Plaud vs TicNote (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Plaud grades higher than TicNote: 2.8 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Plaud grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Plaud
AI voice recorder devices with an app for transcripts and summaries
TicNote
AI voice recorders and a cloud app for transcripts and notes
Which one is for you
Pick Plaud if
- Fits if you record in-person talks and calls on a recorder
- Works for people who want a bot-free way to capture online meetings on a computer
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you add the recorder: $189 for the Note Pro, on top of the plan
- Tight if you talk a lot: Starter is 300 minutes a month, Pro 1,200
- Watch out: many integrations are labelled preview, and Plaud One is shown as pre-order
- Watch out: the Team offer of $20 a user a month for the first year ends November 30, 2026, then $25
Pick TicNote if
- Fits if you want web and phone apps for transcripts and can live with 30-minute web recordings
- Works for owners of a TicNote recorder, who get 600 extra monthly minutes
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: 30-minute web recordings and 300 minutes a month
- Watch out: some listed free features are labelled free for a limited time and may become paid
- Pricey if you pay monthly, as monthly prices could not be read and the page shows annual billing as 17 to 24% off
- Skip it if you need integrations, as none are listed
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAPlaudGood | 2.2GPATicNoteFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$8.33 a month on Pro, billed yearly, for 1,200 minutes, at the cheaper end of the category. Monthly it's $17.99, and the recorder is a separate buy, from $189 for Note Pro. | CProfessional is $16.58 a month on yearly billing ($199 a year), between the middle of $12 and the $18 that starts the dearer quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | BStarter is free with 300 transcription minutes a month and 112+ languages. That covers light use. | C300 transcription minutes a month, web recordings up to 30 minutes and 30 document summaries. The extra 600 minutes are for owners of a TicNote device. |
| Features | BRecorder devices, transcription, 10,000+ summary templates, bot-free desktop capture, search and folders. Connectors such as Notion, Slack and Salesforce are in preview. | CTranscripts, summaries, reports, podcasts, agent credits, an extension and an API skill. Some free features are marked as limited-time and may turn paid. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You buy and pair a recorder, or use the apps, and choose templates. | CNo store rating on record. There are accounts, plans and a recorder range to work through. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with Zapier, Notion, Slack and MCP, though those connectors are marked preview. | BWeb, iPhone, Android and a browser extension. No desktop app and no integrations are listed. |
| Best for | pocket voice recorders with transcription plans | AI voice recorders with a cloud notes app |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Plaud and TicNote. How we grade
Price against what you get
Plaud starts at $8.33 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. TicNote starts at $16.58 a month and scores 2.3.
Plaud scores higher and starts $8.25 a month lower. Of the other AI meeting note takers on the chart, 8 score higher than Plaud for less, and 35 score higher than TicNote for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Plaud also covers templates.
- TicNote also covers chat assistant.
At a glance
| Plaud | TicNote | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $8.33 per month on Pro, billed annually ($17.99 billed monthly) | $16.58 per month, billed annually ($199) |
| Free plan | Starter plan: 300 transcription minutes a month, 112+ languages, summary templates, Plaud Desktop and export and sharing. | 300 transcription minutes a month, web recordings up to 30 minutes, 30 document summary requests and basic templates. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Plaud Inc. | TicNote |
| Price read from | plaud.ai | ticnote.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Plaud
- The devices are separate purchases; the Note Pro page lists $189, and the plans are for transcription minutes.
- Pro is capped at 1,200 minutes a month; Unlimited runs up to 24 hours a day.
- A Team launch offer of $20 per user a month for the first year, then $25, ends November 30, 2026.
- Many integrations are labeled preview, and Plaud One is shown as pre-order.
TicNote
- Monthly-billing prices could not be read; the page shows annual billing by default, advertised as 17 to 24% off.
- The free plan stops at 30-minute web recordings and 300 minutes a month.
- The extra 600 monthly minutes are only for people who own a TicNote device.
