Gong receives generally positive feedback from users across multiple review platforms, earning consistently high ratings of 4.8 stars. Users praise its versatility and ease of use, particularly highlighting its AI integration and ability to analyze sales calls to help coach representatives and improve messaging strategies. However, some users express frustration with technical issues, particularly noting that recorded calls can take up to 60 minutes to become available for review.

Granola, a productivity tool focused on meeting note-taking, receives positive user feedback with a 4.8-star rating based on user reviews. Users describe it as a clean, simple, and easy-to-use product that helps them focus on meetings rather than manual note-taking. The tool is positioned as a work productivity enhancer that streamlines the meeting experience by automating the note-taking process.

For more detailed information about these products, readers can explore the following resources: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Gong offers comprehensive conversation intelligence with powerful analytics and coaching features that sales teams find transformative. Its extensive integration ecosystem and automation capabilities make it well-suited for enterprise sales organizations with complex workflows. However, the high cost and occasional processing delays can be drawbacks, while the integrations, though numerous, may not fully streamline post-meeting workflows.

Granola provides a simpler, more personal approach to meeting notes with its AI-enhanced notepad that works without bots or intrusive recording. Its clean interface and local processing appeal to users who want discreet, customizable note-taking across various meeting platforms. The tool's limitations include Mac-only availability and a relatively basic integration suite that doesn't extend far beyond note creation and export.

Gong is best suited for sales-focused organizations with substantial budgets who need detailed conversation analytics, team coaching, and CRM integration. Enterprise sales teams that prioritize deal intelligence and performance optimization will find the most value despite the significant investment required. Granola works well for individual contributors or small teams who want effortless note-taking without the complexity or cost of enterprise solutions.

Both tools, while strong in their core functions, fall short in creating seamless workflows that truly help users act on meeting insights. Their integration capabilities, though present, don't adequately bridge the gap between meeting capture and practical follow-up actions. Users may find themselves needing additional tools to complete the cycle from meeting attendance to meaningful outcomes.

Why users switch away from Gong or Granola

Users switch away from Gong primarily due to cost concerns. The platform requires expensive enterprise pricing with an annual platform fee around $5,000 for small teams plus $1,400-$1,600 per user per year, with additional onboarding services potentially costing $7,500. This pricing structure makes it significantly more expensive compared to similar products in the market.

Technical performance issues drive users to seek alternatives. Users report experiencing lags and delays in call processing, which can disrupt workflow efficiency. Additionally, transcription inaccuracies occur, which undermines the reliability of the AI-powered conversation intelligence that forms the core of Gong's value proposition.

The platform's privacy features can interfere with functionality by hiding useful information from calls. Phone number redaction and other privacy controls, while designed to protect sensitive data, sometimes prevent users from accessing relevant details they need from their recorded conversations and meetings.

Users switch away from Granola primarily due to platform limitations. The tool remains Mac-only as of 2024, with Windows support still unavailable despite being frequently requested. Additionally, no mobile apps exist for iOS or Android, limiting access to desktop-only use through the Mac app or web interface.

Integration capabilities present another barrier for users needing robust connectivity with their existing tools. Granola offers limited integrations compared to comprehensive platforms, with only calendar sync and Notion export available, plus a HubSpot integration still in beta. This restricts workflow efficiency for teams relying on multiple software platforms.

The lack of advanced functionality drives users toward more comprehensive solutions. Granola focuses solely on note-taking and summaries without offering automation engines, workflow management, or advanced business intelligence features. Users requiring sales coaching, deal analysis, pipeline management, or automated workflows must look elsewhere for these capabilities.

FAQs

Would Gong work for in-person meetings? What about Granola?

Yes, Gong works for in-person meetings through its mobile app, which is useful for live meetings or field sales. Granola partially supports in-person meetings - the Mac app can capture in-room audio locally, but there's no mobile app yet (though it's listed as "coming soon" for Android/iOS).

Does either of these tools require a meeting bot to join the meeting?

Gong does not explicitly state whether it requires a meeting bot. Granola does not require a meeting bot - it runs on your computer and listens to meetings by capturing system audio without needing a bot in the call.

What do users say about the quality of transcriptions?

For Gong, some users report occasional transcription inaccuracies. For Granola, users report that it produces quality notes and well-organized summaries, with users loving the "set and forget" note-taking approach that delivers reliable results.

Do these tools help a user follow up with action items from the meeting? How so?

Gong includes an automation engine that can automatically generate follow-up tasks and trigger deal alerts as part of its AI-driven workflows. Granola helps with follow-ups by structuring notes into sections like "next steps" and offering an AI assistant that can generate follow-up content, such as drafting email summaries of meetings.

Do these tools integrate with software like Hubspot, Salesforce, or Linear?

Gong has extensive integrations with 250+ tools, including direct connections with Salesforce and HubSpot CRM, plus many other CRM, communication and productivity tools. Granola has limited integrations - it includes calendar sync and Notion export, with HubSpot integration currently in beta.

Another alternative: Circleback

Circleback provides best-in-class AI-powered meeting notes and automations. We support over 100 languages and automatic participant identification in both in-person and online meetings.

• Automatically-identified and assigned action items

• AI-enabled search across all meetings

• Automations with 100+ app integrations

• Industry-leading security with SOC 2 Type II, EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, and HIPAA compliance

• Ability to capture both online and in-person meetings with desktop and mobile apps