Earkeep
The Granola alternative you never have to type into
Last updated: · Reviewed quarterly
Neither puts a bot in your call. Granola wants your bullets during the meeting and processes audio in its cloud; Earkeep captures everything on your device, and you mark the meeting afterwards.
14-day full trial, no account required.
- Nothing to type during the call
- Audio never leaves your computer
- €39 once, not $14 per seat
The short answer
For a polished notepad wired to Notion and Slack, Granola is more mature. For zero interaction and a complete record in plain files, Earkeep.
Why people look for a Granola alternative
Nothing to type, nothing to start
Granola works per meeting and wants your bullets. One user says it "only produces notes for ~60% of my calls." Earkeep asks for nothing; you drag the span afterwards.
Processed on your device, not in a cloud
Granola processes in its cloud, with no offline mode. Earkeep keeps audio in memory on your machine and never uploads it.
A verbatim transcript, in files you own
Granola gives AI-expanded notes, which one VC found "very very short". Earkeep keeps everything said as plain files for your agent to summarise.
Side by side
| Capability | Earkeep | Granola |
|---|---|---|
| Always-on capture | Continuous, no start/stop | Explicit, per meeting |
| Nothing to do during the meeting | Nothing at all | Type bullets for its AI to expand |
| Bot-free | No participant joins | No participant joins |
| Audio processed on your device | In memory, never uploaded | Granola's cloud |
| Full verbatim transcript | Everything that was said | AI-expanded notes only |
| AI-written notes when it ends | Via an agent you connect | Its core output, from your bullets |
| Retroactive spans | Or marked by your calendar | No timeline or spans |
| Your own agents can read it | ACP agents plus an MCP server | API on the $35/user/mo tier |
| Share with people who weren't there | Via your agent, where your team reads | Shared notes they can question |
| Connects to Notion, Slack and HubSpot | Via your agent's own connections | Native, plus a Slack digest |
| Team admin and SSO | One licence, one device | On the Enterprise tier |
| Free tier that doesn't expire | 14 days free, then €39 once | Free, but capped at 25 notes in total |
| Pricing | €39 once, one device | Free to 25 notes, then $14-35/user/mo |
| Platform | macOS 13+, Windows 10+ | macOS; Windows and Linux less polished |
Built inNo, but an agent you connect canPartlyNot available
What each one costs by year five
Switching takes an afternoon
- Install it, then forget about it for a day. It captures from the start. There is no import; your Granola notes stay where they are.
- Mark yesterday, or connect a calendar. Drag a span across the timeline, or connect Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook or any ICS URL.
- Cancel the subscription once you trust it. The 14-day trial needs no account or card, and what Earkeep kept is already plain files.
Which one fits you
Choose Earkeep if
You want the meeting tool to disappear, and the record to be yours.
- You want a complete record, not the bits you flagged
- The audio must not leave the machine
- You'd rather pay once than per seat forever
- Your own agents should read your meetings
- Much is said in huddles never on a calendar
Choose Granola if
Granola is the more mature product for a few real reasons, and it's worth saying so plainly.
- You want AI-authored notes the moment a call ends
- You live in Google Workspace, Notion, HubSpot or Slack
- You need shareable notes, or org-wide SSO and admin
- Your main machine runs Linux
Other tools people weigh this against
Frequently asked questions
Is Earkeep a good Granola alternative?
Yes, if the draw was no bot. It drops the typing and the cloud, but doesn't write notes for you yet.
Does Earkeep require typing anything during a meeting, like Granola does?
No. Earkeep captures in the background with nothing to type or press. You mark the span afterward, or your calendar does it for you.
Does Granola's data ever leave the device?
Yes, per Granola's own product description its processing is cloud-side. Earkeep's audio stays in memory on your device, never written to disk or uploaded.
Is there a free version of Earkeep like Granola's free tier?
A 14-day full trial with no email or account, then €39 once. No capped free tier.
Does Earkeep produce the same kind of AI-expanded notes as Granola?
Not yet. Earkeep keeps the verbatim transcript as plain local files and leaves summaries to the agent you run through its ACP agents or MCP server.
Can I use Earkeep on Windows if my team isn't all on Mac?
Yes, on Windows 10 or later (64-bit). There it transcribes on the CPU, and the build is not code-signed yet, so SmartScreen warns on first run. All builds →
Try it yourself
14-day full trial, no account required.