# Plaud vs Read AI

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Read AI at none against Plaud's 18. Plaud's advantage is ratings volume (22K vs 929) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Plaud sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Read AI asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Plaud against 4.9 for Read AI. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Plaud has 22K ratings behind it against 929, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of Plaud's written reviews are positive against 68% of Read AI's.

Plaud ships an update weekly, Read AI every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Plaud | Read AI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (22K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plaud-ai-note-taker/id6450364080/reviews) | [4.9 (929 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-ai-transcripts-and-notes/id6575345796/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **22K** | 929 |
| Positive reviews | **72.9% of reviews** | 68.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#25** | — |
| Size | 220 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PLAUD LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1826931562) | [Read AI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1759245450) |

## What reviewers say

### Plaud

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plaud-ai-note-taker/id6450364080)

**Currently charting:** #25 Top Grossing · Productivity, #116 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

This app acts as an AI work companion, transforming spoken words into actionable notes and summaries. It supports various input methods, including audio, text, and images, and offers advanced AI processing for transcription, summarization, and insight generation. Seamlessly integrate captured information into your workflow across multiple platforms.

**Highlights:** Multimodal AI note capture, AI transcription in 112 languages, Customizable AI summaries, Ask Plaud for insights, Automated workflow integration, Cross-platform sync and storage

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Plan(Monthly) | $14.99 | per month |
| Pro Plan(Monthly) | $17.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Plan(Monthly) | $23.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Plan(Monthly) | $29.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Plan(Monthly) | $29.99 | per month |
| Pro Plan(Annually) | $99.99 | per year |
| Pro Plan(Annually) | $99.99 | per year |
| Pro Plan(Annually) | $99.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Plan(Annually) | $239.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Plan(Annually) | $239.99 | per year |
| Annual Unlimited | $239.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Plan(Annually) | $239.99 | per year |
| 120 Minutes Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| 600 Minutes Package | $12.99 | one-time |
| 3000 Minutes Package | $59.99 | one-time |
| 6000 Minutes Package | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate transcription and summarization
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly app
- 🔒 Secure and reliable device
- 💡 Innovative features like voice differentiation
- 🚀 Seamless integration with phone

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and freezes
- 🔧 Buggy and unreliable software
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔧 Inconsistent UI and language issues
- 🔋 Battery life concerns

**Reported bugs**

- Transcription errors, especially for non-English languages
- Exporting issues with audio and text files
- Inconsistent performance and app crashes
- Connectivity problems between device and app

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to pause and resume recordings
- Improved summary quality and customization
- Better organization and folder structure for notes
- Integration with other productivity tools


### Read AI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-ai-transcripts-and-notes/id6575345796)

This app records audio from your device and generates real-time AI-powered transcripts and summaries. It's ideal for capturing lectures, meetings, or brainstorming sessions, providing comprehensive reports that can be shared or kept private.

**Highlights:** Live transcription and summaries, Speaker detection, In-person meeting recording, Integration with communication channels, Cross-platform sync, Meeting notifications

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Productivity booster
- 👍 Great app
- 👍 Useful features
- 👍 Convenient mobile access
- 👍 Helpful for in-person meetings

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Privacy concerns
- 🐛 Buggy with playback and other functions
- 🐛 App loading issues

**Reported bugs**

- Uploading issues causing lost recordings

**Requested features**

- Chromecast and AirPlay support
- Full-screen video playback
- Cloud sync for transcripts and summaries
- Better mobile support and file format compatibility


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Plaud free?

Plaud is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Read AI free?

Read AI is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Plaud or Read AI?

Plaud and Read AI are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 22K and 929 ratings respectively.

### Do Plaud or Read AI have ads?

Neither Plaud nor Read AI shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Plaud or Read AI?

Plaud ships an update weekly, and Read AI every 3 weeks. Most recently, Plaud was updated on September 25, 2026 and Read AI on September 23, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*