Plaud alternative · On-device · iPhone 15 Pro & newer

A Plaud alternative with no device to buy or charge.

Record what matters. Extract what matters. Keep it where you choose.

Plaud means buying a $99–$189 recorder and storing your notes in its cloud. Before You Forget does the same job from the iPhone already in your pocket — recording, transcription, and analysis run on-device, you get a structured brief and a follow-up draft, and the recording is yours to keep or delete.

No hardware to buy 100% on-device — never uploaded You keep or delete the source
Why switch

Same capture, without the extra gadget or the cloud archive

Your iPhone is the recorder

Nothing extra to buy, charge, pair, or carry. The device you already have does the work.

Processed on-device

Recording, transcription, and analysis run on your iPhone — your conversation is never uploaded to our servers.

A brief, not an archive

You get a structured brief and a follow-up draft, then choose whether to keep or delete the source recording.

Side by side

Before You Forget vs Plaud

Before You ForgetPlaud (Note / NotePin)
HardwareiPhone only$99–$189 device
Where it's processedOn your iPhoneCloud
OutputStructured brief + follow-up draftSummary / notes
Recording retentionYou keep or delete the sourceCloud-stored
Where it's storedExport to your storageApp + cloud

Compiled June 2026 from public product and pricing pages; plans change often — verify before relying on this. In fairness: Plaud is genuinely strong on privacy compliance (e.g. GDPR, SOC 2, HIPAA positioning). Our edge is the default delete-by-design posture and mobile-first form factor, not a certification scorecard.

FAQ

Plaud alternative — questions

Is Before You Forget really a Plaud alternative if there's no device?

Yes — that's the point. Plaud's value is recording plus AI notes; the dedicated device is a cost and a thing to carry. Before You Forget delivers the recording and a structured brief from your iPhone, with no hardware to buy.

Is Plaud bad on privacy?

No — Plaud is genuinely strong on privacy compliance. Our difference is posture and form factor: we process on-device, never upload your conversation to our servers, and let you keep or delete the source rather than storing it in a cloud by default.

Which iPhones does it work on?

iPhone 15 Pro and newer, which have the A17 Pro chip needed for Apple's on-device intelligence. We never fall back to the cloud, so older iPhones aren't supported.

What do I get after a conversation?

A structured brief (the Discovery Brief at launch) plus a ready-to-send follow-up draft. More brief types are on the roadmap.

Skip the recorder. Keep the brief.

Get early access to a mobile-first, on-device alternative to Plaud.

Get early access

iPhone 15 Pro & newer · App Store launch coming soon