Wave is an AI note taker for iPhone, Android, the web and desktop, with a meeting bot for Zoom, Google Meet and Teams and a built-in dialer for phone calls. Outgoing, you call from Wave with your own number. An incoming call you answer first, then merge in a recording line from Wave. Ajora is built for calls: incoming calls are captured automatically through call forwarding. The recording is deleted automatically after transcription, within 24 hours at the latest. Transcripts and summaries are stored encrypted in Germany. If you mostly record meetings, or want a free plan and 76 languages, Wave is the better pick.
Ajora vs Wave: what is the difference?
Wave is an AI note taker for meetings, lectures and conversations, with phone calls as one of the ways to record. Ajora is a Dutch app that joins your phone calls and writes up a summary with action items. The biggest difference is incoming calls: Ajora captures them on its own, while in Wave you merge a recording line into each call yourself.
| Wave | Ajora | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An AI note taker for meetings, lectures, conversations and phone calls. | An app that joins your phone calls. In-person conversations through In-person recording. |
| Outgoing call | From the dialer in Wave, with your own number as caller ID. Paid plan only. | From the Ajora app, with your own contacts in it. |
| Incoming call | Answer first, then have Wave call you and merge the calls. Your carrier has to support three-way calling. | Captured automatically through call forwarding, if your carrier allows it. Nothing to do during the call. |
| Zoom, Meet and Teams meetings | Yes, with a meeting bot from your calendar, and with the desktop app. | No. |
| In-person conversation | Yes, with the microphone of your phone, watch or computer. | Yes, with the microphone of your phone, through In-person recording. |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Android, the web, Mac, Windows, Apple Watch and Wear OS. | iPhone and Android, with a web dashboard. |
| Languages | 76, with translation after recording. | Dutch and English, among others. |
| What you get back | Transcript with speakers, summary and action items, plus the audio. | Summary with action items and decisions, and the transcript. No audio. |
| Audio | Kept until you delete it. You can set a retention period. | Deleted automatically after transcription, within 24 hours at the latest. |
| Where your data lives | Google Cloud. Wave’s privacy policy says your data is processed in the United States, the search index at Turbopuffer included. | Transcripts and summaries encrypted on servers in Germany. |
| Integrations | API, webhooks, MCP for Claude and ChatGPT, Zapier, Slack, and export to Notion and Google Docs. | API, webhooks, MCP for Claude and ChatGPT, and a ready-made Apollo integration. |
| Price | Free up to 30 minutes a month. Pro, with unlimited recording, $80 a year on the web, $100 through the app stores, or $15 a month. | €19 a month, or €15 a month on a yearly plan, with 600 calling minutes. No free plan. |
The details on Wave come from wave.co, its help pages and the App Store, checked on 17-10-2026. Wave notes that prices can differ by country and by store.
What is Wave?
Wave is an AI note taker from wave.co that transcribes recordings, labels speakers and writes a summary with action items. It runs on iPhone, Android, the web, Mac and Windows, on Apple Watch and on Wear OS.
Wave records in four ways: with your phone’s microphone, with a meeting bot in Zoom, Google Meet and Teams, with the desktop app that captures your computer’s audio, and phone calls through the dialer in the app. Wave lists 76 languages and can translate after recording. On 17-10-2026 it held 4.9 from 12,183 ratings in the US App Store and 4.8 from 123 in the Dutch one.
How does Wave record a phone call?
Wave places calls over its own line. Outgoing, you dial in the Wave app and the other person sees your own number. An incoming call is not recorded directly: you answer it yourself, have Wave call you and merge the two calls. Call recording is part of the paid plan.
First you verify your number once: Wave calls you and you type in a code. After that you call from the Phone tab, and Wave reminds you before every call that it will be recorded; the other person hears nothing, so telling them is up to you. When you hang up, the call is in your library with a transcript, speaker labels and a summary. This works on iPhone and Android, in the browser and in the desktop app.
You merge incoming calls yourself
Asked whether Wave can record an incoming call, the help page answers: not directly. You answer, tap Record a call you’re already on, put the caller on hold and merge in the call from Wave. Whatever was said before the merge is not in the recording. Wave’s API documentation notes that on incoming calls the other party is unknown, because the call is a bridge connection.
