Otter AI vs Plaud is a choice between software and a recorder you carry. Otter is an app that joins Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet calls and writes a live transcript. Plaud is a recorder, the Plaud Note at $159, the Plaud Note Pro at $189 or the wearable NotePin at $159, that captures in-person conversations and phone calls and sends them to an app. Otter has a free plan with 300 transcription minutes a month and Pro at $8.33 a month billed yearly. Plaud comes with a free Starter plan of 300 minutes a month, with Pro at $8.33 a month billed yearly and Unlimited at $20.00. Prices and plan details were checked between Nov 2 and Nov 6, 2026.
If you want the money question first, jump to the Otter vs Plaud cost over three years. If you record in person or on calls and want one device, skip to what Comu costs next to Otter and Plaud.
Otter AI vs Plaud at a glance
| Otter AI | Plaud | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Software: web app, desktop apps, iOS and Android apps | A recorder (Note, Note Pro, NotePin) plus an app |
| Where it records | Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, plus in-person recording in the mobile apps | In person and on phone calls; Plaud Desktop covers online meetings |
| Upfront cost | $0 | Note $159, Note Pro $189, NotePin $159 |
| Free plan | Basic, 300 transcription minutes a month | Starter, 300 transcription minutes a month |
| Paid plan, billed yearly | Pro $8.33, Business $19.99 a month | Pro $8.33, Unlimited $20.00 a month |
| Paid plan, billed monthly | Pro $16.99, Business $30 | Pro $17.99, Unlimited $29.99 |
| Transcription languages | English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese | 112+ |
| Best for | Online meetings and live transcripts | In-person meetings, interviews and calls |
Prices are in US dollars. Otter bills per user.
Otter vs Plaud: what you pay for each
Otter costs $0 on Basic, $8.33 a month billed yearly on Pro and $19.99 a month billed yearly on Business. Plaud costs $159 to $189 for the recorder, then $0 on Starter, $8.33 a month billed yearly on Pro or $20.00 a month billed yearly on Unlimited. Otter Pro is $16.99 a month, or $8.33 a month billed yearly ($99.96 a year). Business is $30 a month, or $19.99 a month billed yearly ($239.88 a year), and new subscribers pay $24 a month for the first three months. Enterprise is priced through sales.
Plaud has a device price and a plan price. The Plaud Note is $159, the Plaud Note Pro is $189 and the NotePin is $159. The Starter plan comes with each device at no cost. Pro is $17.99 a month, or $8.33 a month billed yearly ($99.99 a year). Unlimited is $29.99 a month, or $20.00 a month billed yearly ($239.99 a year). Team is priced per user, at $28 a month until Nov 30, 2026 and $35 after.
| Per year | Otter AI | Plaud |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Device from $159, then $0 |
| Entry paid plan, billed yearly | Pro, $99.96 | Pro, $99.99, plus the device |
| Entry paid plan, billed monthly | Pro, $203.88 | Pro, $215.88, plus the device |
| Unlimited minutes, billed yearly | Business, $239.88 | Unlimited, $239.99, plus the device |
At the plan level the two are close. The difference is the device: Plaud's plan prices are on top of a $159 or $189 recorder, and Otter has no hardware to buy.
Plaud vs Otter AI: free plans compared
Both free plans give 300 transcription minutes a month. Otter Basic needs no device and writes a live transcript, and Plaud Starter includes 112+ languages and comes with the recorder.
Otter Basic costs $0. It joins Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet and gives live transcription, speaker identification, audio playback, AI Chat within and across meetings, transcription in 6 languages, the iOS and Android apps and an MCP server. Transcription is 300 minutes a month, a conversation can run up to 30 minutes, you can import 3 files over the life of the account, and the 25 most recent conversations stay in your history.
Plaud Starter comes free with the device. It gives 300 transcription minutes a month, AI transcription in 112+ languages with speaker labels, summary templates, custom templates, Plaud Desktop and audio import. Plaud does not support real-time transcription, and the AI work modes in Ask Plaud run on credits that you buy separately.
| Free plan | Otter Basic | Plaud Starter |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | Free with a $159 to $189 device |
| Transcription | 300 minutes a month | 300 minutes a month |
| Speaker identification | Yes | Yes |
| Real-time transcription | Yes | Not supported |
| Languages | 6 | 112+ |
| Imports | 3 for the life of the account | Audio import |
| AI assistant | AI Chat | Ask Plaud work modes use credits |
For a few short meetings a month, either free plan works. Otter's free plan fits online calls and has no device cost. Plaud's free plan fits someone who already owns the recorder. Comu's included plan transcribes without a minute limit, labels speakers and records phone calls on a device you carry, and Comu Note Pro costs $109.69.
