Pluely alternative for Windows: AuraCloak vs Pluely compared

AuraCloak vs Pluely at a glance

The table covers what most people ask before they switch. "Not listed" means the vendor's public pages don't mention it, not that the feature is definitely missing.

How we compared

We make AuraCloak, so weigh this page with that in mind. Pluely's details come from pluely.com and its GitHub README, both read on October 11, 2026. AuraCloak's come from our own docs. Where Pluely makes a claim we couldn't check ourselves, such as how its stealth mode works, we say so instead of guessing.

Pluely pricing vs AuraCloak pricing

Pluely's free plan is the honest headline here. If you already have an OpenAI or Anthropic key and only need an overlay that hides from screen share, Pluely's site says the free tier covers that for $0, no account. AuraCloak has no free tier.

The math changes once you want the paid features. Here's what each plan costs over two years, before any API usage:

Pluely's Pro plans bundle hosted models, so you aren't comparing like with like: $15 a month there buys AI requests, while $9 a month with us buys the app and you pay OpenAI or Anthropic yourself. For light use, a pay-as-you-go API key often costs a few dollars a month. Heavy users with long transcription needs may find Pluely's bundle simpler.

Lifetime vs lifetime is clearer. Pluely Dev Pro is $120 and assumes you bring keys. AuraCloak lifetime is $49 and includes every feature, including browser mode, which can drop your AI cost to $0 extra if you already pay for ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro. Our monthly plan overtakes the lifetime price in month six, so most people who stay longer than that pick lifetime. Full details are on the AuraCloak pricing page.

Platforms: Mac and Linux users should pick Pluely

AuraCloak runs only on Windows 10 version 2004 or later and Windows 11 (x64). There's no Mac build, no Linux build and no mobile app. Pluely ships for macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows and Linux. If you switch between a MacBook and a Windows desktop, Pluely is the only one of the two that follows you.

On Windows, AuraCloak is a native .NET 8 app rather than a cross-platform shell, which is why the installer is bigger (about 50 MB, self-contained, no runtime to install) than Pluely's 9 to 16 MB Tauri build.

AI models, BYOK and browser mode

Both apps let you plug in your own keys. The routes differ.

Pluely takes any provider through a curl template, connects to local AI command-line tools (Claude Code, Gemini CLI, OpenAI Codex, Qwen Code) and Ollama, and offers 200+ hosted models on its Pro plans. That's flexible if you like wiring things up.

AuraCloak has built-in setups for six provider types: OpenAI and Anthropic Claude with an API key, Google Gemini with a key or Google sign-in, GitHub Copilot with your GitHub login (it uses your Copilot subscription), Azure OpenAI with a resource and deployment, and any OpenAI-compatible endpoint such as Ollama, LM Studio, OpenRouter or vLLM. You can switch providers from the overlay mid-conversation.

Then there's browser mode, which we haven't seen Pluely list. Say you already pay $20 a month for ChatGPT Plus. Browser mode loads chatgpt.com (or Claude.ai, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity) inside the overlay with your normal login, and the overlay stays excluded from screen capture. No API key, no second bill.

Listen mode vs push-to-talk

This is the biggest functional gap, and it favors Pluely if you want it. Pluely's listen mode transcribes your microphone and system audio live, labels speakers, and can trigger answers on its own when it detects a question or a pause. It also keeps meeting history with summaries and exports.

AuraCloak doesn't do any of that. Voice input is your microphone only: press Alt+V to start, Alt+V again to send, Alt+Shift+V to cancel. It never captures call audio, never transcribes a meeting and never answers on its own. Some people prefer it that way. Capturing what other people say on a call can raise consent questions depending on where you and they are, and a tool that can't do it is one less thing to explain to your IT team.

Where AuraCloak goes further is speech engines. You can pick Windows built-in speech (free, the default), Azure Speech, OpenAI Whisper API, Google Speech-to-Text, or Local Whisper. Local Whisper runs entirely on your PC with a 141 MB base model or a 465 MB small model, so no audio leaves the machine.

Screen share privacy and invisibility

AuraCloak calls the Windows API SetWindowDisplayAffinity with WDA_EXCLUDEFROMCAPTURE. Every capture method that goes through Windows (Windows.Graphics.Capture, DXGI Desktop Duplication, GDI BitBlt) then skips the window. In practice Zoom, Teams, Google Meet in a browser, Slack, Discord, OBS, Loom, Xbox Game Bar, Snipping Tool and PrintScreen leave it out. File pickers opened from the overlay are hidden too.

The limits are real and we'd rather you hear them from us. A phone or camera pointed at your monitor sees everything. Remote desktop sessions and hardware capture cards sit outside Windows capture APIs. On Windows builds older than 2004, the window shows up as a black box instead of disappearing.

Pluely says its stealth mode hides the overlay from screen shares, recordings, the Dock and the taskbar. We haven't inspected how it does this on Windows. Whatever tool you pick, test it before a call that matters: start a meeting with only yourself, share your entire screen, record it, and watch the recording back.

Cluely vs Pluely vs AuraCloak

Most people find Pluely while looking for a Cluely replacement, so here's the three-way version. Cluely's pricing page (checked October 2026) lists Pro at $19.99 a month, puts screen share invisibility in a $149.99 a month tier, and shows Mac and iOS downloads only. It has no BYOK and no lifetime plan.

For the full breakdown, see our Cluely alternative for Windows page.

Who should choose Pluely, and who should choose AuraCloak

Choose Pluely if:

• You use macOS or Linux, or switch between operating systems.
• You want live transcription of the whole call, speaker labels and meeting summaries.
• You want hosted models without managing API keys.
• You only need the basics and the free tier with your own key covers it.

Choose AuraCloak if:

• You're on Windows and want to pay once: $49 instead of $120.
• You already pay for ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro or GitHub Copilot and want to use that inside the overlay.
• You need Azure OpenAI for work, or offline voice input with Local Whisper.
• You'd rather the app never touch call audio at all.

Still deciding between Windows options? Our AuraCloak vs Natively and AuraCloak vs GhostDesk pages cover the other two names that come up most.

FAQ

Is Pluely free?

Yes. Pluely has a free plan where you bring your own API keys, and its site says the overlay and stealth features are included. Limited Pro ($15/month) and Unlimited Pro ($35/month) add hosted models and transcription hours. Dev Pro is $120 one-time for BYOK users. Prices checked October 2026.

Is Pluely still open source?

Not the current version. Pluely's GitHub README says v1 and later are proprietary, closed-source binaries. Earlier versions were released under MIT and then GPL-3.0, and that older code is still in the repository history.

Does AuraCloak work on Mac or Linux?

No. AuraCloak is a native Windows app for Windows 10 version 2004 or later and Windows 11, x64 only. If you need macOS or Linux, Pluely supports both.

Can AuraCloak listen to a Zoom call like Pluely's listen mode?

No. AuraCloak only hears your own microphone, and only while you hold the conversation open with Alt+V push-to-talk. It does not capture call audio, transcribe meetings or answer automatically.

Which has the cheaper lifetime license, Pluely or AuraCloak?

AuraCloak. Its lifetime license is $49 and includes every feature. Pluely Dev Pro is $120 one-time and is meant for people who bring their own API keys. In both cases you pay your AI provider separately, unless you use AuraCloak browser mode with a subscription you already have.