Your carrier has to allow three-way calling
Merging only works if your plan supports three-way calling. If your call screen has no merge option, Wave says the bridge will not work and you have to dial from Wave instead.
Not in every country
Wave says call recording is not available in every country yet, without giving a list. International calls have hourly and daily caps, except to the US and Canada, and destinations costing more than 20 cents a minute are blocked. We have not tested whether a Dutch number can be verified.
A number of your own, in North America only
Wave is also building Wave Phone, a dedicated US or Canadian number in the app that people can call without any merging. On 17-10-2026 it is available through a waitlist only, in the US and Canada, as a paid add-on.
With Ajora you switch on call forwarding once, and from then on incoming calls are captured without you doing anything. People call your normal number. This works with the major Dutch carriers; if yours does not allow forwarding, such as Budget Mobiel, you add Ajora to each call yourself, much like with Wave. How to set it up is in setting up call forwarding.
Where is Wave better than Ajora?
Wave is better if you mostly record meetings, work at a computer or want a free plan. Wave has a meeting bot for Zoom, Google Meet and Teams, apps for the web, Mac and Windows, 76 languages, and a Pro plan of $80 a year with unlimited recording.
Meetings
Wave sends a meeting bot to Zoom, Google Meet and Teams from your Google or Outlook calendar, and its desktop app records your computer’s audio. Ajora does not record online meetings.
On your computer and your wrist
Wave runs in the browser, on Mac and Windows, as a Chrome extension and on Apple Watch and Wear OS. Ajora is an app for iPhone and Android, with a web dashboard for reading your debriefs.
Languages
Wave lists 76 languages and translates between them after recording. Ajora works with Dutch and English, among others.
Price and a free plan
Wave is free up to 30 minutes a month, and Pro is $80 a year on the web, with no cap on recording. For calls, Wave only mentions caps on international calls. Ajora has no free plan and costs €180 a year, with 600 calling minutes a month.
Listening back
Wave keeps the audio, so you can listen to a call again. At Ajora the recording is deleted automatically after transcription, within 24 hours at the latest.
Where is Ajora stronger than Wave?
Ajora is stronger on phone calls, and above all on calls you receive. Incoming calls are captured through call forwarding without any merging. The recording is deleted automatically after transcription, within 24 hours at the latest. Transcripts and summaries are stored encrypted in Germany.
Incoming calls without a single tap
In Wave you answer an incoming call and then merge in a recording line, every time. With Ajora you switch on call forwarding once, and every incoming call is captured, including calls that come in as you walk into a customer’s office. If your carrier does not allow forwarding, you add Ajora to each call yourself.
No audio, and transcripts in Germany
At Ajora the recording is deleted automatically after transcription, within 24 hours at the latest. Transcripts and summaries are stored encrypted in Germany. Wave keeps the audio until you delete it and, according to its privacy policy, processes your data in the United States, in Google Cloud and with a search index at Turbopuffer. Wave does have a SOC 2 Type 1 report and a data processing agreement, and you can set a period after which older audio is removed.
A Dutch company, with support in Dutch
Ajora is a Dutch company based in Utrecht, and support is available in Dutch. Wave offers support in English. Both publish a data processing agreement; Ajora’s is under data processing agreement.
On integrations there is little between them. Both have an API, webhooks and an MCP connection for Claude and ChatGPT. Wave also has its own Zapier integration, Ajora a ready-made Apollo integration. Android is not a difference either: Wave works on Android, phone calls included. And what you get back is similar, a summary with action items plus the transcript.
How much do Wave and Ajora cost?
Wave is cheaper: free up to 30 minutes a month, with Pro and unlimited recording at $80 a year on the web or $15 a month. Ajora costs €19 a month or €180 a year, with no free plan and 600 calling minutes a month included.
| Wave | Ajora | |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 30 minutes a month, phone calls not included | No free plan. A seven-day trial with 60 calling minutes |
| Monthly | $15 | €19 |
| Yearly | $80 on the web, $100 through the App Store or Google Play | €180 |
| Team, per user | $7.50 a month, from five users | €28 a month, or €22 on a yearly plan, from three users |
| Recording and calling | Unlimited recording on Pro, with caps on international calls | 600 calling minutes a month included |
Wave also mentions weekly billing, and says prices differ by country and store. Ajora has a 14-day money-back guarantee after the first payment.
