The honest comparison
A Granola alternative that keeps the recording
Granola made bot-free meeting notes feel effortless, and for many people it is the right tool. Teams look elsewhere when they need the audio to check a quote, their data processed in Europe, or the same notes for interviews, phone calls and uploaded files. Here is how the two compare.
Record with or without a bot: desktop app, mobile app or meeting assistant
Every line of the notes linked to the audio
Processed and stored in the EU, never used to train AI
Switching takes one meeting
Pick how you record
Record locally from your Mac with the Klang app, with no bot in the call, or send Klang's assistant to Teams, Zoom or Google Meet when you would rather not run anything on your machine. In-person meetings and phone calls go through the mobile app.
Get notes and the transcript
Klang transcribes, separates the speakers and drafts a summary with decisions and ToDos. The recording stays with the notes, so you can play back any moment.
Use what was said
Ask questions across months of meetings, run the same analysis every week, or send the notes to Slack, Notion, HubSpot or Pipedrive automatically.
Weekly product sync
Decisions
- Ship the new onboarding to 10% of signups on Monday.at 12:48
- Pricing page copy stays as it is until the test ends.at 19:05
ToDos
- Maya: set up the rollout flag
- Jonas: share test results on Friday
Invented meeting, shown to illustrate the format. Each time code plays the recording from that moment.
Ask across every meeting, not just one.
All your conversations live in one searchable place. Ask what was decided about a topic over the last quarter and get an answer with a reference to each meeting and moment.
Check the quote, not your memory.
Klang keeps the recording with the transcript. Play it back with the text scrolling along, and correct anything before you share it.
Notes go where the work is.
Send the report from every meeting to Slack, Microsoft Teams or Notion, and keep HubSpot or Pipedrive up to date, under the conditions you set once.
All integrations
Granola vs Klang, in detail
Both tools turn meetings into notes with AI. They make different choices about recordings, data and scope, and those choices decide which one fits. The facts about Granola below are from its own pricing and security pages, read on 19 October 2026.
What Granola does well
Granola captures audio from your device instead of sending a bot into the call, which many people prefer. Its notes build on what you type during the meeting, it has desktop and mobile apps, and its free Basic plan is a genuinely useful way to start. Granola states SOC 2 Type 2 compliance and offers a data processing agreement on request.
Why teams look for an alternative
The reasons that come up most:
- No recording to go back to: Granola says it does not store the audio from meetings, only transcripts and notes. When a quote or a number matters, there is nothing to replay.
- Data location: Granola stores notes in a US-hosted AWS environment and uses third-party AI providers. For European organisations that can mean extra transfer assessments.
- Built for meetings: Granola focuses on meeting notes. Uploading recordings you already have, or analysing many interviews together, is not what it is built for.
- History on the free plan: Granola's Basic plan keeps 30 days of meeting history.
Where Klang is different
Klang keeps the recording, and every line of a transcript or summary stays linked to it. It processes and stores data in the EU, encrypts it at rest with keys specific to your workspace, never uses it to train AI, and is ISO 27001:2022 certified. Organisations with stricter requirements can run Klang single-tenant with their own encryption keys, or on-premise.
Klang is also built for more than meetings. Upload audio and video, record interviews and phone calls with the mobile app, and analyse many conversations together, for example every customer call from a month, with answers that cite the moment they come from.
Bot or no bot
You do not have to choose one approach. The Klang app for Mac records meetings in Google Meet, Zoom and Teams locally, with no bot in the call. When you would rather not keep your laptop busy, or you are not attending yourself, Klang's assistant can join instead. Both end up in the same workspace.
Granola and Klang side by side
Granola facts from granola.ai/pricing and granola.ai/security, 19 October 2026:
| Granola | Klang | |
|---|---|---|
| How it records | Device audio, no bot | Mac app with no bot, meeting assistant, or mobile app |
| Recording kept | No, audio is not stored | Yes, every line linked to the audio |
| Where notes are stored | US-hosted AWS | EU; single-tenant or on-premise available |
| Certification | SOC 2 Type 2 | ISO 27001:2022 |
| Interviews, calls and uploads | Phone calls in the mobile app; no file upload stated | Yes: upload audio and video, record calls and interviews |
| Free plan | AI notes, 30 days of history | Unlimited transcription, summaries and chat |
Product details change. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Granola alternative?
It depends on why you are switching. If you need the audio to check what was said, EU data processing, or one tool for meetings, interviews, calls and uploaded files, Klang is built for that. If you only want lightweight personal notes and are fine with US hosting, Granola remains a good choice.
Can Klang record meetings without a bot?
Yes. The Klang app for Mac records Google Meet, Zoom and Teams meetings from your computer without a bot joining. You can also send Klang's assistant to the call, or record in person with the mobile app.
Does Klang keep the meeting audio?
Yes. The recording is stored with the transcript, so you can play back any moment and check any line before you share the notes.
Where is my data stored?
In the EU. Data is encrypted at rest with workspace-specific keys and never used to train AI. Klang is ISO 27001:2022 certified and signs a data processing agreement.
Can I try it before switching?
Yes. Start on the free plan, or try Pro free for seven days. Run it alongside your current tool for a week and compare the notes from the same meetings.
Compare them on your own meetings.
Record this week's meetings with Klang alongside your current notes and see which ones you would rather share.
- Processed and stored in the EU
- ISO 27001:2022 certified
- Never used to train AI