Deep scoring analysis · 2026 · 115 criteria
Grain scoring analysis
AI meeting notetaker with best-in-class video clips and 130+ language support.
Scoring scale
Grain is an AI meeting notetaker and conversation intelligence platform built primarily for customer-facing teams - sales, customer success, and product. Its standout differentiator is shareable video clips and highlight reels from meetings, combined with deep CRM integrations and deal intelligence dashboards. It supports 130+ languages and offers bot-free recording. Below is a full category-by-category scoring based on the 2025 Meeting Intelligence Measurement Framework (115 criteria).
1. PLATFORMS & RECORDING - 87% (B+)
Strong platform coverage with Teams, Meet, Zoom, Webex, and Slack Huddles. Desktop audio capture enables hybrid and in-person recording. Bot-free transcription via desktop is a genuine privacy feature. No dedicated mobile app is a significant gap. Upload and ambient detection are partial.
| # | Criterion | Score | Justification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Microsoft Teams support | 5/5 | ✅ Full Teams support |
| 1.2 | Google Meet support | 5/5 | ✅ Full Google Meet support |
| 1.3 | Zoom / Webex support | 5/5 | ✅ Zoom and Webex supported |
| 1.4 | Hybrid Meeting support | 5/5 | ✅ Desktop audio capture for hybrid/in-person |
| 1.5 | Phone Call (VoIP) recording | 3/5 | ⚠️ Desktop audio capture; no native VoIP dialer |
| 1.6 | In-Person Recording | 5/5 | ✅ Desktop audio capture for in-person meetings |
| 1.7 | Record non-admin meetings | 5/5 | ✅ Can join any meeting with a link |
| 1.8 | Mobile App / Mobile recording | 1/5 | ❌ No dedicated mobile app |
| 1.9 | Automatic Recording | 5/5 | ✅ Auto-joins from calendar sync |
| 1.10 | Upload Files | 3/5 | ⚠️ Not explicitly confirmed as a standalone feature |
| 1.11 | Click to Record | 5/5 | ✅ Manual recording available |
| 1.12 | Auto-join via calendar integration | 5/5 | ✅ Calendar integration for auto-join |
| 1.13 | Automatic meeting detection | 3/5 | ⚠️ Calendar-based; no ambient detection |
| 1.14 | Bot controls (mute/unmute) | 3/5 | ⚠️ Can control bot presence; limited in-meeting controls |
| 1.15 | Noise suppression | 3/5 | ⚠️ No dedicated noise suppression feature |
| 1.16 | Concurrent recordings | 5/5 | ✅ Multiple simultaneous recordings supported |
| 1.17 | Manual start/stop | 5/5 | ✅ Full manual control |
| 1.18 | Configurable audio/video modes | 5/5 | ✅ Video recording with bot; bot-free audio via desktop |
| 1.19 | Privacy-first (audio-only) mode | 5/5 | ✅ Bot-free transcription (audio only via desktop) |
| 1.20 | Calendar integration | 5/5 | ✅ Google Calendar, Outlook |
| 1.21 | Supported platforms | 5/5 | ✅ Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Webex, Slack Huddles |
Category total: 91 / 105
2. TRANSCRIPTION - 92% (A−)
Excellent transcription with 130+ languages - best-in-class among dedicated notetakers. Speaker diarization, editable transcripts (which also edit video), custom vocabulary, and real-time notes are all strong. Shareable video clips by selecting transcript text is a standout feature. Filler word removal and upload transcription are unconfirmed.
