Best Granola AI Alternatives for Meeting Notes in 2026
Nov 19, 2025
•
5
MIN READ
AI Summary by Fellow
Granola has earned a loyal following among founders and early adopters for good reason. Its clean interface and bot-free approach make it appealing for individual professionals who want simple meeting notes without distractions.
But as your team grows, Granola's limitations become harder to ignore. There's no audio or video playback to verify what was said. No way to search across your organization's meetings. And until recently, no Windows support at all.
If you need an AI meeting assistant that works across platforms, scales with your team, and keeps your data secure, you have better options.
Need a notetaker with bot-free AND bot recording options, plus 50+ integrations for your team?
Try Fellow, the top pick for AI meeting notes, for free (no credit card required) →
Why do teams look for Granola alternatives?
Granola excels at one thing: creating clean, AI-enhanced notes for individuals. The app captures system audio directly (no bot joining your calls), transcribes conversations, and lets you blend your own notes with AI-generated summaries.
However, teams evaluating Granola for broader deployment consistently run into these limitations:
No audio or video playback. Granola intentionally avoids storing recordings. This means you cannot verify transcripts, revisit exact phrasing, or share clips with teammates who missed the meeting.
Limited platform support. Granola started as Mac-only and has since added Windows and iOS, but there's no Android app or web version. Teams with mixed device environments face adoption challenges.
No organization-wide search. While Granola recently added some team features, you cannot query insights across all your organization's meetings the way you can with enterprise-focused tools.
Gaps in integrations. Reddit users frequently mention the absence of robust API access, CRM integrations, and Google Workspace connections. Meeting notes stay isolated instead of flowing into workflows.
Privacy concerns on lower tiers. Model training opt-out is only default on Granola's Enterprise plan. Other plans require manual configuration.
For solo users who want minimal overhead, these tradeoffs may be acceptable. For regulated industries, distributed teams, or anyone who needs verifiable records and cross-functional collaboration, they are dealbreakers.
What features should you look for in a Granola alternative?
The best AI meeting assistants for teams go beyond basic transcription. When evaluating alternatives, prioritize tools that offer:
Verifiable recordings with playback. Transcripts are useful, but recordings let you confirm exact quotes, revisit nuanced discussions, and share specific moments with stakeholders.
Cross-platform support. Your AI meeting notetaker should work across Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and ideally Slack huddles and in-person meetings. Platform lock-in creates friction.
Organization-wide intelligence. The ability to search across all your team's meetings transforms meeting data from isolated notes into a queryable knowledge base. Look for tools that let you ask questions like "What did we decide about the Q3 roadmap?" and get answers from any relevant meeting.
Flexible capture methods. Some meetings require visible bot attendance for compliance. Others work better with botless recording that captures audio directly from your device. The best tools offer both.
Enterprise security credentials. For regulated industries, SOC 2 Type II certification, HIPAA compliance, GDPR adherence, and explicit "no training on customer data" policies are non-negotiable.
Deep integrations. Meeting intelligence becomes more valuable when it flows into your CRM, project management tools, and communication platforms automatically.
Top Granola AI alternatives for 2026
1. Fellow
Fellow is the secure AI meeting assistant that turns every meeting into shared, searchable intelligence. Unlike Granola, Fellow captures meetings across all major platforms (Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Slack huddles, and even in-person conversations) with both bot and bot-free recording options.
What sets Fellow apart:
"Ask Fellow" organization-wide intelligence. Query across all your meetings with natural language questions like "Where are projects getting blocked?" or "What commitments are at risk?"
Flexible recording options. Choose bot-based recording for full video capture or botless recording for discreet audio-only capture, whichever fits your meeting context.
Enterprise-grade security. SOC 2 Type II certified, HIPAA and GDPR compliant, with explicit guarantees that Fellow never trains AI models on your data. Privacy controls align access to organizational roles.
Deep integrations. Connect meeting intelligence to 50+ native integrations plus 8,000+ apps via Zapier and n8n. Fellow also offers an API and MCP Server for custom workflows.
Searchable recording library. Every meeting becomes part of a searchable archive with transcripts, AI meeting notes, and action items.
Pricing: Paid plans start at $7 per user per month
Best for: Mid-market and enterprise teams in tech, healthtech, finance, legal, or agencies who need organization-wide meeting intelligence with enterprise security.
Tired of choosing between bot-free simplicity and team collaboration features? Fellow gives you both, plus 50+ integrations Granola doesn't offer.
Connect your calendar and try Fellow for free today →
2. Fathom
Fathom offers a generous free tier with unlimited recordings and basic transcription. The tool joins meetings via a visible bot and generates summaries within 30 seconds of call completion.
