NoteOwl vs Granola

A Granola alternative that keeps meeting notes on your Mac

NoteOwl is a Granola alternative for Mac that keeps your meetings on your computer: like the Granola AI note taker, no bot joins the call, but NoteOwl transcribes, summarizes and answers questions on the Mac itself.

It works the same with or without internet, keeps your recordings, recognises voices in any call app and adds free dictation into every app — and you pay once instead of every month.

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What did you promise in your last meeting? NoteOwl remembers (0:51).
Read the transcript

Quick question. What did you actually promise in your last meeting? …Yeah. Me neither.

This is NoteOwl. It’s a Mac app that takes notes on your calls. And no, there’s no bot joining your meeting.

The second the call ends, it’s written everything up. What got decided. Who’s doing what. And by when.

All those promises end up in one list. What you owe people… and what they owe you.

And here’s the part that got me. You can just ask it. “What changed on the Ferncastle pilot?” And it shows you exactly where that came from.

The whole thing runs on your Mac. Nothing gets uploaded. It even works with the Wi-Fi off.

NoteOwl. It’s free to download. Try it on your next call.

Why choose NoteOwl over Granola?

Because your meetings never leave your Mac, everything works the same with or without internet, and you pay once. On top of that you get free dictation in every app, voices recognised in any call, and a memory you can ask — offline.

  • Your meetings stay on your Mac

    Recording, transcription, summaries and chat all run on your Mac with on-device AI models. Nothing is uploaded, so there is nothing to train on.

  • The same online or offline

    Every feature works with Wi-Fi off, Chat included, after the one-time model download.

  • Pay once. No subscription.

    NoteOwl Pro is $79 once for your Mac. Granola Business is $14 a month, per user.[2]

  • Knows every voice

    Speakers are separated in any call app. Name a voice once and it’s recognised in every meeting after.

  • Keeps your recordings

    Replay any line, edit the transcript, transcribe again — or drag in recordings you already have.

  • Free dictation in every app

    Tap fn and talk in Mail, Slack, Notion or your code editor. Your words type at the cursor as you talk, and one tap polishes them in the right tone for each app — free and unlimited.

  • Ask every meeting, even offline

    Chat answers from your own meetings and cites the passage it used — or tells you when nothing matches.

  • Every promise, and everyone you meet

    A board of what you owe and what you’re owed, a profile for everyone you meet, and prep pages from your Mac’s Calendar — Apple Calendar included.

How is NoteOwl different from Granola?

Both take meeting notes without a bot. The difference is where the work happens: Granola transcribes and summarizes in the cloud and stores notes on US servers[1]; NoteOwl does all of it on your Mac, with nothing uploaded.

Bot in the call
NoteOwlNone; records your microphone and your Mac’s audio
GranolaNone; records your microphone and your computer’s audio[1,5]
Where transcription and AI run
NoteOwlOn your Mac, with on-device AI models
GranolaIn the cloud, with third-party providers: Deepgram and AssemblyAI for transcription; OpenAI and Anthropic named as examples for summaries[1]
Where notes are stored
NoteOwlA folder on your Mac; never uploaded
GranolaGranola’s US-hosted AWS cloud, with a copy cached on your device[1,6]
Training on your data
NoteOwlNothing is uploaded; the app has no analytics or telemetry
GranolaOn by default for Free and Business (anonymised), with an opt-out in Settings; off by default on Enterprise[6,7]
Works offline
NoteOwlEverything, after the one-time model download
GranolaNotes open and edit offline; transcription and AI summaries need the cloud[1,6]
Price
NoteOwl$79 once for one Mac; no subscription
GranolaBusiness $14 per user per month, billed monthly; Enterprise from $35 per user per month[2,3]
Free to use
NoteOwlDictation and voice notes free forever; every Pro feature free for 7 days, no card
GranolaBasic plan: meeting notes, but notes older than 30 days are hidden in the app until you upgrade[2,3]
Meeting audio
NoteOwlKept on your Mac, so you can replay any line or transcribe again
GranolaNot stored; only the transcript and notes are kept[1]
Speaker names
NoteOwlSpeakers separated in any call app; name a voice once and it’s recognised in later meetings
GranolaDisplay names from Google Meet, Zoom and Teams on desktop; otherwise “Me” and “Them”[8]
Import recordings
NoteOwlMP3, WAV, M4A, AIFF, FLAC, AAC and MP4 files
GranolaNot supported[5]
Edit transcripts
NoteOwlYes
GranolaNot possible[12]
Dictation into other apps
NoteOwlYes, free and unlimited; one tap polishes it in the right tone for each app
GranolaNo; voice input is for questions in Granola Chat[10]
Calendar
NoteOwlAny calendar in the Mac’s Calendar app
GranolaGoogle and Microsoft/Outlook; not Apple Calendar[12]
Languages
NoteOwl34, detected automatically, including Hindi and English mixed
Granola31 on desktop, 17 on mobile[9]
Getting notes out
NoteOwlCopy any note into any app, export it as Markdown, PDF, text or SRT, or export everything as plain files
GranolaA CSV of all notes and transcripts, emailed within a few hours (one every 24 hours); copy notes as Markdown[11]
Account
NoteOwlNone for dictation; an email address for Pro
GranolaA Google or Microsoft account, or SSO[4]
Devices
NoteOwlMac
GranolaMac, Windows, iPhone, Android and Apple Watch, plus a web viewer[2,4,5]
Mac requirements
NoteOwlmacOS 26 or later, Apple silicon, 16 GB memory
GranolamacOS 14 or later[4]
Granola’s column is taken from Granola’s own website and Help Center, checked on 27 September 2026; the numbers link to the sources.

Granola pricing

Is NoteOwl cheaper than Granola?

