Plaud

Plaud is a maker of AI voice recorders that capture in-person conversations and phone calls and turn them into transcripts, summaries and action items for professionals who spend their day away from a screen. Instead of a bot joining a video call, you clip a small device to your phone, wear it, or leave it on the table, then let the app process the audio. That hardware-first approach is what separates it from software note takers.

What is Plaud used for?

Plaud is used wherever a conversation matters but a laptop is not in the room. The recorder captures audio, and the app handles transcription and AI notes after each session.

• Recording face-to-face meetings, client visits, lectures and interviews on a Plaud Note or NotePin
• Capturing phone calls with the card-shaped recorders designed to sit on the back of a phone
• Transcribing recordings in more than 112 languages and highlighting key moments
• Summarizing with professional templates, such as consultation notes or sales call recaps, or with your own templates
• Asking Plaud Agent to work on recordings and using Skills and Connectors for follow-up tasks
• Sending results to Google Calendar, Zapier or AI tools through the Plaud MCP connection

Who Plaud is best for

Plaud suits doctors, lawyers, real estate agents, field salespeople, journalists, researchers and managers who hold many in-person meetings. It also works for people who want a record of phone calls with clients. If nearly all of your meetings are on Zoom or Teams, a software note taker that joins calls will cost less and need no extra device.

Plaud pricing

As of October 2026, Plaud's AI plans sit on top of a device purchase, and device prices are listed in its store. Every device includes the free Starter plan with 300 transcription minutes per month. Pro costs $17.99 per month, or $8.33 per month billed yearly ($99.99 per year in the US store), and raises the allowance to 1,200 minutes. Unlimited costs $29.99 per month, or $20 per month billed yearly, and removes the minute cap up to 24 hours per day. A Team plan for organizations is listed at $35 per user per month, with a launch discount until November 30, 2026, and adds shared files, central billing and device management. Prices vary by region.

Limitations to keep in mind

• You need to buy a recorder before the software plans are useful
• The free allowance of 300 minutes is roughly five hours, which heavy users pass quickly
• Recording conversations can require consent from everyone present, depending on local law
• Results depend on placement, and a recorder far from speakers will produce weaker transcripts

Plaud vs alternatives

Otter.ai is the better fit if your conversations happen mostly on video calls, since it joins meetings and transcribes live. Notta covers both online meetings and uploaded recordings with a software-only approach. Granola suits laptop users who want bot-free notes on calls. TalkNotes is a lighter option for turning your own voice notes into text. Plaud wins when you need reliable capture of in-person meetings and phone calls without opening a laptop.

Tips for getting started with Plaud

Pick the device by how you work: the card models for phone calls and desk meetings, the NotePin models for hands-free wear. Choose a template that matches your profession before your first recording so summaries come back in a useful format. Place the recorder close to the main speakers and test a short recording in the room you use most. Always tell people when you are recording.

Plaud FAQ

Is Plaud free to use?

Plaud devices include a free Starter plan with 300 transcription minutes per month. The device itself is a paid purchase, and Pro plans start at $8.33 per month billed yearly.

What is Plaud used for?

Plaud is used to record and transcribe in-person meetings, interviews and phone calls, then produce AI summaries, notes and action items in its app.

How many languages does Plaud support?

Plaud lists support for more than 112 languages for transcription and summaries across its plans.

What is the best alternative to Plaud?

Otter.ai is the main software alternative for online meetings, while Notta and TalkNotes suit people who record on their phone without a dedicated device.