Minutes and Wave are both AI meeting assistants for recording, transcription, and summaries, compared here on pricing, features, and workflow fit. Minutes: Open-source, local-first conversation memory layer that records and transcribes meetings, diarizes speakers, and stores searchable notes as markdown for AI agents. Wave: Cross-platform AI note taker that records and transcribes meetings, calls, and voice memos into summaries. They overlap on ai-meeting-assistants, ai-notes, so the right pick depends on team size, budget, and which meeting workflows you automate.
For ai-meeting-assistants, ai-notes workflows, shortlist Minutes when building a private, searchable memory of meetings and voice notes that ai agents can query matters most, and Wave when recording browser-based meetings without a bot joining matters most. Both record across Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams; trial each on real meetings before committing.
Open-source, local-first conversation memory layer that records and transcribes meetings, diarizes speakers, and stores searchable notes as markdown for AI agents.
Cross-meeting search, relationship tracking, and action-item extractionLocal transcription with whisper.cpp or Parakeet, no cloud audio uploadmacOS desktop app plus cross-platform CLI and dictation hotkey mode
Cross-platform AI note taker that records and transcribes meetings, calls, and voice memos into summaries.
Apps for iOS, Android, web, Mac, Windows, and ChromeBot-free tab audio capture plus combined tab and mic modeEncrypted cloud storage with no model training on user data
Minutes 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.
Local transcription with whisper.cpp or Parakeet, no cloud audio upload
Records meetings, calls, lectures, and voice memos
Standout feature
Speaker diarization to attribute who said what
Bot-free tab audio capture plus combined tab and mic mode
Team usage
Plain-markdown output with YAML frontmatter stored on your own disk
Speaker-labeled transcripts with summaries and action items
Integrations
MCP server exposing tools so AI agents can query meeting history
Apps for iOS, Android, web, Mac, Windows, and Chrome
Languages & capture
Cross-meeting search, relationship tracking, and action-item extraction
Support for dozens of languages
Best-fit workflow
macOS desktop app plus cross-platform CLI and dictation hotkey mode
Encrypted cloud storage with no model training on user data
Best for
Minutes
Choose Minutes if you need building a private, searchable memory of meetings and voice notes that ai agents can query — strengths include fully local-first and mit licensed, keeping conversation data private and portable.
Wave
Choose Wave if you need recording browser-based meetings without a bot joining — strengths include bot-free capture across many platforms and devices.
Pros & cons
Minutes
+ Fully local-first and MIT licensed, keeping conversation data private and portable
+ Markdown-on-disk format syncs through existing cloud-drive tools and avoids lock-in
- Desktop app is macOS-only; Windows and Linux are limited to the CLI
Wave
+ Bot-free capture across many platforms and devices
+ Handles both online meetings and in-person voice memos
- Feature set may differ between mobile, web, and extension
FAQ
Is Minutes or Wave better for AI meeting notes?
It depends on your workflow. Minutes is strong for building a private, searchable memory of meetings and voice notes that ai agents can query, while Wave is strong for recording browser-based meetings without a bot joining. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
How do Minutes and Wave compare on price?
Minutes 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.
Can I use both Minutes and Wave?
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary and the budget is justified.