Plaud vs Fireflies. A recorder and a bot.
Plaud is a recorder you carry, with a desktop app (beta) for online meetings. Fireflies is software whose Fred bot joins your calls by default. One captures from a device in your pocket; the other from inside the call.
Below: the sourced side-by-side, then who each one fits.
Plaud, Fireflies and Fluent, side by side
| Plaud | Fireflies | Fluent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware | NotePin $159, Note $159, NotePin S $179, Note Pro $189 | None | None to buy: your iPhone, or a Limitless or Omi pendant you own |
| Paid plans | Pro $17.99/mo, or $8.33/mo yearly (1,200 min). Unlimited $29.99/mo, or $19.99/mo yearly | Pro $18/seat/mo, or $10 billed yearly. Business $29, or $19 yearly | Pro $9.99/mo, or $83.99/yr. Premium $19.99/mo, or $167.99/yr |
| Free plan | Starter: 300 minutes a month, with the device | Unlimited transcription, limited AI summaries, 400 minutes of storage | 5 conversations a month |
| How it captures | The Plaud recorder in person and on phone calls; desktop app (beta) for online meetings | Fred bot joins calls; bot-free desktop app and Chrome extension; phone app; uploads | Your iPhone mic (rolling out) or a paired Limitless or Omi pendant |
| Bot in your calls | Never | Yes by default (Fred); the desktop app and Chrome extension record without it | Never |
| In-person meetings | Yes, on the recorder | Yes, with the mobile app | Yes — what it is built for |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, web, desktop (beta) | Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Chrome extension | iOS (Android in development) |
| Trains AI on your data | Not by default; opt-in only | Never, per Fireflies | Never used to train models |
Checked October 8, 2026 · Sources: Plaud shop, Plaud AI plans, Plaud Desktop, Plaud trust, Fireflies pricing, Fireflies, Fireflies desktop, Fireflies security, Fluent pricing, Fluent FAQ
The decision
The split is where the recording starts. Plaud records on a device you carry, in person and on phone calls, and its desktop app (beta) covers online meetings. Fireflies sends its Fred bot to join your calls by default, and also offers a bot-free desktop app and Chrome extension and a phone app for in-person recording.
Plaud means buying hardware, from $159 to $189, plus a plan if you outgrow the 300 free minutes a month. Fireflies has no hardware, and its free plan transcribes without limit, with limited AI summaries and 400 minutes of storage. On data, Fireflies says it never trains on your meetings; Plaud does not by default, and only with your opt-in.
The third option
Fluent never joins a call and does not require a recorder purchase. It captures from a Limitless or Omi pendant you own, or from your iPhone as phone capture rolls out, and turns each conversation into commitments, people profiles and coaching that build across conversations. Your conversations are never used to train models.
On a remote call, Fluent captures the room: your side, plus anything audible from your speakers. A bot or desktop recorder gets cleaner far-side audio. See Fluent vs Plaud and Fluent vs Fireflies.
Questions
Is Plaud or Fireflies better?
For a device that records in person and on phone calls, Plaud. For no hardware and a bot that joins your video calls, Fireflies. Plaud starts at $159 for the recorder; Fireflies has a free plan with unlimited transcription.
Does Plaud or Fireflies join my calls as a bot?
Fireflies does by default, with its Fred bot, though its desktop app and Chrome extension record without one. Plaud never uses a bot: it records on the device, with a desktop app (beta) for online meetings.
Do Plaud or Fireflies train AI on my recordings?
Fireflies says meeting data is never used for AI training. Plaud does not train on your data by default; it is opt-in only (checked October 2026). Fluent never uses conversations to train models.
Where does Fluent fit?
Fluent never joins a call and needs no new hardware. It captures from a Limitless or Omi pendant, or from your iPhone as phone capture rolls out, and builds commitments, people profiles and coaching across conversations. On a remote call it captures the room: your side, plus anything audible from your speakers.
No bot. No new recorder.
Fluent captures the room from the pendant you own, or your iPhone as phone capture rolls out, and turns it into follow-through.
Download Fluent for iPhone