| # | Criterion | Score | Justification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Transcriptions included | 5/5 | ✅ Included in all plans |
| 2.2 | Speaker recognition | 5/5 | ✅ Speaker diarization with punctuation |
| 2.3 | Speaker names | 5/5 | ✅ Labels speakers by name |
| 2.4 | Transcribe video/audio uploads | 3/5 | ⚠️ Not explicitly confirmed |
| 2.5 | Export transcripts | 5/5 | ✅ Export supported |
| 2.6 | Hybrid meeting transcription | 5/5 | ✅ Desktop audio capture for hybrid |
| 2.7 | Languages supported | 5/5 | ✅ 130+ languages - best-in-class |
| 2.8 | Dialects supported | 3/5 | ⚠️ Broad language coverage implies some dialect handling |
| 2.9 | Full-transcript search | 5/5 | ✅ Full-text search across all transcripts |
| 2.10 | Edit transcription | 5/5 | ✅ Transcript editing supported; edits also edit video |
| 2.11 | Share across organization | 5/5 | ✅ Shareable clips, stories, and playlists |
| 2.12 | Filler word removal | 3/5 | ⚠️ Not explicitly confirmed |
| 2.13 | Clips from transcript | 5/5 | ✅ Standout feature - create and share video clips by selecting transcript text |
| 2.14 | Custom vocabulary | 5/5 | ✅ Custom vocabulary on Business plan |
| 2.15 | Real-time transcription | 5/5 | ✅ Real-time notes and flagging during meetings |
Category total: 69 / 75
3. REPORTS & NOTES - 82% (B+)
Strong AI-generated structured summaries with key takeaways and action items. Custom AI prompts, role-based templates, and call scoring on Business plan are genuine strengths. Task assignment with owner/timeline suggestions is well executed. No live coaching and limited auto-email generation are gaps. Calendar-based meeting detection only.
| # | Criterion | Score | Justification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Meeting Notes | 5/5 | ✅ AI-generated structured summaries with key takeaways, action items |
| 3.2 | Export / Download | 5/5 | ✅ Export notes and clips |
| 3.3 | Email pre-generated | 3/5 | ⚠️ AI can generate content; no dedicated auto-email feature |
| 3.4 | Customize Notes | 5/5 | ✅ Custom AI prompts and note templates |
| 3.5 | Templates per Job | 5/5 | ✅ Sales, customer success, product templates |
| 3.6 | Scorecard / Coaching | 5/5 | ✅ Call scoring, coaching tools, performance insights (Business plan) |
| 3.7 | Auto Meeting Detection | 3/5 | ⚠️ Calendar-based auto-join |
| 3.8 | Live Coaching | 1/5 | ❌ No real-time coaching prompts |
| 3.9 | Assign tasks | 5/5 | ✅ AI detects tasks and suggests owners/timelines |
Category total: 37 / 45
4. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT - 100% (A+)
Full marks. The 'Ask' feature enables querying the entire meeting library with citations. Shared clips, stories, and playlists function as a genuine organization-level knowledge base. No gaps.
| # | Criterion | Score | Justification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | Ask questions across all past meetings | 5/5 | ✅ 'Ask' feature - query entire meeting library with citations |
| 4.2 | Organization-level knowledge | 5/5 | ✅ Shared clips, stories, playlists as org knowledge base |
Category total: 10 / 10
5. ADMIN & CONTROL - 92% (A)
Strong admin controls with custom vocabulary, hybrid speaker detection, configurable recording rules, and smart participation rules. Sentiment analysis exists but admin toggle is not confirmed. Overall very capable.
| # | Criterion | Score | Justification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.1 | Custom vocabulary (admin) | 5/5 | ✅ Custom vocabulary on Business plan |
| 5.2 | Sentiment analysis toggles | 3/5 | ⚠️ Sentiment analysis exists; admin toggle not confirmed |
| 5.3 | Hybrid speaker detection | 5/5 | ✅ Speaker detection in hybrid setups |
| 5.4 | Configurable recording settings | 5/5 | ✅ Admin controls for recording rules |
| 5.5 | Smart participation rules | 5/5 | ✅ Configurable auto-join rules |
Category total: 23 / 25
6. SUPPORT & ONBOARDING - 90% (A−)
Solid support infrastructure with help center documentation. Dedicated account manager and API access are Enterprise-gated. Priority support on Business plan. Training personalization is partial - not a dedicated onboarding program for lower tiers.
