Granola vs Screenpipe (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Granola: it is third in our ranking of AI meeting note takers, and it grades higher too, 3.0 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Granola grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Granola
AI notepad that transcribes meetings from device audio, no bot
Screenpipe
Records your screen and audio locally so AI can use your history
Which one is for you
Pick Granola if
- Fits if you don't want a bot showing up in your meetings
- Works for people in back-to-back calls on Zoom, Meet and Teams who jot their own points
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to look back at old notes without paying, since the free plan only shows the last 30 days
- Not for you if you want it in a browser or on Linux, since there's no web app, extension or Linux app
- Pricey if you need Notion, HubSpot or Zapier, which start on Business at $14, or SSO and Salesforce at $35 a head
- Watch out: billing is monthly only below Enterprise, and you must sign in with a Google or Microsoft account
- Not for you if your Mac can't run macOS 14, or if you need to edit the raw notes yourself
Pick Screenpipe if
- Fits if you want your work history searchable, on your own device
- Works for people who already use Claude or Codex and want it to see their day
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want only meeting notes, as it records the whole screen and audio
- Tight if you stay free, as searchable history is limited
- Watch out: it lists about 30 GB of storage a month at default settings
- Pricey if you want a team: shared context isn't on Business, only Enterprise
- Skip it if you want a phone app, as only desktop systems are listed
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAGranolaVery good | 2.2GPAScreenpipeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$14 a person a month, middling money in a category that starts near $10, and billed monthly only — there's no cheaper yearly price unless you're on an Enterprise contract, and those start at $35 a head. | C$21 a month for Basic, or $250 a year, above the category's $15 and below its dearest tenth. Business is $42 a seat. |
| Free plan and trial | BNo daily limit on transcription, plus chat across meetings, shared folders and templates. The wall is time: only the last 30 days of notes are viewable, and Slack is the only integration. | BFree on one device for macOS, Windows or Linux, with limited searchable history and limited scheduled workflows. |
| Features | BNo bot in the call, notes built out of the few words you typed, chat across your whole history, shared folders, and an MCP hook so Claude or ChatGPT can read your notes. The app hook-ups and the API wait for Business. | CScreen, audio and meeting capture, local search and an MCP server. It's a work-history tool rather than a meeting recorder, and shared team context needs Enterprise. |
| Ease of use | A4.96 from about 14,000 App Store ratings, the highest score in this category. Sign in with Google or Microsoft, connect your calendar, and it starts working. | CNo store rating on record. It's a local app that records everything, and getting value means connecting it to AI tools through MCP. |
| Platforms and integrations | BMac, Windows, iPhone, Android and an Apple Watch app, with Slack on every plan and Notion, HubSpot, Attio, Affinity and Zapier from Business. No web app, no Linux, and the Mac app needs macOS 14 or later. | CDesktop only, for macOS, Windows and Linux, with a local API and an MCP server. |
| Best for | meeting notes without a bot in the call | a searchable record of your screen and audio |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Granola and Screenpipe. How we grade
Price against what you get
Granola starts at $14 a month for each person and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Screenpipe starts at $21 a month and scores 2.0.
Granola scores higher and starts $7 a month lower. Of the other AI meeting note takers on the chart, 6 score higher than Granola for less, and 51 score higher than Screenpipe for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Granola also covers chat assistant and templates.
- Screenpipe also covers screen recording.
At a glance
| Granola | Screenpipe | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $14 per user / month, billed monthly | $21 per month ($250 per year billed annually) |
| Free plan | Basic plan: AI meeting notes with no daily transcription limit, chat, shared folders and templates. Only the last 30 days of notes are viewable in the app, and Slack is the only integration. | Capture screen, audio and meetings on one device, search recent work and share selected context with AI tools. History is limited. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Granola, Inc. | Negentropy Labs, Inc. |
| Price read from | granola.ai | screenpipe.com |
| Checked | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Granola
- The free Basic plan shows only the last 30 days of notes; older notes need a Business subscription to view.
- Notion, HubSpot, Attio, Affinity and Zapier integrations start on Business; Salesforce, SSO and SCIM are Enterprise only.
- Basic and Business are billed monthly only; annual billing is offered on Enterprise contracts.
- There is no web app or browser extension, and the Mac app needs macOS 14 or later.