Otter AI vs Plaud Note: features row by row
Otter is software that joins online meetings and writes a live transcript, and Plaud is a recorder that captures in-person conversations and phone calls in 112+ languages.
- Capture. Otter joins online meetings from your calendar and records in person through its mobile apps. Plaud Note switches between phone-call and in-person recording modes, and Plaud Note Pro detects phone calls and in-person conversations on its own. Plaud Desktop covers online meetings.
- Hardware. Plaud Note is 0.12 inches thin and 1.06 oz, with 30 hours of continuous recording, 64 GB of storage and a recording range of 9.8 feet. Plaud Note Pro has four MEMS microphones, 16.4 feet of pickup, a 0.95-inch display and a 50-hour Endurance mode. Otter is software and runs on the microphone of your phone or computer, including Bluetooth and AirPods input.
- Live transcription. Otter writes a live transcript in the Otter app and live captions in Google Meet. Plaud does not support real-time transcription.
- Languages. Otter transcribes English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Chinese. Plaud transcribes in 112+ languages.
- Speaker identification. Otter and Plaud both include speaker identification on every plan, including the free plans.
- AI. Otter has AI Chat with 20 questions a month on Basic, 50 on Pro and 200 on Business. Plaud's plans include the latest AI models such as GPT-5, Gemini 3 Pro and Claude Sonnet, Ask Plaud and AutoFlow, and Ask Plaud work modes also use credits.
- Templates. Otter has standard templates on Basic and advanced templates from Pro. Plaud has 10,000+ summary templates and custom templates.
- Export. Otter exports mp3 and txt on Basic, and adds pdf, docx and srt on Pro. Plaud exports in multiple formats.
- Integrations. Otter has an MCP server, Zapier, and Salesforce and HubSpot sync with user limits. Plaud has Google Calendar, Notion, Slack, Linear, Zapier and MCP connectors in Preview.
- Security. Otter has TLS and AES-256 encryption, two-factor authentication, and SSO and SCIM on Enterprise, with HIPAA as an add-on. Plaud is ISO 27701, SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, HIPAA and EN 18031 compliant.
Otter vs Plaud: minutes, limits and credits
Otter limits minutes, conversation length and imports, and Plaud limits minutes and sells separate credits for Ask Plaud work modes.
Otter counts transcription minutes: 300 on Basic, 1,200 on Pro, and unlimited meetings on Business. Minutes do not roll over. A conversation is cut at 30 minutes on Basic and 90 minutes on Pro, and Business allows 4 hours. Imports are limited too: 3 in total on Basic and 10 a month on Pro.
Plaud counts minutes as well: 300 on Starter, 1,200 on Pro, and unlimited on Unlimited. Unused minutes do not carry over, and extra minutes come in packs of 600, 3,000 and 6,000. Separately, Ask Plaud work modes consume credits, sold in packs of 1,000 for $12.99, 5,000 for $69.99 and 20,000 for $279.99, valid for one year.
A person who records ten hours a month needs a 1,200-minute plan on either product. A person who records forty hours needs Otter Business or Plaud Unlimited.
Otter vs Plaud: which one fits you
| If you | Choose |
|---|---|
| Spend your day in Zoom, Teams and Meet | Otter |
| Want live captions and a transcript while people talk | Otter |
| Want to start at $0 with no device | Otter Basic |
| Record in person, in interviews or in the field | A recorder, such as Plaud or Comu |
| Take phone calls and want them recorded | A recorder, such as Plaud or Comu |
| Need transcription in more than six languages | Plaud or Comu |
| Run meetings longer than 90 minutes | Otter Business or a recorder |
| Want a recorder whose free plan has unlimited transcription | Comu |
Otter Basic gives 300 transcription minutes a month and cuts a conversation at 30 minutes. Plaud Starter gives 300 transcription minutes a month. Each product has its own review: Otter AI review and Plaud review.
Otter vs Plaud for a small team
Five people pay $499.80 a year on Otter Pro with yearly billing and $1,199.40 a year on Business. Five people on Plaud Note with Pro billed yearly pay $1,294.95 in the first year, which is five devices at $159 plus five Pro plans at $99.99. Five people on the free Starter plan pay $795 for the devices and $0 for the plans. Otter Basic lets a team start at $0, so the first year costs less on Otter for online meetings. A recorder for each person adds in-person and phone-call capture on a device you carry.