Yes, for one person on one Mac. NoteOwl Pro is $79 once. Granola Business is $14 a month per user, billed monthly — $168 a year and $504 over three years.[2,3]

And you can start free: dictation and voice notes are free forever, and every Pro feature is free for 7 days in the app, with no card. Granola’s free Basic plan hides notes older than 30 days until you upgrade.[2,3]

What one person pays

  1. After 1 year

    NoteOwl Pro$79
    Granola Business$168

  2. After 2 years

    NoteOwl Pro$79
    Granola Business$336

  3. After 3 years

    NoteOwl Pro$79
    Granola Business$504
NoteOwl Pro: $79 once, for one Mac. Granola pricing: Business is $14 per user per month, billed monthly (annual billing is for Enterprise contracts only).[2,3] Prices checked 27 September 2026.

Where are Granola meeting notes processed and stored?

In the cloud. Granola transcribes with third-party providers, summarizes with AI providers, and stores notes and transcripts in a US-hosted AWS cloud; it does not keep meeting audio.[1]

Granola, in its own words

“For transcription and AI summarization, Granola uses secure cloud processing to deliver high-quality results while keeping the app fast and responsive.”[1]
“Notes are stored in our US-hosted AWS Virtual Private Cloud.”[1]
“By default on Free and Business plans, anonymised data may be used for Granola’s own model improvements. You can opt out at any time …”[6]

NoteOwl

Recording, transcription, speaker detection, summaries, search and chat all run on the Mac. Recordings, transcripts and notes are never uploaded to NoteOwl or anyone else, and the app has no analytics or telemetry.

The only network use: the one-time model download, update checks and, for Pro, signing in and an occasional licence check — none of which sends what you record. How NoteOwl takes meeting notes without a bot

When is Granola the better choice?

When you want a cloud service. The Granola app transcribes and summarizes on its servers and keeps your notes in its cloud, so they follow you to any device you sign in on. If you want your meetings on your Mac, online or offline, choose NoteOwl.

Can you switch from Granola to NoteOwl?

Yes, starting with your next meeting. Download NoteOwl, and the next call you take is transcribed and summarized on your Mac. Recordings you already have as audio or video files can be imported into NoteOwl Pro and transcribed with speaker labels.

Your notes are never locked in: copy any note into any app, or export it as Markdown, PDF, text or SRT — or all of your data at once as plain files.

Sources

Last checked . Granola facts are quoted or summarised from Granola’s own website and Help Center. Plans and policies change; check them before you decide.

  1. [1]Granola, Security
  2. [2]Granola, Pricing
  3. [3]Granola Help Center, Subscriptions and billing
  4. [4]Granola Help Center, Setting up Granola for the first time
  5. [5]Granola Help Center, How transcription works
  6. [6]Granola Help Center, Security, privacy and data FAQs
  7. [7]Granola Help Center, Models and training
  8. [8]Granola Help Center, Speaker tags
  9. [9]Granola Help Center, Multi-language support
  10. [10]Granola Help Center, Chat: dictation vs transcription
  11. [11]Granola Help Center, Exporting notes
  12. [12]Granola Help Center, Common feature requests

FAQ

Questions about NoteOwl and Granola

Is there a Granola alternative that works offline?

Yes. NoteOwl takes meeting notes without a bot, like Granola, but its transcription, summaries and chat run on your Mac, so everything works offline after a one-time model download. Granola can open and edit notes offline, but its transcription and AI summaries need an internet connection.

Is NoteOwl cheaper than Granola?

Yes, for one person on one Mac. NoteOwl Pro is $79 once, with a 7-day free trial and no card, and NoteOwl’s dictation is free forever. Granola Business is $14 per user per month, billed monthly — $168 a year, or $504 over three years — and Enterprise starts at $35 per user per month. Prices checked on 27 September 2026.

Does NoteOwl join my calls?

No. Like Granola, NoteOwl records your microphone and your Mac’s audio, so no bot joins your Zoom, Google Meet or Teams call. Nothing tells the other people that you are taking notes, so tell them yourself — it is the right thing to do and, in many places, the law.

Does Granola AI train on my meetings?

Granola says that on its Free and Business plans anonymised data may be used to improve its own models by default, that you can opt out in Settings, and that Enterprise is opted out by default. NoteOwl uploads nothing, so there is nothing to train on.

Can I switch from Granola to NoteOwl?

Yes, starting with your next meeting. Download NoteOwl, and the next call you take is transcribed and summarized on your Mac. Recordings you already have as audio or video files can be imported into NoteOwl Pro and transcribed with speaker labels.

Can I get NoteOwl notes into Notion, Slack or Google Docs?

Yes. Copy any summary, action list or transcript and paste it into any app, or export notes as Markdown, PDF, plain text or SRT subtitles.

Does NoteOwl have a free plan?

Yes. Dictation into any app and voice notes are free forever, with no limit. Meeting notes, chat and the rest of Pro are free for 7 days in the app, with no card; after that Pro is $79 once.

Does NoteOwl run on Windows or iPhone?

No. NoteOwl is a Mac app for macOS 26 or later on Apple silicon with 16 GB of memory. Its AI runs on the Mac itself, which is what keeps your meetings off the cloud.

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How NoteOwl does it

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Keep your next meeting’s notes on your Mac

Free to download. Runs entirely on your Mac.

Download free

macOS 26 or later · Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) · 16 GB memory minimum, 24 GB recommended

About NoteOwl

NoteOwl is private AI meeting notes and memory for the Mac. It captures meetings without a bot joining the call, labels every speaker, writes summaries and action items, and builds a memory of every conversation that you can chat with — fully offline, because the speech recognition and the AI run on the Mac itself. Dictation into any app is free; Pro is a one-time purchase.

NoteOwl pricing: what’s free and what Pro adds

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