CoHear vs Plaud: A Recorder You Buy, or the Phone You Already Own?
CoHear and Plaud solve the same problem — capturing real-world conversations and turning them into notes — from opposite hardware philosophies.
Plaud sells you a dedicated recorder (Note or NotePin) that you carry, tap, and forget, paired with an app and a subscription. CoHear turns the iPhone you already own into the recorder — no extra device to buy, charge, or carry — and puts the money into the software instead.
Neither sends a bot anywhere. The choice is about total cost, minute caps, and whether a separate device is a feature or a burden for you.
Side by side
| CoHear | Plaud | |
|---|---|---|
| How it records | On your iPhone — no bot, no extra hardware | Dedicated Plaud recorder (Note / NotePin), sold separately, paired with its app |
| Free plan | 400 minutes/month, 3 file imports, up to 2 hours per recording | Starter bundled with the device: 300 minutes/month |
| Main paid plan | Meeting Plus: $14.99/mo after a 7-day free trial — unlimited | Pro: $8.33/mo billed annually ($17.99 monthly); Unlimited: $20/mo billed annually |
| Transcription minutes (paid) | Unlimited | 1,200/month on Pro; unlimited (up to 24 hrs/day) on the Unlimited plan |
| Longest single session | 4+ hours | Not published on Plaud's pricing page |
| Platforms | iPhone only | Hardware + iOS, Android, web, desktop |
| In-person & lectures | Built for it | Built for it — face-to-face recording is the device's whole job |
| Standout strength | Zero hardware cost, unlimited minutes at a flat price, study plans and timestamp-traceable quotes | One-button dedicated device, 112+ languages, works even when your phone is busy or absent |
Prices are US list prices from each vendor's pricing page, checked October 22, 2026. Plaud's device price is not listed on its plan pricing page and is not included above; it is a separate one-time purchase.
Where Plaud wins
A device that only does this. One button, no apps to open, no notifications competing for the screen. For doctors, lawyers, journalists, and anyone who records all day, a dedicated recorder that is always ready — and never drains your phone — is a legitimate advantage. CoHear shares a device with everything else in your life.
Language breadth, published. Plaud states 112+ transcription languages on its pricing page. CoHear does not publish a comparable language count on its own pricing page — if you regularly record in less common languages, Plaud's stated coverage is the safer bet today.
Works on any phone — or none. Plaud's recorder pairs with iOS and Android and has web and desktop apps. If you're an Android user, this comparison is over: CoHear is iPhone-only.
A cheap entry tier — if your volume is low. At $8.33/month billed annually, Plaud Pro costs less per month than CoHear, provided 1,200 minutes a month is enough and you've already bought the device.
Where CoHear wins
No hardware line item. Plaud's subscription prices exclude the recorder itself, which is sold separately. CoHear's total hardware cost is $0 — it runs on the phone in your pocket. One less device to buy, charge, carry, and eventually lose.
Unlimited means the middle price, not the top one. To remove Plaud's minute cap you need its Unlimited plan at $20/month billed annually ($29.99 monthly). CoHear's single paid tier, $14.99/month, is already unlimited — no 1,200-minute budget to watch mid-month, and sessions run 4+ hours.
One less subscription-shaped surprise. Plaud's pricing rewards annual billing heavily: Pro is $8.33/month annually but $17.99 billed monthly — more than CoHear's flat $14.99. Compare like for like before the headline number convinces you.
The phone is also the workflow. Because recording, notes, study plans, and sharing live in one app, a lecture becomes a study plan and practice questions, an interview keeps every quote traceable to its timestamp, and notes can be shared to other AI tools over MCP — no syncing a separate device first. See the full feature list
Who should pick which
- You record face to face all day and want one dedicated button → Plaud.
- You need transcription in many languages, or you're on Android → Plaud.
- Your recording fits in 1,200 minutes/month and you like gadgets that do one thing → Plaud Pro is good value — after the device.
- You don't want to buy or carry extra hardware → CoHear.
- You record long sessions or heavy monthly volume → CoHear; unlimited is $14.99/month, not a top tier.
- You're a student recording lectures on an iPhone → CoHear, for the study outputs
Full plan details for CoHear. The wider field — Otter, Fireflies, Granola, Fathom, tl;dv — is covered in our full comparison.
FAQ
Do I need to buy any hardware to use CoHear?
No. CoHear records with your iPhone's microphone and imports audio/video files. Plaud requires its own recorder (Note or NotePin), sold separately from its subscription plans.
Which is cheaper over a year?
It depends on volume and billing. CoHear Meeting Plus is $14.99/month, unlimited. Plaud Pro is about $100/year billed annually (1,200 minutes/month) plus the one-time device cost; Plaud Unlimited is $240/year billed annually, plus the device. If you record more than 1,200 minutes a month, CoHear is the cheaper unlimited option; if you record less and want the device anyway, Plaud Pro's annual price is lower.
Which supports more languages?
Plaud publishes 112+ languages. CoHear does not publish a language count (as of October 2026), so if broad language coverage is your deciding factor, Plaud's stated number is the one you can check today.
Can either of them record a phone call or an online meeting?
Both are built for in-person capture rather than joining calls: Plaud via its device, CoHear via your iPhone in the room. Neither sends a bot into Zoom or Teams. If bot-joined online meetings are your main use case, look at Otter or Fireflies in our full comparison.
How we compared
Prices, minute allowances, and plan details come from each vendor's official pricing page, checked October 22, 2026 (US list prices). Plaud's hardware price does not appear on its plan pricing page and is described as "sold separately" rather than estimated. Vendors change plans; check their pages for current numbers.