| # | Criterion | Score | Justification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | Online Video Tutorials | 5/5 | ✅ Help center and documentation |
| 6.2 | Dedicated Account Manager | 5/5 | ✅ Enterprise plan |
| 6.3 | Training & Personalization | 3/5 | ⚠️ Priority support on Business; Enterprise onboarding |
| 6.4 | Chat & Support | 5/5 | ✅ Priority support on Business plan |
Category total: 18 / 20
7. ORGANIZATION - 91% (A)
Excellent organizational features. Full-text search, custom folders, team workspaces with free viewer seats, meeting library, and smart filters. Deal-based organization is CRM-linked. Company filtering relies on CRM integration rather than standalone.
| # | Criterion | Score | Justification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | Search within meetings | 5/5 | ✅ Full-text search across all meetings |
| 7.2 | Automatic folder distribution | 3/5 | ⚠️ Organized by meeting type; no rule-based auto-sorting |
| 7.3 | Organization-level knowledge | 5/5 | ✅ Shared clips, stories, playlists |
| 7.4 | Team workspaces | 5/5 | ✅ Collaborative workspaces with free viewer seats |
| 7.5 | Meetings library | 5/5 | ✅ Searchable library of all recordings |
| 7.6 | Smart filters | 5/5 | ✅ Filter by date, type, participants |
| 7.7 | Folders | 5/5 | ✅ Folder organization |
| 7.8 | Filter by participants | 5/5 | ✅ Filter by attendees |
| 7.9 | Filter by company | 3/5 | ⚠️ CRM-linked; no standalone company filter |
Category total: 41 / 45
8. INTEGRATION - 69% (C+)
Deep CRM integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive) with auto-logging are a genuine strength. Productivity tools (Slack, Notion, Trello, Miro) and Aircall for call center intelligence are well covered. API and Zapier available. Major gaps: no OneNote, no OneDrive, no ATS, and limited Google Workspace depth.
| # | Criterion | Score | Justification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.1 | OneNote | 1/5 | ❌ No OneNote integration |
| 8.2 | OneDrive | 1/5 | ❌ No OneDrive integration |
| 8.3 | CRM | 5/5 | ✅ Deep integrations - HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive with auto-logging |
| 8.4 | G Suite / Google Workspace | 3/5 | ⚠️ Google Calendar; no deep Docs/Sheets integration |
| 8.5 | ATS | 1/5 | ❌ No ATS integration |
| 8.6 | Productivity tools | 5/5 | ✅ Slack, Notion, Trello, Miro, Aircall |
| 8.7 | VoIP | 5/5 | ✅ Aircall integration for call center intelligence |
| 8.8 | API | 5/5 | ✅ API available on Enterprise |
| 8.9 | Zapier | 5/5 | ✅ Zapier connector for custom workflows |
Category total: 31 / 45
9. CONVERSATION INTELLIGENCE / ANALYTICS - 91% (A)
Strong CI with AI summaries, cross-meeting queries via 'Ask', call scoring, conversation trackers, sentiment analysis, and action item detection with owner/timeline suggestions. Deal dashboards with SPICED/MEDDIC support are genuine sales strengths. Speech analytics depth is lighter than dedicated CI platforms like Chorus or Gong. Question detection is unconfirmed as standalone.
