Starlog
Pocket vs Plaud

Pocket vs Plaud, and the option with no device.

Pocket and Plaud both sell an AI voice recorder you carry with your phone. Here they are side by side, with Starlog, which records on the phone you have.

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Side by side

Two recorders and the phone you have.

Pocket's and Plaud's facts as their own pages show them, checked on 13 October 2026. Prices in US dollars for them, in euros for Starlog.

Pocket
Plaud
Starlog
The device
PocketOne recorder that sticks to the back of your phone: US$129 (was US$199).
PlaudPlaud Note Pro US$189, Plaud Note US$159, Plaud NotePin S US$179, Plaud NotePin US$159.
StarlogNone. The phone you already carry.
Battery
PocketAbout 4 days of active use.
PlaudUp to 30 hours of recording (Note), 20 hours (NotePin).
StarlogYour phone's.
Free plan
PocketUnlimited transcription at standard accuracy, summaries kept 30 days.
PlaudStarter, 300 minutes a month, with every device.
Starlog30 days free, then plans from €24 a year.
Paid plan
PocketPro US$29.99 a month or US$239.88 a year.
PlaudPro US$17.99 a month or US$99.99 a year (1,200 minutes a month); Unlimited US$29.99 a month or US$239.99 a year.
StarlogBasic €24 a year, Plus €150 a year, Pro €300 a year.
Speaker names
PocketOn Pro.
PlaudSpeaker labels, in its membership.
StarlogOn every plan.
Without the device
PocketIts desktop app records Zoom, Teams and Meet calls on macOS and Windows.
PlaudPlaud says recording with its hardware starts from a bound Plaud device; the app's Record button starts the connected device.
StarlogThere is no device. Every phone in the room can join one meeting.
How the recorder records
PocketMP3, mono, 16 kHz, 32 kbps (firmware 1.00 and 1.8.9, the newest, our own reading on 12 October 2026).
PlaudNot stated on its pages.
StarlogOn each phone in the room that joins the meeting.
Languages
Pocket120+.
Plaud112, one language per recording.
Starlog25 European languages on Basic and Plus; more than 90 on Pro and Team, with an engine picked for each by our own measurements.
Where data lives
PocketHosted in the US.
PlaudAn EU region (Frankfurt) for European users.
StarlogServers in Germany, in the EU. Made by a Swiss company.
Which one

It depends on one thing.

Pocket

A recorder on the phone

One device on the back of your phone, with a contact microphone for calls. Speaker names need Pro. Starlog vs Pocket.

Plaud

A card or a pin

Four recorders to choose from and a free Starter plan with each. Starlog vs Plaud.

Starlog

No recorder at all

If the phone you carry is enough, there is nothing to buy, charge or forget, and everyone's phone in the room helps. All Pocket AI alternatives.

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.

Join the waiting list
Questions

What people ask

What audio does Pocket record?

We read Pocket's device firmware 1.00 and 1.8.9, the newest, ourselves on 12 October 2026. Both record MP3, mono, 16 kHz, 32 kbps. Pocket's own pages do not state the format.

Does Plaud work without a Plaud device?

Plaud's support page says recording with its hardware, moving files and the membership start from a bound Plaud device, and its app's Record button starts the connected device.

Is there an option with no device at all?

Yes. Starlog records on the phone you carry. See also the other Pocket AI alternatives and Plaud alternatives.

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. Pocket's audio format is our own reading of its device firmware 1.00 and 1.8.9, the newest, on 12 October 2026 (research by Starlog, not a statement by Pocket). 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.