Plaud vs Otter: a recorder or an app for meeting notes?

We make VoiceVault, a meeting recorder for Android that we mention near the end. We haven't tested Plaud's hardware; everything here about Plaud and Otter comes from their own published pages, linked below.

Plaud vs Otter is really a choice between two ways of taking meeting notes. Plaud sells a small recorder you carry or stick to your phone, plus an app that turns recordings into transcripts and summaries. Otter is software only: an app and a bot that joins your video calls. Both do the AI work in their cloud. Here's how they compare on cost, minutes, privacy, phone calls and online meetings, using each company's own published information.

Plaud vs Otter at a glance

Prices in US dollars, from plaud.ai and otter.ai on 3 November 2026.

What each costs over a year

Plaud's costs come in two parts. The Plaud Note is $159 and includes the free Starter plan, which Plaud describes as 300 minutes of transcription a month with no subscription. If you record more than about five hours a month, you'll want Pro ($99.99 a year for 1,200 minutes a month) or Unlimited ($239.99 a year). So a first year with Pro comes to about $259, and with Unlimited about $399.

Otter has no device to buy. Its free Basic plan also gives 300 minutes a month, but each conversation stops at 30 minutes and you can see only your 25 most recent conversations. Pro, at $8.33 a month billed yearly, gives 1,200 minutes and 90 minutes per conversation, which is about $100 a year.

Over several years the hardware matters less and the plan matters more. If you'd rather not pay every year at all, see our guide to AI note takers with no subscription.

Where your audio goes

This is where Plaud and Otter are most alike: neither transcribes on your device.

• Plaud. Its Trust Center says "all data is transferred to the cloud for processing". Audio and transcripts aren't stored in the cloud unless you turn on Cloud Sync. Plaud has data centers in the US, Frankfurt, Singapore and Japan, says the AI models it uses have zero-retention, no-training contracts, and doesn't train on your data unless you opt in. It lists ISO 27701, GDPR, SOC 2 Type 2, HIPAA and EN 18031 compliance. The device is bound to your Plaud account.
• Otter. Its Android listing says transcription needs an internet connection, you need an account, and your data is backed up automatically to Otter's cloud. Otter says it doesn't sell or share your data and that you can delete it permanently. HIPAA compliance is an add-on on its Enterprise plan.

For most meetings, either approach is fine. For HR, legal, medical or board conversations, check what your organization allows before audio leaves the room. Our guide to AI notes for confidential meetings goes into this.

Phone calls and online meetings

Plaud is stronger on phone calls. The Plaud Note has two modes: in-person, and phone call. In call mode, you attach it to the back of your phone with its magnetic case, and a vibration conduction sensor picks up the sound from the phone's speaker. The wearable Plaud NotePin doesn't have this sensor, and Plaud says it doesn't record calls.

Otter is stronger on video calls. Its bot joins Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet, writes notes and can share them with the team, on every plan. Plaud says its Plaud Desktop app lets you record online meetings with a Plaud device, and it has a Team plan with shared team files.

Whichever you use, recording laws still apply. In some US states everyone on a call has to agree. See one-party and all-party consent states.

When Plaud is the better choice

• You record a lot of phone calls on your mobile.
• You want one button to start recording, without unlocking your phone.
• You'd rather keep your phone free during the meeting, or record a long day: Plaud lists up to 30 hours of continuous recording and 64 GB of storage for the Note.
• You need many languages or summary templates for your field.

When Otter is the better choice

• Most of your meetings are on Zoom, Teams or Google Meet.
• Your team shares, comments on and assigns action items in one workspace.
• You don't want to buy, charge or carry another device.
• You want to try it free first with no hardware cost.

A third option: just your phone, no cloud

If your meetings are mostly in the room, the phone in your pocket may be enough, and some Android apps do the AI work on the phone rather than in a cloud. VoiceVault, which we make, records with your phone's microphone and makes the transcript, speaker labels and to-dos on the phone, with no account and no VoiceVault servers. It works in airplane mode. Summaries are made on the phone too, on phones that support Gemini Nano or VoiceVault's downloadable on-device model. It's free for 30 days, then a one-time US$49.99, with no minute limits.

The trade-offs: it's Android 13 and newer only, it doesn't join Zoom or Teams, and it doesn't record phone calls. Its speaker labels work within each recording; it doesn't learn voices across recordings. If calls are your main use, Plaud does that and VoiceVault doesn't. For other phone apps, see Plaud alternatives, or what the Plaud Note does and costs.

Questions

Sources

• Plaud Note product page (price, specs, plans, FAQ)
• Plaud NotePin product page (FAQ: phone call recording)
• Plaud Trust Center (where data is processed and stored)
• Otter pricing
• Otter on Google Play (features and requirements)

Prices, plans and features were checked on 3 November 2026 on each company's own pages and change often; check them before you buy.