Granola is a bot-free notetaker that captures microphone and computer audio. The reasons to look elsewhere come straight from its own plan and policy pages: the Basic plan shows 30 days of meeting history, integrations and API keys start on Business, no audio or video is kept after a meeting, it trains on anonymized data unless users opt out, and consent is the user's job.
This page compares Circleback, Fathom, Fireflies.ai, Otter.ai and tl;dv against each of those limits. Each limit gets the tool that fits it, and one table covers the differences at a glance.
Best Granola alternatives for each need
- Pick Circleback if recordings matter: it saves video and audio on every plan, including meetings captured with no bot in the call (mobile saves audio only).
- Pick Circleback to move Granola notes over directly: it imports meetings straight from Granola.
- Pick Circleback for API, MCP and CLI access on every plan.
- Pick Fathom for a free plan with no history window: its Free plan lists unlimited recordings and call storage.
- Pick Fireflies.ai for integration breadth and 100+ transcription languages.
- Pick Otter.ai for the lowest paid price: Pro is $8.33 per user per month on annual billing.
- Pick tl;dv for free video recordings, with or without a bot.
Picks rest on each vendor's documented features, plans and prices.
Why do people look for Granola alternatives?
30-day history and MCP reach on Basic
Granola's pricing page lists 30 days of meeting history on Basic and unlimited history on Business and Enterprise. The MCP connection follows the same window on Basic: personal notes from the last 30 days, with some folder, search and transcript tools limited to paid plans. Business costs $14 per user per month, billed monthly. Older notes are not gone: Granola's CSV export includes full note history, including notes older than 30 days that the Basic app no longer shows.
Fits best: Fathom, whose Free plan lists unlimited recordings and call storage, and tl;dv, whose Free plan lists unlimited video recordings kept for up to 3 months.
Integrations and API behind Business
Granola's pricing page marks integrations with Notion, Zapier, HubSpot and more as not included on Basic, and it marks API access the same way. API keys need a Business or Enterprise plan. Slack works on every plan, and advanced integrations such as Salesforce are Enterprise only.
Fits best: Circleback, which has API, MCP and CLI on every plan, lets every user create API keys and routes meeting outcomes to Slack, Linear, Notion, HubSpot, Salesforce, Attio, Zapier and webhooks through automations. Fireflies.ai lists API access on its Free plan. tl;dv lists an MCP server, API and webhooks on Pro.
No saved audio or video
Granola transcribes in real time and deletes the audio once transcription finishes. Its help pages say it does not record or save audio or video at any point during the call, so only the transcript and notes remain.
Fits best: Circleback, which saves video and audio on every plan. The bot saves video, the desktop app records with no bot and no visible participant in the call and saves meeting video and audio by default, and mobile saves audio only. Fathom and tl;dv also keep recordings (see the table).
Training on anonymized data
Granola's security page says it trains on anonymized user data to improve the product, with an opt-out in Settings, and that Enterprise has training off by default. Its FAQ adds that each Business user opts out individually, and that Granola cannot guarantee anonymized data was not used before the setting changed. Third parties such as OpenAI and Anthropic are not allowed to train on the data.
Fits best: Circleback, which states that it does not use customer data to train models and holds SOC 2 Type II.
Consent sits with the user
Granola's FAQ says users are responsible for obtaining consent from participants before using it. Granola can show a watermark on the user's camera and post a message in the meeting chat. That setting is per user on Basic and Business and can be enforced by admins on Enterprise.
Fits best: any tool that puts a visible notetaker in the call. All five alternatives offer a joining bot, which appears as a participant. Fireflies.ai says its desktop mode shows an indicator when the notetaker is on and asks users to get consent from all participants.
