Granola Review: Is It Worth It in 2025?
I had to write a Granola review because if both Granola and Jamie don't use bots, I wanted to see how different they really are. I tested it in real meetings, checked everything from summaries to support, and even got quotes from real users (yes, I did the hard work so you don't have to).
On the surface, Granola gives you the same thing Jamie does: a private meeting experience without bots. And honestly? It works pretty well.
But there were small differences I found that could save you hours or keep you from making mistakes you'll regret later.
For all that and more, let's get this in-depth review started!
.png)
TL;DR
- Features: 7/10 Good transcription and summaries; lacks advanced tools.
- Usability: 8/10 Simple design for Mac/iOS and Windows; no Android/web.
- Security: 8/10 Privacy-focused, but some 2025 issues.
- Integrations: 6/10 Google supported; missing Teams/Zapier.
- Support: 8.5/10 Responsive; priority for Enterprise only.
- Pricing: 7/10 No free plan after trial; decent value.
⭐ Overall rating: 7.4/10
Granola Overview
Granola is a native macOS, iOS and Windows meeting tool that transcribes, summarises, and analyses your meetings using AI. Granola is also a bot-free AI meeting assistant just like Jamie.
It doesn’t join your calls. Instead, it captures audio directly from your device to deliver real-time transcription and post-call insights.
It's valuable for people who find it awkward when AI bots join meetings, saying that avoiding the “bot in the room” creates a smoother user experience.
It’s also helpful that the app is “internally set”, meaning it uses your system audio and mic without needing to plug into tools like Zoom or Meet
Granola Core Features
Real-Time Transcription
Granola captures both your mic and system audio to deliver real-time transcriptions using your Mac’s system audio or your iPhone microphone.
Visual feedback (like "green dancing bars") shows transcription status, and you can open a live transcript window to follow along.
It auto-transcribes as soon as a meeting begins (once your calendar is connected). You’ll see your words populate in a live transcript while you're talking, and then you can stop the capture manually when the session is done
It's particularly seamless for Mac and Windows users and works across platforms like Zoom, Meet, and Slack huddles.
Transcription Turned to AI Summaries
Post-meeting, Granola applies AI to generate structured summaries from transcripts. These include action items, key points, and speaker segments (labelled “Speaker A”, “Speaker B”). You can ask questions about the meeting afterwards to pull up relevant content.
It also includes AI prompts like “What are three action points?” which automatically extracts insights.
You can press “Enhance Notes” after a meeting to generate useful summaries and shareable links via email, Slack, or clipboard
Ask Granola (AI Assistant)
During meetings, you can use cmd+J to ask questions about what’s been said so far. However, these in-meeting chats are ephemeral; anything you ask won’t be saved unless manually copied. Also, Ask Granola won’t answer questions outside your meeting history or conduct web searches.
Privacy-Friendly Recording
Granola doesn’t store your audio or video files. It processes them live, then deletes them after transcription. Only transcripts are saved. There’s also a customizable “consent notification” you can send in chat to inform participants that transcription is active.
⭐ Rating: 7/10
Granola delivers where it matters most, transcription and summary quality. But limitations like a lack of persistent speaker learning, ephemeral AI interactions not being able to work offline, hold it back from a perfect score.
Granola Interface: Is It Easy To Use?
Granola’s interface is clean and beautiful. From the “dancing bars” visualizer to calendar-based smart notifications, it all feels native to Mac and Windows.
You don’t have to worry about launching bots or juggling browser tabs; it just runs silently in the background.
It’s super easy to create new notes, view live transcripts and use built-in templates. Having your calendar integrated means upcoming meetings auto-populate and transcription starts as soon as they begin.
And the mobile app for iOS is great for in-person meetings, capturing clear voice transcripts from your phone’s mic.
⭐ Rating: 8/10
Easy, intuitive and native to macOS and Windows, but no web or Android version.
