Granola vs Otter.ai: Bot Free Notes, Pricing and Which to Pick
A bot free AI notepad against the best known live transcription app, compared on published prices, limits and capture.
By , research by the BestBots team · Updated Oct 18, 2026
Fact checked against each company's published pricing, documentation and verified user ratings. How we score
Granola is the better pick if you never want a bot in your meetings: it captures device audio on any app, has no daily transcription limit and supports 31 languages. Otter is the better pick on annual price and record keeping, at $8.33 per user on annual billing with a live transcript and Salesforce sync, though its free plan is far tighter.
Side by side
| Spec | Granola | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|
| BestBots Score | 4.4 | 4.2 |
| Starting price | $14 per user per month | $16.99 per user per month |
| Pricing model | per seat | per seat |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Free plan limit | No daily transcription limit; only the last 30 days of notes are visible in the app | 300 minutes per month, 30 minutes per conversation, last 25 conversations |
| Paid from | $14 per user per month, monthly billing only | $16.99 per user per month, or $8.33 billed annually |
| Platforms | Bot free on Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Slack huddles and in person; macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Apple Watch | Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet; bot free capture on Mac and Windows desktop |
| Languages | 31 on desktop, 17 on mobile | English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese |
| CRM sync | HubSpot, Attio and Affinity on Business; Salesforce on Enterprise | Salesforce, HubSpot and Zapier from Pro |
| Storage | Unlimited history on Business; free notes older than 30 days are stored but hidden | 25 most recent conversations free, unlimited on Pro |
The short answer
These two tools approach the same job from opposite ends.
Granola is a notepad. You type rough notes during the call, it listens through your computer or phone audio, and afterwards it turns your notes plus the transcript into a clean write up. Nothing joins the meeting. The output is notes and a transcript, not a recording.
Otter is a recorder. Its meeting agent joins the call (or captures from the desktop app without a bot), shows a live transcript with speaker recognition and keeps the conversation as a searchable record with summaries.
If your pain is "the bot makes clients uncomfortable", choose Granola. If your pain is "I need a saved record of every conversation", choose Otter.
Pricing
| Plan | Granola | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Free | No daily limit, 30 day note history, Slack integration only | 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation, last 25 conversations |
| First paid tier, monthly | Business $14 per user | Pro $16.99 per user |
| First paid tier, annual | Not offered | Pro $8.33 per user |
| Paid limits | Unlimited history | 1,200 minutes, 90 minutes per conversation |
| Top self serve tier | Enterprise from $35 per user | Business $30 monthly, $19.99 annual |
| Annual billing | Enterprise only | All paid plans |
Prices are as listed on each pricing page and help center in October 2026.
Solo user, monthly. Granola is $168 a year and Otter Pro is $203.88. Granola wins by $35.88 and has no minute cap.
Solo user, annual. Otter Pro is $99.96 a year. Granola stays $168. Otter wins by $68.04, as long as you stay under 1,200 minutes a month.
Team of 10 with Salesforce. Otter Pro annual is $999.60 a year. Granola needs Enterprise for Salesforce, from $35 per user, or $4,200 a year.
Features
| Feature | Granola | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Capture | Bot free on every plan and app | Meeting agent bot, or bot free desktop on Mac and Windows |
| Works with | Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Slack huddles, in person | Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet |
| Apps | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Apple Watch | Web, desktop, mobile |
| Languages | 31 desktop, 17 mobile | 6 |
| Video recording | Not listed on any plan | Not listed by plan; conversations saved |
| Live transcript | Transcript plus your notes, enhanced after the call | Live transcription with speaker recognition |
| CRM | HubSpot, Attio, Affinity on Business; Salesforce on Enterprise | Salesforce, HubSpot, Zapier from Pro |
| Compliance | HIPAA workspaces, SSO and SCIM on Enterprise | SSO, SCIM, HIPAA add on on Enterprise |
| G2 rating | 4.6 from 189 reviews | 4.4 from 505 reviews |
Who wins for client facing consultants
Granola. No bot means no awkward "who is Notetaker?" moment with a client, and it works the same on whatever platform the client picks, including in person coffee meetings through the phone app.
Who wins for students and lecture notes
Otter, if you can live with the limits. The live transcript is the feature students want, and Pro at $8.33 a month on annual billing is cheap. The free plan's 30 minute cap per conversation will cut off most lectures, so plan on paying.
Who wins for multilingual meetings
Granola. It supports 31 languages on desktop, including Hindi, Korean, Arabic and Hebrew. Otter lists six.
Who wins for teams that need a shared record
Otter. Saved conversations, live transcription and Salesforce on the first paid tier make it the better system of record. Granola notes are private by default and shared by choice, which suits individuals more than teams.
Who wins on privacy
Granola, on published facts. Its free plan lists a model training opt out, notes are private by default and no bot announces itself to guests. Otter faces a class action in which a federal court in California, in August 2026, let wiretap and Illinois biometric privacy claims proceed, including allegations that it used meeting data to train AI models and built speaker profiles without consent. That ruling is at the pleading stage and is not a finding against Otter. Either way, bot free capture does not remove your duty to tell people they are being recorded.
Verdict
Pick Granola if you want bot free notes on any app, meet in several languages or pay monthly. Pick Otter if you want a saved record of every call, live transcription and the lowest annual price, and you meet mostly in English. Before choosing Otter, note that a federal court allowed privacy claims over its notetaker to proceed in August 2026, which our Otter alternatives page covers. For the full ranking, see the best AI note takers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Granola better than Otter?
For people who want notes without a bot and meet in several languages, yes. Granola captures device audio with no bot, has no daily transcription limit and supports 31 languages on desktop. Otter is better if you want the cheapest annual plan, a live shared transcript and Salesforce sync on a $8.33 seat.
Does Granola join meetings with a bot?
No. Granola uses your computer audio, so no bot joins the call. It works with Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Slack huddles and in person meetings through its iPhone and Android apps.
Is Granola cheaper than Otter?
On monthly billing, yes: Granola Business is $14 per user against $16.99 for Otter Pro. On annual billing, no: Otter Pro drops to $8.33 per user, while Granola bills Business monthly only. Ten users for a year cost $1,680 on Granola Business and $999.60 on Otter Pro annual.
What are the free plan limits for Granola and Otter?
Granola Basic has no daily transcription limit but only shows notes from the last 30 days in the app. Otter Basic includes 300 transcription minutes a month, stops each conversation at 30 minutes, allows 3 lifetime file imports and keeps your 25 most recent conversations.
Does Granola record audio or video?
No plan on Granola's pricing page lists audio or video recording; it is built around transcripts and AI enhanced notes. If you need a playable recording of the call, a bot based tool like Fathom, which keeps unlimited recordings even on its free plan, is a better fit.
Can I use Granola on Windows?
Yes. Granola lists apps for macOS, Windows, iOS, Android and Apple Watch, and its help center says the mobile apps are free to use.
Which works with Salesforce or HubSpot?
Otter includes Salesforce, HubSpot and Zapier from Pro. Granola includes HubSpot, Attio, Affinity, Notion and Zapier on Business, but keeps Salesforce for Enterprise from $35 per user.