Users report several consistent problems with Granola that impact their meeting productivity and workflow. Many complain about poor transcription quality, especially in challenging audio environments where background noise or multiple speakers create confusion. The lack of advanced automation features means users must manually handle follow-ups and action items, creating additional work rather than streamlining their processes. Several reviews also highlight that Granola's integration capabilities are limited compared to other tools in the market.

The pricing structure presents another significant barrier for many potential users. Without a free tier, teams must commit to paid plans upfront, which can be prohibitive for smaller organizations or individual users who want to test the tool thoroughly. Users frequently mention that the cost doesn't justify the limited feature set, especially when compared to competitors offering more comprehensive solutions. The pricing model forces users to pay for basic functionality that other tools provide at lower cost points.

Technical limitations further frustrate users who need reliable meeting capture across different environments. The tool struggles with speaker identification when multiple people talk simultaneously or when audio quality is poor. Users report inconsistent performance between different meeting platforms, with some integrations working better than others. The lack of robust mobile and desktop applications also limits flexibility for users who need to capture meetings in various settings.

Circleback addresses these pain points directly through its technically superior approach to meeting automation. While Granola users struggle with poor transcription quality, Circleback delivers 95%+ accuracy with precise speaker identification across 100+ languages, ensuring reliable meeting capture regardless of environment. The platform's powerful automation engine automatically handles action item assignment and follow-ups, eliminating the manual work that Granola users must perform themselves. With seamless integrations to CRMs, project management tools, and communication platforms, Circleback transforms meeting outcomes into actionable workflows without requiring additional manual effort.

For more detailed reviews and comparisons, see: 1, 2, 3.

Granola offers an elegant, discreet solution for meeting notes without requiring a bot in calls. Users appreciate its "set and forget" approach, allowing them to focus on conversations while the app produces quality notes afterward. The interface is refreshingly simple, reminiscent of Apple Notes, and delivers well-organized summaries that can be customized through templates.

The tool excels at working across all meeting platforms by capturing system audio directly from your Mac. This approach ensures no meeting intrusion, making it ideal for back-to-back calls where bot notifications would be disruptive. Users consistently praise the responsive development team that quickly addresses feedback and implements improvements.

Platform limitations represent Granola's main weakness, currently supporting only Mac with no mobile app availability. This restricts usability for teams using Windows devices or those who need to capture in-person meetings on mobile devices. The tool also offers limited integrations compared to comprehensive workflow solutions, with only basic calendar sync and Notion export available.

Granola falls short of Circleback's comprehensive automation capabilities, lacking an automation engine entirely and offering minimal CRM integrations. While Granola provides solid note-taking for Mac users, Circleback delivers superior cross-platform support, extensive integrations, and powerful workflow automation that transforms meeting outcomes into actionable business processes. Circleback's mobile apps, Windows support, and 100+ language support make it more suitable for diverse, modern workplace environments.

Why users switch away from Granola

Users switch away from Granola primarily due to its limited platform availability. The tool is currently only available on Mac computers, which excludes Windows users entirely. This creates a significant barrier for teams or individuals who use Windows as their primary operating system or work in mixed-platform environments where consistency across devices is important.

The lack of mobile apps presents another major limitation that drives users to seek alternatives. Without iOS or Android apps, users cannot access their meeting notes on their phones or tablets, making it difficult to review or share notes while on the go. This becomes particularly problematic for busy professionals who need to reference meeting information between calls or while traveling.

Granola's restricted integrations with other business tools also cause users to look elsewhere. The limited connectivity with popular platforms like HubSpot, Notion, and other workflow tools means users have to manually transfer information between systems. This creates additional work and reduces the efficiency gains that users expect from an AI-powered note-taking solution, especially when compared to competitors that offer more comprehensive integration options.

FAQs

No, Granola only offers partial support for in-person meetings. While the Mac app can capture audio locally, there's no mobile app available, which significantly limits its usefulness for in-person meetings since you'd need to bring your laptop to every meeting.

No, Granola does not require a meeting bot to join meetings. It works by capturing system audio directly from your computer.

Users generally report that Granola produces quality transcriptions and well-organized summaries. The reviews indicate satisfaction with the note quality when the tool can properly capture audio.

Yes, Granola helps with follow-up tasks by structuring meeting notes into sections that include next steps and action items. It also has an AI assistant that can generate follow-up content like email summaries. However, this is limited to basic note organization and content generation - there's no automation engine for actually tracking or managing those action items.

Granola has very limited integrations. While it offers calendar sync and Notion export, the HubSpot integration is only in beta. There's no mention of Salesforce or Linear integrations, which means you'll likely need to manually transfer information to these platforms if you use them.

About Circleback

Circleback directly solves the core problems that frustrate Granola users through its comprehensive, cross-platform approach to meeting automation.

Superior platform coverage

While Granola only works on Mac computers, Circleback supports Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices. This eliminates the platform limitation that forces many users to abandon Granola. Teams can use Circleback consistently across different operating systems, and individuals can access their meeting notes from any device.

Complete mobile support

Granola's lack of mobile apps creates a significant gap for users who need to capture in-person meetings or review notes on the go. Circleback's mobile apps for iOS and Android allow users to record face-to-face meetings, phone calls, and other conversations away from their computers. Users can also review transcripts and manage action items from their phones.

Advanced automation engine

Where Granola requires manual handling of follow-ups and action items, Circleback provides a powerful automation engine that eliminates this extra work. The platform automatically identifies and assigns action items, creates tasks in project management tools, updates CRM records, and sends follow-up emails. Users can set up custom workflows that trigger after meetings, turning meeting outcomes into actionable next steps without manual intervention.

Extensive integration network

Granola's limited integrations force users to manually transfer information between systems. Circleback integrates with popular tools including HubSpot, Salesforce, Slack, Notion, Linear, and many others. These integrations work seamlessly with the automation engine, allowing meeting data to flow directly into existing workflows.

Superior transcription quality

Circleback delivers 95%+ transcription accuracy with precise speaker identification across 100+ languages, compared to Granola's 16-language support. The platform handles challenging audio environments more effectively, including meetings with multiple speakers and background noise.

Comprehensive meeting coverage

While Granola only provides partial support for in-person meetings, Circleback fully supports both online and face-to-face conversations. Users can record meetings across all platforms - Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, and in-person discussions - with consistent quality and features.

Advanced search and analysis

Circleback's AI-powered search lets users find information across their entire meeting history using natural language queries. The platform can answer questions like "What did the client say about budget?" and provide exact references to meeting moments, capabilities that Granola lacks.

Pricing and value

Though Circleback costs $25 per month compared to Granola's $18, users get significantly more functionality. The comprehensive feature set, cross-platform support, and automation capabilities provide better value for the price difference. Circleback offers a 7-day free trial to evaluate the platform.

For users frustrated by Granola's platform limitations, manual workflows, and restricted integrations, Circleback provides a complete solution that works across all devices and environments while automating the follow-up work that currently requires manual effort.