Comparison

Gemini Notebook vs Granola

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Gemini Notebook

Transform complex information into clear insights with this AI-powered notebook. Upload documents, videos, or websites to generate summaries, ask questions, and listen to audio overviews on the go. Ideal for students, professionals, and creators seeking efficient learning and productivity.

Highlights
  • Upload PDFs, websites, and videos
  • AI-powered summarization and insights
  • Ask questions about uploaded sources
  • Podcast-style audio overviews
  • Background playback and offline support
  • In-line source citation
Read full description

Turn complexity into clarity with Gemini Notebook, your brain’s new best friend. Join the millions of students, creators, researchers, professionals, CEOs, and more who are saving time, getting stuff done, and learning in new ways. “One of the most compelling and completely flabbergasting demonstrations of AI’s potential yet.” – The Wall Street Journal Now, with the Gemini Notebook app, you can create and access notebooks, ask questions whenever you think of them, and listen to your podcast-style Audio Overviews on the go with background playback and offline support. UPLOAD SOURCES Upload all your long and complex PDFs, websites, YouTube videos, or text into a notebook. INSIGHTS YOU CAN TRUST Gemini Notebook becomes an expert on your sources, summarizing them and making interesting connections. Then, you can ask it questions about, well, anything — and you can trust the answers, since your sources are cited in-line. LEARN YOUR OWN WAY Long blocks of text not your preferred way to learn? Transform what you uploaded into something more your speed, like a podcast-style audio discussion with two engaging AI hosts. You can even join the show to ask questions or steer the conversation in a different direction.

About

Granola

This app automatically transcribes meetings and phone calls, providing summaries with highlights, decisions, and action items. It allows users to ask questions about their notes and share them effortlessly. It's designed for busy professionals who need to stay present during conversations.

Highlights
  • Automatic transcription of meetings and calls
  • AI-generated summaries with highlights and action items
  • One-tap capture from Lock Screen and widgets
  • Chat with notes to extract insights
  • Shareable notes with attendees
  • Syncs with Google Calendar
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Granola is the AI notepad for people in back-to-back meetings, trusted by top founders, VCs, and recruiters. And now it's available on your iPhone. Stay present and capture every conversation on-the-go — perfect for coffee catch-ups, phone calls, conference days, or just distilling your thoughts. Just open the app, tap start or make a call, and Granola instantly begins transcribing. Granola creates a shareable summary with highlights, decisions, and action items. BEAUTIFUL NOTES, ZERO EFFORT • Accurately transcribes meetings and phone calls, even in noisy environments • Lets you stay focused on the conversation instead of taking notes • Gives you clarity on key moments, decisions, and action items ONE-TAP CAPTURE • Start and stop note-taking straight from your Lock Screen with a single tap • Take notes on outbound phone calls directly from the iPhone app • Create an ad-hoc note from within the app • Use the Lock Screen or Home Screen widgets for easy access CHAT WITH NOTES • Ask questions about your notes and meeting attendees • Extract new insights and refer back to important details • Get clarity on action items and help drafting follow-ups SHARE EFFORTLESSLY • Send polished summaries to attendees in seconds • Edit notes and formatting to fit your needs • View and manage your notes across both iPhone and Mac Here's how it works: • Start a new note from your Lock Screen, Home Page widget, or in the app • Sync with Google Calendar to launch notes for upcoming events • Stay present while Granola transcribes in the background • Afterward, share notes with attendees or keep them private • Chat with your notes to get answers and uncover new insights • Search, view, and manage all your notes in one place Try Granola for a few meetings or calls today. It's free to get started. Need support? Head to our Help Center: https://www.granola.ai/docs Terms of Use: https://www.granola.ai/docs/policies/terms/tos Privacy Policy: https://www.granola.ai/docs/policies/privacy/pp

Screenshots

Gemini Notebook4 screens
Granola4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Granola at none against Gemini Notebook's 10. Gemini Notebook's advantage is ratings volume (65K vs 15K). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Gemini Notebook sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Granola asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Gemini Notebook against 5.0 for Granola. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 65K and 15K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 78% and 77% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Gemini Notebook ships an update weekly, Granola every 5 days. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Gemini Notebook versus Granola: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGemini NotebookGranola
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (65K ratings)5.0 (15K ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.7% of reviews — better77.4% of reviews
Number of ratings65K — better15K
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#42 — better#63
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size212 MB199 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperGoogleGranola inc

Customer experience

Gemini Notebook

All ratings64,558 ratings
Positive96.9%
Neutral1.2%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews2,565 reviews
Positive77.7%
Neutral6.4%
Negative15.9%

Granola

All ratings14,685 ratings
Positive99.5%
Neutral0.2%
Negative0.3%
Written reviews327 reviews
Positive77.4%
Neutral4.6%
Negative18.0%

User reviews

Gemini Notebook

From 65K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and accurate audio summaries
  • 👍 Useful for learning and studying
  • 🚀 Convenient mobile access
  • 👍 Great for on-the-go use

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Audio volume issues
  • 🔍 Missing key features from web version
  • 🔍 Lack of customization options
  • 🔍 Inconsistent dark mode implementation

Granola

From 15K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Indispensable for recalling conversation details
  • 👍 Reliable transcription with poignant summaries
  • 👍 Flawless note-taking even at 2x speed
  • 👍 Intuitive, simple, and delightful
  • 👍 Superior to other note-taking apps

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Requires Google Calendar sign-in, limiting accessibility

Bugs and requests

Gemini Notebook

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Audio coming through earpiece instead of speaker
  • Interactive features not working properly

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to curate audio summaries
  • Sync saved notes from web version
  • Add mind maps, study guides, and other advanced features

Granola

No bugs or feature requests surfaced in reviews.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Gemini Notebook

Subscriptions7
  • 100 GB$1.991 Month
  • Google AI Plus (400 GB)2 variants$4.991 Month
  • Google AI Plus (400 GB)1 Month trial$4.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Google AI Plus (2 TB)$9.991 Month
  • Google AI Pro (5 TB)2 variants$19.991 Month
  • Google AI Pro (5 TB)1 Month trial2 variants$19.991 Month
  • Google AI Plus (400 GB)$49.991 Year
None

Granola

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Gemini Notebook free?
Gemini Notebook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Granola free?
Granola is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Gemini Notebook or Granola?
Granola is rated higher. Gemini Notebook averages 4.9 out of 5 from 65K ratings, while Granola averages 5.0 from 15K ratings.
Do Gemini Notebook or Granola have ads?
Neither Gemini Notebook nor Granola shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Gemini Notebook or Granola?
Gemini Notebook ships an update weekly, and Granola every 5 days. Most recently, Gemini Notebook was updated on November 11, 2026 and Granola on November 11, 2026.
Which is more popular, Gemini Notebook or Granola?
Gemini Notebook currently peaks at #42 in the App Store charts, and Granola at #63. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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