Pocket AI alternatives, with a device and without.
Pocket is the AI voice recorder from heypocket.com that you stick to the back of your phone. If you want the notes without another device, or a different recorder, these are the options. Each one's facts were read on its own pages on 13 October 2026.
Five ways to get the notes.
Starlog
An app like Pocket AI with no device. Speaker names, summaries, decisions and tasks, and every phone in the room can join one meeting. Starlog vs Pocket.
- 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.
Plaud
AI recorders you carry next to your phone: a card or a pin.
- Device
- Plaud Note Pro US$189, Plaud Note US$159, Plaud NotePin S US$179, Plaud NotePin US$159.
- Plans
- Starter free with every device (300 minutes a month), Pro US$17.99 a month or US$99.99 a year.
- Without the device
- Plaud says recording with its hardware starts from a bound Plaud device.
- More
- Pocket vs Plaud, Plaud alternatives.
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.
Three questions first.
Do you want another device?
Pocket and Plaud are recorders to buy, charge and bring. Starlog, Otter, Granola and the phone's own recorder use the phone you have.
Is the meeting in a room?
All five can record a room. With Starlog, a second phone in the room joins the same meeting, and the voice at the far end of the table is close to someone's phone.
Where should the data live?
Pocket says its hosting is in the US. Plaud lists an EU region in Frankfurt for European users. Starlog's servers are in Germany.
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
Is there an app like Pocket AI that needs no device?
Yes. Starlog records on the phone you already carry and makes the same kind of notes: who said what, a summary, decisions and tasks. Otter and Granola also have phone apps. The phone's own recorder makes transcripts, with the limits above.
Can I use Pocket without a subscription?
Yes, on its Free plan. Pocket's Free plan has unlimited transcription at standard accuracy, keeps summaries for 30 days and allows 3 Ask Pocket chats a day. Pro costs US$29.99 a month or US$239.88 a year and adds speaker names and summaries kept for good. The device itself costs US$129.
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: heypocket.com, pricing; heypocket.com, trust; Pocket docs, recording calls; Pocket on the App Store (Pro monthly); 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; 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.