MeetKeep vs Granola

Both start from the same premise: no bot in the call, just your computer’s audio. They part ways at the next step. Granola sends that audio to third-party providers — Deepgram and AssemblyAI — trains on anonymised data by default unless you opt out, and its free tier shows only the last 30 days. MeetKeep does all of it on your Mac for $39 once, and the library stays there.

Facts verified on 2026-08-26

Audio never goes to a third partyGranola’s own docs say audio is passed to its transcription providers (and not retained afterwards). MeetKeep runs the model on your Mac — the audio touches nobody’s servers.

Your library does not expire in 30 daysGranola’s free tier only shows notes from the last 30 days in-app — older ones are kept but locked until you pay. MeetKeep’s meetings live on your Mac, permanently, fully searchable.

$39 once — and Granola has no annual planAbove free, Granola jumps straight to Business at $14/user/month — its docs state billing is monthly only, no annual discount, so $168 a year. MeetKeep is $39 once.

Head to head

Feature	MeetKeepLocal meeting notetaker for MacFacts verified on 2026-08-26 ↗	GranolaAI notepad, cloud processingFacts verified on 2026-08-27 ↗
Privacy & data
No bot joins the call	YesCaptures system audio, never joins	YesUses computer audio, no bot
Where audio is transcribed	On-device (never uploaded)	Cloud (third-party providers)Deepgram / AssemblyAI transcribe; AWS stores
Works offline	Yes	No
Audio/transcripts used for training?	NoData never leaves your Mac	PartialTrains on de-identified data by default; opt-out
Pricing
Pricing model	$39 one-time	Subscription: Business $14/user/moMonthly only, no annual; no individual tier
First-year cost (individual paid tier)	$39	$168
Every year after	$0 — free updates forever	$168 again, every year
Free tier	14-day full trial	Yes; history limited to 30 days
Transcription & notes
Speaker separation	Yes	PartialZoom on macOS, Meet via extension; else just Me/Them
Voiceprint recognition across meetings	YesLocal voiceprints; any platform, and in person	Not verified
Notes traceable back to the audio	Yes	Not verified
Transcription languages	Chinese, English + 25 European languages	Not verified
Platform
Native Mac app	YesApple Silicon, macOS 15+	Yes
Mobile app	No	YesiOS, Android, plus Apple Watch
Bring your own AI key (BYOK)	YesAny provider; only text is sent	No
Individuals can buy directly	Yes	Yes

Prices and features belong to their vendors. Each column shows when it was last verified — spot something stale and we would like to hear about it.

Which one is for you

Choose MeetKeep if…

“No bot” is not enough: you need the audio to stay on your Mac.

You need a permanent, searchable library, not a 30-day window.

You need Chinese transcription, or you meet on Tencent Meeting, Lark or DingTalk.

You want speaker separation to work the same everywhere, not per platform.

Try MeetKeep free for 14 days

Granola is the better fit if…

You want it on your phone — Granola has iOS, Android and Apple Watch; MeetKeep is Mac-only.

You like its notepad approach: jot during the call, let AI fill in the rest.

Your team is on Windows, or needs shared cloud notes.

Where they win, we say so. An all-green table is worth nothing.

What three years cost

MeetKeep$39

One purchase. Updates free forever.

Granola$504

$14/user/month × 36 months (no annual option).

Questions

Granola also skips the bot — so what does MeetKeep add on privacy?

The difference is where the audio ends up. Skipping the bot solves the social problem — nobody sees a notetaker. But Granola still sends the audio to its transcription providers. MeetKeep runs the model locally, so audio, voiceprints and screen content never leave your Mac — which is also why it works with no network at all.

How does speaker separation compare?

Granola’s depends on the platform: Zoom works on macOS, Google Meet needs a browser extension, and elsewhere it falls back to “Me” and “Them”. MeetKeep separates speakers everywhere, and adds voiceprints — enrol someone once and they are named automatically in every later meeting.

Is the $39 really the whole price?

$39 once, two Macs, free updates forever, a 14-day trial and a 14-day refund. AI notes use your own API key — only text is sent to the provider you choose, never audio.

Your next meeting, just show up

14-day full-featured trial. No credit card, no subscription.

Download for Mac See all 12 tools compared

macOS 15+ · Apple Silicon · $39 once