Updated September 2026
The private Granola AI alternative
Granola got the bot-free part right. But your meeting audio is still processed by cloud AI models, so the privacy story ends at your network cable. We keep the whole pipeline on your device.
Windows 10 & 11 (64-bit) · Mac (Apple Silicon) · Free 7-day trial · No card, just your email.
| Private Notetaker | Granola | |
|---|---|---|
| Where meetings are processed | 100% on your device | Captures audio on your Mac, processes it with cloud AI |
| Bots in your meetings | Never | No bot, but your audio still leaves the machine |
| Works offline | Yes | No, it needs their cloud |
| How privacy is enforced | Architecture: audio never leaves your device | Policy: encryption and deletion promises; audio processed by third-party AI providers |
| Where your meetings live | Only on your own disk | Transcripts and notes stored in Granola's cloud |
| Price | $15/mo or $149 once, yours forever | Free Basic; Business $14/user/mo; Enterprise $35/user/mo (checked 2026-09-16) |
Granola facts and pricing as published 16 September 2026. Free plan with limited note history.
Their privacy is a policy.
Ours is architecture.
Privacy by policy
Every cloud note taker
- Hosted in a chosen region, so you trust where the servers are
- Encrypted in transit and at rest, so you trust the keys are handled well
- Deleted on request, so you trust the deletion actually happens
- "We don't train on your data", so you trust the pledge outlives the roadmap
Privacy by architecture
Private Notetaker
- ✓Audio is captured, transcribed, and summarized on your hardware
- ✓There is no server holding your meetings to breach or subpoena
- ✓Nothing to delete, because nothing was ever collected
- ✓No pledge required. The data simply is not there
Don't take our word for it. Turn WiFi off and watch it keep working.
I built this for myself. I live in back-to-back client calls, and I was never comfortable piping confidential conversations about clients' revenue, ad accounts, and contracts through someone else's cloud just to get a summary. So I made a note taker where everything stays on my machine. I have used it every working day since. Now I am opening it up.
Simple pricing. Either way, it is all yours.
Available for Windows & Mac. Pay once or monthly, whichever suits you.
Monthly
Cancel anytime. The notes you took stay yours.
- ✓Unlimited meetings and recording time
- ✓Local transcription and AI summaries
- ✓Full-history search on your device
- ✓Windows and Mac, light and dark mode
- ✓No account required to take notes
Lifetime
Pay once, yours forever. Includes updates.
- ✓Unlimited meetings and recording time
- ✓Local transcription and AI summaries
- ✓Full-history search on your device
- ✓Windows and Mac, light and dark mode
- ✓No account required to take notes
- ✓Never a subscription
Prefer to try first? Download the app and use it free for 7 days. No card, just your email. Buying charges right away and is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Granola AI questions, answered
Does Granola AI process meetings in the cloud? +
Yes. Granola captures audio on your Mac without a bot, then processes it with cloud AI models. Transcripts and notes are stored in Granola's cloud. Private Notetaker keeps the whole pipeline on your device: capture, transcription, and summaries never leave the machine.
Does Granola AI join meetings with a bot? +
No. Granola captures microphone and meeting audio on your computer, so nothing appears in the participant list. Bot-free is not the same as private: your audio still leaves the machine to be processed. Private Notetaker is also bot-free, and the audio stays on the device.
What is the difference between Private Notetaker and Granola AI? +
Granola got the bot-free part right. The privacy difference is where processing happens. Granola sends meeting audio to cloud transcription and AI providers; Private Notetaker runs Whisper-class speech-to-text and a local language model on your Mac or PC. Granola needs the network. Private Notetaker works offline. $15/mo or a $149 lifetime license, with a 7-day free trial and no card required.
Does Granola AI work offline? +
No. Capture is on-device, but transcription and notes need Granola's cloud AI. Private Notetaker transcribes and summarizes offline because both models run on your hardware.
Does Granola AI store meeting audio? +
Granola states it does not store the audio from meetings. Transcripts and notes are retained in Granola's cloud. Private Notetaker stores audio, transcripts, and notes only as files on your disk, and nothing is uploaded.
Is Granola AI HIPAA compliant? +
Granola's help centre states HIPAA support and BAAs are for Enterprise customers, not Free or Business plans. Private Notetaker does not claim HIPAA certification. Audio never leaves your device, so we never hold your meeting data. That is an architecture fact, not a compliance badge. Check the requirements for your profession.
Further reading
Your meetings are nobody else's business.
Download the AI note taker that keeps everything on your device. Free for 7 days. No card, no account, just your email.
Windows & Mac.