Granola and Otter.ai both promise you'll never take meeting notes again, but they disagree on how. Granola never joins your call — it captures audio locally on your device and enhances the notes you took yourself, so nobody knows you're recording. Otter.ai sends OtterPilot, a visible bot, into the meeting to transcribe everything in real time.
The choice comes down to discretion versus depth: Granola for private 1:1s and sensitive calls, Otter.ai for team meetings where live captions, searchable transcripts, and integrations matter. This page compares them on the dimensions that decide it, using current documented pricing and features.
| Granola | Otter.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | Granola | Otter.ai |
| Recording method | Local audio capture on your device | Meeting bot (OtterPilot) joins the call |
| Bot visible to participants | No — nobody knows you're recording | Yes, by default |
| Your own notes required | Yes — AI enhances what you wrote | No — fully automatic transcription |
| Real-time captions | No | Yes — best-in-class live captions |
| Starting price (paid) | Business $14/user/mo | Pro $8.33/user/mo (annual) |
| Free tier | Basic $0 — unlimited notes, 30-day history | Basic $0 — 300 min/mo, 30-min sessions |
| Audio kept after meeting | No — deleted after transcription | Yes — replayable recordings |
| AI chat over meeting history | Yes | Yes — Otter AI Chat |
| CRM integrations | No | Salesforce, HubSpot |
| Platforms | macOS (Windows in beta) | Web, iOS, Android, Chrome extension |
The bot-free AI notepad: enhance your own meeting notes without a robot joining the call.
Free (Basic, limited history); Business $14/user/mo; Enterprise $35/us
Try Granola →Real-time transcription with OtterPilot — the meeting bot that shows up so you don't have to.
Free Basic (300 min/mo, 30-min sessions); Pro $16.99/mo monthly or $8.
Try Otter.ai →Granola wins on discretion: no bot, no awkward 'recording in progress' announcement, audio deleted after transcription. Otter.ai wins on completeness: real-time captions, replays, and integrations for teams that live in meetings. If privacy is the constraint, Granola is the answer; if coverage is the goal, Otter.ai. Prices change fast — confirm on the official sites before buying.
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