- Some listed free features are labeled as free for a limited time and may become paid.
Key features
Plaud
- Recorder devices
- Plaud Note, Note Pro, NotePin and NotePin S capture in-person talks and calls; the Note Pro page lists it at $189.
- Transcription in 112+ languages
- Recordings, imported audio and desktop captures are transcribed, with a monthly minute allowance on each plan.
- Summaries from templates
- Choose from 10,000+ summary templates or build custom ones; the vendor says summaries are traceable to the transcript.
- Bot-free desktop capture
- Plaud Desktop records online meetings without a meeting bot and can detect when a meeting starts.
- Searchable knowledge base
- Timeline view, nested folders, merged recordings and search by keyword, name or topic.
- Connectors in preview
- Google Calendar, Zapier, MCP, Notion, Slack, Linear and Salesforce connections are all marked as preview.
TicNote
- Recorder range
- Devices include a recorder at $159.99, a Lite model at $129.99, a $249 watch and Pods at $249.99 (Wi-Fi) and $299.99 (4G).
- Transcripts and summaries
- Recordings become transcripts and summaries, with live transcription, translation and mind maps; advanced templates need Professional.
- Reports and podcasts
- Deep research reports and podcast generation are listed as free for a limited time on the lower plans.
- Shadow agent credits
- Monthly Shadow Credits power the Shadow Agent and Private Agent: 1,500 on Plus, 3,000 on Professional, 8,000 on Business.
- Apps and extension
- Works through a web app, iOS and Android apps, and a browser extension.
- API skill
- TicNote API Skill access is included from the Professional plan.
Plans
Plaud
Starter$0
300 transcription minutes a month; all plans include 112+ languages and 10,000+ summary templates.
Pro$8.33
per month, billed annually ($17.99 billed monthly)
1,200 transcription minutes a month for one user.
Unlimited$20.00
per month, billed annually ($29.99 billed monthly)
Unlimited transcription minutes, up to 24 hours a day, for one user.
Team$25
per user / month, billed annually ($35 billed monthly)
Everything in Unlimited plus shared team files, centralized billing, seat and device management and priority support.
TicNote
Free$0
300 transcription minutes a month, 30-minute web recordings and unlimited recording summaries with basic templates.
Plus$0
For owners of a TicNote device: 600 minutes a month and 1,500 Shadow Credits a month.
Professional$16.58
per month, billed annually ($199)
1,500 minutes a month, 3-hour web recordings, 3,000 Shadow Credits and advanced templates.
Business$33.25
per month, billed annually ($399)
6,000 minutes a month, 8-hour web recordings, 8,000 Shadow Credits and 1,000 document summaries.
EnterpriseCustom
Customized usage, an AI meeting agent, single sign-on and round-the-clock support.
Ways to pay less
Plaud
- Annual discount
Save up to 54% with annual billing
Plaud's pricing page shows Pro at $8.33 a month annually against $17.99 monthly, and Unlimited at $20.00 against $29.99.
- Education
10% off for students, educators and healthcare
Plaud lists 10% off for students and grads, educators, healthcare workers, military and first responders.
- Other savings
Team launch offer: $20 per user for the first year
Annual Team seats are $20 per user a month for the first year, then $25. The page says the offer ends November 30, 2026.
TicNote
- Annual discount
17 to 24% off with annual billing
TicNote's pricing page marks annual billing as 17 to 24% off compared with monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Plaud or TicNote?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Plaud is cheaper to start with: $8.33 a month, against $16.58 a month for TicNote. Plaud starts at $8.33 per month on Pro, billed annually ($17.99 billed monthly), and TicNote starts at $16.58 per month, billed annually ($199).
Which has a free plan, Plaud or TicNote?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Plaud and TicNote have a free plan.
Which platforms do Plaud and TicNote run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Plaud lists macOS and Windows apps and only TicNote lists a browser extension. Both list a web app and iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.