Memory Notch
PLAUD ALTERNATIVES
The best Plaud alternatives: use the phone you already have
A Plaud Note is a recorder you buy, with transcription plans on top. Five alternatives run on the phone or computer you already carry.
Short answer: For speaker labels on your phone, offline, in many languages, Memory Notch; for nothing to install on an iPhone, Voice Memos; for a Pixel phone and conversations in English, Pixel Recorder; for cloud summaries and phone apps, Otter.ai; for AI notes from phone, desktop and Apple Watch apps, Granola.
| Tool | Where speech becomes text | Bot in the call | Speaker labels | Platforms | Free option | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memory Notch | On your computer or phone; nothing is uploaded | No; records your microphone and your computer’s own audio | Numbered live: Speaker 1, Speaker 2, in the trial too | Mac and Windows, on one licence; iPhone, iPad and Android apps sold separately | Not free to record: free recordings stop at 5 minutes | Free to try with 5-minute recordings; US$79 once or US$7.99 a month for Mac and Windows; a one-time US$5.99 unlock on iPhone, iPad or Android (US price) |
| Voice Memos | On the device | No bot; on a Mac it hears the microphone only | No speaker labels | iPhone and Mac, built in | Free, built in | Free, built in |
| Pixel Recorder | On the phone | No bot; records the room | On a Pixel 6 or later, in US English only, off by default | Pixel phones, built in | Free, built in | Free, built in |
| Otter.ai | Cloud | Meeting assistant and desktop capture options | Yes: names it has learned from speakers you tag; Speaker # when it can’t match a voice | Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | Basic: 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation | Basic free (300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation); Pro US$16.99 a month, or US$8.33 a month billed annually; Business US$30 a month, or US$19.99 billed annually |
| Granola | Cloud transcription and summaries, with local capture | No | Me and Them by default; participant names for Meet, Zoom and Teams in the desktop app | Mac and Windows; iPhone, Android and Apple Watch apps | Basic: free, with 30 days of meeting history | Basic free with 30 days of meeting history; Business US$14 and Enterprise US$35 per user per month |
Checked November 9, 2026 against the vendors’ own pages; a source we could not re-read that day keeps the date we last read it. Sources: Plaud Note product page (November 9, 2026) · Plaud AI plans (November 9, 2026) · Plaud: auto speaker labelling (November 9, 2026) · Apple: Voice Memos transcripts (November 8, 2026) · Apple: Notes audio transcription (November 8, 2026) · Voice Memos transcription limits (November 8, 2026) · Does Voice Memos transcribe? (November 8, 2026) · Google: Pixel Recorder (November 8, 2026) · Google Research: who said what (November 8, 2026) · Otter.ai’s own page (November 9, 2026) · Otter: speaker identification (November 9, 2026) · Granola’s own page (September 28, 2026) · Granola: speaker tags (September 28, 2026).
Free Plaud alternatives
The cheapest Plaud alternative is the recorder your phone already has. These cost nothing to start.
- Voice Memos: Free, built in.
- Pixel Recorder: Free, built in.
- Otter.ai: Basic: 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation.
- Granola: Basic: free, with 30 days of meeting history.
Memory Notch is not free for recording. Free recordings stop at five minutes and everything captured is saved (on iPhone and Android, your first two longer recordings run to the end); US$79 once or US$7.99 a month removes the limit on Mac and Windows, and a one-time US$5.99 unlock does on iPhone, iPad or Android (US price). Its dictation is free on Mac and Windows, with no licence.
Why people leave Plaud
The Plaud Note costs US$159, and each Plaud device comes with a free Starter plan of 300 transcription minutes a month. Pro gives 1,200 minutes a month for US$8.33 a month billed annually, or US$17.99 monthly; Unlimited costs US$20 a month billed annually, or US$29.99 monthly. Plaud labels other voices Speaker 1, Speaker 2, and names only your own voice automatically, once you’ve set up a voice profile. It’s a fair choice for a device that records away from your phone. If your phone is always with you, it can do the same job.
1. Memory Notch
An app for iPhone, iPad and Android phones that records the room and labels the speakers, transcribing on the phone. On Android it detects the language itself, across 15 languages, and the app has no internet permission. The same app on a Mac or Windows PC records both sides of a call.
Pick it if you want a phone recorder with speaker labels that uploads nothing, for a one-time US$5.99 rather than a device and a plan.
2. Voice Memos
Apple’s recorder transcribes on iPhone and Mac, but a conversation comes back as one block of text.
Pick it if you want a quick transcript of one voice, with nothing to install or buy.
3. Pixel Recorder
Google’s recorder comes with Pixel phones and transcribes on the phone. Its speaker labels need a Pixel 6 or later and US English.
Pick it if you have a Pixel 6 or later and your conversations are in US English.
4. Otter.ai
Meeting transcription with AI summaries and team workflows.
Pick it if you want AI summaries, shared meeting search and team integrations in the cloud.
5. Granola
A bot-free notepad with cloud transcription and enhanced notes.
Pick it if you want AI-enhanced notes and summaries and are fine with cloud transcription.
Questions people ask
Can my phone replace a Plaud recorder?
For most conversations, yes: a phone records the room just as a dedicated recorder does. Memory Notch, Voice Memos and Pixel Recorder all transcribe on the phone. A Plaud still makes sense if you want a separate device that records away from your phone.
Is there a free Plaud alternative?
Yes. Voice Memos comes with iPhone and transcribes on the device, without speaker labels. Pixel Recorder comes with Pixel phones and labels speakers in US English on a Pixel 6 or later. Otter.ai Basic gives 300 minutes a month. Memory Notch is free for recordings up to five minutes, then a one-time unlock.
How much does Plaud cost?
The Plaud Note is US$159, with 300 transcription minutes a month free. Pro is 1,200 minutes a month for US$8.33 a month billed annually, or US$17.99 monthly. Memory Notch on iPhone or Android is free to try, then a one-time US$5.99 (US price) removes the five-minute limit.
Does Plaud label speakers?
Yes. Plaud labels other voices Speaker 1, Speaker 2, and names only your own voice automatically, once you’ve set up a voice profile. Memory Notch labels speakers Speaker 1, Speaker 2, live, on the phone.
Does Memory Notch upload my recordings?
No. Transcription runs on the phone, and the Android app has no internet permission.