Limitless vs Omi: which pendant should you buy?
The honest answer in 2026: if you're buying new, it's Omi — it's the only one still for sale. If you already own a Limitless, keep wearing it. Either way, the pendant is only half the product.
Fluent is the software layer that works with both — so the hardware choice stops being the risky one.
Side by side
| Limitless | Omi | |
|---|---|---|
| Can you buy one new? | No — not sold to new customers since December 5, 2025, after the Meta acquisition | Yes — $129 on sale, $179 list |
| Hardware | Excellent — the pendant that defined the category | Workable — lighter, less refined |
| Software model | Closed; roadmap now sits inside Meta | Open-source firmware and self-hostable backend |
| Data plumbing | Meta-controlled infrastructure | You can own the entire pipeline if you want to |
| Works with Fluent? | Yes — pairs directly | Yes — pairs directly |
Availability and prices checked October 8, 2026 on omi.me and limitless.ai. Omi's firmware is on GitHub.
Better hardware or software you can swap
Limitless was the more finished pendant. But its software is closed, and since December 2025 its roadmap sits inside Meta. You get a polished product whose future you no longer control.
Omi is the inverse. The hardware is lighter and less refined, and the stock app is functional rather than polished. But the hardware, firmware and app are open source, so you can replace whichever piece you don't like, including the app. If the company behind it changes hands, the code stays public.
That's why the pendant choice matters less than it looks. Pair either one with software that doesn't depend on the pendant company, and the hardware stops being the risky bet.
The recommendation, by situation
You already own a Limitless
Keep it. The hardware is still the best in the category, and it still pairs and captures fine. What changed is who owns the software roadmap. Pair it with an independent app — that's the hedge — and the pendant stops being a bet on Meta's priorities.
You're buying fresh
Omi. It's the only open-source pendant you can actually buy new, and the backend is self-hostable if you want to own the data pipeline end to end. The hardware is less polished than the Limitless was — you're trading finish for a future you can inspect.
Either way, don't buy hardware for the app it ships with. Buy the pendant, then choose the software separately — the way you'd buy a phone and then choose your apps.
Questions
Limitless or Omi: which should I buy in 2026?
If you already own a Limitless, keep it; it still pairs with Fluent. If you're buying new, Omi: Limitless hasn't been sold to new customers since December 5, 2025, and Omi is $129 on sale ($179 list), checked October 2026.
Why does it matter that Omi is open source?
Omi's hardware, firmware and app are open source, with the firmware on GitHub. If the company changes hands, the code stays available. Limitless now belongs to Meta, and Bee has belonged to Amazon since July 2025.
Can I use a Limitless pendant without the Limitless app?
Yes. Fluent connects to the pendant directly, with no Limitless API or cloud required, and an optional import brings over your Limitless history.
Does Fluent work with Omi too?
Yes. Fluent pairs with Omi directly and turns what it captures into meeting notes, people profiles and coaching.
Keep reading
AI pendants and alternatives
Everything we've written about AI pendants.
Own a Limitless?
Fluent for Limitless owners — the independent software your pendant was missing.
Limitless pendant alternatives
Where to go after Limitless: Omi, Plaud NotePin, Bee and Friend, with prices checked October 2026.
Omi alternatives
Plaud, Bee, Limitless and Friend compared to Omi, with sources.
AI note taker for in-person meetings
Lunches, site visits and 1:1s, recorded on your iPhone or a pendant, with no bot to invite.
Any pendant. Real software.
Fluent works with Limitless and Omi. Pick the hardware on its merits — the software decision is already made.
See Fluent pricing