What is the best Wave alternative for phone calls?
For phone calls, Ajora is a Wave alternative that captures incoming calls on its own through call forwarding, without merging a line into each call. Ajora is a Dutch app that joins your phone calls and writes up a summary with action items, for €19 a month with 600 calling minutes. If you mostly record meetings, or want unlimited recording for less, stay with Wave.
It does not have to be one or the other. If you sit in a lot of meetings and make a lot of calls, you can keep Wave for the meetings and use Ajora for the line. Merging in a recording line is also how TapeACall works; where that tends to break down is in Ajora vs TapeACall. What a good write-up of a call contains is in AI note taker for phone calls.
Frequently asked questions
Can Wave record incoming calls?
Not directly, Wave says. You answer the call on your phone, tap Record a call you’re already on in Wave and merge Wave’s line into the call. That needs a plan with three-way calling, and whatever was said before the merge is missing. With Ajora an incoming call is captured automatically through call forwarding.
Is Wave a good AI note taker for phone calls?
For outgoing calls, yes, on a paid plan and where Wave supports call recording: you dial from Wave with your own number and get a transcript, summary and action items. Incoming calls are harder, because Wave cannot record them directly and you merge a recording line into each call. Ajora, a Dutch app that joins your phone calls and writes up a summary with action items, captures incoming calls through call forwarding.
Does Wave work outside the US?
The app does: Wave lists 76 languages for transcription and its interface comes in 15. Call recording is not available in every country yet, according to Wave’s help page, which gives no list. International calls are capped per hour and per day, and Wave Phone numbers are US and Canada only.
Does Wave work on Android?
Yes. Wave works on Android, including phone calls through the in-app dialer and merging a call that is already in progress.
Does Wave have a meeting bot?
Yes. When you connect your Google or Outlook calendar, Wave sends a meeting bot to Zoom, Google Meet and Teams. Ajora does not record online meetings; it is built for phone calls and in-person conversations.
How much is Wave Pro?
On 17-10-2026 Wave Pro was $80 a year or $15 a month on the web, and $100 a year through the App Store or Google Play. The free plan gives 30 minutes a month, without phone calls. Teams is $7.50 per user per month, from five users.
Does Wave keep the audio of your calls?
Yes. Wave keeps the audio until you delete it, and in the settings you can choose a period after which older audio is removed automatically. Ajora does not keep audio for listening back: the recording is deleted automatically after transcription, within 24 hours at the latest. Transcripts and summaries are stored encrypted in Germany.
Does Wave have an API or an MCP connection?
Yes. Wave has an API with signed webhooks, an MCP server for Claude and ChatGPT, and a Zapier integration. Ajora also has an API with webhooks and an MCP connection, on every paid plan.
Is it legal to record a phone call with Wave or Ajora?
That depends on where you are, so check the rules where you and the other person live. In the Netherlands you may record a call you take part in, and for business use the GDPR applies. How it works in the Netherlands is in is it legal to record a phone call.
You can try Ajora free for seven days, with 60 calling minutes included. Create an account at debrief.ajora.io/register, install the app and call the way you always do; after your first call the debrief is waiting.
Sources
- Wave home page, with devices, languages, the meeting bot and the FAQwave.co, accessed 17-10-2026
- Wave pricing: Free, Pro and Teams, with the pricing FAQwave.co, accessed 17-10-2026
- Recording Phone Calls with Wave: verifying your number, calling, merging and supported countriesWave Help Center, accessed 17-10-2026
- Wave as a call recording app, with the FAQ on plans and Androidwave.co, accessed 17-10-2026
- Wave Phone, a dedicated US and Canada number, with waitlistwave.co, accessed 17-10-2026
- Language & Translation, with the interface languagesWave Help Center, accessed 17-10-2026
- Wave privacy policy, with audio retention, processors and Turbopufferwave.co, accessed 17-10-2026
- Security at Wave, with storage in Google Cloudwave.co, accessed 17-10-2026
- Wave API, with webhooks and phone call dataapi.wave.co, accessed 17-10-2026
- Wave AI Note Taker & Recorder in the US App Store, ratingApple App Store, accessed 17-10-2026
- Wave AI-notitieblok in the Dutch App Store, ratingApple App Store, accessed 17-10-2026
One of the three co-founders of Ajora. Jort focuses on user experience and growth.