less. When a free trial is on offer, first-time subscribers can try Premium before their first payment. Payments are handled securely by Stripe, so Gistful never sees your card.
You can switch between monthly and yearly, update your card, download invoices or cancel any time from Settings. If you cancel, you keep Premium until the end of the period you’ve paid for.
Signed in already? Open Settings and choose Plan to see the current prices and upgrade in a couple of taps.
Who is Premium for?
If you record most of your classes and keep the audio all semester, Premium gives you more storage so you don’t have to clear old lectures. If you often upload recordings, Premium keeps the audio with the transcript so you can tap any line to hear it, just like a lecture you recorded live. Learn more about transcribing a recorded lecture.
If you mostly want live captions, notes and flashcards, Free has you covered, for as long as you like. Read what’s included in free lecture transcription before you decide. You can upgrade later without losing anything, and your lectures, notes and study cards come with you.
Why doesn’t Premium unlock AI features?
Because nothing important is locked. Live transcript, on-device transcription of uploads, Catch me up, Explain That, flashcards and trivia are free for everyone. Gistful doesn’t run a paid AI service behind the scenes, so there’s no AI bill to pass on. Premium pays for the things that genuinely cost more to run, like storing hours of audio, and it helps keep Gistful growing.
How do I get the most out of Premium?
Keep a semester of lectures with audio, then work backward from your exams with a semester timeline for exam review. Each week, review a lecture in 15 minutes while it’s still fresh, and use live captions and Focus view in class to stay with the lecture.
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What should I read next?
What else do students ask?
Can I cancel Premium any time?
Yes. Cancel from Settings and you keep Premium until the end of the period you’ve paid for. Then your account goes back to Free.
What happens to my lectures if I cancel?
Nothing you’ve made is deleted. If you’re over Free’s storage amount, new audio stays on your device until you make room.
Is there a free trial?
When a trial is on offer, it’s shown on the upgrade screen and is open to anyone who hasn’t subscribed before. You won’t be charged until it ends, and you can cancel before then.
Do I need Premium for live transcript?
No. Live transcript, recording, notes, uploads and study tools are all free. Premium adds more storage, audio playback for uploads, new study tools first and priority support.
How do I pay?
Through Stripe’s secure checkout, monthly or yearly. You’ll get receipts by email and can download invoices from Settings.
Ready for your next lecture?
Make a free account in under a minute, then press Start lecture when class begins.