Granola alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Free plan | Entry paid price | Bot-free capture | Saved recordings | File upload |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granola | 30-day history | $14, billed monthly | Yes, desktop and mobile | None | No |
| Circleback | Unlimited meetings, 30-day lock | $15 | Yes, desktop app | Video and audio | Yes, up to 2 GB |
| Fathom | Unlimited recordings | $15 (Team, 2 users) | Beta, Mac | Unlimited storage | No |
| Fireflies.ai | 400 minutes team storage | $10 | Yes, desktop app | Video listed from Pro | Yes |
| Otter.ai | 300 minutes per month | $8.33 | Yes, Mac and Windows | Audio playback | Yes, 3 lifetime |
| tl;dv | Unlimited recordings | $18 | Yes, desktop app | Video, Free keeps 3 months | Yes, beta |
Prices are per user per month on annual billing unless noted.
Granola alternatives, tool by tool
Circleback
Circleback turns conversations into speaker-labeled transcripts, notes, assigned action items, automations and searchable context. It records with a bot or without one, and it keeps the recording either way.
Platforms: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Webex through a bot that can join calendar meetings automatically; a bot-free desktop app for Mac and Windows; in person on mobile and Apple Watch; file import.
Key features:
- The desktop app records any call that uses the mic with no bot and no visible participant in the call.
- Video and audio are saved on every plan. The bot saves video, the desktop app saves meeting video and audio by default, and mobile saves audio only. Saving recordings can be switched off while notes and transcript stay.
- Meetings import directly from Granola, Fathom, Fireflies and Read AI. An imported meeting keeps its original notes and transcript and is searchable in Ask Circleback. Circleback does not generate new notes or action items for it, and automations do not fire on it on their own, though an automation can be run on it by hand if the import brought its notes over. Audio or video files up to 2 GB go through the normal recording pipeline.
- Automations run after meetings that match conditions on tags, title, participants, invitee emails or email domains, and send outcomes to Slack, Linear, Notion, HubSpot, Salesforce, Attio, Zapier or a webhook.
- Ask Circleback searches meetings and connected Gmail or Outlook email and answers with citations.
- API, MCP and CLI are on every plan, and every user can create API keys. MCP reads and writes (action items, tags, sharing, meeting updates) and works with Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and Raycast.
- SOC 2 Type II, EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, encryption at rest and in transit, a security portal with a pentest report, and 100+ transcription languages.
Pros:
- Keeps recordings even when no bot is in the call
- Imports straight from Granola
- API, MCP and CLI on every plan, with write access through MCP
- Bot, desktop, mobile and file import in one tool
Cons:
- Fewer native integrations than Fireflies.ai; apps without a built-in integration connect through Zapier, Make or the webhook step
- No call scoring or coaching scorecards, though each meeting shows per-person speaking time and a Sales feedback insight template writes coaching notes
- The Free plan locks meetings older than 30 days, including through API, MCP and Ask Circleback (notes and transcripts are kept, and upgrading unlocks them), its automations are limited, and Free and Pro delete recording files after 1 year
- Desktop recordings stop at 5 hours, and desktop and mobile speaker names can stay "Participant N" when no invitee matches
- No Linux app and no browser extension
- Paid plans cost more than Otter.ai Pro
Pricing: Free at $0 with unlimited meetings, then Pro $15, Business $25 and Enterprise $35 per user per month on annual billing (Pro $18 and Business $29 monthly, Enterprise annual only). Full details on Circleback pricing.
Best for: Granola users who want recordings kept, a direct import and API or MCP access on any plan.
Fathom
Fathom pairs a free plan of unlimited recordings and transcriptions with a choice of bot capture or bot-free capture, which is in beta for Mac.
Platforms: bot capture for live meetings, bot-free capture in beta on Mac.
Key features:
- Free plan: unlimited recordings and transcriptions, instant AI call summaries, clips, playlists and search across calls, and integrations with LLMs.
- Premium adds advanced summaries, AI-generated action items, a conversational meeting assistant and a custom meeting bot.
- Business adds CRM field sync, deal view, coaching metrics and AI scorecards.
