Plaud review
★ 3.6/5AI voice recorder + notetaker (hardware)
Plaud is a hardware-first AI notetaker. You buy a physical device (the Plaud Note card recorder, Note Pro, or the wearable NotePin/NotePin S) that records in-person conversations, meetings, and phone calls, then the app and a paid subscription handle transcription, summaries, and template-based notes. Unlike bot-based notetakers that join a Zoom or Teams call, Plaud captures audio from the room or phone via the device, so it works for face-to-face meetings and offline conversations. The hardware purchase is required for the core experience; the app exists but the recording capture and Plaud Desktop features depend on owning a device.
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Best for in-person + phone capture. Plaud starts device $159 + free or from $8.33/mo annual on a hardware + subscription model. Plaud has two real costs: the device and the subscription. A solo user buys a Plaud Note ($159) or wearable NotePin ($159) once, then can run on the free Starter plan (300 transcription minutes/month, transcription only, no AI summaries). To get summaries and templates you need a paid plan: Pro is $8.33/mo billed annually ($99.99/yr) for 1,200 minutes/month, or Unlimited at $19.99/mo annually ($239.99/yr). A team of 10 on the Team plan at the launch price of $20/seat/mo billed annually is $200/mo (~$2,400/yr) plus 10 devices at $159+ each (~$1,590 one-time), and that launch rate ends August 31, 2026, after which Team is $25/seat/mo annually ($35 monthly). The catch: every seat still needs its own physical recorder.
Spec
The gotcha
Two stacked costs that bot-based competitors do not have: you must buy a physical device (from $159, up to $189 for Note Pro) AND pay a subscription to unlock AI. The free Starter plan only transcribes; every summary, template, and Ask Plaud feature is paywalled. Transcription minutes are capped (300/mo free, 1,200/mo on Pro) and unused minutes do NOT roll over, they reset monthly. The headline Pro price ($8.33/mo) is annual-only; month-to-month is $17.99. The Team plan's $20/seat launch rate expires August 31, 2026, then rises to $25/seat annually. Because it records the room or phone audio rather than joining a call, in many jurisdictions you are responsible for getting consent from everyone recorded.
Decode the real cost →Best for
- You want to record in-person meetings and phone calls on a small wearable or card device, not send a bot into video calls.
source: plaud.ai/pricing →
Plaud pricing tiers
Prices move. Cells flagged verify link to the live vendor page.
| tier | monthly | annual | included | unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter (Free) | $0 | n/a | 300 transcription minutes/month, basic capture and playback only, no AI summaries/templates. Requires a Plaud device (from $159). | per user/mo |
| Pro | $17.99 | $8.33 | 1,200 transcription minutes/month, full Plaud Intelligence (multidimensional summaries, 10,000+ templates, Ask Plaud, custom templates). Annual billed at $99.99/yr. | per user/mo |
| Unlimited | $29.99 | $19.99 | Unlimited transcription (up to 24 hours/day), full Plaud Intelligence. Annual billed at $239.99/yr. | per user/mo |
| Team | $28verify | $20 | Everything in Unlimited plus centralized management, team workspace, device administration, priority support. Launch price through Aug 31 2026 ($20 annual / $28 monthly); regular price after is $25 annual / $35 monthly. | per seat/mo |
// pools and per-unit rates are volatile · cells flagged verify link to the live vendor page
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Questions
How much does Plaud cost?
Plaud starts device from $159 + free or from $8.33/mo annual. Plaud has two real costs: the device and the subscription. A solo user buys a Plaud Note ($159) or wearable NotePin ($159) once, then can run on the free Starter plan (300 transcription minutes/month, transcription only, no AI summaries). To get summaries and templates you need a paid plan: Pro is $8.33/mo billed annually ($99.99/yr) for 1,200 minutes/month, or Unlimited at $19.99/mo annually ($239.99/yr). A team of 10 on the Team plan at the launch price of $20/seat/mo billed annually is $200/mo (~$2,400/yr) plus 10 devices at $159+ each (~$1,590 one-time), and that launch rate ends August 31, 2026, after which Team is $25/seat/mo annually ($35 monthly). The catch: every seat still needs its own physical recorder.
Can you self-host Plaud?
No, Plaud is cloud-only.
Does Plaud support MCP?
Plaud supports MCP as None, so it works with assistants like Claude and ChatGPT.
What's the catch with Plaud's pricing?
Two stacked costs that bot-based competitors do not have: you must buy a physical device (from $159, up to $189 for Note Pro) AND pay a subscription to unlock AI. The free Starter plan only transcribes; every summary, template, and Ask Plaud feature is paywalled. Transcription minutes are capped (300/mo free, 1,200/mo on Pro) and unused minutes do NOT roll over, they reset monthly. The headline Pro price ($8.33/mo) is annual-only; month-to-month is $17.99. The Team plan's $20/seat launch rate expires August 31, 2026, then rises to $25/seat annually. Because it records the room or phone audio rather than joining a call, in many jurisdictions you are responsible for getting consent from everyone recorded.