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MeetWave vs Tactiq
Tactiq alternative: Tactiq captures meetings live through a browser extension, and it can also transcribe recordings you upload afterwards. What it does not do is capture system audio from meeting apps running on a Windows desktop, since its live capture lives in the browser and its native app covers Zoom on macOS. MeetWave records Windows system audio directly, whatever app the meeting runs in.
Tactiq’s prices and policies checked on its own pages, 24 Sep 2026.
In-Depth Comparison
Tactiq is a browser extension for Chrome and Edge that transcribes Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams calls in real time when those meetings run in a browser tab, without sending a bot into the call. Alongside live capture, it offers a web dashboard where you can upload an existing audio or video file — mp4, m4a, mp3, mov, up to 2GB — and get a transcript plus AI analysis from a meeting that has already happened. It also has a native macOS app, currently in beta, for capturing Zoom desktop calls.
The practical limit for a Windows user is capture scope. Tactiq's live capture depends on the meeting running in a supported browser tab with the extension active, and its desktop capture app is macOS-only. If you attend meetings through the Zoom, Teams, or Webex desktop client on Windows, Tactiq cannot capture them as they happen — you would need to record the meeting yourself and upload the file afterwards.
MeetWave works at a different layer. It runs as a Windows desktop application and captures system audio directly from the operating system — the same audio your speakers or headphones play, regardless of which app or browser tab it is coming from. This means it works whether the meeting runs in a browser or a desktop client, with no extension to activate first. System-level capture is Windows-only; on macOS, Linux, and ChromeOS, MeetWave covers web calls through its own Chrome extension, with transcripts and summaries at app.meetwave.io.
On the output side, Tactiq's core product is the transcript itself, with AI summary and chat-style question answering layered on top as premium features. MeetWave is built around the summary as the primary output, with 15+ summary formats tailored to the type of meeting and your professional role, plus the ability to reference up to 20 previous meetings on Pro+ (5 on Pro) when generating a new one — capabilities Tactiq does not offer.
Both tools share one meaningful similarity: neither adds a visible bot to the meeting. Tactiq works passively inside your own browser tab, and MeetWave works passively at the system level — participants in the call see no indication that either tool is running.
Side by side
| MeetWave | Tactiq | |
|---|---|---|
| How it records | No bot joins your calls: the Chrome extension records web calls on macOS, Windows, Linux and ChromeOS, and the Windows desktop app also captures system audio from any app. | Live capture via Chrome/Edge browser extension, no bot; native macOS app in beta for Zoom desktop callschecked 24 Sep 2026 |
| Name in the participant list | No bot — nothing appears in the participant list. | No bot — nothing appears in the participant listchecked 24 Sep 2026 |
| Apps | Chrome extension (macOS, Windows, Linux, ChromeOS) + native Windows desktop app; no mobile app. | Chrome/Edge extension, web dashboard, macOS app (beta)checked 24 Sep 2026 |
| Free plan | 10h of recording analysis/month, 25 AI summaries/month | 10 transcripts/month, 5 AI creditschecked 24 Sep 2026 |
| Cheapest paid plan | Pro $16.00/mo, or $11.00/mo billed annually (up to 5 prior meetings in memory; 20 on Pro+) | Pro $8/user/mo billed annually; Team $16.67/user/mo; Business $29.17/user/mochecked 24 Sep 2026 |
| Trains AI on your meetings? (its policy) | Your meetings are never used to train AI models. | Not stated on its pricing pagechecked 24 Sep 2026 |
Competitor facts are read from each vendor's own pages; dates show when. Found something out of date? Tell us.
Which one fits you
When Tactiq is the better choice
Tactiq is the better choice if the transcript itself is your deliverable and you move between machines: its extension works anywhere Chrome runs and its library is web-based. MeetWave's system-level capture is Windows-only; on other platforms it covers web calls through its own Chrome extension.
If you specifically want a live, scrolling transcript visible during the call itself, alongside the ability to highlight moments in real time, Tactiq's in-call experience is built for that.
If your priority is the transcript itself — searchable, exportable, in one of the 60-plus languages Tactiq lists — and you want the option to upload past recordings and YouTube videos into the same library, Tactiq is designed around that workflow.
