Granola alternatives. Four honest options.
Granola is a well-made notepad that skips the bot: it uses your computer's audio on calls and a phone app in person. If you want a different free plan, no AI training on your meetings, or a pendant, these are the alternatives worth comparing.
One sourced table, then which one fits which reason for leaving.
Granola and four alternatives
| Granola | Otter | Fireflies | Fathom | Fluent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paid plans | Business $14/user/mo. Enterprise $35/user/mo | Pro $16.99/mo, or $8.33/mo billed yearly. Business $30/mo, or $19.99/mo yearly | Pro $18/seat/mo, or $10 billed yearly. Business $29, or $19 yearly | Premium $20/mo, or $16/mo billed yearly. Team $19/user/mo, or $15 yearly. Business $34/user/mo, or $25 yearly | Pro $9.99/mo, or $83.99/yr. Premium $19.99/mo, or $167.99/yr |
| Free plan | Unlimited notes, 30 days of meeting history | 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation | Unlimited transcription, limited AI summaries, 400 minutes of storage | Unlimited recordings and transcripts; AI action items and Ask Fathom are limited | 5 conversations a month |
| How it captures | Your computer's audio on calls; phone app in person | OtterPilot bot joins Zoom, Meet and Teams; bot-free desktop app; phone apps; uploads | Fred bot joins calls; bot-free desktop app and Chrome extension; phone app; uploads | Bot joins Zoom, Meet and Teams; bot-free capture in the desktop app (beta, Mac) | A paired Limitless or Omi pendant, or your iPhone mic (rolling out) |
| Bot in your calls | Never | Yes by default (OtterPilot); the desktop app records without one | Yes by default (Fred); the desktop app and Chrome extension record without it | Yes by default; the desktop app records without one | Never |
| In-person meetings | Yes, with the iOS or Android app | Yes, recorded in the iOS or Android app | Yes, with the mobile app | Not yet: an iOS app is announced as coming soon | Yes — what it is built for |
| Trains AI on your data | Yes, anonymized, unless you opt out (off by default on Enterprise) | Yes, on de-identified data; no opt-out found | Never, per Fireflies | May train its own models on de-identified data; you can opt out | Never used to train models |
Checked October 8, 2026 · Sources: Granola pricing, Granola, Granola security, Otter pricing, Otter apps, Otter privacy & security, Fireflies pricing, Fireflies, Fireflies desktop, Fireflies security, Fathom pricing, Fathom what's new, Fathom privacy, Pocket recorder, Fluent pricing, Fluent FAQ
Pick by your reason for leaving
You want no AI training on your meetings
Fireflies and Fluent say they never train on your data. Granola and Fathom offer an opt-out; we found none on Otter's pages.
You want a pendant
Granola has no pendant support. Fluent pairs with a Limitless or Omi pendant, or records from your iPhone as phone capture rolls out.
You want a different free plan
Granola's free plan is unlimited notes with 30 days of history. Fathom offers unlimited recordings and transcripts, Fireflies unlimited transcription with 400 minutes of storage, Otter 300 minutes a month, and Fluent 5 conversations a month.
You want a dedicated recorder
Pocket is a $139 clip-on recorder that captures the room and your phone calls. Our Pocket vs Granola comparison, linked below, covers the trade-off.
You want follow-through, not just notes
Fluent turns each conversation into the commitments people made, a profile of everyone you talk to, and coaching. The others focus on per-meeting notes and search.
Granola for the desk, Fluent for the room
Granola listens to your computer's audio on calls, which gives cleaner far-side audio. Fluent never joins calls; on a remote call it captures the room: your side, plus anything audible from your speakers. If most of your meetings are calls at your computer, Granola is a sensible place to stay. If your important conversations happen in person, Fluent is built for them.
See Fluent vs Granola for the two side by side.
Questions
What is the best free alternative to Granola?
For recordings and transcripts, Fathom: unlimited, with AI action items limited. Fireflies offers unlimited transcription with 400 minutes of storage. Granola's own free plan is unlimited notes with 30 days of history, and Fluent's covers 5 conversations a month (checked October 2026).
Is there a Granola alternative without a bot?
Fluent never joins calls. Otter, Fireflies and Fathom use a bot by default, but each has a bot-free desktop option, in beta on Mac for Fathom.
Is there a Granola alternative for in-person meetings?
Otter and Fireflies record in person from a phone app, as Granola does. Fathom's iOS app is announced as coming soon. Fluent is built for in-person meetings, from a Limitless or Omi pendant or your iPhone as phone capture rolls out.
Does Granola train AI on my meetings?
Per its own pages on October 8, 2026, Granola trains on anonymized data unless you opt out (off by default on Enterprise). Fluent says it never uses your conversations to train models.
Try the alternative that follows you into the room.
Free for 5 conversations a month. No bot, ever.
Download Fluent for iPhone