Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Wave: Cross-platform AI note taker that records and transcribes meetings, calls, and voice memos into summaries. This comparison weighs them on pricing, features, and everyday workflow fit.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Alter when freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot matters most, and Wave when capturing in-person meetings and lectures from a phone matters most. Try them side by side on real calls before deciding — needs vary by team.
macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required.
Cross-platform AI note taker that records and transcribes meetings, calls, and voice memos into summaries.
Alter is a native macOS application that records, transcribes, and analyzes meetings directly on the user's Mac without sending a bot into the call. Instead of joining a meeting as a visible participant, Alter captures audio from the system output and microphone, so it works across Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, WhatsApp, FaceTime, Skype, Discord, and in-person conversations. Transcription runs through on-device models, with a choice of an optimized Parakeet model for major languages or Whisper for broader language coverage, and speaker identification is performed locally. Because processing happens on the device, recordings and transcripts stay on the Mac and the app can operate without an internet connection. Beyond raw transcripts, Alter generates summaries and action items, lets users chat with their meetings, and connects to tools such as Notion, Slack, Linear, Asana, and Jira. It targets solopreneurs, freelancers, consultants, and other professionals who want private, bot-free meeting capture on macOS. The product is actively developed and operating in 2025 and 2026. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Wave is a cross-platform AI note taker and recorder that captures meetings, phone calls, lectures, and voice memos and converts them into speaker-labeled transcripts and concise summaries with key points and action items. It works without sending a bot into a call, offering tab audio capture for recording browser-based meetings, a combined mode that captures both tab audio and the microphone, and a quick voice-memo option for short recordings. Wave is available across a wide range of platforms, including iOS and Android apps, a web app, Mac and Windows, and a Chrome extension, so users can record and review notes on whichever device they are using, including in-person meetings captured directly from a phone's microphone. Transcription and summarization support dozens of languages, and the service stores recordings in secure cloud storage with encryption and states that user data is not used to train AI models. Wave is aimed at professionals, students, and content creators who want a flexible, multi-device tool for recording, transcribing, and organizing spoken content without a meeting bot. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Wave is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Alter | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device transcription using built-in Whisper and Parakeet models | Records meetings, calls, lectures, and voice memos |
| Standout feature | Bot-free capture of system audio and microphone across any meeting or call app | Bot-free tab audio capture plus combined tab and mic mode |
| Team usage | Automatic speaker identification performed locally | Speaker-labeled transcripts with summaries and action items |
| Integrations | AI summaries, action items, and chat-with-your-meeting Q&A | Apps for iOS, Android, web, Mac, Windows, and Chrome |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with Notion, Slack, Linear, Asana, Jira and other tools | Support for dozens of languages |
| Best-fit workflow | Offline operation with recordings and transcripts stored locally | Encrypted cloud storage with no model training on user data |
Alter
Choose Alter if you need freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot — strengths include local processing keeps recordings and transcripts on the user's own mac.
Wave
Choose Wave if you need recording browser-based meetings without a bot joining — strengths include bot-free capture across many platforms and devices.
Alter
Wave
It depends on your workflow. Alter is strong for freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot, while Wave is strong for recording browser-based meetings without a bot joining. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades and Wave is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Often yes: teams combine tools when one handles capture and another handles analysis.
More head-to-head comparisons involving Alter and Wave.
Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Amber Notes: EU-focused AI meeting notetaker by Dutch company Amberscript, with EU-only data hosting, multilingual transcription and an Ask Amber chat. The right pick comes down to team size, budget, and the workflows you want to automate.
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