Waitlist open for Catbird: the most-wanted dupes get built firstPlaud alternative Catbird, an AI voice recorder for $99 once
You already carry a recorder. Catbird turns your phone or laptop into one: one tap to record, then a transcript and a summary. No device, no subscription.
Pay once
$99 once (planned), against $300 for three years of Plaud Pro.
No device to buy
The phone or laptop you already carry is the recorder. It transcribes in the browser, so the audio stays on your device.
Build it free
Paste our starter prompt into Claude Code and build the core of Catbird yourself, step by step.
| Feature | PlaudPro · $8.33/mo, yearly | Catbird$99 once · planned |
|---|---|---|
| One-tap recording | Yes | Yes |
| Transcript with timestamps | Yes | Yes |
| Summary templates | Yes | Yes |
| No minute plansPlaud: Unlimited plan | No | Yes |
| Audio stays on your device | No | Yes |
| No extra hardware | No | Yes |
| Records with the screen lockedA web page needs the screen on | Yes | No |
| Three years, one personPlaud: plus the recorder | $99 |
Plus your own AI usage. Plaud prices from its pricing page, per person. All Plaud plans.
What's the best Plaud alternative?
It depends what you want from it. The short answer, by need:
- No subscription
- Catbird: $99 once (planned; waitlist open), against $300 for three years of Plaud Pro. Web app · phone and computer.
- Free
- Apple Notes (built into iPhone): fully free; transcripts need iPhone 12 or later.
- Open source
- Omi, from $22.42/mo (unlimited on-phone transcription, 300 cloud minutes a month).
More options and their catches in Other Plaud alternatives.
Why people switch
Why people look for a Plaud alternative
What Plaud users raise in reviews and forums, and what its own pages say. In our words, with the source; checked Oct 12, 2026.
The 300 free minutes a month run out fast; heavier use needs a yearly plan of $100 to $240.
Source: pcworld.comRecordings leave the device only through Plaud's app; Note Pro has no USB file access.
Source: support.plaud.aiThe original
What Plaud does
- Sells a dedicated recorder (Plaud Note, NotePin) that pairs with its app.
- Transcribes and summarizes recordings with templates for meetings, calls and lectures.
- Limits transcription minutes per month by plan, on top of the device.
The dupe
What Catbird does
- Records from the phone or laptop you already have. Nothing to charge, pair or carry.
- Transcribes in the browser on your device, so audio never leaves it.
- Summaries from templates you can edit, using your own Claude key. No minute plans.
- Installs to your home screen and works offline, except for the summary step.
The face of Catbird
Meet Arthur Pendelton
oral historian and radio field reporter in Philadelphia
Arthur collects street-corner testimonies and neighborhood histories with nothing but the phone he already owns. He skips gear upgrades and per-minute software fees on principle: a recorder should just keep what was said.
Pay once or don't use it. Permanence shouldn't come on a monthly rental.
Catbird is named after the catbird, which copies almost any sound around it. Arthur is a fictional character we made with ppl.studio, not a customer.
Waitlist open · Catbird
Get Catbird first
We build the dupes people sign up for first. Join and you'll get one email, the day Catbird is ready.
$300 Plaud Pro, 3 years$99 once
- Just your email: no card, no account
- One email when it ships, nothing else
- Planned price $99, once
Free
Build Catbird yourself
Paste this into Claude Code in an empty folder. It builds the core of Catbird in steps and stops after each one so you can try it.
- Built withWeb app (PWA) · Whisper in the browser · IndexedDB · Claude API
- You needClaude Code · an Anthropic API key
- Not includedThe full spec, polish, updates
Build me a web app called Catbird: one tap to record anything on my phone or laptop, then a transcript and a summary I can use. It must work offline and keep everything on the device. What it does - One big Record button. It asks for the microphone, records with MediaRecorder, and shows a timer and a live level meter. It keeps the screen awake while recording (Wake Lock API), because phones pause web pages when the screen locks. - When I stop, it transcribes in the browser with Whisper through transformers.js (WebGPU when available, WASM otherwise) and shows the transcript with timestamps. - Then it writes a summary with the Claude API using a template I pick: Meeting, Call, Lecture, Interview or Voice note. Templates are editable prompts. - A list of all recordings with search, playback, and export of any one as Markdown or text. - Installable to the home screen (a PWA with a manifest and a service worker) and usable offline, except for the summary step. Tech - Vite, TypeScript and plain CSS, no framework. Recordings and transcripts in IndexedDB. - The Whisper model downloads once on first use with a progress bar and is cached. - The Claude API key is entered in Settings and kept in IndexedDB on this device only. Call the API directly from the browser with the header Anthropic requires for browser calls. Use the latest Sonnet model. How to work Build it in steps and stop after each so I can try it: 1) record, list and play back, 2) in-browser transcription, 3) summaries and templates, 4) install and offline. After each step tell me exactly how to run and test it, including on my phone over the local network. Brand - The app's mascot is Arthur Pendelton, a gray catbird in a brown herringbone waistcoat and round tortoiseshell glasses. Use his portrait (https://dupe.software/characters/catbird-icon.jpg) as the app icon, and his full-length picture (https://dupe.software/characters/catbird.jpg) on the first-run and empty screens. - Write every label and message in his voice: dry, deliberate, gravelly and entirely earnest. Arthur would say: "Pay once or don't use it. Permanence shouldn't come on a monthly rental."
