# Pocket vs Omi: Polished Recorder or Open Source Pendant? (2026)

> Pocket vs Omi compared: price, battery, minutes, phone calls, privacy, open source and MCP servers for Claude.

- Canonical URL: https://webofmike.com/pocket-vs-omi/
- Author: Mike Moore (https://webofmike.com/about/)
- Published: 2026-10-21
- Last modified: 2026-10-21
- Tags: AI Tools, Productivity, MCP
- Cite as: Mike Moore, "Pocket vs Omi: Polished Recorder or Open Source Pendant? (2026)", Web of Mike (webofmike.com), 2026-10-21. https://webofmike.com/pocket-vs-omi/


## Quick verdict

- **Pick Pocket** for phone calls, multi day battery and unlimited minutes with no plan.
- **Pick Omi** if you want open source hardware and software, self hosting, and an MCP server you can run yourself.

Want the full field? See [Pocket AI recorder alternatives](/pocket-ai-recorder-alternatives/).

<div class="product-photo-row">
<figure class="product-photo">
  <img src="/images/products/pocket-magsafe.webp" alt="Pocket AI recorder, a thin metal card, attached to the back of a white iPhone held in a hand" width="800" height="800" loading="lazy" decoding="async">
  <figcaption>Image: Pocket</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="product-photo">
  <img src="/images/products/omi-pendant.webp" alt="Omi pendant on a black cord, round translucent case with a blue status light" width="800" height="800" loading="lazy" decoding="async">
  <figcaption>Image: Omi</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>

## Pocket vs Omi side by side

| | Pocket | Omi |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Device price | $129 (list $199) | $129 (list $179) |
| Subscription | Free plan with unlimited transcription; Pro $19.99/mo or $239.88/yr | Free plan; Unlimited $269/yr |
| Form factor | Credit card sized MagSafe phone attachment, 52 g, 3.4 x 2.2 x 0.2 in | Pendant, 2.5 x 1.5 cm, necklace or clip |
| Battery | Up to 4 days of active use | 10 to 14 hrs |
| Transcription minutes | Unlimited on every plan | Unlimited on phone transcription plus 300 cloud min/mo free |
| Call recording | Yes, contact mic records both sides without speakerphone | Not listed |
| Privacy and compliance | Pocket lists SOC 2 Type 1, HIPAA and GDPR; encrypted on device, in transit and at rest; not used for training; HIPAA mode and BAA on Enterprise | SOC 2 and HIPAA per Omi; AES-256 at rest; open source, can run locally |
| MCP / Claude | Yes, 7 tool MCP server; full transcripts and cross meeting questions on Pro | Yes, open source MCP server |

Prices are US list prices as of October 2026.

## Two takes on hands free

Omi is a small pendant you wear on a necklace or clip, built to listen through your day, with a 10 to 14 hour battery. Pocket is press to record and lasts up to 4 days of active use. Pocket is polite. It's about the size of a credit card, it rides on the back of my phone, and one click starts it. The phone app does the rest. Nobody across the table is staring at a phone propped up on a stack of napkins or a laptop lid between us. A small light shows when it's recording, so nobody is surprised.

## Open source

Omi's hardware designs, firmware, app and backend are MIT licensed on GitHub, and you can point the app at your own backend. Pocket is a closed product, with a local only storage mode at setup.

## Minutes

Omi's free plan includes unlimited on phone transcription plus 300 cloud minutes a month, with Unlimited at $269 a year. Pocket's free plan includes unlimited transcription.

## MCP

Both have one. Omi's open source MCP server can read, search, create, edit and delete memories and conversations with an API key from the app. Pocket's MCP server gives an AI seven tools: account info, folder lists, hybrid search across recordings, action item search, and action item updates on any plan, plus full transcripts with audio links and cross meeting questions on Pro. I run it every day. On the free plan, MCP is mostly search.

## Privacy and compliance

Omi says it's SOC 2 and HIPAA compliant, with TLS in transit and AES-256 at rest. Pocket lists SOC 2 Type 1, HIPAA and GDPR, with HIPAA mode and a BAA on Enterprise.

## A note on consent

Recording laws vary. Some states, including California and Washington, require everyone in the conversation to consent. Whatever you use, tell people you're recording.

## One more thing

The Omi pendant is 2.5 cm across, a hair wider than a US quarter.

<!-- HANDS-ON NOTES: Mike adds his testing here once review units arrive. -->

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