Granola offers a streamlined approach to meeting notes by running quietly on your Mac and combining audio capture with manual note-taking to produce enhanced summaries. Its strength lies in its simplicity and "set and forget" functionality, allowing users to focus on conversations while maintaining personalized control over their notes. However, it's currently limited to Mac users, has no mobile app, and offers minimal integrations beyond basic calendar sync and Notion export.

Read.ai positions itself as a comprehensive meeting copilot that goes beyond transcription to provide engagement analytics, sentiment analysis, and real-time insights. It offers broader platform support including mobile apps for iOS and more extensive integrations with tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Slack. The downside is its complex interface that can overwhelm users, a restrictive free tier of only 5 meetings per month, and higher pricing for full functionality.

Granola appears best suited for individual contributors and small teams who prefer minimal complexity and want to maintain some manual control over their note-taking process. Its clean interface and local processing appeal to users who value privacy and simplicity over advanced features. Read.ai targets larger organizations and data-driven teams who want comprehensive meeting analytics and don't mind a steeper learning curve for more robust functionality.

Both tools struggle with the fundamental challenge of turning meeting insights into actionable outcomes, offering limited workflow automation and integrations that don't deeply connect with users' existing productivity systems. While they excel at capturing and summarizing conversations, neither provides the automation engine or comprehensive integration ecosystem needed to truly streamline post-meeting workflows. Users may find themselves still manually transferring information and action items to their primary work tools.

Comparison table

What users say about Granola and Read.ai

Granola receives overwhelmingly positive feedback from users who praise its effectiveness in meeting transcription and summarization. According to user reviews, Granola makes transcriptions and follow-ups "a breeze" and produces "clean, reliable meeting" outputs. Users on Reddit particularly appreciate how "the auto transcript and summary are SO GOOD that it has completely changed how I interact in meetings."

Read.ai presents a more mixed picture in user reviews, with both strengths and significant concerns highlighted by users. On the positive side, one review notes being "particularly impressed by Read's ability to capture multiple languages in the same call automatically," showcasing its multilingual capabilities. However, the platform faces serious criticism from users, with Trustpilot reviews showing it "rated 1 out of 5 stars" and warning potential users to "not sign up" due to privacy concerns about the app being "added to your own meetings automatically."

Users switch away from Granola primarily due to platform limitations that restrict their ability to use the service across their preferred devices and operating systems. The tool is currently Mac-only, which creates a significant barrier for Windows users who need meeting transcription capabilities. Additionally, the lack of mobile apps means users cannot access their notes on iOS or Android devices, forcing them to rely solely on the desktop application or web interface for note access.

The pricing structure also drives users to seek alternatives, particularly after the initial trial period ends. While Granola offers 25 free meetings to start, there is no ongoing free tier available, requiring users to commit to at least $18 per month for the individual plan. This lack of a permanent free option can be prohibitive for occasional users or those who only need basic meeting transcription services and don't want to pay for unlimited access.

Technical limitations around audio capture create additional friction that leads users to abandon the platform. Since Granola relies on system audio capture from the user's device, it may not function properly with certain meeting room hardware configurations or when audio isn't routed through the system. This dependency on specific audio setups can make the tool unreliable in various meeting environments, particularly in professional settings where users don't have full control over the audio infrastructure.

Limited free tier restrictions

Users frequently switch away from Read.ai due to its restrictive free tier, which only allows 5 meetings per month with full notes. This limitation is particularly problematic for individuals and small teams who need to evaluate the tool thoroughly before committing to a paid plan. Compared to competitors offering more generous free tiers, Read.ai's restrictions can feel too constraining for users who want to test the platform's capabilities across multiple meetings and use cases.

Complex and cluttered user interface

The extensive feature set that includes notes, analytics, engagement scores, sentiment analysis, and search functionality creates a learning curve that some users find overwhelming. Reviews have described the interface as "confusing" and noted that the abundance of features doesn't necessarily translate to time savings as expected. Users who prefer straightforward, intuitive tools may find Read.ai's complexity counterproductive to their workflow, leading them to seek simpler alternatives that focus on core meeting transcription and summarization without the additional analytical layers.

Privacy concerns and boundary issues

Privacy-conscious users have raised significant concerns about Read.ai's implementation, particularly regarding consent when joining others' meetings. Reddit discussions have highlighted that using Read.ai in meetings without explicit consent from all participants can create boundary issues and potential privacy violations. This concern is especially relevant in professional environments where participants may not be comfortable with AI-powered meeting analysis, engagement scoring, and sentiment tracking, prompting users to switch to alternatives to Read.ai that offer more discreet or locally-controlled recording options.

Using Granola

Does Granola work for in-person meetings?

Granola works partially for in-person meetings. The Mac app can capture in-room audio locally, but there's no mobile app available yet (though mobile apps are listed as "coming soon").

Does Granola require a meeting bot to join the meeting?

No, Granola does not require a meeting bot to join the meeting. It runs on your computer and listens to meetings without needing a bot in the call by capturing system audio.

What do users say about the quality of Granola transcriptions?

Users report positive experiences with Granola's note quality. They appreciate the "set and forget" note-taking approach, knowing that Granola will produce quality notes afterward. Users note that it delivers well-organized summaries that can be tailored via templates, with one review mentioning it formats notes "exactly how you like it" if you give it guidance.

How does Granola help users follow up on action items?

Granola helps with follow-up by producing enhanced meeting notes with structured sections including next steps. It also offers an AI assistant that can answer questions or generate follow-up content, such as drafting an email summary of the meeting.

Does Granola integrate with software like HubSpot, Salesforce, or Linear?

Granola has limited integrations. It includes calendar sync and Notion export capability. HubSpot integration is currently in beta. There's no mention of Salesforce or Linear integrations in the available information.

Using Read.ai

Does Read.ai work for in-person meetings?

Yes, Read.ai works for in-person meetings through its iOS app, which can capture in-person/offline meetings with one tap.

Does Read.ai require a meeting bot to join the meeting?

No, Read.ai does not require meeting bots. It records virtual meetings via cloud or extension, and offline audio via mobile app.

What do users say about the quality of Read.ai transcriptions?

Users find Read.ai's summaries to be "smart," effectively capturing questions asked and topics discussed during meetings.

How does Read.ai help users follow up on action items?

Read.ai generates post-meeting reports that include action items along with key points and various meeting metrics.

Does Read.ai integrate with software like HubSpot, Salesforce, or Linear?

Yes, Read.ai offers robust integrations including HubSpot, Salesforce, Confluence, Jira, Notion, and Slack.

For users seeking alternatives to Granola, there are several options that address its platform limitations and meeting automation needs. Additionally, teams looking for more comprehensive workflow automation may want to explore alternatives that offer better integration capabilities than both Granola and Read.ai.

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