Strengths: Truly unlimited free recordings, fast AI summaries, strong CRM integration with Salesforce and HubSpot
Limitations: Visible bot joins all meetings (no bot-free option), no mobile app, limited to online meetings only
Pricing: Free plan with unlimited recordings; Premium at $19/month for advanced AI features
Best for: Sales teams and individuals who want free recording with CRM sync and don't mind bot visibility
3. Fireflies.ai
Fireflies provides conversation intelligence with detailed analytics, including talk-to-listen ratios and sentiment analysis. The platform offers 21 AI summary templates and enterprise security controls.
Strengths: Advanced conversation analytics, 95%+ transcription accuracy, extensive template library
Limitations: Bot-based recording only, 800-minute storage limit on free plan, higher learning curve
Pricing: Free plan with limits; Pro at $18/month
Best for: Teams focused on sales coaching and conversation analytics
4. Otter.ai
Otter is a well-established transcription tool with strong mobile apps and real-time collaboration features. The platform works across Zoom, Meet, and Teams with automatic speaker identification.
Strengths: Full mobile app support, live collaboration features, lower premium pricing ($8.33/month)
Limitations: Limited meeting intelligence features compared to newer tools, bot-based recording
Pricing: Free plan with 300 minutes/month; Pro at $8.33/month
Best for: Individuals and small teams prioritizing mobile access and real-time transcription
5. MeetGeek
MeetGeek records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings while creating searchable topic tags and highlight reels. The platform focuses on turning recordings into actionable clips.
Strengths: Automated topic detection, budget-friendly pricing, clip sharing
Limitations: Bot-based recording only, less robust enterprise features
Pricing: Paid plans start at $15 per user per month
Best for: SMBs wanting an all-in-one recorder with topic organization
6. Jamie
Jamie delivers bot-free AI note-taking with strong multilingual transcription (100+ languages). The desktop app captures audio directly from your device without joining meetings.
Strengths: Bot-free operation, excellent multilingual support, Mac and Windows apps
Limitations: Higher pricing (€47/month), limited team collaboration features, no mobile app
Pricing: Paid plans start at €47 per user per month
Best for: Consultants, freelancers, and journalists who need multilingual bot-free capture
7. Krisp
Krisp focuses primarily on AI noise cancellation and echo removal, with meeting notes as a secondary feature. The tool captures clean audio and generates basic summaries.
Strengths: Industry-leading noise cancellation, bot-free operation, accent localization
Limitations: Limited meeting intelligence features, primarily an audio quality tool
Pricing: Paid plans start at $8 per user per month
Best for: Individuals prioritizing audio quality over comprehensive meeting notes
8. Microsoft Copilot
Copilot brings automated meeting notes directly into Microsoft Teams for organizations on Microsoft 365 E3/E5 plans. Notes flow into Microsoft's ecosystem with enterprise compliance.
Strengths: Native Teams integration, full Microsoft 365 compliance, enterprise governance
Limitations: Teams-only, requires expensive Microsoft 365 licensing, no cross-platform support
Pricing: Included with Microsoft 365 E3/E5 or $30 per user per month
Best for: Enterprises fully committed to the Microsoft 365 ecosystem
9. Gemini (Google Meet)
Google's Gemini provides native note-taking within Google Meet for Workspace Business and Enterprise plans. Notes automatically save to Google Docs.
Strengths: Native Meet integration, automatic Docs storage, Workspace admin controls
Limitations: Google Meet only, requires premium Workspace licensing, limited customization
Pricing: Included with Google Workspace Business Standard or $30 per user per month
Best for: Google Workspace organizations using Meet exclusively
If you need meeting intelligence that scales across platforms while maintaining enterprise security, Fellow offers the most complete alternative to Granola. Start your free 14-day trial →
Comparison snapshot: all alternatives
Tool | Best for | Capture method | Platform scope | Bot-free option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Fellow | Teams and enterprise organizations | Bot + bot-free | Cross-platform (Zoom, Meet, Teams, Slack, in-person) | ✓ |
Granola | Individuals | Bot-free, no playback | Mac, Windows, iOS | ✓ |
Fathom | Sales teams | Bot only | Zoom, Meet, Teams | ✓ |
Fireflies.ai | Conversation analytics | Bot only | Zoom, Meet, Teams | ✓ |
Otter.ai | Mobile users | Bot only | Zoom, Meet, Teams | ✓ |
MeetGeek | SMBs | Bot only | Zoom, Meet, Teams | ✓ |
Jamie | Multilingual users | Bot-free | Mac, Windows | ✓ |
Krisp | Audio quality | Bot-free | Works across apps | ✓ |
Microsoft Copilot | Microsoft 365 orgs | Native | Teams only | ✗ |
Gemini | Google Workspace orgs | Native | Meet only | ✗ |
How does Fellow compare to Granola?