Otter vs Plaud: cost over three years
Over three years, one person pays $0 to $719.64 on Otter and $159.00 to $908.97 on Plaud, depending on the plan.
| Otter AI | Year 1 | Year 2 (total) | Year 3 (total) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic, 300 minutes a month | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Pro billed yearly, 1,200 minutes a month | $99.96 | $199.92 | $299.88 |
| Pro billed monthly, 1,200 minutes a month | $203.88 | $407.76 | $611.64 |
| Business billed yearly, unlimited meetings | $239.88 | $479.76 | $719.64 |
| Plaud Note | Year 1 | Year 2 (total) | Year 3 (total) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter, 300 minutes a month | $159.00 | $159.00 | $159.00 |
| Pro billed yearly, 1,200 minutes a month | $258.99 | $358.98 | $458.97 |
| Unlimited billed yearly, unlimited minutes | $398.99 | $638.98 | $878.97 |
| Plaud Note Pro | Year 1 | Year 2 (total) | Year 3 (total) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter, 300 minutes a month | $189.00 | $189.00 | $189.00 |
| Pro billed yearly, 1,200 minutes a month | $288.99 | $388.98 | $488.97 |
| Unlimited billed yearly, unlimited minutes | $428.99 | $668.98 | $908.97 |
Otter is software, so its cost repeats each year you use a paid plan. Plaud's device is a single purchase and its plan repeats. Credits for Ask Plaud work modes are bought on top of every Plaud row.
Otter vs Plaud vs Comu AI: usage cost compared
Comu Note Pro is $109.69, $49.31 less than Plaud Note, and Comu Action Pro is $169.99, $19.01 less than Plaud Note Pro. Comu is a recorder with an app. The free plan that comes with a Comu device includes unlimited transcription, unlimited real-time transcription, speaker identification, summaries, action items, templates, and Comu AI for questions across your recordings. Comu records phone calls, supports 113 languages, imports external audio files, and is GDPR, HIPAA and SOC 2 compliant.
The Comu rows use only that free plan. Plaud Starter stops at 300 transcription minutes a month, and Otter Basic stops at 300 minutes a month and 30 minutes per conversation. The tables therefore add Plaud's Pro plan, with 1,200 minutes a month, or its Unlimited plan to the Plaud device, and compare Comu with Otter Pro and Business.
Comu Note Pro vs Plaud Note vs Otter
| Comu Note Pro | Plaud Note | Otter AI | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $109.69 | $159 | $0 for Basic |
| Transcription on the free plan | Unlimited | 300 minutes a month | 300 minutes a month |
| Speaker identification | Included | Included | Yes |
| Real-time transcription | Unlimited | Not supported | Yes |
| Longest continuous recording | Up to 45 hours | Up to 30 hours | 30 minutes per conversation on Basic |
| Where it records | A recorder you carry, in person and on the phone | A recorder you carry, in person and on the phone | Online meetings, plus the mobile apps |
| Export | TXT, Markdown, Word and PDF for text; MP3 and WAV for audio | Multiple formats | mp3 and txt on Basic |
| Total cost for one person | Year 1 | Year 2 (total) | Year 3 (total) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comu Note Pro, free plan, unlimited transcription | $109.69 | $109.69 | $109.69 |
| Plaud Note, Starter plan, 300 minutes a month | $159.00 | $159.00 | $159.00 |
| Plaud Note + Pro billed yearly, 1,200 minutes a month | $258.99 | $358.98 | $458.97 |
| Plaud Note + Unlimited billed yearly, unlimited minutes | $398.99 | $638.98 | $878.97 |
| Otter Pro billed yearly, 1,200 minutes a month | $99.96 | $199.92 | $299.88 |
| Otter Business billed yearly, unlimited meetings | $239.88 | $479.76 | $719.64 |
Over three years, Plaud Note with Pro costs $349.28 more than Comu Note Pro, and with Unlimited it costs $769.28 more. Otter Pro billed yearly costs $190.19 more than Comu Note Pro, and Otter Business costs $609.95 more. Plaud Note's free Starter plan transcribes 300 minutes a month after the recording ends, and Comu Note Pro's included plan transcribes without a minute limit and in real time. Otter Basic costs $0 and transcribes 300 minutes a month with each conversation cut at 30 minutes, while Comu Note Pro records up to 45 hours continuously and records phone calls.
