Granola vs Shmeetings
Comparing a privacy-first offline meeting assistant with a hybrid AI note-taking app
What is Granola?
Granola is a hybrid note-taking app that combines manual note-taking with AI enhancement. You type notes during meetings, and Granola uses transcription and AI to fill in the gaps and expand your bullet points into fuller summaries. It's designed for people who want to stay engaged in meetings while still getting AI-assisted notes.
The approach is interesting: rather than fully automating note-taking, Granola enhances the notes you're already taking. Some people prefer this because it keeps them active in the meeting rather than passively listening while AI does everything.
Granola requires cloud processing for its transcription and AI features. Your audio gets sent to external servers, though they don't store recordings permanently. Pricing is $18/month for individuals or $14/user for teams.
The Core Difference
Granola and Shmeetings have different philosophies when it comes to AI meeting assistance.
Granola is for people who want to take notes during meetings. You type some of the notes during the meeting (like bullet points), and the AI uses your typed notes and the transcript from the meeting to expand those bullet points into longer summaries. That way you are actively involved in the meeting instead of just listening and letting the AI write down everything for you.
Shmeetings is totally automatic. There is no typing required during the meeting. The AI takes care of transcribing everything that was said, summarizes everything, pulls out action items for you and performs these functions entirely within your local environment (the Mac).
Granola would likely fit your workflow if you prefer to take notes during a meeting and would like to see that work enhanced with AI. Shmeetings would fit your workflow if you would like to participate in the meeting without having to worry about typing anything and if you would prefer to keep all of your data private and local (on your Mac).
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Shmeetings | Granola |
|---|---|---|
| Data Privacy | 100% Local Processing Never leaves your computer | Cloud Processing Audio sent to servers |
| Bot Joins Call | No Invisible to participants | No Direct audio capture |
| Note-Taking Style | Fully Automated No manual input needed | Hybrid You take notes, AI enhances |
| Custom Prompts | Unlimited Any prompt, any length | Custom Templates Create your own formats |
| Works Offline | Yes No internet needed | No Requires internet for AI |
| In-Person Meetings | Full Support Records from any audio source | Yes iPhone app available |
| Mobile Support | Mac Only Desktop application | Mac + iPhone Cross-device support |
| Pricing | $39 once Lifetime license | $18/month Per user subscription |
Privacy and Your Meeting Data
Granola does send your meeting recording off to the cloud for transcription and AI enhancements. They claim that after it is processed, the recording is deleted so it will never be stored, however; since your recording does leave your device for a short period of time, it may still cause concern.
On the other hand, Shmeetings does all of the AI work right on your Mac so your meeting recordings never leave your machine.
Granola is supported on both iOS and Android devices and might process quicker since the AI work is being done in the cloud as opposed to on your device. Shmeetings, however, keeps all of your data private and local and also only works on Mac hardware for the AI processing power.
Who Should Use Each Tool
Choose Shmeetings If You:
- Need 100% offline privacy
- Want fully automated notes without typing
- Handle sensitive or confidential conversations
- Prefer a one-time purchase over subscriptions
- Want to focus on the meeting, not on typing
- Can't get approval for cloud AI tools at work
Choose Granola If You:
- Prefer taking your own notes with AI enhancement
- Need iPhone support for mobile meetings
- Want to stay actively engaged during meetings
- Like the hybrid manual + AI approach
- Don't mind cloud processing for transcription
- Want to chat with AI about past meetings
Pricing: One-Time vs Subscription
Granola charges $18 per month for individual subscriptions or $14 per user per month for teams. This can add up quickly, especially if you have several team members.
Shmeetings costs $39. That is the total price. Once you pay that price, you never have to pay again for Shmeetings. To illustrate how cheap Shmeetings is, if you had to buy Granola for three months, you would have spent more money than the cost of buying Shmeetings forever.
| Plan | 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shmeetings | $39 | $39 | $39 |
| Granola Individual | $216 | $648 | $1,080 |
| Granola Business | $168/user | $504/user | $840/user |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to manually type notes with Shmeetings?
No. As mentioned earlier, Shmeetings is completely automatic. The AI will automatically transcribe everything that was said and create a summary of the discussion without you ever needing to type a single note.
Will Granola save my recorded meeting?
Granola claims they delete all recordings immediately after processing. However, your meeting recording is sent to the cloud where it is used for transcription and AI enhancements before it is deleted. Shmeetings does not send any recordings to the cloud. All of the AI work is performed on your Mac.
Is there an iPhone app for Shmeetings?
No. Unfortunately, Shmeetings currently only supports Mac desktop applications. If you are looking to capture a meeting on your iPhone and/or Android, Granola does offer an app for iOS and Android.
Would I be able to remain focused on the conversation with either of the two tools?
It really comes down to how you like to work. With Granola, you remain engaged in the conversation because you have to take notes during the meeting. With Shmeetings, you can remain entirely focused on the conversation and let the AI handle the note-taking for you. Both methods have their supporters.
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