Plaud.ai helps capture, extract and analyze conversations with AI. The device has microphones and position sensors to record clear and intelligible sound in every situation.
It is the device that best illustrates the era of conversational intelligence. Launched in 2023, the Plaud start-up is based on the principle that most of our work happens through conversations, and that these exchanges contain intelligence that is lost due to not being captured effectively. The Chinese-American company has designed a device the size of a credit card: the Plaud Note, capable of precisely recording conversations (primarily for professionals), transcribing them and analyzing them using AI. Several devices were subsequently marketed: the Plaud Note Pro, the NotePin and the NotePin S (in the form of a pin). The JDN was able to test the Pro version of the Plaud Note for a month. Feedback.
A designer device, a practical format
The Plaud Note Pro, used for this test, is the advanced and professional version of the first Plaud Note. The size of a credit card and the thickness of a coin, it fits easily in a wallet or… on a cell phone. The Plaud Note Pro was, in fact, initially designed to record telephone conversations in addition to exchanges in the real world. The device, priced at $189 compared to $169 for the classic version, is supplied with a magnetic case (MagSafe type) capable of attaching to the phone. In addition to its 4 microphones, the Plaud Note Pro has a vibration conduction sensor (VCS) allowing telephone conversations to be captured by simply vibrating the device (when it is stuck to the phone). So, there is no need to put the speakerphone on to record a call.
The Plaud Note Pro also includes an intelligent position sensor which automatically detects whether it is recording a call (glued to the phone) or an ambient conversation (placed on a table). A small screen displays the battery level, about a week of battery life, and the status of the device. Finally, a single physical button controls everything: start/stop recording with a simple press, and mark key moments in a discussion with a quick press during recording. Despite its minimalist design and high price, the onboard technology is remarkably robust and precise.
How does Plaud work?
The principle of Plaud is simple. The physical device records calls, conversations and meetings. To transcribe and analyze these recordings, you must use a mobile application which synchronizes with the device via Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi for the largest files. Once the audio file is retrieved from the smartphone, it is sent to Plaud’s servers (hosted on AWS) where OpenAI’s Whisper model takes care of the transcription. An LLM then automatically refines this transcription and produces analysis.
In addition to the device, Plaud offers three types of subscription:
– The Starter Plan (free) offers 300 minutes of transcription per month. Sufficient for occasional use.
– The Pro Plan (19.99 euros per month) quadruples the quota to 1200 monthly minutes.
– The Unlimited Plan (34.99 euros per month) lifts any transcription limit. Intended for “professionals deeply dependent on conversations” according to Plaud, it is clearly aimed at journalists, lawyers, consultants or doctors who record several hours a day.
The choice of plan will depend entirely on your need to transcribe your entire recordings. Important point: the recording itself is unlimited and free. The device stores up to 480 hours of audio locally (64 GB) and can work entirely offline for recording.
The most interesting features
Beyond automatic mode switching and vibration recording, Plaud offers smart features that are particularly relevant for professionals. Starting with the automatic labeling of speakers. From the first use, the application asks you to record yourself reading a sentence. This then allows the AI to identify your voice signature and more accurately attribute your words in transcriptions and summaries.
Another interesting feature, Plaud allows you to use personalized vocabulary. The app asks you for your industry to better identify terms specific to your field. Even smarter, it allows you to enter your own vocabulary if a term is not common. The AI will thus detect the word and avoid terminological hallucinations.
By default, Plaud generates an automatic transcription adapted to the context of the recording: a summary with actionable points for a meeting, a faithful transcription for an interview, etc. But the application also offers the possibility of using transcription templates. These models of all kinds are created by Plaud but also by the user community. If a template corresponds to 80% of your use cases, we recommend that you activate it by default: it will, according to our experience, often be more relevant than automatic generation.
It is also possible to create your own template, entirely adapted to your needs. You can completely configure the prompt submitted to the AI. Practical. Finally, whatever the template chosen (community or personal) you will be able to select the LLM used. Plaud currently offers GPT-5, GPT-5.2, Gemini 2.5 Pro, Gemini 3 Pro and Claude Sonnet 4.5.
Our opinion on Plaud
During our month of testing, we recorded conferences, calls, ordinary conversations… The audio quality is excellent and offers real precision on the dialogues. However, it does not compete with a professional microphone, and the sound cleaning algorithms (to eliminate background noise in particular) do not allow the file to be used for a podcast, for example. But that is not its objective. Plaud aims above all to capture the clearest possible voice recording to allow the AI to transcribe faithfully. And in this area, he excels. The transcriptions are precise and perfectly contextualized.
Is Plaud really more effective than a conversation recorded on a phone and transcribed manually on Whisper? No. On the other hand, does it save time? Absolutely. The Plaud ecosystem and the hardware capabilities of the device make its use smooth on a daily basis. Speaker recognition, the advanced dictionary, the choice of templates, the minimalist design of the device and the possibility of configuring numerous automations make Plaud a reliable solution for those who really want to save time in their note-taking.
However, in our opinion, three barriers remain to the massive adoption of this device. Starting with its price: 189 dollars for the Pro version and 169 dollars for the standard version remain a significant investment. For this price, we would like to have a more advantageous package than 5 hours per month. But the economic equation is complex, with Plaud having to make the cost of generative models profitable. Second, cloud processing of recordings may put off some users. With each transcription, your voice file is sent to AWS servers for processing. Even though Plaud is certified as compliant with ISO 27001, ISO 27701, SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, EN 18031 and GDPR, it is nonetheless unusable for sensitive areas. The alternative use of an on-device model (largely technically feasible) could constitute a real guarantee of security. Finally, the interface of the Plaud application sometimes lacks readability and certain overly literal translations need to be reviewed. A bit of a shame for a premium product.
Verdict? Plaud Note Pro doesn’t invent automatic transcription, but it integrates it into a remarkably smooth workflow. For those who record professional conversations on a daily basis and value their time, the device keeps its promises.
