AI notepad for meetings that transcribes your computer audio without a meeting bot, then turns your rough notes into clean summaries, action items and follow-ups. Free plan with 30 days of history; Business $14/user/mo.
Free tierYesStart without a card where the vendor allows
Setup time~5 min (est.)No-code: Yes
ReplacesTyping meeting notes by hand, meeting bots in client calls, and copy-pasting recaps into CRM, Notion or Slack
We haven't tested Granola hands-on yet. We researched its official documentation and pricing, checked on 2026-10-27; the review isn't a report of personal use. Our editorial SMB score and setup time are estimates, not test results.
Quick verdict
Granola's main reason to consider it is the capture method: it uses computer audio and combines your jotted notes with a transcript, without inviting a bot. That can suit a founder, consultant, agency lead or small sales team moving between calls. Business is $14 per user a month with no seat minimum. Decide which record you need before subscribing. Granola isn't for keeping replayable audio or video recordings, and it doesn't meet needs for file imports or EU data residency. Below Enterprise, there is also no annual discount to trade against the monthly price. We would choose it for notes, not a recording archive.
What Granola is and how it works
Granola records the conversation as text without inviting a meeting bot. Its Mac or Windows app transcribes microphone and computer audio in real time, which lets it work with any meeting app. Phone apps cover in-person meetings. It calls itself an AI notepad for back-to-back calls; the important distinction is that notes, rather than a replayable recording, are the output to evaluate.
Open a meeting from the calendar list and jot whatever helps you during it, even a few keywords. After the call, Granola combines those notes with the transcript into structured notes and actions, using a template if selected. You can then ask questions about one note or across the meeting collection. We would check the resulting decisions against the source before sharing them; that is a suggested review step, not a test result from our use.
Basic is free and shows 30 days of history. Business is $14 per user a month for full history, integrations, briefs and follow-up emails. That is a plausible shortlist for a small business wanting notes in its own words without an extra participant. If you need recordings to replay, choose a different kind of archive. All facts here come from Granola’s pages checked on 27 Oct 2026, as listed in the sources. This prose update does not refresh that verification date.
Key features and what they do for your business
Bot-free capture from device audio
Granola transcribes your mic and system audio on Mac or Windows, so no extra participant appears in the call. It works with Zoom, Meet, Teams, Slack Huddles and any app that plays through your computer.
Your notes, enhanced by AI
Type as little or as much as you like. Afterwards Granola merges your notes with the transcript, so the summary reflects what you thought mattered.
Templates and Recipes
Templates on every plan give each meeting type (discovery call, 1:1, interview) a consistent structure; Recipes are reusable prompts for outputs such as emails or briefs.
AI chat within and across meetings
Ask about one call or your whole history, e.g. "what did I promise this week?" Business adds model selection and advanced thinking models.
Pre-meeting briefs and follow-up emails
On Business, Granola preps a brief before external meetings (attendees, what you discussed last time) and drafts follow-up emails afterwards.
Shared folders and team space
Notes are private by default. Share them via team folders or links, and chat with a whole folder of calls.
CRM and app integrations
Slack on every plan; Business adds Notion, HubSpot, Attio, Affinity and Zapier. Folders can auto-sync new notes to matching CRM records.
MCP and API
MCP lets Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor use your notes (last 30 days on Basic, workspace notes on Business). API access starts on Business.
Mobile apps and languages
Free iPhone, Android and Apple Watch apps cover in-person meetings. The help center lists 31 transcription languages on desktop and 17 on mobile.
Granola pricing by plan
Plan
Price
What's included
Limits & minimums
Basic
Billed annually$0Billed monthly$0
Unlimited AI meeting notes, bot-free capture, desktop and mobile apps, templates, Recipes, AI chat, shared folders, Slack
30-day history (older notes hidden, not deleted); no briefs, follow-up emails, CRM/Notion/Zapier or API
Prices in USD per the vendor's pricing page, before tax, checked 2026-10-27. Check the current checkout price before committing. Estimate a full stack with our AI stack cost calculator.
Use cases by business type
These examples show how a business could use the documented features. They aren't customer stories, tests we've run or measured results.
Consultant
A solo consultant could run client workshops without a bot in the room, jot three key points, and send a recap from the follow-up email draft (Business).
Agency
A 5-person agency could keep a shared folder per client and ask Granola chat what the client approved last month. On Business that is 5 × $14 = $70 a month.
Accountant
An accounting practice could use one template for year-end review calls: missing documents, deadlines and agreed fees.
E-shop
An online shop owner could capture supplier calls and trade-fair chats on the phone app, then search them for agreed prices.
