Free is genuinely free. Forever.
Start local and free, with no account and no meeting cap. Upgrade only when you want the cloud conveniences. The MCP server is free on every tier - Granola charges $14/mo for theirs.
Mac only today. Windows is coming. Ghosty Notes needs a Mac with Apple Silicon, because your meetings are transcribed on your own machine. There is no Windows build to buy yet.
Free
$0
Everything you need to record, transcribe, and query your meetings, entirely on your Mac.
Download free for Mac- Unlimited local meetings
- On-device transcription and summaries
- Markdown notes on your disk
- Save and replay your audio
- Bring your own key
- The full MCP server
- Templates, shortcuts and chat
- Apple Calendar auto-detect
- No account required
Pro
$5.00/mo
Everything in Free, plus the cloud conveniences. $54/yr if you pay annually - that is $4.50/mo.
Start 7-day free trial- Everything in Free
- Speaker identification for in-person meetings
- Cloud calendar sync (Google, Outlook)
- Optional hosted AI notes, with no local model to run
- Human support, replied by the end of the next working day
Compare the plans
| Feature | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited local meetings | Yes | Yes |
| On-device transcription | Yes | Yes |
| On-device AI notes and summaries | Yes | Yes |
| Notes as markdown, in a folder you choose | Yes | Yes |
| Save audio recordings and play them back | Yes | Yes |
| Full MCP server for your agent | Yes | Yes |
| Bring your own key (any OpenAI-compatible) | Yes | Yes |
| Templates, shortcuts and chat | Yes | Yes |
| Legal workflows: after-call drafts for lawyers to approve | Yes | Yes |
| Export to various formats | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Calendar auto-detect (local) | Yes | Yes |
| No account required | Yes | Yes |
| Speaker identification for in-person meetings | - | Yes |
| Cloud calendar sync (Google, Outlook) | - | Yes |
| Optional hosted AI notes, with no local model to run | - | Yes |
| Human support, replied by the end of the next working day | - | Yes |
What everyone else charges
Prices read off each vendor's own pricing page on 19 September 2026. Every one of these is a good product. The difference is not quality, it is that they process your audio on their servers and we process it on your Mac, which is also why our free tier is not metered.
| Product | Free tier | Entry paid price |
|---|---|---|
| Ghosty Notes | Unlimited local meetings, full history | Pro $5 / month, $54 / year |
| Granola | Limited meeting history | Business $14 / user / month |
| Otter | 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes a call | Pro $8.33 annual, $16.99 monthly |
| Fathom | Unlimited recordings and transcripts | Team $15 annual, $19 monthly |
| Fireflies | Limited transcription credits | Pro $10 annual, $18 monthly |
Full breakdowns: Granola,Otter, Fathom,Fireflies. Or readwhere every free tier stops.
Pricing questions.
How does annual billing work?
Pro is $5.00/month, or $54/year if you pay annually - that works out to $4.50/month. Annual billing also cuts the payment-processing overhead, which is why we can offer the discount.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes, in one click. Cancelling Pro turns off the cloud extras at the end of your billing period. You keep every note, because they are plain files on your disk.
What happens to my notes if I downgrade?
Nothing. Your meetings are markdown files you own. Downgrading just removes the cloud calendar sync and the hosted model - local transcription, summaries, and the MCP server keep working.
What languages does it support?
Transcription on your Mac covers 25 languages: English plus 24 European ones. The app shows you the full list next to each model, so you can check yours before you pick. Summaries are written by whichever AI model you connect, so how good they are in your language depends on that model, not on us. Everything else - recording, the MCP server, your markdown files - works the same whatever language you speak.
Is Ghosty Notes cheaper than Granola?
Yes. Pro is $5.00/month against Granola Business at $14 per user per month, so about a third of the price, and there is no seat minimum. The honest caveat is that Ghosty Notes runs on Apple Silicon Macs only and has no mobile app. See the full Granola pricing breakdown.
Do I need a credit card for the free tier?
No. Free needs no account and no card. Download it and start recording.
Start free. Keep your data. Upgrade if you want to.
Download Ghosty Notes and record your next meeting on your own machine.
Download free for Mac