Pros:
- Free plan with no cap on recordings
- Coaching metrics and AI scorecards on Business
- CRM field sync on Business
Cons:
- No file uploads: Fathom's help center says uploaded calls are not supported, and it records live meetings only
- Bot-free capture is in beta and listed for Mac
- Advanced summaries and Ask Fathom are limited on Free
- Team and Business have a 2-user minimum
Pricing: Free $0; Premium $16 per user per month on annual billing ($20 monthly); Team $15 ($19 monthly, 2-user minimum); Business $25 ($34 monthly, 2-user minimum); Enterprise through sales. Details on Fathom pricing.
Best for: individuals who want a free plan with unlimited recordings.
Fireflies.ai
Fireflies.ai lists transcription in 100+ languages and 100+ integrations, and its Free plan includes file upload, a desktop app and API access.
Platforms: bot on Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams; a desktop app for Windows 10+ and macOS 12+ that takes notes without a bot on the call; a Chrome extension that records without the bot; iOS and Android apps.
Key features:
- Free plan: limited AI summaries, 400 minutes of storage per team, AskFred assistant, meeting search, audio and video file upload and API access (30 per minute, 500 per day).
- Pro adds unlimited AI summaries, 8,000 minutes of storage per seat, video recording, downloads of transcripts, summaries and recordings, and unlimited integrations.
- Business adds conversation intelligence and team analytics for admins.
Pros:
- Integration breadth and 100+ transcription languages
- Lowest paid entry price after Otter.ai
- API access on the Free plan
Cons:
- Free summaries and storage are limited
- Video recording and unlimited integrations start on Pro
- The HIPAA BAA is Enterprise only
Pricing: Free $0; Pro $10 per seat per month on annual billing ($18 monthly); Business $19 ($29 monthly); Enterprise $39, annual only. Details on Fireflies.ai pricing.
Best for: teams that need many integrations, 100+ transcription languages or a low entry price.
Otter.ai
Otter.ai pairs live transcription with the lowest paid entry price of the five alternatives.
Platforms: a notetaker that joins Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet; a desktop app for Mac and Windows that records without bots joining the call; Chrome; iOS and Android apps.
Key features:
- Basic plan: 300 monthly transcription minutes, AI Chat within and across meetings, live transcription, speaker identification, audio recording playback, an Otter MCP server and 3 lifetime file imports.
- Pro adds 1,200 in-app recording minutes, meetings up to 90 minutes, 10 monthly file imports, unlimited storage, and Salesforce, HubSpot and Zapier integrations (Salesforce and HubSpot are subject to user limits).
- Business adds unlimited meetings and in-app recordings, meetings up to 4 hours and admin features such as activity logs and usage analytics.
Pros:
- Lowest paid entry price of the five
- Live transcription
- File imports on every plan
Cons:
- Basic limits: 300 minutes per month, 30 minutes per conversation, 3 lifetime imports and the 25 most recent conversations shown
- Transcription is listed in six languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Chinese
- API and webhooks are listed on Enterprise
Pricing: Basic free; Pro $8.33 per user per month on annual billing ($16.99 monthly); Business $19.99 ($30 monthly); Enterprise through a demo. Details on Otter.ai pricing.
Best for: cost-conscious users who want live transcription and a low Pro price.
tl;dv
tl;dv's Free plan lists unlimited video recordings and unlimited transcription in 30+ languages, and its desktop app records with or without a bot.
Platforms: a bot for Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams; a desktop app for Windows and macOS that records with or without a bot on those three and without a bot on other platforms such as Slack huddles; iOS and Android apps.
Key features:
- Free plan: unlimited video recordings, unlimited transcription in 30+ languages, email and calendar integrations, and AI notes on up to 10 meetings.
- Pro adds unlimited meetings with AI notes, custom AI note templates, AI action item assignment, an email follow-up drafter, 5000+ integrations, global transcript search, unlimited uploads and storage, and an MCP server, API and webhooks.
