- Choose what happens after the call. HeyBob is for teams who want the action items done as well as written down.
- No bot is a starting point. Granola also offers bot-free notes. Fathom lists a bot-free beta on Mac, so check the capture options before switching.
- Read the limits. Free plans can limit minutes, summaries or the number of notes. HeyBob uses workspace credits rather than unlimited notes per person.
Granola alternatives at a glance
We make HeyBob, so we list it first. Below are five other tools to consider, including Granola as the starting point. Competitor features and free-plan limits were checked against the linked public pages on November 3, 2026.
| Tool | Consider it for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| HeyBob | Bot-free notes and follow-up work across your apps | Credit usage; recording on Mac and Windows |
| Granola | Bot-free notes, shared folders and phone apps | Limited history on Basic; model-training settings |
| Otter | Live transcripts and audio playback | Basic has 300 transcription minutes a month |
| Fireflies | Meeting search and AI summaries | Pro lists transcript and recording downloads |
| Fathom | Free recordings, transcripts and instant summaries | Bot-free capture is in beta on Mac |
| Fellow | Meeting notes with project-management connections | Team has 10 AI notes per user a month |
1. HeyBob: turn the notes into finished work
Best for: teams whose meetings leave someone with a list of emails, CRM updates and tasks to file. HeyBob takes notes without joining your call. When it ends, tap Have Bob do it on an action item. HeyBob does the job in the tools you have connected and asks for your OK before sending or changing anything.
The recap gets sent
Hand over the follow-up email. HeyBob drafts it and shows you what will be sent and to whom before you approve.
The next step gets done
Ask HeyBob to update the deal, file the task or book the next call in your connected tools.
Your meetings stay yours
HeyBob never uses your meetings to train AI models. Read our privacy policy.
Price: one workspace plan from $75 a month for 40,000 shared credits. Transcription and notes use credits at half the usual rate; follow-up work is billed like any other request. See pricing and current offers.
Trade-offs: this is not unlimited meeting recording. Long calls and follow-up jobs draw from the same credit pool. Recording works on Mac and Windows; the desktop app also runs on Linux. iPhone and Android apps are on the way. Meeting notes are built and tested in English. Use HeyBob in its own app or alongside Slack.
2. Granola: keep bot-free notes and shared folders
Best for: someone who mainly wants meeting notes they can revisit and share. Granola offers bot-free capture, shared folders, and desktop, iOS, Android and Apple Watch apps. Business is $14 per user a month with unlimited meeting notes and history.
Trade-offs: Basic has limited meeting history. Granola says it trains its own models on anonymized data unless you opt out; Enterprise has training off by default. It says third-party AI providers cannot train on your data. Sources: Granola pricing and security and model training. See the full HeyBob vs Granola comparison.
3. Otter: read the live transcript and replay the audio
Best for: people who want live transcription, speaker identification and audio playback. Otter lists these on its free Basic plan, along with iOS and Android apps.
Trade-offs: Basic includes 300 transcription minutes a month and three audio or video file imports over the life of the account. Check your meeting time against the allowance before relying on the free plan. Source: Otter pricing and plan limits.
4. Fireflies: search meeting notes
Best for: teams who want summaries and search within meetings. Fireflies lists AI summaries and search within meetings.
Trade-offs: Pro lists downloads of transcripts and recordings. Check which plan covers the outputs you need. Source: Fireflies pricing and features.
5. Fathom: start with free recordings and summaries
Best for: individuals who want unlimited recordings and transcripts with instant AI call summaries. Fathom lists these on its Free plan, with a choice of bot capture or bot-free capture in beta on Mac.
Trade-offs: the bot-free option is still labelled beta on Mac. Advanced summaries and AI-generated action items are listed on Premium. Source: Fathom pricing and capture options.
6. Fellow: connect meeting notes to team tools
Best for: small teams who want notes, summaries and action items alongside project-management integrations. Fellow lists those integrations and meeting automations on Team.
Trade-offs: Free includes five AI notes per user over the life of the account. Team includes 10 AI notes per user a month; Business lists unlimited AI notes. Source: Fellow pricing and note limits.
Choose around your next meeting
If you mainly need a record, compare the free-plan limits against a normal week of calls. If nobody should join the participant list, confirm the capture mode on your device. If your problem is the work left afterwards, try HeyBob meeting notes and hand over one action item from your next call.
Fair questions
Which Granola alternative does the follow-ups?
HeyBob turns meeting action items into work in your connected apps. Tap Have Bob do it to start a task, then approve before anything is sent or changed. HeyBob never uses your meetings to train AI models.
Can I get AI meeting notes without a bot?
Yes. HeyBob takes notes on Mac and Windows without a bot joining the call. Granola also offers bot-free capture, and Fathom lists bot-free capture in beta on Mac. Check the capture options on the plan and device you will use.
Do I need Slack to use HeyBob?
No. Use the HeyBob desktop app without Slack. The app runs on Mac, Windows and Linux, with meeting recording on Mac and Windows. iPhone and Android apps are on the way.
Is HeyBob an unlimited meeting-notes plan?
No. HeyBob uses shared workspace credits for meeting notes and follow-up work. Plans start at $75 a month for 40,000 credits. Transcription and notes use credits at half the usual rate; follow-up work is billed like any other request. See pricing for current offers.
Product names belong to their respective owners. Features and limits can change. Use the linked vendor pages to check before buying.