Otter.ai vs Wave
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Wave has the lower starting price: about $15 a month, against $17 for Otter.ai.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Live transcription
- Automatic meeting summaries
- Action item extraction
- AI chat across meetings
- Mobile recording
- Meeting and call recording
- AI transcription
- Summaries and action items
- Apple Watch and Wear OS
- Export to PDF and OneNote
- Claude and ChatGPT integration
| Feature | Otter.ai | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Meeting assistant that records, transcribes and summarizes your calls | AI note taker that records and summarizes meetings, calls and lectures |
| Category | Productivity | Productivity |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $16.99/mo | $15/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Otter.ai | Wave |
| Based in | United States | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Pricing compared
Wave has the lower starting price: about $15 a month, against $17 for Otter.ai.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Basic
Free
- 300 minutes per user/month
- 30 minutes per conversation
- 3 lifetime file imports
Pro
$16.99/mo
- Per user
- 1,200 recording minutes/month
- 90 minutes per conversation
- 10 file imports/month
Business
$30/mo
- Per user
- Unlimited meetings and recordings
- Custom AI workflows
- 4 hours per conversation
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Advanced security and admin
- Schedule a demo
3 plans
Free
Free
- 30 minutes per month
- AI transcripts and summaries
- iOS, Android and web
Pro
$15/mo
- Unlimited recording
- Summaries and action items
- All devices
- Export to PDF and OneNote
Teams
$7.50/user/mo, min 5 users
- Per user
- Everything in Pro
- Centralized billing
- Admin dashboard
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Otter.ai
- Works with Zoom, Meet and Teams
- Searchable archive of all calls
- Good mobile app for in-person talks
- Free plan caps each conversation length
- Bot joining calls can bother guests
Wave
- Works on phones, desktops and watches
- 76 languages
- Doesn't train on your data
- Cheaper than in-app store pricing
- Free plan limited to 30 minutes a month
- Teams plan needs at least 5 users
- Monthly billing costs much more than annual
Which one should you choose?
Choose Otter.ai if you want:
- Works with Zoom, Meet and Teams
- Searchable archive of all calls
- Good mobile app for in-person talks
Watch out: free plan caps each conversation length.
Choose Wave if you want:
- Works on phones, desktops and watches
- 76 languages
- Doesn't train on your data
Watch out: free plan limited to 30 minutes a month.
Otter.ai vs Wave FAQ
What is the difference between Otter.ai and Wave?
Otter.ai: Meeting assistant that records, transcribes and summarizes your calls. Wave: AI note taker that records and summarizes meetings, calls and lectures. Both are productivity tools.
Is Otter.ai or Wave cheaper?
Wave has the lower starting price: about $15 a month, against $17 for Otter.ai.
Do Otter.ai and Wave have free plans?
Otter.ai: Yes. Wave: Yes.
Who makes Otter.ai?
Otter.ai is made by Otter.ai, based in United States.
Who makes Wave?
Wave is made by Wave.
Which should I choose, Otter.ai or Wave?
Choose Otter.ai if you value works with zoom, meet and teams and searchable archive of all calls. Choose Wave if you value works on phones, desktops and watches and 76 languages.