Granola vs Otter.ai in 2026

New comparison: Granola's bot-free meeting notes (Basic free, Business $14/user/mo) are now a common alternative to Otter, which added an MCP server to every plan.

Updated Oct 26, 2026 · 2 sources checked

The short answer

Choose Granola if you want meeting notes without a bot joining the call and like adding your own notes during the meeting.

Pick Granola for people in back-to-back meetings who don't want a bot joining their calls
Pick Otter.ai for individuals and teams who want live transcripts and summaries of their meetings

At a glance

GranolaOtter.ai
Made byGranolaOtter.ai
Starts at$14/user/moFree plan$8.33/user/moFree plan
All plansBasic free (30 days of meeting history) + Business $14/user/mo + Enterprise $35/user/moBasic free (300 min/mo, 30 min per conversation) + Pro $8.33/user/mo billed annually ($16.99 monthly) + Business $19.99/user/mo billed annually ($30 monthly) + Enterprise (custom)
Best forPeople in back-to-back meetings who don't want a bot joining their callsIndividuals and teams who want live transcripts and summaries of their meetings

How they score

GranolaOtter.ai
Writing
6
5
Reasoning
6
5
Speed
8.5
9
Privacy
7.5
6

Scores out of 10: our judgment from hands-on use and each vendor's published limits.

Granola

by Granola

AI notepad for meetings that captures audio from your device instead of sending a bot into the call. You write rough notes and Granola turns them, plus the transcript, into structured notes you can chat with.

Good

  • No bot joins the call: captures device audio
  • Apps for desktop, iOS, Android and Apple Watch
  • MCP integration with Claude, ChatGPT and other assistants
  • Audio is deleted after transcription; SOC 2 Type II certified
  • Business adds unlimited history, integrations (Notion, HubSpot, Zapier and more) and API access

Watch out

  • Free plan keeps only 30 days of meeting history
  • Salesforce and other advanced integrations are Enterprise only
  • Pre-meeting briefs and follow-up emails need a paid plan
  • HIPAA-compliant workspaces are not on Basic or Business
Visit Granola ↗

Otter.ai

by Otter.ai

AI meeting assistant that joins Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet to transcribe, summarize and answer questions about your meetings with Otter AI Chat. Every plan includes an MCP server.

Good

  • Free plan includes 300 transcription minutes a month
  • Business plan has unlimited meeting minutes and up to 4 hours per conversation
  • Otter AI Chat answers questions about your meetings
  • MCP server lets other AI assistants use your meeting notes
  • Enterprise adds the Otter Sales Notetaker

Watch out

  • Free plan caps each conversation at 30 minutes and allows 3 file imports in total
  • Pro caps meetings at 90 minutes
  • AI Chat is limited to 20 queries/mo on Free and 50 on Pro
  • Fewer CRM-style analytics than Fireflies
Visit Otter.ai ↗
Our verdict

Choose Granola if you want meeting notes without a bot joining the call and like adding your own notes during the meeting. Choose Otter if you want a notetaker that joins Zoom, Teams and Meet automatically, a more generous free plan (300 minutes a month), and cheaper paid plans ($8.33/user/mo billed annually for Pro).

Questions people ask

Granola vs Otter: which is better?

Granola is better if you dislike meeting bots: it captures audio on your device and blends your own notes with the transcript. Otter is better if you want automatic notes from a bot that joins Zoom, Teams and Google Meet, and a lower price.

Does Granola use a meeting bot?

No. Granola captures audio from your device, so no bot joins the call. Its pricing page also says audio is deleted after transcription.

Is Granola free?

Granola Basic is free but keeps only 30 days of meeting history. Business costs $14 per user per month and adds unlimited history, integrations, MCP for workspace notes and API access.

Which is cheaper, Granola or Otter?

Otter. Otter Pro is $8.33/user/mo billed annually ($16.99 monthly), while Granola Business is $14/user/mo. Otter Business is $19.99/user/mo billed annually.

Sources (2), checked Oct 26, 2026

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