Free alternatives to Granola

Granola rearranged, literally: local recording, local transcript and your own model.

Versus paying: It is the closest local analogue, but has a smaller, younger workflow and requires model/provider configuration instead of Granola's polished managed notes, sharing and collaborator experience.

Setup: Native desktop download; building and self-hosting from source are also supported

Watch for: Local transcription is limited to supported Apple Silicon Macs; other systems need hosted/BYOK transcription, while fully local summaries require installing and configuring Ollama or LM Studio

8,961 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

A local meeting recorder that writes the transcript and summary without inviting a bot or your legal department.

Versus paying: The Community Edition records and summarizes locally, but Granola's refined note editor, collaboration and automatic context are stronger, while advanced templates, exports and diarization sit in Meetily Pro.

Setup: Signed Windows x64 installer or Apple-silicon macOS DMG; Linux currently requires a source build

Watch for: Windows and Apple-silicon macOS install cleanly but still need audio permissions and model downloads; Linux requires Rust/Node source-build tooling, and several advanced summary/export/diarization workflows are Pro-only

28,357 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

A Mac menu-bar recorder that notices the call, separates speakers and writes a Markdown protocol; ninety-seven stars, fourteen hundred commits.

Versus paying: It outputs a strong local protocol, but is Mac-only and file-oriented rather than Granola's live collaborative notepad with a polished cloud history.

Setup: Third-party Homebrew cask on macOS; source build is also supported

Watch for: Requires macOS 14.2+, a third-party Homebrew tap trust step, microphone/accessibility permissions, first-run model downloads, and a Claude CLI login or local/API LLM if you want generated notes

97 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

Granola and Wispr Flow sharing one Mac menu-bar icon: local capture, speaker labels, templates and your choice of model.

Versus paying: It offers excellent private capture and templates, but is Apple-silicon Mac-only and lacks Granola's mature collaborative workspace and effortless managed service.

Setup: Signed macOS DMG or Homebrew cask

Watch for: Requires Apple Silicon and macOS 14.2+, microphone/accessibility/system-audio permissions, and a first model download; cloud summaries need an account or API key unless you configure Ollama or LM Studio

890 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

A cross-platform local notepad that records the call, separates speakers and keeps searchable notes.

Versus paying: It can create searchable meeting notes, but it is broader and more configurable than Granola, while cloud sharing, sync and some advanced meeting capabilities require its paid service.

Setup: Native DMG, EXE, AppImage, DEB or RPM; optional OpenWhispr Cloud account

Watch for: The installer is straightforward, but meeting capture needs microphone/accessibility and sometimes system-audio permissions plus model downloads; cloud processing, sharing and sync require an account or provider key and some meeting features are paid

5,223 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)