Granola vs Fathom vs Otter for Meeting Notes 2026

Granola ($18/month), Fathom (free-$32/month), and Otter.ai (free-$16.99/month) are the top three AI meeting note takers in 2026. Granola works without a bot. Fathom is the generous free tier option. Otter has the most integrations.

Granola

Granola ($18/month) is a Mac app that augments your own notes with AI without joining calls as a bot. You type during meetings; Granola combines your notes with AI analysis. More private than Otter since no bot joins the call.

Best for: professionals who prefer writing their own notes and want AI to enhance rather than replace them. No bot attendee.

Fathom

Fathom (free, $32/month for Team) automatically joins Zoom and Google Meet calls as a bot, records, transcribes, and generates summaries. Free tier is genuinely usable: unlimited meeting recordings with AI summaries. The most generous free tier of the three.

Best for: users who want automatic meeting capture without cost. Free tier handles most individual needs.

Otter.ai

Otter.ai (free-$16.99/month) has the most integrations: Zoom, Teams, Google Meet bots, shared notes, action item tracking, Salesforce integration. The most complete platform.

Best for: teams needing structured shared meeting records with CRM integration.

Nemos for Private On-Device Notes

For meetings where cloud transcription is not acceptable: Nemos records iPhone audio on-device, transcribes locally, keeps audio private. No bot joins the call. Free, unlimited.

Choosing Based on Workflow

How many meetings per week do you record? Under 5: Fathom free tier covers all of them. 5-15 with Zoom/Meet integration needed: Fathom Pro or Otter free tier. Enterprise team with CRM requirements: Fireflies.

Do you prefer writing your own notes? Granola is the only tool that enhances your notes rather than replacing them. If you’re a note-taker who wants AI augmentation without giving up control, Granola is uniquely positioned.

Privacy-sensitive meetings: Nemos on iPhone records and, with “Transcribe on this device” on, transcribes on-device. No bot, and with that setting on, no audio leaves the device. Best for confidential client calls, healthcare conversations, or legal discussions.