When MeetWave fits
- Captures system audio on WindowsTactiq's live capture runs inside a Chrome tab, and its native desktop app covers Zoom on macOS. MeetWave records system audio at the OS level on Windows, so it works with desktop meeting clients as well as browser calls.
- System-level capture on WindowsTactiq's live capture runs only inside the tab where the call happens. MeetWave's Windows desktop app records at the system level, so capture does not depend on which browser or tab the meeting is in — and MeetWave also offers its own Chrome extension for web calls on other platforms.
- Summaries as the primary outputTactiq is built around the transcript, with AI summaries and credits layered on top. MeetWave is built around the summary, with 15+ formats chosen by role.
- Role-specific summaries and memoryMeetWave generates 15+ summary types by role and references up to 20 previous meetings on Pro+ (5 on Pro). Tactiq focuses on the transcript and a generic summary layer.
Questions people ask
Yes. Alongside live capture in the browser, Tactiq lets you upload an existing audio or video file — mp4, m4a, mp3, or mov, up to 2GB — from its web dashboard and get a transcript with AI analysis. Each upload uses a meeting credit unless you are on an unlimited plan, and AI analysis requires a transcript longer than two minutes.
Mainly a browser extension, for Chrome and Edge, paired with a web dashboard. Tactiq also offers a native macOS app, currently in beta, for capturing Zoom desktop calls. There is no Windows desktop app. MeetWave works on any operating system through its Chrome extension, and on Windows its desktop app captures system audio regardless of which browser or client the meeting runs in.
Partly. Tactiq's macOS app can capture Zoom desktop calls, and that support is described as expanding to more platforms. On Windows there is no desktop capture app, so a meeting held in the Zoom or Microsoft Teams desktop client has to be recorded separately and uploaded afterwards. MeetWave captures system audio at the OS level on Windows, so browser and desktop clients behave the same.
No. Tactiq transcribes from inside your own browser or its Mac app and does not add a participant to the call. MeetWave is also bot-free, capturing system audio with no participant added to the meeting.
Tactiq Free includes 10 transcripts per month and 5 AI credits. Pro (billed annually), Team, and Business each raise the limits and add features like unlimited AI credits and SAML SSO, all priced per seat. MeetWave Pro, by contrast, is priced per individual account with 40 hours of analysis per month, never per seat.
MeetWave captures Windows system audio directly, so it records meetings held in desktop clients without needing a browser extension or a manual upload afterwards. It also produces a role-specific summary rather than a transcript with a generic summary attached. System-level capture is Windows-only; on macOS, Linux and ChromeOS, MeetWave's own Chrome extension covers web calls, though there is no mobile app.
Pricing Breakdown
Tactiq meters usage with AI credits across four tiers, all priced per seat once you leave the free plan. MeetWave has no per-seat pricing and no credit system -- one flat Pro plan per individual account, with an uncapped Pro+ step above it. Current figures for both are in the facts table above.
When MeetWave Is the Better Choice
MeetWave is the better fit if your meetings run in desktop clients on Windows rather than browser tabs. Tactiq's live capture needs the meeting in a browser tab, and its desktop capture app is macOS-only, so a Windows desktop-client meeting has to be recorded separately and uploaded after the fact.
MeetWave is also the stronger choice if you want summaries built for your professional role rather than a transcript with a summary attached, and if you want the AI to draw on context from your last 20 meetings on Pro+ (5 on Pro) rather than treating every call as an isolated event.
Because MeetWave captures audio at the system level, it does not depend on remembering to activate an extension in the right tab before the call starts.
The Verdict
Tactiq and MeetWave overlap on the bot-free promise but differ in where they sit. Tactiq is a browser-based transcription tool that works on any operating system, handles live browser calls, and accepts uploaded recordings after the fact. MeetWave records web calls on any operating system through its own Chrome extension, and on Windows adds a desktop recorder that captures system audio from any app — either way turning it into a role-specific summary.
If you need cross-platform coverage or the transcript is the deliverable, Tactiq is the better fit. If you are on Windows, use desktop meeting clients, and want structured summaries with cross-meeting memory, MeetWave fits that workflow more directly.