Granola Security Measures
Granola, just like Jamie, is a privacy-first company with no audio/video storage (only transcripts), AWS encryption, GDPR-compliant DPA and AI opt-outs for all plans.
But several 2025 incidents show their security practices are still evolving:
API Key Exposure (Nov 2024–Mar 2025)
A 3rd party key in their iOS beta app was accidentally exposed, and 333 beta user transcripts were potentially accessible.
- Only affected iOS beta testers; macOS users were not affected.
- No evidence of malicious access; just proof-of-concept testing by researchers.
- Fixed the same day the issue was reported, and Granola now scans for exposed credentials and has improved its incident triage.
Google Workspace Logout Flaw (Existing Since Nov 2024, Fixed June 2025)
187 users removed from company Workspaces weren’t logged out of Granola.
- Former employees could still have access to meeting notes if they didn’t log out manually.
- Fixes now ensure automatic logout when Google accounts are suspended or deleted.
- Granola now does periodic token checks to detect deactivated accounts faster.
Unmanaged Google Account Auto-Join Bug (Fixed May 2025)
Legacy personal accounts with corporate-looking emails (e.g. jane@company.com) could rejoin workspaces if auto-join was enabled.
- Granola now verifies actual Workspace membership, not just email domain.
- No real-world misuse was found, and database scans confirmed zero unauthorized joins.
All three issues were publicly documented in post-mortems. None were confirmed breaches; just security flaws with potential impact.
Granola is investing in staff, security partnerships, bug bounty programs and incident response processes.
Bottom line: not the most secure platform, but we must appreciate the team is acting as fast as they can, and getting there fast. For most users, it’s safe enough; regulated teams should evaluate their risk tolerance.
In my opinion, I like that Granola is so open with their security issues, shows that they are transparent and how they fix their issues as soon as they arise before any breach takes place.
I like that!
⭐ Rating: 8/10
Granola Integrations
Here's what Granola connects/integrates with based on my research:
What Granola connects with
Works now:
- Slack - Send notes to Slack channels
- HubSpot - Add meeting notes to contacts
- Notion - Save notes to your database
- Affinity - Share notes in this CRM
- Google Calendar - Main integration for meetings
- Gmail - Email your notes
Calendar options:
- Google Calendar (works best)
- Outlook (sync to Google Calendar first)
What Granola doesn't connect with
Missing:
- Zapier - No connection yet (they're still working on it)
- Public API - Not available
- Auto exports - No automatic syncing
- Local calendars - Online only
- Multiple calendar logins - Google account required
Device limits:
- Android - No App (iPhone, Mac, Windows only)
- Direct Outlook - Use Google Calendar workaround
- Phone calls - iPhone app works for in-person meetings only
What you need to know
- Google works best - Use Google Workspace for a smooth experience
- Desktop required - iPhone users need a Mac/Windows for most connections
- More coming - Zapier and auto Notion exports planned for 2025
- No custom builds - No API for your own integrations
You connect once in settings, then share with one click. Most connections need the desktop app, not the iPhone version.
⭐ Rating: 6/10
Granola Customer Support
You get direct access to their team through their Slack channel. They respond fast if you use the product actively.
However, you can reach them through various other ways, like email or in-app reports.
One user stated;
"Their team answers on Slack or email super fast. They really care about users and stay engaged."
Another user shared,
"I use their Slack channel and give them feedback directly."
Simple, but it works.
📌 Important note
You can access priority support only with Enterprise at $35 per user monthly. The Free, Individual ($18 monthly) and Business ($14 per user monthly) plans get standard support. Responsive but no promises on speed.
You'll get solid help through email and Slack. Their docs are good too. Just don't expect priority treatment unless you pay Enterprise prices.
⭐ Rating: 8.5/10
Granola Pricing Model: Does It Provide A Good Value For Money?
Granola operates on a free trial plus subscription model. New users get up to 25 free meetings, after which a paid plan is required. There’s no ongoing free tier, making it more of a trial than a freemium service.
