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Fenwrite vs Plaud: a phone app, or an app with a recorder?

Updated October 2026 · 28 October 2026

Pick Plaud if you want a dedicated wearable recorder (the NotePin or Note) that captures conversations and phone calls without your phone, and you're happy to buy hardware and pay for a plan; its Unlimited tier suits heavy users. Pick Fenwrite if you'd rather use the phone you already carry: no device to buy or charge, $9.99 a month instead of $17.99, iPhone, Apple Watch and Android, and no account needed. We make Fenwrite; Plaud's strengths come first below.

At a glance

	Fenwrite	Plaud
What you need	Your phone (or Apple Watch)	A Plaud device, plus the Plaud app
Paid plan, monthly	$9.99	$17.99 (Pro); $29.99 (Unlimited)
Paid plan, yearly	$79.99	$99.99 (Pro); $239.99 (Unlimited), in the App Store
Minutes a month (paid)	20 hours	1,200 minutes (Pro); unlimited, up to 24 hours a day (Unlimited)
Free	First hour in total, 10 minutes a recording	Starter: 300 minutes a month, included with every Plaud device
Top-ups	None	120 minutes $2.99; 600 minutes $12.99
Phone calls	No (calls on speaker on another device only)	Yes, with a Plaud device
Online meetings	No	Plaud Desktop, without a meeting bot
Apps	iPhone, Apple Watch, Android	iPhone, Android, web, desktop
Account	Not needed	Plaud account (Plaud's setup guide asks you to create one before recording)

Plaud's prices are US list prices from plaud.ai and Plaud's US App Store in-app purchases, 28 October 2026. Plaud's web pricing shows Pro at $8.33 a month and Unlimited at $20 a month when billed yearly. Device prices vary and aren't included.

Where Plaud is better

Dedicated hardware. A recorder you wear or stick to your phone, with its own battery and microphones, that keeps recording while your phone does other things.
Phone calls. Plaud's devices are designed to record calls; Fenwrite isn't a call recorder.
Unlimited plan. For people who record all day, Unlimited removes the meter.
Top-up packs if you run over in a month.
Desktop and web for working with notes on a computer, and Plaud Desktop for online meetings without a bot.

Where Fenwrite is better

No device. Nothing to buy, charge, pair or lose. The phone in your pocket is the recorder.
Lower subscription. $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year, against Plaud Pro's $17.99 or $99.99.
Apple Watch and Android. Record on the wrist, or on any Android phone.
No account. Press record. Sign in only if you want the text backed up.

Do you need a Plaud device to use Plaud?

It's a common search ("Plaud app without device"), so here's what Plaud itself says. Plaud's App Store description is built around the hardware ("Use a Plaud device for in-person meetings, phone calls and conversations on the go"), and its pricing page says every Plaud device includes the free Starter plan. Plaud Desktop handles online meetings. If you're not planning to buy a device, check what the app does on its own before you pay for a plan.

If what you want is a phone app that records, transcribes with speakers and writes a summary, without hardware, that's what Fenwrite is.

Pricing in detail

As of 28 October 2026, Plaud's Starter plan is free with 300 transcription minutes a month and comes with every Plaud device. Pro is $17.99 a month (or $8.33 a month billed yearly on Plaud's website; $99.99 a year in the App Store) for 1,200 minutes. Unlimited is $29.99 a month (or $20 a month billed yearly; $239.99 a year in the App Store). Top-up packs are $2.99 for 120 minutes and $12.99 for 600 minutes. Devices are sold separately.

Fenwrite: free for your first hour of recording (10 minutes a recording); Pro is $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year for 20 hours a month and up to 3 hours a recording. No device, no top-ups, no weekly plan.

Who should pick which

Choose Plaud if you want a recorder that isn't your phone, need to record phone calls, record most of the day, or like the idea of a wearable.

Choose Fenwrite if you'd rather not carry and charge another gadget, want to record on the phone you have (iPhone or Android) or your Apple Watch, and want to pay less each month. Fenwrite is coming soon to the App Store (iPhone and Apple Watch) and Google Play (Android).

Questions

Can you use the Plaud app without a Plaud device?

Plaud's own App Store description puts the device at the centre ("Use a Plaud device for in-person meetings, phone calls and conversations on the go"), and its free Starter plan comes with a device. Plaud Desktop captures online meetings. If you don't want hardware, check what the app offers without a device before you subscribe.

Is Plaud more expensive than Fenwrite?

Plaud Pro is $17.99 a month or $99.99 a year in the App Store, for 1,200 minutes a month, plus the cost of the device. Fenwrite Pro is $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year for 20 hours, with no device to buy (as of October 2026).

Does Fenwrite record phone calls like Plaud?

No. Plaud's devices are built to record calls too; Fenwrite doesn't record calls on the phone it's running on. It records what the microphone hears, so a call on speaker on another device is fine.

Which has better audio?

A dedicated recorder clipped to you or stuck to your phone can beat a phone lying on a table, especially for your own voice and on the move. For a group around a table, a phone in the middle does well.

Sources

Plaud, Plaud Note and NotePin are trademarks of their owner. Fenwrite is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Plaud. Prices and features as listed by Plaud on 28 October 2026; check plaud.ai for current details.