Plaud alternatives: an app instead of a device.
Plaud makes AI recorders, a card or a pin you carry next to your phone. If you would rather use the phone itself, or want your notes kept in the EU, these are the options. Each one's facts were read on its own pages on 13 October 2026.
Five alternatives to Plaud.
Starlog
A Plaud alternative app: it records on the phone you carry, names who said what and writes the summary, decisions and tasks. Starlog vs Plaud.
- Device
- None. It records on the phone you already carry, and on every other phone in the room.
- Price from
- €24 a year (Basic, 3 hours a month), 30 days free to start.
- Speaker names
- On every plan.
- Data
- Servers in Germany, in the EU. Made by a Swiss company.
An AI voice recorder from heypocket.com that sticks to the back of your phone.
- Device
- US$129 (was US$199).
- Plans
- Free, or Pro US$29.99 a month or US$239.88 a year with speaker names.
- Data
- Hosted in the US.
- More
- Pocket vs Plaud, Starlog vs Pocket.
Otter
A note taker best known for online calls, with phone apps for meetings in a room.
- Device
- None. Otter's iOS and Android apps record in person.
- Price
- Free (300 minutes a month); Pro US$16.99 a user a month, or US$8.33 a month billed yearly.
- More
- Starlog vs Otter.
Granola
A note taker for the computer, with iPhone and Android apps to take notes anywhere.
- Device
- None.
- Price
- Free with 30 days of history; Business US$14 a user a month.
- More
- Starlog vs Granola.
The phone's own recorder
Voice Memos on an iPhone or Recorder on a Pixel. Free and already there, with limits.
- Device
- None.
- Price
- Free.
- Voice Memos
- Transcripts on iPhone 12 and later, in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. Apple's page does not mention speaker labels.
- Recorder
- Pixel phones only. Speaker labels on Pixel 6 and later, in US English only.
A European alternative to Plaud.
Starlog: meetings stored on servers in Germany, in the EU, made by a Swiss company; summaries are written by Anthropic in the United States (see sub-processors). Secure meetings (Plus and up) are encrypted with keys only the people in the meeting hold. See security.
Plaud: its trust page lists an EU region (AWS, Frankfurt) for European users, and its data policy says Private Cloud Sync is off until you turn it on.
Pocket: its pricing page says it is hosted in the US.
Your phone is already ready.
Starlog opens in small groups. Join the waiting list, and start with 30 days free when it is your turn.
What people ask
Can I use the Plaud app without a Plaud device?
Plaud's support page says recording with its hardware, moving files and the membership start from a bound Plaud device. Starlog needs no device: it records on the phone you carry.
What does Plaud cost?
A recorder from US$159 to US$189, with Starter free (300 minutes a month). Pro is US$17.99 a month or US$99.99 a year, Unlimited US$29.99 a month or US$239.99 a year.
Pocket or Plaud?
Both are recorders you carry with your phone. See Pocket vs Plaud, side by side with the option that needs no device.
Does Starlog record with the screen off?
Not yet on every phone. On Android, the web app keeps recording through calls and app switches, and its Black screen button keeps it recording while the screen looks off. Apps for iPhone and Android that record with the screen off are on the way.
Is my audio used to train AI?
Never anyone else's. Recordings in your own private space help improve Starlog's own transcription unless you turn it off in Settings; company and team meetings are never used. See privacy.
Can I try Starlog today?
Starlog opens in small groups. Join the waiting list and we write when it is your turn. Every account starts with 30 days free.
Checked on 13 October 2026. Sources: plaud.ai, devices; plaud.ai, plans; plaud.ai, trust; plaud.ai, data use; Plaud support, the app without a device; Plaud support, recording through the app; Plaud support, membership; Plaud support, languages; heypocket.com, pricing; heypocket.com, trust; Pocket docs, recording calls; Pocket on the App Store (Pro monthly); otter.ai, pricing; Otter help, in-person recordings; granola.ai; granola.ai, pricing; Apple, Voice Memos transcription; Google, Recorder on Pixel; Google, Recorder speaker labels. Pocket, Plaud, Otter, Granola, Voice Memos and Recorder are trademarks of their owners. Starlog is not affiliated with any of them. Spotted something out of date? Write to admin@starlog.pro.