Afterword vs Granola · checked 21 Oct 2026
Same call. Two routes.
Afterword keeps the whole meeting on your Mac: the audio, the transcript, the summary. Granola sends it through three other companies. Neither one puts a bot in your call.
With Granola, the call leaves.
As you talk, the audio streams to transcription providers such as Deepgram and AssemblyAI. Granola says it doesn't keep the audio afterward.2
3 stops before your note
Your notes live on their servers.
Transcripts and notes are stored in Granola's AWS cloud in the US. Unless you opt out, Granola trains on your anonymized data.2
granola.ai/pricing · Basic
price $0 history 30 days training on, unless you opt out
price $14 per user, per month history unlimited training on, unless you opt out
With Afterword, it stays on your Mac.
Apple's on-device speech models transcribe the call. Summaries come from Apple Intelligence or a local model you run. Turn the Wi-Fi off and it still works.
0 stops · nothing uploaded
The note is a file you own.
Plain markdown, in a folder you pick, such as your Obsidian vault. Cancel tomorrow and every note is still yours.
~/Vault/Meetings/2026-10-21 Design review.md
--- date: 2026-10-21 source: zoom --- # Design review - Ship onboarding behind a flag on Friday. - [ ] Dana: final copy for step two
Design review
Ship onboarding behind a flag on Friday.
Dana: final copy for step two.
Take the short route. Right here.
A replay of a real Afterword session. Start the call, hang up when you like, and watch the note write itself without a byte leaving the page.
No microphone needed. This is a replay of a real Afterword session.
It starts by itself when Zoom, Meet or Teams does.
Design review
Mon, Oct 19 · Zoom · 12 min
Summary
Saves to ~/Vault/Meetings.md
What the short route gets you.
Everything below runs on your Mac, with nothing to sign up for and nothing sent anywhere.
The quiet minute
When the call ends, a one-minute calm sound plays while the note is written. You reset before you read.
Live translation, offline
Set your language and theirs. Afterword translates them into yours as they talk, on your Mac.
Real names in Zoom and Meet
It reads who's speaking from the call window, so the transcript says Priya, not Speaker 2.
Fix a word everywhere
Correct a misheard name once and it's fixed in every note. It learns names and terms from your calls too.
A sharper ear, on device
Turn on the more accurate model: 2 to 7 times fewer errors on noisy calls in our tests. Still nothing uploaded.
It tells you when a side goes quiet
If one side of the call has been silent for five minutes, Afterword says so while there's still time to fix it.
Tuned for atypical speech
One switch uses Apple's on-device model built for stutters and speech differences.
Summaries your way
Rewrite any summary as short, detailed, 1:1, standup, client or interview, in the call's own language. Use Apple Intelligence or your own Ollama or LM Studio model.
Notes that are yours
Plain markdown in your Obsidian vault or any folder. Search it, sync it, keep it forever.
Line by line.
From Granola's own pricing and security pages, and from how Afterword is built. Tap a row for the detail.
Both capture the call from your own device's audio. Granola lists "bot-free device-audio capture" on every plan.1
Afterword transcribes with Apple's on-device speech models; the audio is never uploaded. Granola transcribes in real time through "transcription providers (like Deepgram and Assembly)" and says it doesn't store the audio.2
Afterword writes a markdown file to a folder you pick. Granola: "Notes are stored in our US-hosted AWS Virtual Private Cloud."2
Afterword uses Apple Intelligence, or a local model you run through Ollama or LM Studio. Granola uses "AI providers (like OpenAI and Anthropic)", and doesn't let them train on your data.2
Afterword uploads nothing to train on. Granola: "Granola trains on your anonymized data." You can opt out in Settings, and it's off by default on Enterprise.2
Afterword needs the internet once, to activate the license. Granola's transcription runs through cloud providers, so it needs a connection.2
Afterword's notes are files on your disk, kept as long as you keep them. Granola's Basic plan keeps 30 days; paid plans are unlimited.3
Afterword can keep a call's audio on your Mac and play any moment from the note (1.0.30). Granola: "Granola doesn't store the audio from meetings."2
Both let you ask questions across your notes. Afterword answers from the files on your Mac (1.0.30); Granola's AI chat runs through its cloud AI providers.2
Afterword drafts a follow-up from the note in one click (1.0.30). Granola lists follow-up emails on its Business plan.3
Afterword briefs you before your next meeting from your past notes (1.0.30). Granola lists pre-meeting briefs on its Business plan.3
Both let you shape notes with your own templates. Afterword's live on your Mac as plain files (1.0.30).3
Afterword fixes a word in every note at once and learns names and terms from your calls. Granola lists a workspace dictionary on its Business plan.3
Afterword uses Apple Intelligence or any model you run in Ollama or LM Studio, on your Mac. Granola's free plan uses its auto model; model selection comes with Business.3
Afterword needs macOS 26 on Apple silicon. Granola has desktop, iOS, Android and Apple Watch apps.3
The year, priced.
One person, more than 30 days of history. Drag to look further out.
5.8× what Afterword costs
Pick the one that fits.
Granola is a good app. Here's when each is the right call.
Granola, if
- You're on Windows, or want notes on your phone.
- Your team shares one workspace with admin controls.
- You want Notion, HubSpot or Zapier built in.
- Your company needs SOC 2, SSO or a DPA.3
Afterword, if
- Your calls should never leave your Mac.
- Your notes live in Obsidian or plain files.
- You take calls on bad Wi-Fi, or none.
- You'd rather pay $29 a year than $168.
Take the short route for a week.
Download it, pick a folder, join your next call. Seven days free.
Pay once and it's yours on up to 3 Macs, every update included. Full refund within 14 days.
Or start the 7-day trial, then $29 a year. Cancel any time before it ends and pay nothing.
- 01
Granola pricing page: "bot-free device-audio capture" on all plans. granola.ai/pricing
- 02
Granola security page: transcription through "transcription providers (like Deepgram and Assembly)"; "Notes are stored in our US-hosted AWS Virtual Private Cloud"; summaries by "AI providers (like OpenAI and Anthropic)"; "Granola trains on your anonymized data"; "Granola doesn't store the audio from meetings." granola.ai/security
- 03
Granola pricing page: Basic $0 with 30-day history, Business $14 per user per month, Enterprise $35; desktop, iOS, Android and Apple Watch apps; integrations; SOC 2 Type II and a DPA; SSO on Enterprise. granola.ai/pricing
Checked 21 October 2026; prices and features may have changed since. Granola is a trademark of its owner. Afterword isn't affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Granola. Spot something out of date? Tell us and it gets fixed.