All of their plans
What Plaud costs
From Plaud's pricing page, per person, checked 2026-10-12.
| Plan | Billing | Per month | 3 years | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plaud Pro | monthly | $17.99 | $648 | |
| Plaud Pro | annual | $8.33 | $300 | $99.99 a year |
| Plaud Unlimited | monthly | $29.99 | $1,080 | unlimited minutes |
| Plaud Unlimited | annual | $20 | $720 | $239.99 a year |
| Catbird | once | — | $99 | planned price, plus your own AI usage |
The Plaud plans are on top of the recorder.
Not sold on a dupe?
Other Plaud alternatives
Catbird isn't for everyone. These do the same job in other ways: free plans, open source, teams, other platforms. Prices from their own pricing pages, checked Oct 12, 2026.
Sells a pocket-sized AI recorder that transcribes and summarizes what it hears.
Free plan: summaries kept 30 days.
Pocket AI alternativeApple Notes (built into iPhone)
iPhone owners who want transcripts and summaries without buying anything
Fully free; transcripts need iPhone 12 or later. The catch: Summaries need iPhone 15 Pro or newer, and only ten languages transcribe. Runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac (built in).
Google Recorder (Pixel)
Pixel owners who want free recording, transcripts and summaries with no extra app
Fully free; Pixel phones only. The catch: Pixel phones only; summaries need a Pixel 8 and cap at one hour. Runs on Pixel phones (built in).
Otter.ai
Recording talks and meetings on the phone you already carry, no gadget
Free plan: 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per recording. The catch: Even Pro caps each recording at 90 minutes; monthly billing is $16.99. Runs on iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, Web.
Notta
App-first recording, with an optional stick-on card that also captures phone calls
Free plan: 120 minutes a month, 3 minutes per recording. The catch: Free plan stops at 3 minutes per recording; Notta Memo card costs $149. Runs on iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, Web, own device (optional).
Omi
Tinkerers who want an open-source wearable they can inspect or run locally
Free plan: Unlimited on-phone transcription, 300 cloud minutes a month. The catch: Pendant is $179 ($129 after current discount); Unlimited is sold yearly, $269. Runs on Own device, iPhone, Android, Mac, Web.
Comulytic Note Pro
A card-sized recorder with unlimited free transcripts and no required subscription
Free plan: Unlimited transcripts and basic summaries; deep analysis 3 a month. The catch: Device lists at $158.99; deep analysis past 3 a month needs Premium. Runs on Own device, iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, Web.
We don't earn anything from these links, and none of these companies is affiliated with dupe.software. Seen a price change? Tell us. How we research these pages.
Leaving Plaud?
Take your Plaud data with you
Whatever you switch to, export first, then cancel. From Plaud's own help center, checked Oct 12, 2026.
1 · Export
Export your Plaud data
- Transfer recordings from the recorder to the Plaud app over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Fast Transfer; they're deleted from the device once transferred.
- Open a recording, tap the icon top-right and, under Export as file, choose transcript, summary, mind map or audio.
- Pick a format (for transcripts, with or without timestamps and speaker labels) and tap Export. Plaud Web has the same options under Share.
- FormatsAudio: MP3 or WAV (WAV in the app only). Transcript: TXT, SRT, DOCX, PDF. Summary: TXT, Markdown, DOCX, PDF.
- Watch outThe documented steps export one file at a time, and there's no public API (Plaud points to its CLI for batch export). Plaud Note Pro has no USB file access, so files only come out through the app.
2 · Cancel
Cancel Plaud
- App Store: iPhone Settings > your Apple Account > Subscriptions > Plaud > Cancel. Google Play: profile icon > Payments and subscriptions > Subscriptions > Plaud > Cancel.
- Plaud Web (Stripe): open the Stripe billing portal, verify your email and cancel. Bought in the plaud.ai store: Order History > Manage Subscription.
Afterwards: Access lasts to the end of the paid period. Recordings and transcripts aren't deleted; the account moves to the free Starter plan (300 transcription minutes a month), which needs a recorder bound to your account.
Source: support.plaud.aiQuestions
Plaud alternative FAQ
Is Catbird a Plaud clone?
It's an independent app that does the same job as Plaud's app, without the device. We build it from our own spec, with none of Plaud's code, design or branding, and we aren't affiliated with Plaud.
Why a web app?
It works on the phone and laptop you already have, iPhone or Android, with nothing to install from a store. It installs to your home screen like an app and keeps everything on the device.
Is there a Plaud alternative without a subscription?
Catbird: $99 once when it ships, or free if you build it yourself from the starter prompt on this page.
When can I get Catbird?
Catbird is on the waitlist: we build the dupes people sign up for first. Join and you'll hear the day it's ready.
More dupes
Catbird also replaces
Catbird is an independent app, not affiliated with or endorsed by Plaud. Plaud is a trademark of its owner, named here only to describe what Catbird is an alternative to. All dupes.