Comparison
Arcs vs Granola
Private AI meeting notes, compared · Last updated 19 August 2026
Choose Arcs if you want AI meeting notes that never leave your iPhone — fully on-device, no account, works in Flight Mode. Choose Granola if you work on a Mac and want polished, bot-free notes that sync to your team and tools like Notion and Slack. The one-line difference: Arcs processes everything on your device; Granola is privacy-friendly but still runs in the cloud.
Choose Arcs if…
- You want nothing to leave your device — audio, transcript, and notes stay local.
- You need it to work with no signal — on a plane, in a SCIF, in a clinic.
- You don't want to create an account or trust a vendor's cloud.
- Your work is sensitive: NDA calls, clinical notes, legal, research, journaling.
- You live on iPhone and want capture → a structured Read → a finished deck in one place.
Choose Granola if…
- You work primarily on a Mac and want a mature, polished desktop app.
- Your notes need to flow into Notion, HubSpot, Slack, or Zapier.
- You share notes with teammates and want cloud sync across devices.
- You live in the Google-desktop ecosystem and take back-to-back calls.
- You're happy with encrypted cloud storage and want the bot-free experience.
Where your data actually goes
This is the heart of the comparison. Both apps avoid the intrusive “meeting bot” that joins your call as a participant — that's why Granola positions itself as the privacy-friendly alternative to Otter and Fathom. The real, verifiable distinction is where the processing and storage happen: Arcs is on-device; Granola is cloud, done well.
| Arcs | Granola | |
|---|---|---|
| Where audio is processed | On your device. Audio never leaves the iPhone. | Granola says it does not retain audio. Its mobile app may cache audio temporarily while a meeting is being processed. |
| Where the transcript is stored | On your device (and your own private iCloud, only if you turn sync on). | In Granola's cloud — a US-hosted AWS Virtual Private Cloud, encrypted in transit and at rest. |
| Where your typed notes are stored | On your device. Notes, files, and the AI-written Read all stay local. | In Granola's encrypted cloud, where the AI enhances them. |
| Account required? | No account. Nothing to sign up for. | Yes — an account is required. |
| Works offline / in Flight Mode? | Yes, fully. Record, transcribe, get a Read, and build a deck with the radio off. | Partly — cached notes can be opened offline, but transcription, AI enhancement and sync are cloud-dependent. |
| Is a meeting bot needed? | No bot. It listens on your device like a voice memo. | No bot — this is Granola's signature feature vs Otter/Fathom. |
| Platform | iPhone (iPad); a Mac app is in the family. iPhone-native today. | Mac-desktop-first and mature; iPhone arrived later and is lighter. |
| Team sharing & integrations | Single-player by design. No team sharing, no third-party integrations. | Team sharing plus Notion, HubSpot, Slack, and Zapier. |
| Pricing (2026) | $9.99/mo, $69.99/yr, or $199 one-time lifetime. Individual. | Free (Basic, limited note history); Business $14/user/mo; Enterprise $35/user/mo. |
The Flight-Mode test
Here's a test you can run yourself in two minutes — it's the cleanest way to see the difference without taking anyone's word for it.
- Put your iPhone in Flight Mode (turn off Wi-Fi and cellular). The radio is now off — no data can leave the device.
- Open Arcs, hit record, and talk through a meeting or an idea for a minute.
- Stop. Arcs transcribes on-device, writes a structured Read — the take, the decisions — and can build a finished deck. All with the radio off.
- Now try the same in a cloud app. The transcript may appear, but the AI summary and sync wait for a connection.
Arcs passes because the intelligence lives on the phone. A cloud tool cannot finish the job in Flight Mode because the summary and storage depend on its servers. That's not a knock on Granola — it's simply what “on-device” versus “cloud” means in practice.
When Granola is the better choice
We think Arcs wins on privacy and offline capture — but Granola is a genuinely good product, and it's the better pick for several real situations. If any of these describe you, use Granola:
- You need team sharing. Arcs is single-player by design. Granola is built for sharing notes across a team.
- You live in Notion, HubSpot, or Slack. Granola pushes notes straight into those tools (and Zapier). Arcs has no integrations.
- You work on a Mac all day. Granola's desktop app is mature and polished; Arcs is iPhone-first today.
- You're deep in the Google-desktop ecosystem and take back-to-back calls where a fast, connected notepad matters more than local-only processing.
And to be precise: Granola is not insecure. It doesn't use a meeting bot, it doesn't store your audio, and it encrypts your notes in transit and at rest. It is meaningfully more private than bot-based tools like Otter or Fathom. The honest line is that it is cloud-based, where Arcs is on-device — a difference that matters most when your material is sensitive or you're offline.
Frequently asked
Is Granola private?
Granola is privacy-friendlier than bot-based meeting tools: it doesn't send a bot to your call and says it does not retain audio. However, notes and transcripts are stored in Granola's cloud (a US-hosted AWS Virtual Private Cloud, encrypted in transit and at rest), and an account is required. So it's private-friendly cloud software — not on-device. If “private” means your content never leaves your device, that's the on-device category, where Arcs sits. (As of 19 August 2026.)
Does Granola work offline?
Partly. Granola can open cached notes offline, but its transcription, AI note-enhancement and sync rely on cloud services, so it is not designed to complete a new summary fully offline. Arcs, by contrast, records, transcribes, summarizes and builds a deck entirely on-device — it works in Flight Mode. (As of 19 August 2026.)
What's the most private AI meeting notes app?
The most private category is on-device apps, where nothing leaves your phone — no account, no server, no cloud copy of your notes. Arcs is an on-device iPhone app that records, transcribes, summarizes and builds decks locally and works in Flight Mode. Bot-free cloud apps like Granola are more private than bot-based tools such as Otter or Fathom, but they still store your notes and transcripts in the cloud. (As of 19 August 2026.)
Can I use AI meeting notes without an account?
Yes — with an on-device app. Arcs requires no account and no sign-up; you install it and record. Most cloud meeting-notes tools, including Granola, require an account so your notes can sync to their servers. (As of 19 August 2026.)
Is Arcs a Granola alternative?
Yes, for people who prioritize privacy and offline capture. Arcs covers the same core job — turning a meeting or a rambling thought into clear, structured notes — but does it entirely on your iPhone with no account and no cloud. It's single-player and iPhone-first, so it's not a fit if you need team sharing or Mac-desktop integrations; that's where Granola is stronger. (As of 19 August 2026.)
About this comparison. Updated 19 August 2026 from Granola's current security page and data FAQ. Its cloud storage, encryption, audio-retention, model-provider, account and integration practices can change. If Granola updates them, we'll correct this page and revise the date above. Spotted something out of date? Email joshua.karthik@gmail.com.