As of mid-2025, Granola offers tiered pricing for individuals, teams, and enterprises:
Pricing Tiers
- Individual (Pro) Plan: $18/month:
- For solo users
- Unlimited meetings
- Includes AI summaries, transcript storage, and note templates
- Business Plan: $14/user/month:
- Designed for teams
- Everything in the Individual
- Adds shared folders, team collaboration tools, and consolidated billing
- Enterprise Plan: Starts at $35/user/month:
- Adds enterprise-level features:
- Priority support
- Admin controls
- Usage analytics
- Team-wide opt-out from AI model training
- Adds enterprise-level features:
⭐ Rating: 7/10
How Does Granola Compare To Alternatives On The Market?
Here's a table comparing Granola with other options on the market.
What Are Customers Saying About Granola?
What Users Love About Granola
Accuracy and Quality of Summaries
The auto transcript and summary are SO GOOD that it has completely changed how I interact in meetings. I just listen and discuss… then the summary kicks in and it usually describes it better anyways. 12/10 absolutely recommend.
Users love how Granola grabs meeting details and makes clear summaries, so you focus on talking instead of taking notes.
Simplicity and Ease of Use
“Incredible product and my new must-have for work productivity. Easy to use, clean, simple. Helps me focus on my meetings and not on taking notes (and the responses are leaps better than Zoom’s AI Assistant)…. It is really a terrific product.”
The setup is simple and works right away. You get Granola working silently with no bot disrupting your call, and it beats Zoom's basic notes every time.
Customizable and Reliable
“It’s simply the easiest tool I’ve discovered for capturing notes during meetings… they have made it super easy and flexible to create your own [templates] for whatever purpose you have. Their team has made themselves available via Slack or email and are incredibly responsive… Granola is the one tool I continuously have up during my day.”
Users love how Granola lets them customise meeting notes exactly how they need them. The templates work perfectly for our style. Plus, the tool stays ready when we need it most. The team actually listens to our feedback and keeps making it better. That personal touch makes all the difference.
Common complaints about Granola
Recording and Value Concerns
“No video playback or audio review features… $10/month after free tier feels steep for what you get.”
Granola takes notes instead of recording meetings. It doesn't record video or save audio for you to watch later. Some users expected full recording and felt let down when they couldn't replay calls. You get transcripts and summaries instead.
Setup Bugs and Support Access
“Very impressive… but failed to set it up on my Mac. Also didn’t find any contact points (website or app) to share my problem.”
Some users hit technical problems like installation issues or audio capture failures. When this happened, they struggled to get quick help.
Transcription accuracy with numbers
“numbers get messed up frequently in transcriptions (learned this the hard way with financial data)”
Finance and data users complain that Granola messes up numbers in transcripts. If your meetings have lots of numbers, you need to check the output yourself.
Verdict: Is Granola Really Worth It?
So far, I’ve rated Granola:
- Features: 7/10 Good transcription and summaries; lacks advanced tools.
- Interface: 8/10 Simple design for Mac/iOS and Windows; no Android/web.
- Security: 8/10 Privacy-focused, but some 2025 issues.
- Integrations: 6/10 Google supported; missing Teams/Zapier.
- Support: 8.5/10 Responsive; priority for Enterprise only.
- Pricing: 7/10 No free plan after trial; decent value.
Which gives Granola an average rating of 7.4/10.
Granola Is the Best if You
Have Many Meetings and Struggle to Take Notes
Granola is perfect for people who have many meetings (daily or weekly) and want to be in the discussion without worrying about taking notes.
Want a Bot-Free, Privacy-Friendly Solution
If the idea of inviting a recording bot (like Otter.ai or others) into your calls makes you uncomfortable or is not allowed by your company, Granola is the way to go. It records from your device locally, so no one else “joins” the meeting. This also means less disruption and no awkward disclosures during the call.