| # | Criterion | Score | Justification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.1 | Single Meeting AI Insights | 5/5 | ✅ AI summaries, key takeaways, action items |
| 9.2 | Multi-Meeting AI Insights | 5/5 | ✅ Cross-meeting queries with citations via 'Ask' |
| 9.3 | Scorecard & Coaching Insights | 5/5 | ✅ Call scoring, coaching tools, deal dashboards (Business) |
| 9.4 | Keyword Tracking | 5/5 | ✅ Conversation trackers for keywords across meetings |
| 9.5 | Sentiment Analysis | 5/5 | ✅ Sentiment analysis in conversations |
| 9.6 | Key Topic Detection | 5/5 | ✅ Automatic topic identification |
| 9.7 | Speech Analytics | 3/5 | ⚠️ Basic engagement metrics; less depth than dedicated CI tools |
| 9.8 | Action Item Detection | 5/5 | ✅ Automatic action item extraction with owner/timeline suggestions |
| 9.9 | Question Detection | 3/5 | ⚠️ Not explicitly confirmed as standalone |
Category total: 41 / 45
10. SECURITY & COMPLIANCE - 60% (C+)
SOC 2 Type II, SAML SSO on Enterprise, and GDPR compliance are solid. But: US-only AWS hosting with full Patriot Act exposure, no EU data residency, no BYOK or private storage, no 0-day vendor retention, and AI data usage policy lacks transparency. Significant gaps for security-conscious and EU-sensitive organizations.
| # | Criterion | Score | Justification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.1 | Data retention policy | 5/5 | ✅ Configurable retention policies |
| 10.2 | SOC 2 Compliant | 5/5 | ✅ SOC 2 Type II certified |
| 10.3 | SAML-based SSO | 5/5 | ✅ Enterprise plan - SAML SSO |
| 10.4 | GDPR Compliant | 5/5 | ✅ GDPR compliant |
| 10.5 | Uses your data to train AI? | 3/5 | ⚠️ Not explicitly disclosed in detail |
| 10.6 | Anonymized data sent to LLMs | 3/5 | ⚠️ Not explicitly detailed |
| 10.7 | Patriot Act exposure | 1/5 | ❌ US-based; hosted on AWS in USA |
| 10.8 | Text-Only Recording | 3/5 | ⚠️ Bot-free audio transcription; text-only not confirmed |
| 10.9 | Private storage options | 1/5 | ❌ No BYOK or private cloud options confirmed |
| 10.10 | BAA with LLM providers | 3/5 | ⚠️ HIPAA compliance mentioned; BAA details unclear |
| 10.11 | 0-day vendor data retention | 1/5 | ❌ No 0-day retention option confirmed |
| 10.12 | Data stored in EU only | 1/5 | ❌ US-hosted on AWS; no EU-only option confirmed |
Category total: 36 / 60
11. PRICING & PLANS
Grain offers a generous free plan with unlimited meetings (45-min limit), basic AI notes, and free viewer seats. Starter at $15/user/mo unlocks advanced AI and custom prompts. Business at $29/user/mo adds CRM integrations, deal boards, and AI coaching. Enterprise adds SAML SSO and API access.
| Plan Feature | Details | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier availability | ✅ Free plan available | 5/5 |
| Free tier features | ⚠️ Unlimited meetings (45-min limit), basic AI notes, collaborative workspace, free viewer seats | 4/5 |
| Pro / Starter price | $15/user/mo (annual) - $19/user/mo monthly | 4/5 |
| Pro / Starter features | ✅ Unlimited recordings, advanced AI, custom prompts, Slack + Zapier integrations | 4/5 |
| Business price | $29/user/mo (annual) - $39/user/mo monthly | 3/5 |
| Business features | ✅ CRM integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce), AI coaching, deal boards, conversation trackers, custom vocabulary, priority support | 5/5 |
| Enterprise price | Custom pricing | 3/5 |
| Enterprise features | ✅ SAML SSO, API access, advanced security, dedicated support | 5/5 |
12. QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT
Advantages
- Best-in-class video clips - create shareable clips by selecting transcript text; organize into stories/playlists
- 130+ languages - broadest language support among dedicated notetakers
- Free viewer seats - team members can access shared content without paid licenses
- Bot-free recording option via desktop audio capture
- Deep CRM integrations with auto-logging (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive)
- Deal dashboards with SPICED/MEDDIC framework support
- AI "Ask" feature with citations across meeting history
- Conversation trackers for keyword monitoring
- Transcript editing that also edits the video
- Aircall integration for call center intelligence
- Export to Claude and ChatGPT for further analysis
Disadvantages
- No mobile app - desktop only
- No live coaching during meetings
- No ATS integration
- No OneNote or OneDrive integration
- No EU data residency confirmed
- No BYOK or private storage
- No 0-day data retention
- US Patriot Act exposure
- AI data usage policy not fully transparent
- Limited Google Workspace depth
- Enterprise features gated behind custom pricing (API, SSO)
- Free plan has 45-minute meeting limit
USE-CASE FIT MATRIX
How well Grain fits different roles and team types.
