Plaud vs Viaim (2026): which should you pick?

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 Viaim if

• Fits if you want a recorder you buy once and keep
• Works for wearing earbuds that transcribe while you talk

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you do not want to buy hardware, as the entry cost is $149.99 or more
• Watch out: a separate subscription plan exists, and its prices could not be read
• Not for you if you want a mobile app, as only a web version is confirmed
• Too light for teams, as the listing shows no sharing or integrations
• Watch out: the home page read was almost empty, so we could not check the features

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.

Viaim

• The product is hardware, so the entry cost is $149.99 or more before any optional subscription.
• A separate subscription plan exists, but its prices could not be read from the pages available, so they are not listed here.
• Only a web version is confirmed from the pages read; app platform details were not readable.

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.

Viaim

Real-time transcription

The earbuds and recorder transcribe conversations as they happen and are described as a real-time transcription headphone and AI meeting recorder.

No subscription required

The homepage advertises AI note-taking with no subscription required, and lists a separate subscription plan page for optional usage.

Open-ear design

OpenNote uses an open-ear design intended to be worn through a working day, so calls and in-person talks can be captured.

App and web access

Notes are reached through a downloadable app and a web version, both linked from the site navigation.

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.

Viaim

• Nano+ recorder$149.99

  one-time

  Wearable AI meeting recorder, listed from $149.99 in two colors.

• RecDot earbuds$229

  one-time

  AI recording earbuds in black or silver, listed from $229.00.

• OpenNote earbuds$229

  one-time

  Open-ear AI earbuds made for all-day work, listed from $229.00 in black or white.

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.

Viaim

No public discounts listed.