Granola receives positive feedback from users who describe it as an incredible product that has become essential for work productivity. Users appreciate its ease of use, clean interface, and simple design, noting that it helps them focus on meetings rather than taking notes. The product maintains a 4.8-star rating based on 36 reviews on Product Hunt.

Read.ai faces significant criticism from users, with multiple security concerns being reported. Users have complained that the service continues to join calls without approval even after they have deleted their accounts. The platform has received a low 1.7-star rating from 61 reviews on Trustpilot, with many users reportedly leaving the service due to these ongoing issues.

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Granola offers a straightforward "set and forget" approach to meeting notes, running locally on Mac without requiring meeting bots. Its clean, Apple Notes-style interface appeals to users who want minimal disruption during calls while still getting structured summaries afterward. However, the tool is currently limited to Mac users only, lacks mobile apps, and offers relatively basic integrations that don't extend much beyond note export and calendar sync.

Read.ai positions itself as a comprehensive meeting copilot that goes beyond transcription to analyze engagement, sentiment, and speaking patterns. It offers more robust integrations with CRM and productivity tools, plus features like real-time translation and searchable meeting archives. The platform's complexity can overwhelm users seeking simple note-taking, and its limited free tier (5 meetings monthly) may deter individual users compared to competitors.

Granola suits individual contributors and small teams who prioritize simplicity and privacy, particularly Mac users who want unobtrusive note-taking without learning complex features. Its local processing and bot-free operation make it ideal for sensitive meetings or users in security-conscious organizations. The tool works best for those who prefer lightweight solutions and don't need extensive workflow automation.

Read.ai targets larger teams and organizations that want comprehensive meeting analytics and workflow integration capabilities. Sales teams, customer success managers, and global teams benefit from its CRM integrations, sentiment analysis, and multi-language support. While both tools offer solid transcription and summarization, neither provides the deep automation workflows or extensive integration ecosystems that would truly transform how users act on their meeting insights.

Why users switch away from Granola or Read.ai

Users switch away from Granola primarily due to platform limitations. The tool is currently Mac-only, making it inaccessible to Windows users who require cross-platform compatibility. Additionally, Granola lacks mobile apps for iOS or Android, restricting access to notes through desktop or web interfaces only. This creates accessibility issues for users who need to review or manage their meeting notes on mobile devices.

Integration capabilities represent another reason for user migration. Granola offers limited integrations, with only calendar sync included and Notion export available, while HubSpot integration remains in beta. Users requiring robust workflow integrations with CRM systems, project management tools, or team collaboration platforms find these limitations restrictive. The absence of an automation engine further limits Granola's ability to fit into complex business workflows.

Pricing structure also drives users to seek alternatives. After the initial 25 free meetings, Granola requires a paid subscription with no ongoing free tier available. The Individual plan costs $18/month for unlimited meetings, while Business plans start at $14 per user/month for teams, and Enterprise begins at $35 per user/month. Users seeking more cost-effective solutions or those with minimal meeting volumes may find these pricing tiers unsuitable for their usage patterns.

Users switch away from Read.ai due to restrictive free tier limitations. The free plan offers only 5 meeting transcripts per month with basic features, which users find inadequate compared to competitors that offer more generous allowances.

The interface complexity creates adoption barriers for users seeking streamlined functionality. Multiple features including notes, analytics, and search functions result in a cluttered experience with a steep learning curve, with some users describing it as "confusing" and not as time-saving as expected.

Privacy concerns affect user retention, particularly regarding meeting participation consent. Users have raised issues about joining others' meetings without explicit permission, creating boundary problems in professional settings. Additionally, the higher pricing tiers required for full functionality deter small teams from continuing usage.

FAQs

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

Granola has partial support for in-person meetings - its Mac app can capture in-room audio locally, but there's no mobile app available yet. Read.ai works well for in-person meetings with its iOS app that can capture in-person/offline meetings with one tap.

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

No, neither tool requires a meeting bot. Granola runs on your computer and listens to meetings without needing a bot in the call. Read.ai also works without meeting bots, recording virtual meetings via cloud or extension, and offline audio via mobile app.

What do users say about the quality of transcriptions?

Users report positive experiences with both tools' transcription quality. Granola users appreciate the "set and forget" note-taking approach, saying they can concentrate on conversations knowing Granola will produce quality notes afterward. Read.ai users find the summaries "smart," effectively capturing questions asked and topics discussed.

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

Yes, both tools help with action items. Granola produces enhanced meeting notes with structured sections including next steps, and offers an AI assistant that can generate follow-up content like drafting email summaries. Read.ai generates reports with key points and action items, and can automatically sync meeting summaries to Slack and other workflow tools.

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

Granola has limited integrations - it includes calendar sync and Notion export, with HubSpot integration currently in beta. Read.ai offers robust integrations including HubSpot, Salesforce, Confluence, Jira, Notion, and Slack.

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