2026 Review

Granola

AI meeting notepad that transcribes calls locally and polishes your typed notes — no bot joins your meetings.

Meetings ProductivityFreemiumAPIPopular90% positive

Facts checked Aug 6, 2026

About Granola

Granola is an AI meeting notepad that captures audio straight from your Mac, PC, or phone — no bot joins the call — and merges the transcript with the rough notes you type into a polished summary. It's built for founders, sales teams, and anyone in back-to-back meetings. A free Basic plan with limited history gets you started; Business runs $14/user/month with unlimited notes, integrations, and API access.

At a glance

Founded: 2022
Headquarters: London, GB
Platforms: macOS, Windows, iOS, Android

Integrates with

NotionSlackHubSpotZapierAttioAffinity

Main competitors

Fathom Fireflies.ai Otter.aiCircleback

Best for

Meeting notesSales callsUser research interviews1:1s and standupsInvestor meetings

Pros

No awkward bot participant — works with any meeting app, and in person via mobile
AI enhances the notes you actually took instead of replacing your judgment
Free Basic plan to trial the core experience
$14/user/mo Business undercuts the old $18 Pro plan and adds integrations plus API access

Cons

Free plan keeps only a limited note history (third-party reports cite a ~25-note cap)
No web app — notes live in the desktop and mobile apps
2026 restructure removed solo plans, so the only upgrade path is a per-seat Business subscription
No annual-billing discount published

Our verdict

Best for: People in back-to-back meetings who want excellent notes without a bot joining every call.

Skip if: You need generous free usage or deep CRM automation — Fathom and Fireflies.ai give more away for $0.

Our review

Granola figured out the thing most AI notetakers get wrong: people don't actually want a robot attendee and a wall of generic summary. By capturing audio straight from the device and using your half-typed fragments as the skeleton of the final notes, it produces summaries that read like you wrote them on your best day. The design polish is real — this is the meeting tool VCs and founders evangelized long before it left the Mac.

The trade-offs are mostly about generosity and reach. The free Basic plan keeps only a limited history, there's no web app, and the 2026 pricing restructure removed the solo tiers entirely — your only upgrade is a $14/user/month Business seat. Fathom gives away unlimited recording for free, and Fireflies.ai beats it on CRM automation depth, so teams optimizing for cost or pipeline hygiene have better fits.

Verdict: the best pure note-taking experience in the meeting category, and worth $14/month for anyone who lives in meetings and cares how their notes read. Pick Fathom or Fireflies.ai if budget or CRM workflows matter more than feel.

What reviewers elsewhere say

90% positive — Praised for invisible, bot-free capture and note quality that feels like your own; gripes center on the small free tier and the missing web app.

G2 4.7 out of 5 (34 reviews)

Sentiment estimated from reviews on G2, Product Hunt, Reddit, as of Aug 2026. Third-party scores are point-in-time snapshots. We don't host user reviews.

Key features

Captures device audio directly — no recording bot appears in the meeting
Merges your rough typed notes with the transcript into polished summaries
Custom note templates per meeting type (sales call, 1:1, user interview)
AI chat across a single meeting or your whole meeting history
Notion, Slack, HubSpot, Attio, Affinity, and Zapier integrations (Business)
API and MCP access for custom workflows (Business and up)

How to use Granola

Download Granola for Mac or Windows (or iOS/Android) and sign in with a Google or Microsoft account.
Connect your calendar so upcoming meetings appear in the notepad automatically.
Join the call in any meeting app — Granola captures audio from your device while you type rough notes.
End the meeting and let Granola merge your notes with the transcript into a polished summary.
Refine with templates, ask the AI chat questions across past meetings, and share to Notion or Slack on Business.

Pricing

Basic$0

AI meeting notes with limited meeting history. No integrations or advanced models.

Business$14/user/mo

Unlimited notes and history, advanced AI models, integrations, API and MCP access, centralized billing.

Enterprise$35/user/mo

SSO, enterprise security controls, org-wide auto-deletion and training opt-out, priority support.

Pricing verified August 2026 · prices as listed by the vendor; check the official site for current offers.

Try Granola

Frequently asked questions

What is Granola?

Granola is an AI meeting notepad that transcribes meetings by capturing audio directly from your device — no bot joins the call — and combines the transcript with the notes you type into a clean, polished summary.

How much does Granola cost?

The Basic plan is free with limited meeting history. Business costs $14/user/month with unlimited notes, integrations, and API access; Enterprise is $35/user/month with SSO and enterprise security controls.

Does Granola join meetings as a bot?

No. Granola records audio from your computer or phone directly, so nothing appears in the participant list. That also means it works with any meeting software and even for in-person conversations via the mobile apps.

Does Granola have an API?

Yes — Business and Enterprise plans include API access and MCP integration, so you can pull meeting notes into custom workflows and AI tools.

Granola vs Fathom — which should I choose?

Choose Granola if you want bot-free capture and summaries built around your own typed notes. Choose Fathom if you want a generous free meeting recorder with unlimited storage and CRM sync without paying per seat.