Granola vs Otter.ai: Which AI Meeting Notes App is Better in 2025?

The fundamental difference between Granola and Otter.ai comes down to how they capture your meetings—and this seemingly technical detail changes everything about your meeting experience.

Quick Verdict

Feature	Granola	Otter.ai
Recording Method	Local audio capture	Bot joins call
Participant Notification	None	"Otter Bot has joined"
Meeting Feel	Natural	Can feel surveilled
In-Person Meetings	✅ Via mobile app	❌ Video calls only
Your Own Notes + AI	✅ Hybrid approach	Limited
Cross-Platform	Mac, Windows, iOS	Web, mobile, integrations
Privacy	Audio stays local	Cloud processing
My Pick	✅ Winner

The Bot Problem

Here's what happens with Otter.ai:

1. You join a Zoom/Meet/Teams call
2. "Otter.ai Bot has joined the meeting"
3. Everyone notices
4. Some people become self-conscious
5. Someone asks "is this being recorded?"
6. The natural conversation flow breaks

With Granola:

1. You join a call
2. Granola captures audio from your device
3. Nobody knows
4. Natural conversation continues
5. You get comprehensive notes after

This isn't just about convenience—it's about the quality of your conversations. People communicate differently when they know they're being recorded by a third-party bot.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Recording Approach

Granola: Captures audio at the system level on your device. No bot joins. Participants aren't notified. Works with any video platform because it's not integrating with them—it's just listening to your audio output.

Otter.ai: Joins your call as a participant (bot). Everyone sees it. Requires integration with specific platforms.

Winner: Granola - The no-bot approach is a game-changer for meeting dynamics.

Meeting Types Supported

Granola:

• Video calls (Zoom, Meet, Teams, any platform)
• Phone calls
• In-person meetings (via iOS app)
• Coffee conversations
• Conference hallway chats

Otter.ai:

• Video calls with supported platforms
• In-person via mobile (limited)

Winner: Granola - The mobile app for in-person meetings is incredibly valuable. I've captured dozens of important conversations at conferences and coffee shops.

Note-Taking Philosophy

Granola: Hybrid approach. You can take your own notes during the meeting, and Granola enhances them with context from the full transcript. Or ignore it and let AI handle everything.

Otter.ai: Primarily AI-generated notes. Less emphasis on your own input.

Winner: Granola - The hybrid approach produces better results. My notes + AI context = comprehensive record.

Output Quality

Granola:

• Clean summaries
• Extracted action items
• Key decisions highlighted
• Customizable templates for different meeting types
• Searchable archive

Otter.ai:

• Full transcripts
• AI summaries
• Action items
• Speaker identification
• Search across meetings

Winner: Tie - Both produce useful outputs. Granola's templates give it an edge for teams wanting consistent formats.

Privacy & Security

Granola: Audio captured locally. Transcript generated on-device or with encrypted cloud processing. No third-party bot in your meetings. Participants aren't made aware. Enterprise security at trust.granola.ai.

Otter.ai: Bot joins calls and records. Audio sent to cloud. Participants see the bot. More visible data handling.

Winner: Granola - For sensitive business conversations, the no-bot approach and local capture provide meaningful privacy benefits.

Pricing

Granola: Free tier available. Paid plans for teams and power users.

Otter.ai: Free tier (limited minutes). Pro plans from ~$17/month.

Winner: Tie - Both offer reasonable pricing. Check current plans for specifics.

Platform Support

Granola: macOS, Windows, iOS

Otter.ai: Web, iOS, Android, browser extensions, integrations

Winner: Otter.ai - Broader platform support, especially for Android and web-only users.

When to Choose Each

Choose Granola If:

• You want natural meeting dynamics (no bot awkwardness)
• You have in-person meetings to capture
• Privacy matters for your conversations
• You want to combine your notes with AI transcription
• You use Mac, Windows, or iOS

Try Granola free →

Choose Otter.ai If:

• You need Android support
• You want deep integrations with specific platforms
• Bot visibility is a feature for you (transparency)
• You primarily do large webinars where bot presence doesn't matter

My Experience

I switched from Otter to Granola six months ago, and I'm not going back. The difference in meeting quality is real:

With Otter: I'd sometimes skip enabling it for sensitive 1:1s or client calls because the bot felt intrusive. Important conversations went uncaptured.

With Granola: I capture everything. Client calls, team meetings, personal conversations, coffee chats at conferences. Nobody feels surveilled. My notes are comprehensive.

The iOS app changed my conference experience. Walking between sessions, grabbing coffee with someone interesting, impromptu hallway conversations—all captured with a single tap from my lock screen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it legal to record meetings without telling participants?

Does Otter.ai work if I don't want the bot in my meetings?

Can Granola identify different speakers like Otter does?

Which is better for large team meetings?

Does Granola work with Microsoft Teams?

Can I use both Granola and Otter together?

Related Reading

• Full Granola Review - Deep dive after months of daily use
• Top AI Voice Tools for 2025 - Complete voice productivity stack
• WisprFlow Review - Voice-to-text for the rest of your workflow