AI notetaker that records, transcribes, summarizes and searches meetings across Zoom, Meet and Teams.
Granola vs Happy Scribe
Features, pricing, strengths and trade-offs — and which one fits your situation.
The verdict
Summary
Granola is best for professionals who want bot-free AI notes that build on their own jotted notes, while Happy Scribe is best for transcribing and subtitling media files in many languages, with an optional meeting notetaker. Only Granola offers records without a bot joining and cRM sync. Only Happy Scribe offers transcribe uploaded files. Both Granola and Happy Scribe offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which should you choose?
Choose Granola if…
- You need professionals who want bot-free AI notes that build on their own jotted notes
- Records without a bot joining matters to you
- CRM sync matters to you
- You're one of: founders and investors, consultants, product managers
Choose Happy Scribe if…
- You need transcribing and subtitling media files in many languages, with an optional meeting notetaker
- Transcribe uploaded files matters to you
- You're one of: video editors and subtitlers, journalists and researchers, podcasters
- Very broad language coverage for transcription and translation
At a glance
| Granola | Happy Scribe | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Professionals who want bot-free AI notes that build on their own jotted notes | Transcribing and subtitling media files in many languages, with an optional meeting notetaker |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | From $14/user/mo | From $8.50/mo |
| Learning curve | Low | Low |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android, API |
| Ideal for | Founders and investors, Consultants, Product managers, People in back-to-back meetings | Video editors and subtitlers, Journalists and researchers, Podcasters, Multilingual teams |
Feature comparison
| Granola | Happy Scribe | |
|---|---|---|
| Records without a bot joining | Yes | No |
| Meeting platforms | Any (device audio) | Zoom, Meet, Teams |
| Transcription languages | 30+ languages | 150+ languages |
| CRM sync | Yes | No |
| Ask AI across meetings | Yes | Limited |
| Speaker identification | Limited | Yes |
| In-person / mobile recording | Yes | Yes |
| Transcribe uploaded files | No | Yes |
| Translation | Limited | Yes |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Granola | Happy Scribe | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Enterprise plan | Enterprise plan |
| SCIM user provisioning | Enterprise plan | — |
| SOC 2 | Type II | Type II |
| ISO 27001 | — | — |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | — | — |
| GDPR DPA | Yes | Yes |
| Data residency options | — | EU |
| No training on your data | Enterprise plan | — |
| Audit logs | — | — |
| Admin controls | Enterprise plan | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud (desktop app) | Cloud |
From each vendor's security documentation. "—" = not confirmed. What to ask vendors · Compare all tools
What each tool does
Granola
Granola is an AI notepad that captures meeting audio directly from your device without a bot joining the call. You type rough notes during the meeting and Granola combines them with the transcript to produce structured notes afterwards. It runs on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android and supports chat across past meetings.
Key features- Bot-free device-audio capture on desktop and mobile
- Enhances your own notes with the transcript using templates
- Chat across meetings and folders
- Mobile apps for in-person meetings
- HubSpot, Attio and Affinity CRM integrations
- MCP connector for Claude and ChatGPT
Happy Scribe
Happy Scribe is a Europe-based transcription and subtitling platform that converts uploaded audio and video into editable transcripts and subtitles in 150+ languages. It also offers a calendar-connected notetaker for Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, mobile recording apps, AI translation and an optional human transcription service.
Key features- AI transcription in 150+ languages with speaker detection
- Subtitle editor with 15+ export formats on higher plans
- AI translation into 80+ languages
- Meeting notetaker for Zoom, Meet and Teams
- Optional human-verified transcription and subtitles
- iOS and Android apps for in-person recording
Pricing
Granola
Free plan: yes (limited). Paid from ~$14/user/mo (Business)
Happy Scribe
Free tier (meeting recording + 10-min AI trial); Basic $8.50/mo annual ($17 monthly)
Prices last checked September 2026. Plans change often — confirm on each vendor's site.
Pros and cons
Granola
Strengths- No bot joins the call, so it works with any meeting app
- Notes reflect what you flagged as important
- Clean, simple interface with little setup
- Available on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android
- No video recording; audio transcript only
- Speaker attribution is limited compared with bot-based tools
- Free tier keeps only a limited meeting history
- Cannot transcribe uploaded audio or video files
Not ideal for: Teams that need video recordings, clip sharing or detailed per-speaker analytics should choose a bot-based recorder.
Happy Scribe
Strengths- Very broad language coverage for transcription and translation
- Strong subtitle editing and export options for video work
- Human transcription available when accuracy is critical
- EU data storage and SOC 2 Type II certification
- Minute-based quotas on every plan; heavy users need higher tiers
- No bot-free desktop recorder yet (Mac/Windows apps listed as coming soon)
- CRM integration not yet available
- Basic plan limited to SRT subtitle export
Not ideal for: Sales teams that want CRM syncing and conversation analytics from their calls should choose a dedicated sales meeting assistant.
Integrations
Granola
Happy Scribe
FAQ
What is the main difference between Granola and Happy Scribe?
Granola is built for professionals who want bot-free AI notes that build on their own jotted notes; Happy Scribe is built for transcribing and subtitling media files in many languages, with an optional meeting notetaker. Key differences: Granola offers records without a bot joining and cRM sync; Happy Scribe offers transcribe uploaded files.
Is Granola or Happy Scribe cheaper?
Granola starts from $14/user/mo and Happy Scribe starts from $8.50/mo (as of September 2026). On entry price, Happy Scribe is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Granola and Happy Scribe have free plans?
Both Granola and Happy Scribe offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which is easier to use, Granola or Happy Scribe?
Both have a low learning curve.
What are good alternatives to Granola and Happy Scribe?
Other meetings tools worth comparing include Fireflies.ai, Otter.ai and Fathom.
