Granola alternative
The no-bot notepad, with the notes on your disk instead of in their cloud.
Granola invented the shape: no bot joins the call, notes appear when it ends. Parlo keeps that shape and changes the deal. Transcription runs on your Mac, every meeting lands as a Markdown file you own, and dictation plus voice commands come in the same app.
Parlo requires macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later on Apple Silicon. Intel Macs aren't supported.
Parlo vs Granola
What is being compared.
Marks are our reading of each cell: a check is a plus for you, a cross is a limit, a dash is neither. We make one of these two products, so read this as argued rather than neutral. Granola's prices and features were checked on its own pages on 21 September 2026; plans move, so verify before you buy.
| Granola | Parlo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Limit.$14 / user / mo, $35 enterprise | Plus.$8/mo, or $80 once (first 100) |
| Free plan | Neither.Unlimited notes, limited meeting history | Neither.14-day trial, then paid |
| Where notes live | Limit.Granola's cloud, read through Granola | Plus.Markdown files in ~/Documents/Parlo Meetings, plus a folder or Google Drive you pick |
| Transcription | Neither.Cloud speech providers, audio uploaded | Plus.On your Mac, open speech models (WhisperKit, Parakeet). Audio never leaves the machine |
| Joins the call | Plus.No bot either | Plus.Never. System audio plus mic, no attendee |
| System-wide dictation | Limit.Not offered; meetings only | Plus.Hold fn (or any shortcut you pick), speak, text lands in any app. On-device |
| Voice commands for your Mac | Limit.No | Plus.Hold fn+ctrl: open apps, move files, set reminders, run Shortcuts |
| Own model or API key | Limit.No; advanced models start at $14/mo | Plus.Parlo Cloud included (transcript text only, nothing stored), on-device model, or your own OpenAI, Anthropic or compatible key |
| Agent access (MCP, API) | Neither.Business plan and up | Limit.Not yet; the files are plain Markdown any agent can read |
| Platforms | Plus.macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Apple Watch | Limit.macOS 15+ on Apple Silicon only |
| Team features | Plus.Shared folders and templates free; integrations, SSO, central billing paid | Limit.None. Shared folder and Drive export only |
| Maturity | Plus.Mature, funded, large user base | Limit.Young, in alpha, built by one person |
Where the two actually differ.
The notes are files on your disk
Granola keeps your notes in its cloud and you read them through Granola; the $14 plan lifts the history limit and leaves the notes where they are. Parlo writes each meeting as a Markdown folder (notes.md, transcript.md, meta.json) on your Mac. Put it in Git, open it in Obsidian, grep it. It still opens with Parlo deleted.
Transcription runs on your Mac
Granola sends audio to cloud speech providers to turn it into text. Parlo transcribes with open speech models on your own machine, so the audio has nowhere to go. The notes step is your choice at setup: Parlo Cloud, included with the plan, gets the transcript text and nothing is stored; or the on-device model writes them and nothing leaves at all. Your own API key works too, at no charge from us.
One app for the whole voice layer
Granola is a notepad. Parlo is a notepad plus hold-fn dictation into any app plus voice commands that operate the Mac (open apps, move files, set reminders, run Shortcuts). If you were paying for a dictation tool and a meeting tool separately, this is one subscription instead of two.
Where Granola is the better answer.
You're not only on a Mac.
Granola runs on Windows, iPhone, Android and Apple Watch. Parlo is a macOS app and nothing else is planned yet.
You need a team layer.
Shared folders and templates are free on Granola; SSO, central billing and admin controls come with the paid tiers. Parlo has a shared-folder export and that's it.
You want the integrations.
Notion, Slack, HubSpot, Attio, Affinity, Zapier, MCP and an API are built into Granola's Business plan. Parlo gives you files; the integration is whatever reads a folder.
You want a mature product.
Granola has years, a team and a lot of users behind it. Parlo is in alpha and one person's work, and that cuts both ways.
If none of those are you, and what you wanted was the part Parlo does well, that is what Parlo is for.
Best for.
Parlo
One person on a Mac who wants no-bot recording, notes as files they keep, and dictation and voice commands in between meetings.
Granola
Teams, and anyone who needs Windows, a phone, shared folders, or the built-in integrations.
Parlo, pros
- Transcription runs on your own machine; audio never leaves it.
- Every meeting is a Markdown folder on your disk, no export button needed.
- Dictation and voice commands in the same app, one subscription.
Parlo, cons
- macOS on Apple Silicon only.
- No team layer: no shared workspace, no SSO, no central billing.
- No built-in Notion, Slack, HubSpot or Zapier integrations.
Asked before switching
Questions people search first.
What's the best Granola alternative for Mac?
If what you liked about Granola was the no-bot, stays-out-of-the-way shape, and what you didn't like was renting access to your own notes, Parlo is the closest thing: macOS only, transcription on your machine, Markdown files at the end, and dictation plus voice commands in the same app. If you need Windows, a phone or team features, Granola is still the right call.
How much is Granola in 2026?
Checked on 21 September 2026 on granola.ai/pricing: Basic is free with limited meeting history, Business is $14 per user per month with unlimited history, advanced models, integrations, MCP and API access, and Enterprise is $35 with SSO and admin controls.
Can I use my own API key with Granola?
No. There is no bring-your-own-model path, and the advanced models are part of the $14 plan. Parlo includes its own hosted notes model (Parlo Cloud), keeps an on-device option, and lets you plug in an OpenAI, Anthropic or any OpenAI-compatible key at no charge from us.
Where does Granola store my meeting notes?
In Granola's cloud, and on the free plan only a limited window of history stays openable. Parlo writes Markdown files into a folder on your Mac, with no cap and no expiry.
Does either of them join the call?
No. Both capture your computer's audio instead of sending a bot, so neither shows up in the participant list. It's the one thing the two agree on.
Can I import my Granola notes into Parlo?
Not automatically. Parlo's library is a folder of Markdown, so whatever you export from Granola can sit next to it, but there is no importer yet.
Pricing
A writer. A listener. A doer. One membership.
A power user pays $30+/month across point-solutions today: one app to dictate, another for meeting notes, nothing that acts. Parlo replaces the stack.
Audio never leaves your Mac · no usage limits
Monthly
- Everything in one app: write, listen, act*
- Parlo Cloud meeting notes included · no API key
- Speech and dictation on-device · no usage limits
- Direct line to the founder
- Price locked in as long as you stay subscribed
14 days free, then $8/month. Cancel anytime before and you won't be charged.
*Act (voice commands) is in active alpha.
Founder First 100
- Lifetime access, no recurring billing, ever
- Everything in Monthly, forever, Parlo Cloud included
- Direct line to the founder
- Push Parlo's development further, up front
Not sure yet?
No pressure. Leave your email and we'll keep you posted as Parlo evolves. Ready now? The trial above starts today.
Get updatesRequires macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later on Apple Silicon. Intel Macs aren't supported.
Not ready yet?
No pressure.
Leave your email and we'll keep you posted as Parlo evolves. Ready to try it today instead? The trial above starts right away.