Granola vs Otter.ai for meeting automation

Granola is an AI notepad for meetings that runs locally on Mac computers. It captures system audio from any meeting platform without requiring a bot in the call, allowing users to take minimal notes during meetings. After meetings end, it processes the audio recording and user notes to generate structured summaries with sections like key takeaways and next steps. The app features customizable note templates and an AI assistant for generating follow-up content.

The tool works with all major meeting platforms including Zoom, Teams, and Webex. Pricing starts with a free trial of 25 meetings, then moves to paid plans starting at $18/month for individuals and $14/user/month for business teams. Current limitations include Mac-only support (no Windows version yet), no mobile apps, and limited integrations beyond calendar sync and Notion export.

Otter.ai is an AI note-taking service that provides live transcription for meetings, audio recordings, and video uploads. It captures conversations, identifies speakers, and generates summaries of key points. The system works across various meeting platforms through direct integrations with Zoom and Teams, or by recording audio through web and mobile apps. Users can search transcripts, highlight segments during calls, and share notes with others.

The service offers tiered pricing, from a free plan with 600 minutes monthly to paid options starting around $10/month for increased transcription time and features. Otter works for both virtual and in-person meetings, supports English, Spanish and French, and includes mobile apps for iOS and Android. Its "OtterPilot" functionality can automatically generate summaries and push meeting content to integrations like HubSpot and Notion.

Comparing Granola and Otter.ai

Granola

• Granola operates locally on Mac devices, capturing system audio without requiring a meeting bot. It produces structured notes from audio recordings combined with user-provided keywords, supporting all meeting platforms through system audio capture.

• Despite its clean interface and ability to work without meeting intrusion, Granola is currently limited to Mac users with no mobile app option. Its notes are only accessible through desktop or web, and its integration capabilities remain fairly basic without substantial workflow automation features.

Otter.ai

• Otter.ai provides real-time transcription during meetings with automatic summaries and speaker identification, integrating with platforms like Zoom and Teams via an assistant bot. It offers searchable transcripts with the ability to highlight or comment during meetings.

• While Otter offers more platform flexibility with mobile apps and a generous free tier, transcripts can be verbose and poorly structured, making it difficult to quickly identify key information. Its accuracy can also suffer with complex audio, and the meeting assistant may cause unwanted calendar interactions if not properly configured.

Granola appears best suited for Mac users who prefer a clean, minimalist approach to meeting notes without the intrusion of a bot. Its offline capabilities and local processing make it appropriate for those with privacy concerns or who work in environments with unreliable internet connectivity.

Otter.ai better serves users needing cross-platform accessibility and real-time transcription features. Its broader platform support and integration options make it more suitable for teams that require immediate access to meeting content across various devices, though both tools ultimately fall short in providing deep integrations that help users meaningfully act on meeting outcomes.

Granola vs Otter.ai: What do users say?

Based on user reviews, Granola is well-regarded as an AI note-taking tool that operates discreetly on Mac computers to capture meeting content without requiring a bot in the call. Users appreciate its "set and forget" functionality that allows them to focus on conversations while still producing quality, well-organized summaries afterward. The clean, simple interface reminds many of Apple Notes, and the ability to customize note templates is frequently praised. However, limitations include its Mac-only availability (Windows support being a common request), no mobile app yet, and potential audio capture issues in certain meeting setups.

Otter.ai receives mixed reviews as a transcription and note-taking service. Users value its ease of use, real-time transcription capabilities, and the AI-generated summaries of key themes. The ability to highlight or comment during meetings is appreciated, along with its generous free tier. However, many criticize the verbosity and lack of structure in transcripts, accuracy issues with complex audio, and problems with speaker identification. Some users also report frustration with the assistant spamming calendar invites or joining unwanted meetings when not properly configured.

Those interested in learning more can check out Otter AI Review on CNET, a Reddit discussion about Otter.ai for meeting minutes, and Otter.ai's Trustpilot reviews showing a 4-star average rating from 466 reviewers.

FAQs

• Would Granola work for in-person meetings? What about Otter.ai?

Granola: Partially. The Mac app can capture in-room audio locally, but there's no mobile app yet (Android/iOS are "coming soon").

Otter.ai: Yes. It can transcribe live in-person conversations via its app.

• What about meeting bots? Does either of these tools require a meeting bot?

Granola: No. Granola runs on your computer and listens to meetings without needing a bot in the call. It works fully offline on Mac – records and transcribes locally (no internet or bot needed).

Otter.ai: Otter.ai integrates with Zoom, Teams, etc., via an assistant that can join meetings in real time.

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