Wave AI Note Taker Alternative: Audio Notes vs Wave (2026)

If you want to record phone calls, use Apple Watch, or work on Mac and iPad too, Wave covers more devices and has far more reviews. If you want many languages, video imports and a free start that does not reset every month, Audio Notes is the better fit. Both turn a recording into a summary and action items, so the choice is about the extras.

Wave AI Note Taker & Recorder is free to download with in-app purchases. As of October 2026 its App Store listing shows 4.9 out of 5 from about 12,000 ratings, runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision and Apple Watch, and says you can record phone calls in the app. It describes summaries and to-do lists. The listing's language list shows 15 languages (Arabic, Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Turkish), while the description says 30+.

Audio Notes transcribes in 60+ languages including Cantonese, imports audio and video files, adds translation and chat about the note, and shares encrypted links. It is iPhone only, it has no call recording, and it transcribes on our server, so it needs internet. The full field is in our alternatives buyer's guide.

Side-by-Side: Wave vs Audio Notes AI

Pricing & Free Tier

Wave, as of October 2026: free with in-app purchases. The listing shows ten purchase options from $6.00 to $139.99 without naming the plans, and it does not state the free allowance. Third-party sites cite 30 minutes per month for the free plan; confirm in the app. Audio Notes, as of October 2026: 60 lifetime minutes free (the first 3 notes or 60 minutes), then Pro with 10,000 minutes per month and up to 90 minutes per recording. The Pro price is shown in the app.

The shape differs. A monthly allowance refills; a lifetime allowance does not. If you record a little every month, a refilling allowance can last longer. If you want to try everything once and decide, a lifetime allowance is simpler.

Languages

Wave's listing is inconsistent: 15 languages in the language list, 30+ in the description. Audio Notes runs Whisper with a 100-entry picker marketed as 60+ languages, including Cantonese, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese and Japanese. If your language is outside Wave's list, check it before you buy. See our any-language guide.

What Each Records and Imports

Wave says it records phone calls, which Audio Notes does not offer, and it adds an Apple Watch app. Audio Notes records up to 90 minutes through the microphone, imports audio (m4a, mp3, wav, caf, aac, aiff) and video (mp4, mov, m4v, avi, mkv), and takes WhatsApp and other voice messages through the iOS share sheet; see our voice-message guide and the video-to-text hub.

Output, Privacy and Sharing

Both give a summary and action items. Wave's listing does not state where processing happens or whether speakers are labelled. Audio Notes transcribes server-side, does not label speakers, and shares notes through links encrypted with AES-256 on your iPhone before upload; the key stays in the link and the link expires after 24 hours.

Sources for Wave's facts: its App Store listing, read October 2026. If a detail has changed, the listing is the authority.

Feature	Audio Notes AI vs Wave (as of Oct 2026)
Price	Free to start; Pro subscription (price in the app) \| Free with in-app purchases ($6.00 to $139.99 listed)
Free tier	60 lifetime minutes \| Not stated on the listing; third parties cite 30 min/month
Languages	60+ (100-entry picker incl. Cantonese) \| 15 in its language list; description says 30+
Summary / action items	Yes \| Yes
Translation / chat	Yes, both \| Not stated in its listing
Phone call recording	No \| Yes, per its listing
Speaker labels	No \| Not stated in its listing
Imports video	Yes (mp4, mov, m4v, avi, mkv) \| Not stated in its listing
Sharing	Encrypted link, expires in 24 hours \| Not stated in its listing
Platforms	iPhone only \| iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision, Apple Watch
Ratings	New app, few ratings \| 4.9 from about 12K on the US App Store

FAQ

Is Audio Notes better than Wave?

It depends on the job. Wave is better if you want phone-call recording, an Apple Watch app, Mac and iPad apps, or a product with many more reviews. Audio Notes is better if you need more languages, video imports, translation, chat about a note or encrypted sharing.

Can Audio Notes record phone calls like Wave?

No. Audio Notes records through the microphone and imports audio and video files. It does not record phone calls.

How many languages does Wave support?

Its App Store language list shows 15; its description says 30+. Audio Notes covers 60+ including Cantonese, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese and Japanese.

Does Wave have a free plan?

It is free to download with in-app purchases. The listing does not state the free allowance; third-party sites cite 30 minutes per month. Audio Notes includes 60 lifetime minutes free.

Do Wave and Audio Notes label speakers?

Audio Notes does not: it returns one block of text. Wave's listing does not say, so check in the app if who-said-what matters to you.

Audio Notes AI is a one-tap voice recorder and transcription app for iPhone: server-side Whisper transcription in 60+ languages, automatic translation and summaries, action items, and search across your whole library. Every account includes 60 minutes of lifetime transcription for free; Pro unlocks 10,000 minutes per month with a 90-minute cap per recording. Shared notes are encrypted with AES-256 on your iPhone before upload — the decryption key lives only in the link.

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Download Audio Notes AI free on the App Store — 60 minutes of lifetime transcription included.