Waitlist open for Catbird: the most-wanted dupes get built firstPocket AI 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 $720 for three years of Pocket 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 | PocketPro · $19.99/mo, yearly | Catbird$99 once · planned |
|---|---|---|
| Records and transcribes | Yes | Yes |
| Summaries from templates | Yes | Yes |
| Summaries kept foreverPocket: Pro only | No | Yes |
| Audio stays on your device | No | Yes |
| No extra hardware | No | Yes |
| Speaker namesPocket: Pro | Yes | Planned |
| Notion, Drive and task-app syncCatbird exports Markdown | Yes | No |
| Three years, one personPocket: plus the device | $99 |
Plus your own AI usage. Pocket prices from its pricing page, per person. All Pocket plans.
What's the best Pocket AI alternative?
It depends what you want from it. The short answer, by need:
- No subscription
- Catbird: $99 once (planned; waitlist open), against $720 for three years of Pocket 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).
- Staying on Pocket
- Its free Free plan has summaries kept 30 days.
More options and their catches in Other Pocket AI alternatives.
Why people switch
Why people look for a Pocket AI alternative
What Pocket users raise in reviews and forums, and what its own pages say. In our words, with the source; checked Oct 12, 2026.
The free plan keeps summaries only 30 days; full history, top accuracy and DOCX or PDF export need Pro.
Source: heypocket.comTranscripts struggle when people talk over each other, and names or jargon can come out wrong.
Source: futurefive.co.nzReviews cite shipping delays, sync failures, accidental button presses and slow, bot-first support.
Source: trustpilot.comThe original
What Pocket does
- Sells a pocket-sized AI recorder that transcribes and summarizes what it hears.
- Free plan: standard-accuracy transcription, 3 assistant chats a day, summaries kept 30 days.
- Pro adds summaries kept forever, speaker names, live transcription, templates and app syncs.
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.
$720 Pocket 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 Pocket costs
From Pocket's pricing page, per person, checked 2026-10-12.
| Plan | Billing | Per month | 3 years | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocket Free | monthly | $0 | $0 | summaries kept 30 days |
| Pocket Pro | annual | $19.99 | $720 | $239.88 a year |
| Catbird | once | — | $99 | planned price, plus your own AI usage |
The Pocket plans are on top of the device.
Not sold on a dupe?
Other Pocket AI 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.
Plaud
Sells a dedicated recorder (Plaud Note, NotePin) that pairs with its app.
Plaud 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 Pocket?
Take your Pocket data with you
Whatever you switch to, export first, then cancel. From Pocket's own help center, checked Oct 12, 2026.
1 · Export
Export your Pocket data
- Sync recordings to the Pocket app over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, or turn on USB Mode and connect over USB-C to Pocket Web or the desktop app to back up raw audio.
- Export a transcript or summary from the app; the free plan exports text and downloads audio.
- On Pocket Pro, long-press a recording to multi-select, then bulk export as PDF, DOCX or Markdown.
- For programmatic access, create an API key under Settings > Developer > API Keys.
- FormatsFree: plain text and audio. Pro: PDF, DOCX and Markdown, in bulk. API: JSON with audio download links.
- Watch outDOCX, PDF and Markdown export and bulk actions are Pro only. The free plan keeps summaries for 30 days, so export before they lapse.
2 · Cancel
Cancel Pocket
- In the app, open Profile and tap Pocket Pro or Manage Subscription; it sends you to the App Store, Google Play or Pocket's own store, wherever you subscribed.
- Cancel there. If you bought on heypocket.com and can't find it, email [email protected].
Afterwards: Pro stays active to the end of the billing period. Then you're on Free: summaries kept for 30 days, three assistant chats a day, and text-only export. Pocket doesn't say whether older summaries are deleted or hidden.
Source: guide.heypocket.comQuestions
Pocket AI alternative FAQ
Is Catbird a Pocket clone?
It's an independent app that does the same job, using the phone or laptop you already have instead of a device. We aren't affiliated with Pocket.
Is there a Pocket AI alternative with no 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 Pocket. Pocket is a trademark of its owner, named here only to describe what Catbird is an alternative to. All dupes.