CallVault or BCR?
Basic Call Recorder: an open-source recorder for rooted phones or custom firmware. Every fact about it below comes from its own page.
Last checked
When BCR is the better pick
- Your phone is rooted or on custom firmware: BCR works at that level, and CallVault runs as an ordinary app.
- You want an app with no network permission at all. Its README says it does not and will never access the network.
- You want to read the source: it is GPL-3.0.
When CallVault is
- It runs on a stock phone with no rooting.
- Optional private backup and a web library.
- CallVault can import from a BCR-compatible folder, so you can use both.
What each one costs
| Download | No price is stated. Licensed GPL-3.0-only. source |
|---|
| Free | Free | 2 GB of private backup |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | 4.99 USD a month or 39 USD a year | 20 GB of private backup |
| Family | 9.99 USD a month or 79 USD a year a seat | 30 GB of private backup |
Side by side
| What it does | CallVault | BCR |
|---|---|---|
| Records phone calls on Android | Yes | Yes source |
| Starts recording by itself | Yes | Yes source |
| Records WhatsApp and other internet calls | No | Not stated on their site |
| The other person is clear without the speaker | Partly | Not stated on their site |
| Announces the recording on the call | No | Not stated on their site |
| Works without rooting the phone | Yes | No source |
| Installs from Google Play | No | Not stated on their site |
| Says recordings stay on the phone | Yes | Yes source |
| Copies recordings off the phone | Yes | No source |
| Plays recordings in a web library | Yes | Not stated on their site |
| Imports recordings other apps made | Yes | Not stated on their site |
| Writes a transcript of the call | No | Not stated on their site |
| Shows no ads | Yes | Not stated on their site |
| Open source | No | Yes source |
Moving across
CallVault can import from a folder another recorder writes to, and it has been built around phone makers' recorders and BCR-compatible ones. We haven't tested BCR's files, so try one first. The steps are in the docs.