Granola

AI notepad for meetings that enhances your own notes with AI context from the conversation.

Pricing Free / Business $14/mo / Enterprise $35/mo

Category Notetakers & Recording

Founded 2023

HQ London, UK

Quick take

The most differentiated notetaker on the market, and a $1.5B valuation in under three years backs that up. The augment-your-notes model is genuinely original and unusually polished, held back only by reach (no web or Android) and lighter enterprise features. On Mac or Windows, if you take your own notes, it is close to essential. If you need a browser client or fully hands-off capture for a whole org, pick an incumbent for now.

Trusted by

Vanta

Gusto

Asana

Thumbtack

Cursor

Mistral AI

Granola scorecard

How we grade

A- 89/100

Overall grade

A genuinely original product that became a $1.5B unicorn in under three years, held just short of an A by no web or Android app and no HIPAA.

Idea A Bot-less, augment-your-own-notes capture, now validated by a $1.5B unicorn outcome. One of the few genuinely original takes in a field of near-identical bot recorders.

Brand A Warm, memorable, design-led identity with a cult following among founders and VCs. Granola reads as human rather than enterprise, and the name stuck.

Product A- Fast, polished, native, and reportedly ~70% weekly retention. Held just short of A by an early-2026 data-handling stumble and occasional AI over-embellishment.

Market fit A- Roughly 70% weekly retention, a unicorn round inside three years, and named enterprise logos (Vanta, Gusto, Asana). Exceptionally strong fit for its core user.

Adoption A- Viral word-of-mouth through founders and VCs, marquee customers, and a $1.5B valuation. No public WAU/ARR figure yet, which keeps it just under an A.

Features B+ Now macOS, Windows, and iOS with Notion, Slack, HubSpot, Zapier, and an API. Still no web or Android, and the bot-less model means no async recording of others.

Security B SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, DPA and SCCs, encryption, and a public trust center: a solid mid-market posture. Capped by no HIPAA and a refusal to sign a BAA.

Value B+ Business at $14/user undercuts most rivals and the free tier is genuinely usable. Fathom's generous free plan still pressures it.

Overview

Granola flips the notetaker model: instead of a bot recording the call, you keep your own rough notes and Granola enhances them locally with context from what was said. The output reads like the notes you wish you had written. Founded in London in 2023 by Chris Pedregal and Sam Stephenson, it raised a $125M Series C led by Index Ventures in March 2026 at a $1.5B valuation. Native Mac, Windows, and iOS apps, no web or Android yet, and it works on any meeting platform without joining the call.

Strengths & limitations

Strengths

+You stay in control of note structure
+No bot, no recording anxiety
+Polished, fast native desktop apps

Limitations

–No web or Android app (macOS, Windows, and iOS only)
–Requires you to take some notes manually
–Lighter team and admin controls than the incumbents

Pricing

FreeBusiness $14moEnterprise $35mo

Free covers a capped number of AI-enhanced meetings per month. Business ($14/user/mo) adds unlimited meetings, the full template library, and shared workspaces. Enterprise ($35/user/mo) adds SSO and advanced admin controls. Granola dropped its old Pro tier in 2026; at $14, Business undercuts both Otter and Fireflies.

Who it's for

Best for founders, execs, and consultants on Mac or Windows who already take notes and dislike recording bots. Skip it if you need a browser or Android client, want zero manual input with a full transcript, or need deep CRM and revenue intelligence, where Fireflies or Gong fit better.

Verdict

A- · 89/100

Follows our testing methodology

· Last reviewed June 2026

Key features

AI-enhanced manual notes
No bot required
Native Mac & Windows apps
Works on any meeting platform
Custom note templates

What users say

It is the first notetaker that did not change how I work. I still take notes, they are just better afterward.

Startup Founder · Community

No bot in the call is the whole reason I switched. Clients never know it is running.

Consultant · Community

Wish it ran on Windows. Half my team cannot use it.

Head of Operations · Community

Frequently asked questions

Does Granola use a meeting bot?

No. Granola captures audio locally on your device and does not send a bot to join the call, so other participants never see a recorder in the meeting. It works on top of Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, and in-person conversations.

Is Granola free?

Granola has a free tier with a capped number of AI-enhanced meetings per month. Paid plans are Business at $14/user/month for unlimited meetings and team features, and Enterprise at $35/user/month for SSO and advanced admin controls. Granola dropped its older $18 Pro tier in 2026.

Does Granola work on Windows?

Yes. Granola ships a native Windows app alongside macOS and iOS. There is no web app or Android app yet, so browser-only or Android users are not covered.

How is Granola different from Otter or Fathom?

Otter and Fathom send a bot to record and transcribe the whole call, then summarize it. Granola instead enhances the notes you take yourself with context from the conversation, with no bot. You keep control of structure; it fills in what you missed.

Is Granola secure?

Granola reports SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliance, with a DPA and standard contractual clauses available, and captures audio locally rather than via a cloud bot, which reduces exposure. It does not offer HIPAA coverage and will not sign a BAA, so it should not be used to store PHI. Verify current compliance against your own requirements.