Comu Action Pro vs Plaud Note Pro
| Comu Action Pro | Plaud Note Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $169.99 | $189 |
| Transcription on the free plan | Unlimited | 300 minutes a month |
| Real-time transcription | Unlimited | Not supported |
| Longest continuous recording | Up to 70 hours | Up to 50 hours in Endurance mode |
| AI work (summaries, action items, questions) | Included: Comu AI | Ask Plaud work modes use credits |
| Export | TXT, Markdown, Word and PDF for text; MP3 and WAV for audio | Multiple formats |
| Total cost for one person | Year 1 | Year 2 (total) | Year 3 (total) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comu Action Pro, free plan, unlimited transcription | $169.99 | $169.99 | $169.99 |
| Plaud Note Pro, Starter plan, 300 minutes a month | $189.00 | $189.00 | $189.00 |
| Plaud Note Pro + Pro billed yearly, 1,200 minutes a month | $288.99 | $388.98 | $488.97 |
| Plaud Note Pro + Unlimited billed yearly, unlimited minutes | $428.99 | $668.98 | $908.97 |
Over three years, Plaud Note Pro with Pro costs $318.98 more than Comu Action Pro, and with Unlimited it costs $738.98 more. Plaud Note Pro's free Starter plan transcribes 300 minutes a month after the recording ends. Comu Action Pro's included plan transcribes without a minute limit and in real time, and includes Comu AI for summaries, action items and questions.
Comu records the room and the phone from a device you carry, so it works for an in-person interview, a client visit, a lecture or a call. It does not need a meeting link or an open laptop. The transcript, speaker labels, summary and action items arrive in the app. To see Comu Action Pro against Plaud Note Pro feature by feature, read our Comu Action Pro vs. Plaud Note Pro comparison, our guide to the features that come with Comu, or look at Comu Note Pro and Comu Action Pro.
Common questions about Otter vs Plaud
Is Plaud better than Otter?
Plaud is the better fit for in-person meetings, interviews and phone calls, and Otter is the better fit for scheduled online meetings. The recorder captures the room without a computer, and Otter joins Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet and writes a live transcript.
Is Plaud or Otter cheaper?
Otter is cheaper to start, because the Basic plan is $0 with 300 transcription minutes a month and there is no device. Plaud costs $159 to $189 for the recorder, then $0 on Starter with 300 transcription minutes a month, or $8.33 a month billed yearly on Pro with 1,200. The yearly plan prices are close: Otter Pro is $99.96 a year and Plaud Pro is $99.99.
Does Plaud work with Zoom and Teams like Otter?
Plaud Desktop covers online meetings, and the recorder handles in-person conversations and phone calls. Otter joins Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet calls from your calendar.
Do Plaud and Otter have free plans?
Yes. Otter Basic is free with 300 transcription minutes a month and 30 minutes per conversation. Plaud's Starter plan comes with the device and gives 300 transcription minutes a month. Comu's included plan transcribes without a minute limit, labels speakers and records phone calls.
Which supports more languages, Otter or Plaud?
Plaud transcribes in 112+ languages. Otter transcribes English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Chinese.
Does Otter record phone calls like Plaud?
Plaud records phone calls on a recorder you carry, and Otter records online meetings and in-person conversations through its mobile apps. Plaud Note switches between a phone-call mode and an in-person mode, and Plaud Note Pro detects phone calls on its own. A recorder such as Comu also records phone calls from a device you carry. Tell the other person you are recording, and check the recording rules where you and they are located.
What does Otter cost compared with Plaud over three years?
Otter Pro billed yearly costs $299.88 over three years. Plaud Note with Pro billed yearly costs $458.97, which includes the $159 device. Comu Note Pro costs $109.69 over three years, on the free plan that comes with the device.
Is there a recorder alternative to both?
Yes. Comu Note Pro is $109.69 and Comu Action Pro is $169.99. The free plan includes unlimited transcription, speaker identification and AI summaries.
Related reading
- Otter AI Pricing (2026): Free Plan, Paid Plans and What Each Includes
- Plaud Pricing (2026): Note and Note Pro Prices, Plans and Real Costs
- Plaud Review (2026): Note, Note Pro and NotePin Compared, With Costs Over Three Years
- Plaud vs Pocket: Which AI Voice Recorder Should You Buy in 2026?
- Otter AI Review (2026): Features, Pricing, Pros and Cons by Plan
- Plaud Alternatives (2026): 6 Options Compared by Price and Use Case
Sources
Pages were checked between Nov 2 and Nov 6, 2026.
- Otter, Pricing
- Plaud, Plaud Note, Plaud Note Pro, Plaud NotePin, and plans and pricing. Credit pack prices are from the credits screen in the Plaud app.
- Plaud, plan comparison and real-time transcription
- Comu, Comu Action Pro, Comu Note Pro, and app downloads