Teams evaluating Fellow and Granola typically focus on four key differences:
Feature | Fellow | Granola |
|---|---|---|
Platform support | Zoom, Meet, Teams, Slack huddles, in-person | Mac, Windows, iOS (no Android, no web) |
Recording options | Bot and bot-free | Bot-free only, no audio/video playback |
Organization search | Ask Fellow queries across all meetings | Limited team features, no org-wide search |
Enterprise security | SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR, no model training | Model training opt-out on Enterprise only |
Integrations | 50+ native, API, MCP Server, 8,000+ via Zapier | Slack, Notion, Zapier (limited) |
Recording library | Full searchable library with video playback | Notes only, no recordings |
Pricing | Starts at $7/user/month | Starts at $18/user/month |
Fellow wins for teams that need:
Cross-platform meeting capture (including in-person and Slack huddles)
Organization-wide search and intelligence queries
Verifiable recordings with playback
Enterprise security and compliance
Granola may work better for:
Individual users wanting minimal overhead
Mac-focused professionals who don't need video recordings
Users who prefer blending personal notes with AI enhancement
Frequently asked questions
What is Granola AI and why do people look for alternatives?
Granola AI is a minimalist, bot-free meeting note-taking app known for its clean design and ability to blend user notes with AI-generated summaries. People seek alternatives because Granola doesn't record audio or video for playback, offers limited platform support (no Android or web app), lacks organization-wide search capabilities, and has fewer integrations than enterprise-focused tools. Teams that need verifiable recordings, cross-platform support, or compliance features often outgrow Granola quickly.
What is the best Granola alternative for teams?
Fellow is the best Granola alternative for enterprise teams. Fellow offers SOC 2 Type II certification, HIPAA and GDPR compliance, and explicit guarantees that it never trains AI models on customer data. Beyond security, Fellow provides organization-wide intelligence through Ask Fellow, letting teams query insights across all their meetings. Fellow also supports flexible recording options (with or without bots), works across Zoom, Meet, Teams, Slack huddles, and in-person meetings, and connects to 50+ native integrations plus 8,000+ apps via Zapier and n8n.
Can you record meetings without a bot joining?
Yes. Several AI meeting assistants offer bot-free recording, including Fellow, Granola, Jamie, and Krisp. Bot-free tools capture audio directly from your device's system audio instead of having a visible participant join the call. Fellow uniquely offers both options: use bot-based recording when you need video capture and visible attendance, or botless recording when you prefer discreet audio-only capture.
Which Granola alternative has the best integrations?
Fellow offers the most comprehensive integration ecosystem among Granola alternatives. Fellow connects to 50+ native integrations (including CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot, project management tools like Asana and Notion, and communication platforms like Slack), plus provides an API and MCP Server for custom workflows. Through Zapier and n8n, Fellow integrates with 8,000+ additional apps, ensuring meeting intelligence flows automatically into your existing systems.
How much do Granola alternatives cost?
Pricing varies significantly across AI meeting assistants. Fathom offers a free tier with unlimited recordings. Fellow starts at $7 per user per month. Krisp and Otter start around $8 per month. Granola starts at $18 per month. Jamie is the most expensive at €47 per month. Enterprise tools like Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini are typically bundled with premium workspace licenses at $30+ per user per month. When evaluating cost, consider total value: cheaper tools may lack enterprise security, organization-wide search, or deep integrations that save time at scale.
Is AI meeting recording secure for enterprise use?
Enterprise-grade AI meeting assistants should meet specific security standards. Look for SOC 2 Type II certification (audited security controls), HIPAA compliance (for healthcare data), GDPR compliance (for EU data protection), and explicit policies stating the vendor doesn't train AI models on your data. Fellow meets all these requirements and adds permission-based access aligned to organizational roles, ensuring only authorized team members can access specific recordings.
Turn every meeting into searchable intelligence
Granola works well for individuals who want simple, clean meeting notes without complexity. But as your team grows, you need more: verifiable recordings, organization-wide search, enterprise security, and integrations that turn meeting insights into action.
Fellow delivers all of this while giving you flexible capture options (with or without bots) across every platform your team uses.
Stop letting decisions, context, and accountability disappear after meetings. Start turning every conversation into shared, searchable intelligence your entire organization can learn from.
Start your free Fellow trial (no credit card required) →
Works with Zoom, Meet, Teams, Slack huddles, and in-person meetings. SOC 2 Type II certified.
Record, transcribe and summarize every meeting with the only AI meeting assistant built from the ground up with privacy and security in mind.







