Side by side
Yes: Yes In part: In part No: No From each company's own pages, on the date above.
Where Note Metric performs better
- Nothing else to carry or charge. The phone you take to site is the recorder. No device to forget in the van with a flat battery.
- Walk-rounds with photos. Survey mode ties each photo to the item you named and where you stood, adds sizes from Measure (beta), and drafts the report. A voice recorder captures the words only.
- Minutes you can issue. A progress meeting comes out in the layout the industry uses, with an owner and a date only where they were said.
- Online calls in the same place. Teams, Meet and Zoom calls, and the meetings in the room, end up in one list with one search.
5 of 5
Note MetricSurvey mode
1 of 5and 1 in part
PlaudAn audio recording
- What you say, item by itemYes: Say "item 4" and it is flaggedYes: Recorded as audio
- A photo with each itemYes: Each photo lands against its itemNo: Taken separately on the phone
- Where each photo was takenYes: When location is allowedNo: Not recorded
- SizesYes: Measure (beta)No: Not measured
- A draft reportYes: PDF, plain Word file or Report MetricIn part: A summary of what was said
6. Programme
| Item | Minute | Action Lead | RAG | Action Due |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | Level 3 slab pour moved to Thursday; pump and gang confirmed. | Site manager | G | Thu 20 Nov |
| 6.2 | East elevation brackets still awaited. Supplier to confirm the delivery date in writing. | Package manager | A | Tue 18 Nov |
| 6.3 | Crane thorough examination certificate runs out on Friday. Examination booked before the next lift. | Site manager | R | Fri 14 Nov |
Tap any line and it plays the moment it was said.
Where Plaud is the better choice
- You want a dedicated recorder that runs on its own battery and leaves your phone free for calls and photos.
- You record many hours a month and want a plan with unlimited transcription.
- Your team uses Android phones. The Plaud app runs on Android. Note Metric runs on iPhone, iPad and in the browser on a computer.
- You want a wide choice of summary templates for different kinds of conversation, beyond construction meetings.
Where the recording goes
Each step is from the company's own privacy, security or help pages, listed under Sources.
Note Metric
- Your phone or browserThe original recording stays here
- Our server, Helsinki (EU)No audio kept once the transcript is made, unless you keep a copy
- AI providers named in our privacy policySome may process data outside the UK and EU, including the US
Plaud
- Plaud recorderRemoved from the recorder once synced
- Plaud app on your phoneSends the recording for processing
- Plaud's cloudFrankfurt for EU and EEA accounts; US, Japan or Singapore elsewhere
The detail
| Note Metric | Plaud | |
|---|---|---|
| What you carry | Your iPhone or iPad | A Plaud recorder (Note, NotePin, NotePin S or Note Pro) and your phone for the app |
| Meetings in the room | iPhone or iPad app, or the browser | The recorder, synced to the Plaud app |
| Teams, Meet and Zoom | Record the browser tab, bring in the transcripts of meetings you host, or send the notetaker to Teams or Meet | Plaud is sold for calls and meetings anywhere; check how it captures your online calls |
| Site walk-rounds | Survey mode: items flagged as you speak, photos that keep their place, Measure (beta), a draft report | Audio only: the recorder has no camera |
| Minutes | The standard construction layout: numbered items, Action Lead, RAG and Action Due | Summaries from templates you choose in the app |
| Where the data is kept | Our server is in Helsinki, Finland, and the original recording stays on your phone unless you keep a server copy. Some of the AI providers may process data outside the UK and EU, including in the US | Plaud runs data centres in the US, Frankfurt, Japan and Singapore; EU and EEA accounts are held in Frankfurt |
How we compared
We make Note Metric, so read this with that in mind. Plaud's devices are from its UK shop, and its data centres from its own Trust Center and support pages, on the date above. Devices and features change, so check them before you choose. Plaud is a trademark of its owner, and we have no connection with it.
Questions
Is a separate recorder more reliable than a phone?
A dedicated recorder is not interrupted by calls or apps, which is its main strength. On an iPhone, a call that rings does not stop a Note Metric recording; answering it does, because iOS gives the microphone to the call. Add the Silence calls shortcut and Do Not Disturb comes on when a meeting starts, so calls do not ring at all. Whichever you use, test it in your own meeting room and on site.
Can Plaud do snagging and inspections?
It can record a walk-round as audio and summarise it. It has no camera, so photos are taken separately and matched up later. Note Metric's Survey mode keeps each photo with the item you named.
Can I take photos while I record a walk-round?
In Note Metric's Survey mode, yes: each photo keeps its moment in the recording and, when location is allowed, where it was taken, so it lands against the item you were describing. With an audio recorder, photos are taken on the phone and matched up afterwards.
Sources
- Plaud UK, all products: the recorders and plans Plaud sells
- Plaud, security and compliance: where account data is stored by region
- Plaud, Trust Center: Plaud's data centres and how data is processed
- Note Metric: Survey mode, Measure and the minutes layout
Our summaries of these documents are not their wording: read the source before relying on it. This guide is general information, not legal advice for a particular case. Note Metric and AI Metric Ltd are not affiliated with or endorsed by any body named here.