Screenpipe
- It records the whole screen and audio, not only meetings, and the site lists about 30 GB of storage a month at default settings.
- Searchable history is limited on the free plan; full history needs Basic at $21 a month.
- Shared context across teammates is not included on Business and needs Enterprise.
- System requirements list macOS 13 or later, Windows 10 or later and Linux, with 600 MB to 4 GB of RAM.
Key features
Granola
- Bot-free capture
- Transcribes from your device's microphone and system audio, so it works with Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams or other call software without adding a participant to the meeting.
- Notes built on what you type
- Type rough notes during the call and Granola expands them into a full write-up using the transcript. Custom templates control the structure of the result.
- Chat across meetings
- Ask questions about one meeting or your whole history, such as what you agreed to do this week. Basic uses automatic model choice; paid plans let you pick the model.
- Shared folders
- Notes are private until you share them. Shared folders give a team a common place for meeting notes and are included on every plan.
- MCP and API access
- An MCP connection lets assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT read your meeting notes. Basic exposes personal notes from the last 30 days; API access starts on Business.
- Phone apps for in-person meetings
- The iPhone and Android apps take notes away from the desk, for walking meetings, conferences or coffee catch-ups, and there is an Apple Watch app.
Screenpipe
- Screen and audio capture
- Combines accessibility data, screen frames with OCR as a fallback, and audio transcripts, stored in a local database on your device.
- Searchable history
- Search what you saw or heard, or scrub back through your day to the exact screen, document or conversation.
- Use with Claude, Codex and other AI tools
- A local REST API and MCP server give your own agents access to the history, so summaries and follow-ups can draw on meetings.
- Privacy controls
- You can exclude apps, windows and URLs and redact sensitive fields on the device before anything is stored.
- Scheduled workflows
- Install recurring workflows grounded in what is captured. Basic and above allow unlimited scheduled workflows; the free plan has a limited number.
- Source-available code
- The site describes the project as source-available and links to GitHub, with commercial source builds licensed under Enterprise.
Plans
Granola
Basic$0
AI meeting notes, chat across meetings, shared folders and note templates, with 30 days of meeting history.
Business$14
per user / month, billed monthly
Unlimited history, model selection in chat, pre-meeting briefs, API access and integrations such as Notion, HubSpot and Zapier.
Enterprise$35
per user / month, monthly or annual contract
Starting price. Adds SSO, SCIM, workspace-wide admin policies, usage analytics, HIPAA-compliant workspaces and Salesforce.
Screenpipe
Free$0
Start on one device for macOS, Windows or Linux with limited searchable history and limited scheduled workflows.
Basic$21
per month ($250 per year billed annually)
Full searchable local history across apps, meetings and audio, MCP context for AI tools, and unlimited scheduled workflows you install.
Business$42
per seat / month ($500 per seat per year billed annually)
Adds personal device sync, centralized billing and managed seats. Max and Ultra capacity tiers are offered. Shared team context is not included.
EnterpriseCustom
Shared team context, SSO, device and retention controls, dedicated support and a commercial license for source builds. Sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
Granola
- Startups
1 year of Business free for startups
Granola's startup program gives accepted companies 12 months of the Business plan at no cost. It is open to startups with fewer than 30 employees that have raised a pre-seed or seed round.
- Education
12 months free for students
Currently enrolled students at accredited universities in the US, UK and Canada can apply for 12 months of Granola Business free.
- Nonprofit
50% off Business for nonprofits
Registered nonprofits get 50% off the Business plan after verifying their status through Goodstack. Approval is at Granola's discretion.
Screenpipe
- Annual discount
Two months free on annual billing
Basic is $250 a year against $21 a month, saving $50. Business is $500 per seat a year against $42 a month, saving $100.
- Education
50% off the first month for students and faculty
Students, researchers and faculty get 50% off the first month of an individual subscription.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Granola or Screenpipe?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Granola starts at $14 per user / month, billed monthly, and Screenpipe starts at $21 per month ($250 per year billed annually). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Granola or Screenpipe?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Granola and Screenpipe have a free plan.
Which platforms do Granola and Screenpipe run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Granola lists iOS and Android apps and only Screenpipe lists a Linux app. Both list macOS and Windows apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.