Local services sales team
A 3-person sales team at a local installer could put quote calls in a folder that auto-syncs notes to the matching HubSpot deal.
How to get started in 5 steps
Download the appInstall Granola for Mac (macOS 14+) or Windows from granola.ai; phone apps exist for iPhone and Android.
Sign in with Google or MicrosoftUse the work account with your meeting calendar (SSO on Enterprise). Microsoft calendars must be cloud Exchange Online.
Allow calendar and audio accessGrant calendar access so meetings show under "Coming up". On Mac, allow microphone and system audio; Windows grants these automatically.
Start your first noteClick the meeting (or New Note) when the call starts; Granola won't auto-record. Jot notes, then let Granola enhance them afterwards.
Set up templates, language and integrationsIn Settings, pick your language, add company jargon, create templates, and on Business connect Notion, HubSpot, Attio or Zapier.
Integrations, security and privacy
Granola works with any meeting app because it captures device audio, and syncs with Google and Microsoft 365 calendars. Slack is on every plan; Notion, HubSpot, Attio, Affinity and Zapier need Business. Salesforce runs via Zapier, with a native connector in early access. It can't import recorded audio files, and the web app only views and edits notes.
SOC 2 Type II (report via the Trust Center). ISO 27001 is not held yet.
GDPR
Granola says it complies with GDPR and UK GDPR and offers a standard DPA with EU/UK Standard Contractual Clauses (no custom DPAs).
Data location / EU residency
AWS in the United States, encrypted at rest and in transit. No EU or other regional residency is offered.
Audio recordings
No audio is kept; only transcripts and your notes are stored.
AI training
Third parties (OpenAI, Anthropic) may not train on your data. Granola may use anonymized data for its own models on Basic and Business unless each user opts out; Enterprise is off by default.
HIPAA
Enterprise only (BAA covers desktop apps). Not FERPA compliant.
Access controls
Google or Microsoft sign-in (MFA via your identity provider). SSO and SCIM on Enterprise, SSO for 50+ seats.
Consent
You must get participants' consent; Enterprise admins can enforce an org-wide notice (pilot).
These are the vendor's statements, not our security audit. When we write “not stated”, we couldn't find the answer on its public pages. Ask before relying on it.
Pros
No bot in the call: device-audio capture keeps client meetings natural.
Notes stay yours: your own jotted notes guide the AI summary, and notes are private by default.
Simple pricing: one $14 Business seat with no seat minimum and no per-minute caps.
Free plan with unlimited notes: Basic has no meeting or transcription limit, only a 30-day history window.
Strong ecosystem: Slack on every plan, CRM and Notion on Business, plus MCP and API.
Startup, student and nonprofit offers published in the help center.
Cons
No recordings: no audio or video playback, and no import of recorded files.
30-day history on Basic: older notes are hidden until you upgrade.
No annual discount below Enterprise.
US-only data storage; no EU residency option.
Model training on by default (anonymized) for Basic and Business users until they opt out.
Manual start: someone has to open the note for each meeting; SSO needs Enterprise and 50+ seats.
Yes. Basic is $0 with unlimited AI meeting notes; notes older than 30 days are hidden (not deleted) until you upgrade.
How much does Granola cost for a team?
Business is $14 per user a month, billed monthly, with no seat minimum: $70 a month for 5 people. Enterprise starts at $35 per user.
Does Granola join my meetings as a bot?
No. It transcribes your computer's mic and system audio. You start it for each meeting and must get participants' consent.
Does Granola record audio or video?
No. It keeps transcripts and notes only, and can't import files. For playback, look at Fireflies, Fathom or Otter.
Where does Granola store data, and is it GDPR compliant?
On AWS in the US, with no EU residency. Granola says it complies with GDPR and offers a DPA with Standard Contractual Clauses.
Does Granola train AI on my meetings?
Third parties may not. Granola may use anonymized data for its own models unless you opt out; Enterprise is opted out by default.
Granola or Fireflies.ai?
Granola for bot-free notes guided by your own jottings; Fireflies for recordings, broader capture and a lower annual seat price. See Fireflies.ai vs Granola.
Partner program: Granola runs a selective Granola Affiliate Programme on Dub (partners.dub.co/granola): $20 per referred user who completes a valid meeting, and referred users get their first paid month free. Applications are reviewed for fit and region. Separately, existing users get an in-app referral link worth 2 months of Business for new company-email sign-ups. Verified on 2026-10-27. We are not a member, so this is a direct vendor link.
Last verified 2026-10-27. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
