Plaud vs alternatives: the spec tables
Prices, microphones, battery, storage and recurring costs for the Plaud lineup and its closest alternatives, each copied from a maker page or a named news report and dated.
How to read this page
This is the reference page for specs. Everything in the tables below was copied from a maker's own product page or from a named news report on September 29, 2026. Where a maker does not publish a number, the cell says so. We do not fill gaps with estimates, and we do not score devices. If a spec matters to your purchase, open the source link and confirm it, because makers change prices and specs without notice.
Plaud's line is split into two shapes. The Note and Note Pro are thin cards that attach to the back of a phone and add a dual-mode setup for phone calls. The NotePin and NotePin S are small wearables meant for in-person conversation. Which shape suits you decides most of the choice before price enters.
Plaud device specs
Source: Plaud: device comparison page, Plaud: shop and plans page.
| Spec | Note Pro | Note | NotePin S | NotePin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listed price (USD) | $189 | $159 | $179 | $159 |
| Microphones | 4 MEMS plus 1 VPU | 2 MEMS plus 1 VPU | 2 MEMS | 2 MEMS |
| Pickup range | Up to 16.4 ft | Up to 9.8 ft | Up to 9.8 ft | Up to 9.8 ft |
| Record control | Tactile button | Tactile button | Tactile button | Pressure-sensitive button |
| Battery, continuous recording | Up to 30 h (Enhance) or 50 h (Endurance) | Up to 30 h | Up to 20 h | Up to 20 h |
| Standby | Up to 60 days | Up to 60 days | Up to 40 days | Up to 40 days |
| Storage | 64 GB | 64 GB | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| Weight | 1.06 oz | 1.06 oz | 0.61 oz (without magnetic pin) | 0.59 oz (without magnetic pin) |
| Display | AMOLED InstantView | None listed | None listed | None listed |
| Phone call recording | Smart dual-mode | Dual-mode | Not supported | In-person only |
| Wear options | Phone case or standalone | Phone case or standalone | Pin, clip, lanyard, wristband | Magnetic pin and clip included |
Two details are easy to miss. First, the NotePin S is the model with the record button that Plaud describes as tactile, and it adds a press-to-highlight action, while the original NotePin is button-free and pressure-sensitive. Second, Plaud lists the NotePin S as unable to record phone calls, so anyone who takes many calls should look at the Note or Note Pro instead. Plaud lists a one-year warranty and a 30-day return window with free return shipping on its comparison page.
Alternatives at the spec level
Sources: Legend Memory: Legend One official facts and specifications (legendmemory.ai/blogs/the-archive/legend-facts), Pocket product page, Omi product page, Bee product page, The Gadgeteer: Friend AI Pendant gets a voice and the price jumps to $249 (Jul 31, 2026).
| Spec | Legend One | Omi | Bee Pioneer | Friend (2.0) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listed price (USD) | $499 including year 1 membership | $139 | $129 (normally $179) | $49.99 | $249 |
| Recurring cost | $499 per year after year 1, cancel anytime | Free plan. Pro $19.99 per month billed yearly | Free plan included, no subscription required | No subscription price listed on Bee's site | Optional $10 per month to extend memory past 30 days |
| How it captures | Always on | Side button | Pendant. Page title says always listening; its privacy section says capture is something you start | Button starts and stops. Reported to listen continuously unless muted | Always listening companion |
| Microphones | Three, with speaker separation | Two studio, one contact | Not listed on page checked | Dual microphones | One |
| Audio stored | None. Text only | Yes, 64 GB on device plus cloud | Not stated | Not stated | Not a notes product |
| Battery | Up to 2 days continuous, 5 days standby | About 4 days of active use | 10 to 14 hours | Up to 7 days (160 hours) | Up to 15 hours per the company |
| Languages | 150+ | 120+ | 25+ | 40 | Not listed |
| Phone support | iOS and Android | iOS and Android | iPhone, Android, Mac, web | iOS only | iPhone app |
| Water | Splash resistant, not waterproof | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
Legend's numbers come from Legend Memory's own facts page, which its publisher describes as the canonical source. Because this site is operated by the same team, we checked those numbers against the live product page on September 29, 2026. They match, except for the warranty term, which the two pages state differently. We therefore leave warranty out of every table on this site.
What the spec tables cannot tell you
Microphone counts are not a quality score
A four-microphone array picks up a longer distance, which matters in a conference room. It does not guarantee accurate names or numbers in the transcript. Accuracy depends on the speech model, the room, and the accents involved, and none of the makers publish an independent, comparable accuracy figure that we are willing to print. Treat any single accuracy claim, including ours, with suspicion until you test the device in your own environment during the return window.
Battery figures are lab numbers
The listed battery life is what each maker reports. Plaud's 20 hours is continuous recording, which is different from a day of on-and-off use. Legend's two days is continuous transcription. Omi lists 10 to 14 hours. Friend's 15 hours is described by The Gadgeteer as a company rating that the outlet did not test. Compare like with like: hours of capture, not days of ownership.
Audio storage changes what you own
A device that keeps audio gives you something you can replay, share and, if needed, produce later. A device that keeps only text gives you less to lose in a breach, and less to check when a transcript is wrong. Neither is better in the abstract. Lawyers and clinicians often want the recording. People who worry about a stored archive of their private conversations often do not. The buyer guide walks through this choice.
Limitless and Friend
Limitless is off the table for new buyers. Meta acquired the company and, per the company's own statement, it stopped selling the Pendant on December 5, 2025 and committed to support existing Pendant customers throughout 2026. Friend is included in some Plaud comparison lists, but it is a companion device, and the reviewers cited here treat it that way. Neither belongs in a like-for-like shortlist.
Keep reading on this site
- Home: the short version of this comparison
- Plaud vs Legend: two very different capture models
- Costs: what each option costs over three years
Sources
Every outside claim on this page comes from one of these pages. Prices, plans and availability were checked on September 29, 2026 and can change.
- Plaud: device comparison page
- Plaud: shop and plans page
- Plaud: NotePin S product page
- Plaud: Note Pro product page
- Legend Memory: Legend One official facts and specifications (legendmemory.ai/blogs/the-archive/legend-facts)
- Pocket product page
- Omi product page
- Bee product page
- The Gadgeteer: Friend AI Pendant gets a voice and the price jumps to $249 (Jul 31, 2026)
- Limitless: message from Dan Siroker and customer FAQ