Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. Granola: Granola is an AI notepad for meetings that captures your computer's audio without joining a bot, then transcribes and generates structured notes with action items. We compare them on cost, capture approach, and day-to-day fit so you can choose faster.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Basil AI when transcribing confidential client meetings where data must stay on-device matters most, and Granola when keeping a searchable record of recurring team meetings matters most. Try them side by side on real calls before deciding — needs vary by team.
On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload.
Granola is an AI notepad for meetings that captures your computer's audio without joining a bot, then transcribes and generates structured notes with action items.
Basil AI (Basil Private AI Note Taker) is a privacy-first AI transcription and note-taking application that processes all audio locally on Apple devices using Apple's on-device speech and machine-learning frameworks. Because recordings, transcripts, and summaries never leave the device and no cloud servers are involved, Basil is positioned for privacy-conscious professionals handling sensitive conversations, including lawyers conducting client meetings and other client-services practitioners where confidentiality matters. The app records live meetings and can also process uploaded audio and DRM-free video files, then generates transcripts with speaker diarization plus AI summaries and key takeaways. It supports a large set of languages and can work offline, including in airplane mode. Outputs can be exported to formats such as text, PDF, CSV, and JSON, and integrated with Apple's ecosystem (Apple Notes, iCloud Drive, Files). Basil is distributed on the Apple App Store by TONSOR LLC and is available as a universal app across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision, with recent iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS versions required. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Granola is a desktop AI notepad for people in frequent meetings. Instead of sending a bot into the call, it captures your computer's audio directly, transcribes the conversation, and combines it with your own typed notes to produce structured summaries, action items, and follow-ups. It syncs with your calendar to detect meetings and works with Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, other video tools, and in-person meetings via the iPhone app. A built-in AI chat answers questions across your meeting notes (for example, what you committed to during the week). Granola runs on macOS and Windows. The free Basic plan offers unlimited note-taking, custom templates, shared folders, multi-language support, and AI chat, but limits viewing notes older than 30 days. Paid tiers add unlimited history, advanced AI models, an MCP connector, API access, and integrations with Notion, Slack, HubSpot, Attio, Affinity, and Zapier.
Best suited for
Basil AI is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Granola is from $0/mo (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Basil AI | Granola |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | 100% on-device transcription with no cloud upload | AI meeting notes |
| Standout feature | Speaker diarization to separate participants automatically | On-device audio capture (no bot) |
| Team usage | AI-generated summaries, minutes, and key takeaways | AI chat across meetings |
| Integrations | Support for recording live meetings and uploading audio/video files | Custom note templates |
| Languages & capture | Multi-language support and offline (airplane-mode) operation | Calendar sync |
| Best-fit workflow | Export to text, PDF, CSV, and JSON, plus Apple Notes/iCloud/Files | AI meeting notes |
Basil AI
Choose Basil AI if you need transcribing confidential client meetings where data must stay on-device — strengths include strong privacy posture since data never leaves the device.
Granola
Choose Granola if you need automatically generating notes and action items from sales or client calls — strengths include captures computer audio without sending a bot into the meeting, so calls stay less disruptive.
Basil AI
Granola
It depends on your workflow. Basil AI is strong for transcribing confidential client meetings where data must stay on-device, while Granola is strong for automatically generating notes and action items from sales or client calls. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Basil AI is a free tier with paid upgrades and Granola is from $0/mo. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
You can — some teams pair them when each covers a different part of the meeting workflow.
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