Like a Lightweight Tool Over a Big Platform
Granola is very much a notepad, not a full-blown project management suite. Many users love it because it’s fast, lightweight and gets out of your way. If you’re the kind of person who gets overwhelmed by too many features or a clunky UI, Granola’s simple design will be a breath of fresh air.
Granola Isn’t the Best if You:
Need Advanced Analytics or Cross-Meeting Insights
Granola is one meeting at a time. If you’re looking for a tool that can, say, analyse trends across all your meetings, track how often a topic comes up or automatically create a knowledge base from conversations, Granola’s limited scope will disappoint. Tools like Jamie or specialist platforms like Avoma might be a better fit.
Deal with a lot of numbers or multi-speaker transcripts
As mentioned, Granola doesn’t do speaker identification and can struggle with transcribing numbers. If your meetings involve parsing financial figures, technical data or attributing quotes to specific people for precise records, you might find Granola’s output needs extra manual cleanup. In those cases, a tool with speaker labels (or a human note-taker) might be better.
Need an integrated recording or collaboration system
If you want a meeting assistant that writes notes and records audio/video, generates highlights, integrates tasks into your project management software, etc., Granola might not be for you. It doesn’t record video or audio for playback and has minimal integrations. If your team wants a one-stop solution (like sending automated follow-up emails or pushing action items to Asana/Trello), look elsewhere. Granola’s strength is the notes and it stays in that lane.
Looking For A Granola Alternative?
#1: Granola Doesn't Remember Speaker Names but Jamie Does
Jamie remembers speakers automatically by learning to associate each person’s voice with their name after their first meeting. Once you identify speakers by listening to audio clips and typing their names, Jamie will automatically recognise and label them in future meetings. This is designed with privacy in mind, keeping voice data exclusive to your account and using it solely to enhance speaker identification and meeting summaries, so your notes are more accurate and you save time over time.
#2: Granola Doesn’t Let You Edit Transcriptions, but Jamie Does
Yes, Jamie does let you edit transcriptions!
Jamie lets you edit transcriptions right in the interface, so you have full control over your meeting notes. You can click to edit text, change paragraph layouts, format text, add links and use find-and-replace to correct words throughout the transcript. You can also update speaker names by clicking and renaming them. All changes are saved live so your transcripts are always up to date.
#3: Granola Cannot Transcribe Offline, but Jamie Can.
Jamie can record meetings locally on your device so you can capture online and in-person meetings using your device’s audio or microphone. However, processing the recordings – including transcription and AI-generated summaries – requires an internet connection as the audio files are uploaded to cloud servers for analysis. So you can record without internet, but you’ll need to connect later to upload and process the meeting notes, making Jamie perfect for in-person meetings in areas with limited connectivity.
Read More
- See the full comparison in Granola vs Bluedot vs Jamie — full breakdown.
- Here are the top options in Granola alternatives worth switching to.
- View detailed plans in the Granola AI pricing and plan guide.
- Check out more bot-free AI note takers.
Next Steps: Get Smarter Meeting Notes with Jamie
Granola is a strong bot-free option — but Jamie gives you everything Granola does, and more:
✅ Speaker recognition
✅ Editable transcripts
✅ Offline capture
✅ Topic detection AI
✅ No meeting bots, ever
Try Jamie for free — no credit card required.
Get started today and upgrade how you handle meetings.
Get started with Jamie today
Growth Content Editor
Sanduni Yureka is a Growth Content Editor at Jamie, known for driving a 10x increase in website traffic for clients across Singapore, the U.S., and Germany. With an LLB Honors degree and a background in law, Sanduni transitioned from aspiring lawyer to digital marketing expert during the 2019 lockdown. She now specializes in crafting high-impact SEO strategies for AI-powered SaaS companies, particularly those using large language models (LLMs). When she’s not binge-watching true crime shows, Sanduni is obsessed with studying everything SEO.
Read more
3 min to save 1000 hours
Download Jamie now
Start your meeting
Super-charge your workday
.-p-500.png)