- Business adds unlimited multi-meeting AI insights, scheduled AI reports, AI playbook monitoring and team-wide automations.
Pros:
- Free video recordings
- Bot is optional
- MCP server, API and webhooks on Pro
Cons:
- Free recordings are stored for up to 3 months
- AI notes on Free cover up to 10 meetings
- Uploads are in beta, limited to 3 hours, and speakers appear as Speaker 1, Speaker 2 and so on
- Recordings are capped at 3 hours on every plan
Pricing: Free $0; Pro $18 per seat per month billed annually; Business $29 billed annually; Enterprise custom. Details on tl;dv pricing.
Best for: people who want free video recordings and the option to skip the bot.
How to choose the best Granola alternative
Match the pick to the limit that caused the move. For recordings, Circleback keeps video and audio, and Fathom lists unlimited recordings and call storage. For a free plan with long history, Fathom lists unlimited storage and tl;dv keeps recordings for 3 months. For cost, Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai have the lowest paid entry prices on annual billing ($8.33 and $10). For integrations, Fireflies.ai lists 100+, and Circleback adds API, MCP and CLI on every plan.
Granola stays a fit when Basic's limits do not apply: capture is bot-free on desktop and mobile, notes are private by default, and the CSV export makes it possible to leave later.
FAQ
What are the best alternatives to Granola AI?
The best alternatives to Granola AI depend on the limit that caused the move. Circleback saves video and audio on every plan, imports meetings directly from Granola, and has API, MCP and CLI on every plan. Fathom's Free plan lists unlimited recordings and call storage. Fireflies.ai lists 100+ integrations and 100+ transcription languages. Otter.ai has the lowest paid entry price at $8.33 per user per month on annual billing. tl;dv's Free plan lists unlimited video recordings, and its desktop app records with or without a bot.
Can Granola notes be moved into another AI notetaker?
Yes. Granola exports a CSV from Settings and Profile, emailed within a few hours, with each note's title, summary and transcript. It covers notes you own that have a summary, including notes older than 30 days that the Basic app no longer shows. Circleback also imports meetings directly from Granola. An imported meeting keeps Granola's original notes and transcript and can be searched in Ask Circleback. Circleback does not generate new notes or action items for it, and automations do not fire on it on their own, though an automation can be run on it by hand if the import brought its notes over. Uploading audio is not an option for Granola meetings, because Granola does not keep audio.
Do other AI notetakers keep audio and video after the call?
Several do. Granola deletes audio once transcription finishes and does not save video. Circleback saves video and audio, with mobile saving audio only, including when the desktop app records with no bot. Fathom lists unlimited recordings and call storage. tl;dv's Free plan lists unlimited video recordings, kept for up to 3 months. Fireflies.ai lists video recording from Pro. Otter.ai lists audio recording playback.
Is there a bot-free AI notetaker besides Granola?
Yes. Circleback's desktop app for Mac and Windows records with no bot and no visible participant in the call, and it saves meeting video and audio by default. Fathom offers bot-free capture in beta on Mac. Fireflies.ai and Otter.ai have desktop apps that capture without a bot. tl;dv's desktop app records with or without a bot on Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, and without a bot on other platforms.
How much history does a free AI notetaker plan keep?
It varies. Granola's Basic plan shows 30 days of history. Fathom's Free plan lists unlimited recordings and call storage. tl;dv's Free plan keeps recordings for up to 3 months. Otter.ai's Basic plan shows the 25 most recent conversations. Fireflies.ai's Free plan includes 400 minutes of storage per team. Circleback's Free plan has no cap on meetings but locks meetings older than 30 days, keeping notes and transcripts until an upgrade unlocks them.
Does Granola train on your data?
Granola says it trains on anonymized data to improve the product, and users can opt out in Settings. Enterprise has training off by default, and third parties such as OpenAI and Anthropic are not allowed to train on the data. Its FAQ says it cannot guarantee anonymized data was not used before an opt-out. Circleback states that it does not use customer data to train models.