Granola
Granola is the no-bot AI notepad — it transcribes local system audio on Mac/Windows and enhances the notes you already take, not a full transcript; Business from $14/mo, privacy-first local processing.
Verified against: granola.ai as of 2026-09-21
Quick verdict: Granola earns 4.2/5 — the no-bot, privacy-first pick of the cluster, the fit when a visible recorder changes the meeting dynamic or the content is confidential. Choose it for the architecture; it is not the deepest transcription engine — Otter and Fireflies win on language breadth and team analytics. Business $14/user/mo adds unlimited history, integrations and MCP; Enterprise $35 adds SSO and org-wide training opt-out. (Research sweep, no paid workspace tested.)
- Our rating: 4.2/5
- Strongest dimension: Usability (5/5, research only)
- Weakest dimension: Collaboration (3/5, research only)
- Pricing: Free plan · $14/mo (Business)
- Verification: Research-only pass over official sources, last checked 2026-09-21. Sources: granola.ai
Granola pricing details
- Free plan available
- paid plans from $14/mo (Business)
- basic $0 · Business $14/user/mo · Enterprise $35/user/mo
- basic free (limited note history) · Business $14/user/mo · Enterprise $35/user/mo (50+ users, SSO)
Freemium. Basic free with limited meeting history; Business adds unlimited history, integrations (Notion/Slack/HubSpot/Zapier), MCP support and admin controls; Enterprise adds SSO and org-wide opt-out of model training. Audio processed locally and deleted after transcription.
In our index: Free: Basic $0 (AI-enhanced notes, shared folders, limited meeting history) · Business $14/user/mo (unlimited history, integrations, MCP support, admin) · Enterprise $35/user/mo (50+ users, SSO, org-wide opt-out of model training). Audio processed locally, deleted after transcription. Verified against official site & pricing.
How Granola scores across our 6 index dimensions
- Functionality: 4/5 (research only)
- Usability: 5/5 (research only)
- Stability: 4/5 (research only)
- Collaboration: 3/5 (research only)
- Localization: 3/5 (research only)
- Value: 4/5 (research only)
Score rationale: The differentiator: no bot joins the call — Granola captures local system audio (Mac/Windows desktop app) and enhances the notes you write rather than replacing them with a full transcript. Privacy-first (audio deleted after processing). Free tier caps meeting history; Business $14/user unlocks unlimited history + integrations. Research sweep.
What Granola does well
- No bot joins — local system-audio capture (privacy-first, no consent friction)
- Enhances your own notes rather than replacing them with a transcript
- Audio processed locally and deleted; opt-out of model training on paid/Enterprise
- Cheap entry: Business $14/user/mo with unlimited history + integrations + MCP
Where Granola falls short
- Requires the desktop app (Mac/Windows) running during the meeting
- You still take notes — not fully passive transcription
- Free tier limits how far back you can search
- Fewer CRM integrations than Fireflies/Otter at the team level
How Granola compares to other AI Meeting Notes tools
Our index tracks 5 AI Meeting Notes tools. Granola sits at 4.2/5, with basic free (limited note history) · business $14/user/mo · enterprise $35/user/mo (50+ users, sso). Here are the 4 closest alternatives we hold pricing and scoring evidence for.
- Otter.ai — 4.5/5 · Free plan · $8.33/mo (Pro, annual)
Otter.ai is the AI notetaker standard for auto-join transcription and summaries — bot joins Zoom/Meet/Teams, free Basic tier gives 300 min/month, Pro entry at $8.33/mo annual. - Fireflies.ai — 4.4/5 · Free plan · $10/mo (Pro, annual)
Fireflies.ai is the integrations-heavy meeting recorder — one auto-join bot across Zoom/Teams/Meet plus 30+ CRM/Slack apps, unlimited transcription on every tier, Pro from $10/mo annual. - Fathom — 4.3/5 · Free plan · $15/mo (Team, annual)
Fathom is the free-first AI notetaker — unlimited recording and transcription on the $0 tier, sales-friendly CRM auto-fill, Premium entry at $16/mo annual for the teams tier. - Tactiq — 4.0/5 · Free plan · $8/mo (Pro, annual)
Tactiq is the lightweight Chrome-extension notetaker — no bot, no download, real-time captions on Google Meet/Zoom/Teams, free 10 transcripts/month, Pro from $8/mo annual.
Frequently asked questions about Granola
How much does Granola cost?
Free plan available; paid plans from $14/mo (Business); basic $0 · Business $14/user/mo · Enterprise $35/user/mo; basic free (limited note history) · Business $14/user/mo · Enterprise $35/user/mo (50+ users, SSO). Billing detail: Freemium. Basic free with limited meeting history; Business adds unlimited history, integrations (Notion/Slack/HubSpot/Zapier), MCP support and admin controls; Enterprise adds SSO and org-wide opt-out of model training. Audio processed locally and deleted after transcription. Figures verified 2026-09-21.
Does Granola have a free plan?
Yes. Granola has a free tier; paid plans start at $14/mo (Business).
What is Granola rated in our index?
Granola sits at 4.2/5 in our index, strongest on usability (5/5, research only) and weakest on collaboration (3/5, research only). Granola earns 4.2/5 — the no-bot, privacy-first pick of the cluster, the fit when a visible recorder changes the meeting dynamic or the content is confidential. Choose it for the architecture; it is not the deepest transcription engine — Otter and Fireflies win on language breadth and team analytics. Business $14/user/mo adds unlimited history, integrations and MCP; Enterprise $35 adds SSO and org-wide training opt-out. (Research sweep, no paid workspace tested.)
What are the drawbacks of Granola?
Requires the desktop app (Mac/Windows) running during the meeting You still take notes — not fully passive transcription Free tier limits how far back you can search Fewer CRM integrations than Fireflies/Otter at the team level.
What does Granola do well?
No bot joins — local system-audio capture (privacy-first, no consent friction) Enhances your own notes rather than replacing them with a transcript Audio processed locally and deleted; opt-out of model training on paid/Enterprise Cheap entry: Business $14/user/mo with unlimited history + integrations + MCP.
How was Granola verified?
Research-only pass over official sources, last checked 2026-09-21. Sources: granola.ai.
What are the alternatives to Granola?
We track Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai, Fathom, Tactiq as the closest alternatives in our AI Meeting Notes index, and 4 head-to-head comparisons against Granola are available.