The Plaud Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Plaud in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Plaud
The Insider’s Guide
AI voice recorder devices with an app for transcripts and summaries
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI meeting note takers, read from Plaud’s own pages.
Made by Plaud Inc. · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Plaud’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Plaud’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 51 of the 68 other AI meeting note takers we grade
Plaud sells pocket and wearable voice recorders, and a mobile app, web app and desktop app that transcribe recordings and write summaries from templates. The desktop app captures online meetings without a bot. Transcription is sold as a monthly plan that is separate from the hardware.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Plaud, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You buy and pair a recorder, or use the apps, and choose templates.
- 1
Best for pocket voice recorders with transcription plans
Plaud sells voice recorders and an app, web and desktop transcription service with templated summaries, and its desktop app records online meetings without a bot.
- 2
Paid plans start at $8.33 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $8.33 per month on Pro, billed annually ($17.99 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
Starter plan: 300 transcription minutes a month, 112+ languages, summary templates, Plaud Desktop and export and sharing.
- 4
It runs on 5 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
- 5
Recorder devices
Plaud Note, Note Pro, NotePin and NotePin S capture in-person talks and calls; the Note Pro page lists it at $189.
- 6
Transcription in 112+ languages
Recordings, imported audio and desktop captures are transcribed, with a monthly minute allowance on each plan.
- 7
Summaries from templates
Choose from 10,000+ summary templates or build custom ones; the vendor says summaries are traceable to the transcript.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 51 of 68
That is against the other AI meeting note takers we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Plaud you would be making a bot that joins your calls and turns the talk into notes. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Plaud at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $8.33 per month on Pro, billed annually ($17.99 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Plaud Inc.
- Category
- AI Meeting Notes
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
Best for pocket voice recorders with transcription plans
Plaud sells voice recorders and an app, web and desktop transcription service with templated summaries, and its desktop app records online meetings without a bot. The free plan is 300 minutes a month, but the recorder is a separate purchase and many integrations are still in preview.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Starter is free with 300 transcription minutes a month and 112+ languages. That covers light use. |
| Features | B | Recorder devices, transcription, 10,000+ summary templates, bot-free desktop capture, search and folders. Connectors such as Notion, Slack and Salesforce are in preview. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. You buy and pair a recorder, or use the apps, and choose templates. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with Zapier, Notion, Slack and MCP, though those connectors are marked preview. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Plaud is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- People who want a pocket recorder for in-person meetings and calls
- Professionals who prefer not to add a bot to online meetings
- Teams in healthcare, legal and finance that want compliance claims listed
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$8.33
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Plaud has a free plan. Paid plans start at $8.33 per month on Pro, billed annually ($17.99 billed monthly).
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.
The free plan
Starter plan: 300 transcription minutes a month, 112+ languages, summary templates, Plaud Desktop and export and sharing.
Read from plaud.ai on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on plaud.aiEducation
10% off for students, educators and healthcare
Plaud lists 10% off for students and grads, educators, healthcare workers, military and first responders.
Stated on plaud.aiOther 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.
Stated on plaud.ai
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
5
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android
AI voice recorder devices with an app for transcripts and summaries. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, meeting notes, transcription, templates.
Connectors such as Notion, Slack and Salesforce are in preview.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Google Calendar
- Zapier
- Notion
- Slack
- Linear
- Salesforce
Plaud is made by Plaud Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
51/68
Other AI meeting note takers it is graded above
Plaud's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 51 of the 68 other AI meeting note takers we grade, and level with 6.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 60 of 68) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $8.33 a month, against a middle price of $11.99 for the category: 15 of the 62 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 8 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 69 AI meeting note takers we grade, cut by the letter each got. Plaud’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 60 of 68
- BFree plan and trialAbove 58 of 68
- BFeaturesAbove 27 of 68
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 68
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 9 of 68
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 63 AI meeting note takers. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Plaud is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Plaud you would be making a bot that joins your calls and turns the talk into notes. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 51 of the 68 other AI meeting note takers we grade. It costs $99.96 a year.
What you could make
- Templates: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A bot that joins your calls and turns the talk into notes.
- Speech turned into text you can trust.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, Google Calendar, Zapier and Notion among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Plaud’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Bee, Otter.ai, TwinMind, Notta and Jamie
The 5 tools Plaud is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Bee
Free plan · from $11.99/mo
Wearable AI recorder that summarizes conversations and suggests to-dos.
- Only Plaud lists a web app.
- Plaud also covers templates.
- Bee also covers chat assistant and tasks.
- 3.0GPA
Otter.ai
Free plan · from $8.33/mo
Live meeting transcription with summaries and AI chat.
- Only Otter.ai lists a browser extension.
- Plaud also covers templates.
- Otter.ai also covers chat assistant.
- 2.8GPA
TwinMind
Free plan · from $11.99/mo
All-day transcription and memory app for meetings and conversations.
- Only TwinMind lists a browser extension.
- Plaud also covers templates.
- TwinMind also covers chat assistant.
- 2.6GPA
Notta
Free plan · from $8.17/mo
AI notetaker and transcription for meetings, files and recordings.
- Only Notta lists a browser extension.
- Plaud also covers templates.
- Notta also covers chat assistant and screen recording.
- 2.4GPA
Jamie
Free plan · from €21/mo
Bot-free AI note taker with EU data hosting.
- Only Plaud lists a web app.
- Jamie also covers chat assistant.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Plaud free?
Plaud has a free plan. Starter plan: 300 transcription minutes a month, 112+ languages, summary templates, Plaud Desktop and export and sharing.
How much does Plaud cost?
Plaud lists 4 plans. Starter: $0.
What platforms does Plaud work on?
Plaud is available on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
Does Plaud offer any discounts?
Plaud publicly lists the following: Save up to 54% with annual billing; 10% off for students, educators and healthcare; Team launch offer: $20 per user for the first year.
Does Plaud have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Plaud is listed for Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
Is Plaud open source?
Plaud is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
What does Plaud integrate with?
Plaud's listing names Google Calendar, Zapier, Notion, Slack, Linear and Salesforce.
Does Plaud have a student discount?
10% off for students, educators and healthcare. Plaud lists 10% off for students and grads, educators, healthcare workers, military and first responders.
Who makes Plaud?
Plaud is made by Plaud Inc.
What are the alternatives to Plaud?
The closest alternatives to Plaud in our directory are Bee, Otter.ai, TwinMind, Notta and Jamie.
How does Plaud compare with other AI meeting note takers?
Plaud's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 51 of the 68 other AI meeting note takers we grade, and level with 6.
Is Plaud good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Plaud B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $8.33 a month, against a middle price of $11.99 for the category: 15 of the 62 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Plaud?
To replace Plaud you would be making a bot that joins your calls and turns the talk into notes.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Plaud’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Plaud's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Plaud Inc. Prices change, so check plaud.ai before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Plaud, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/plaud
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Plaud: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/plaud
Know someone choosing between AI meeting note takers?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/plaud/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI meeting note takers after Plaud, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Meeting Notes Insider's GuideEvery one of the 69 AI meeting note takers we grade, compared
- HyNote Insider's GuideAI note taker for meetings, audio, PDFs and videos3.4 GPA
- Wave AI Insider's GuideAI note taker and recorder for meetings, calls and lectures3.4 GPA
- Fireflies.ai Insider's GuideMeeting notetaker that records, transcribes and summarizes calls3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Plaud’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Plaud is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Plaud Inc. Prices and plans change: check plaud.ai before you buy.