The best Granola alternatives in 2026
6 tools compared on what they do best, free plans, prices and recording without a bot.
The short answer
If you like Granola because there's no bot, Acta and Jamie also record without one; Acta also writes the notes for you and tracks action items and decisions afterwards. Fathom and Otter join as a bot with stronger free plans, Fellow adds shared agendas, and tl;dv has a bot-free desktop app with multi-meeting reports.
Why people look for a Granola alternative
You have to type
Granola builds on the notes you write. If you'd rather stay in the conversation, you want a tool that writes them for you.
No notetaker when you're away
Granola is bot-free only, so it can't cover meetings you can't attend.
Notes, then nothing
There's no tracker for action items or a decision log that carries across meetings.
Granola alternatives side by side
| Tool | Best for | Free plan or trial | Paid plans | Without a bot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acta | Teams that want follow-through: role-specific reports, action items tracked to done and a decision log. | 15-day free trial | Pro, per user | Desktop app & Chrome extension |
| Jamie | People who only want bot-free notes, online and in person. | About 10 meetings/month | See their pricing page | Bot-free only |
| Fathom | People who want free unlimited recording with short summaries. | Unlimited recording, limited AI | From about $16/month | Bot joins the call |
| Otter | People who want a live transcript to follow and highlight during the call. | 300 min/month, 30-min calls | From about $8.33/user/month | Bot joins the call |
| Fellow | Managers who want shared agendas and meeting notes in one workspace. | 5 AI notes + 5 recordings per user, in total | See their pricing page | Desktop app (Mac, Windows) |
| tl;dv | Teams that want recordings with scheduled multi-meeting reports. | Limited AI notes | From about $18/seat/month | Desktop app |
Other tools' details are from their public pages and reviews as of November 2026 and October 2026; see the sources below. Plans and prices change, so check each vendor's pricing page.
The alternatives, one by one
- 1
Acta
Bot-free like Granola from its desktop app and Chrome extension, or a notetaker when you can't attend. Acta writes the notes, tracks action items with daily follow-ups and keeps a decision log.
Best for: Teams that want follow-through: role-specific reports, action items tracked to done and a decision log.
Try Acta free for 15 days - 2
Jamie
Bot-free only, for online and in-person meetings, if staying bot-free matters most.
Best for: People who only want bot-free notes, online and in person.
Acta vs Jamie - 3
Fathom
If a bot is fine and you want unlimited free recording.
Best for: People who want free unlimited recording with short summaries.
Acta vs Fathom - 4
Otter
Live transcripts and AI Chat, joining as a bot.
Best for: People who want a live transcript to follow and highlight during the call.
Acta vs Otter - 5
Fellow
Shared agendas and notes for managers, with a desktop app.
Best for: Managers who want shared agendas and meeting notes in one workspace.
Acta vs Fellow - 6
tl;dv
A bot-free desktop recorder plus scheduled reports across meetings.
Best for: Teams that want recordings with scheduled multi-meeting reports.
Acta vs tl;dv
How to choose
- Decide whether you ever need a notetaker for meetings you miss; bot-free-only tools can't do that.
- If you type notes today, try a tool that writes them for a week and compare.
- For in-person meetings, check for a mobile app.
What's the best Granola alternative for Windows?
Acta's desktop app runs on Windows and Mac and records Zoom, Teams or any call without a bot. Jamie and tl;dv also have desktop apps.
Which Granola alternative writes the notes for me?
Acta writes the summary, action items and decisions without you typing, and fills report templates such as MEDDPICC or interview scorecards.
Can a bot-free notetaker record in-person meetings?
Yes. Acta's mobile app for iPhone and Android records in-person meetings, and Jamie also supports them.
Sources
- https://docs.granola.ai/help-center/getting-more-from-your-notes/chatting-with-your-meetings
- https://skillscouter.com/granola-review/
- https://www.usecarly.com/blog/granola-pricing/
- https://www.meetjamie.ai/solutions/ai-note-taker-for-in-person-meetings
- https://docs.meetjamie.ai/
- https://meetergo.com/en/magazine/jamie-pricing
- https://www.itechguides.com/products/jamie/
- https://sonix.ai/resources/fathom-pricing/
- https://www.usecarly.com/blog/fathom-pricing/
- https://fathom.ai/solutions/teams
- https://www.fathom.ai/solutions/sales
- https://sonix.ai/resources/otter-ai-review-pricing/
- https://pipeline.zoominfo.com/sales/otter-ai-features
- https://help.fellow.ai/en/articles/14048971-ways-to-record-your-meetings-in-fellow
- https://meetgeek.ai/blog/fellow-ai-review
- https://www.costbench.com/software/ai-meeting-assistants/fellow-app/
- https://fellow.ai/blog/fellow-mobile-app/
- https://yespress.io/products/tl-dv.md
- https://usagepricing.com/blueprint/tldv
- https://www.meetjamie.ai/en/blog/tldv-pricing