| Use Case | Fit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Recruiter fit | Moderate | No ATS, but clips and templates useful for interview review |
| Sales fit | Strong | Deal dashboards, CRM auto-logging, coaching, SPICED/MEDDIC, clips for deal rooms |
| Manager fit | Strong | AI summaries, action items, team workspaces, cross-meeting queries |
| Enterprise / CISO fit | Moderate | SOC 2 Type II + GDPR, but no EU residency, no BYOK, US-hosted |
| Freelance fit | Strong | Free plan with unlimited meetings; free viewer seats for clients |
Three-Way Comparison
| Category | Grain | Noota | Avoma |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms & Recording | 79% (B+) | 93% (A+) | 73% (B) |
| Transcription | 83% (A−) | 87% (A) | 80% (A−) |
| Reports & Notes | 78% (B+) | 91% (A+) | 75% (B+) |
| Knowledge Management | 100% (A+) | 100% (A+) | 70% (B) |
| Admin & Control | 90% (A) | 60% (C) | 56% (C) |
| Support & Onboarding | 88% (A−) | 88% (A−) | 88% (A−) |
| Organization | 89% (A) | 94% (A) | 65% (B−) |
| Integration | 61% (C+) | 51% (D) | 90% (A) |
| Conversation Intelligence | 89% (A) | 83% (A) | 88% (A+) |
| Security & Compliance | 50% (C+) | 70% (B−) | 55% (C) |
| OVERALL | 81.0 (A−) | 86.33 (A) | 71.48 (B+) |
Key Strengths
- Unmatched video clip creation - select transcript text to create shareable video clips; organize into stories and playlists
- 130+ languages - broadest language support among dedicated AI notetakers
- Free viewer seats - team members can view and interact with shared recordings without a paid license
- Bot-free recording via desktop audio capture for privacy-conscious users
- Deep CRM auto-logging (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive) with deal intelligence
- Deal dashboards with SPICED and MEDDIC framework support
- AI "Ask" with citations - query entire meeting library with source references
- Conversation trackers for keyword monitoring across all meetings
- Transcript edits sync to video - edit text and the video updates automatically
- Aircall integration for call center conversation intelligence
Areas for Improvement
- No mobile app - desktop only; no iOS or Android support
- No live coaching - no real-time prompts or guidance during calls
- No ATS integration - unsuitable for recruiting workflows
- No OneNote or OneDrive - missing Microsoft productivity integrations
- US-only hosting - full Patriot Act exposure; no EU data residency
- No BYOK or private storage confirmed
- No 0-day vendor data retention
- Limited Google Workspace depth - Calendar only; no deep Docs/Sheets
- Enterprise features gated - API and SSO only on custom Enterprise
- Free plan 45-minute limit - may be restrictive for longer meetings
Bottom Line
Grain scores ~81/100 (Grade A−) - the best tool for shareable meeting content. Its video clip creation, stories, and playlists are unmatched in the market. Combined with 130+ languages, deep CRM integrations, and deal intelligence dashboards, it's a strong choice for sales and customer success teams.
The main weaknesses are no mobile app, weak security posture for EU-sensitive organizations (US-only hosting, no BYOK, no 0-day retention), and no ATS integration. Best suited for customer-facing teams that need to share meeting moments across the organization.
For sales teams: Strong pick - deal dashboards, CRM auto-logging, coaching, SPICED/MEDDIC, clips for deal rooms.
For managers: Good fit - AI summaries, action items, team workspaces, cross-meeting queries via "Ask".
For freelancers: Excellent - free plan with unlimited meetings; free viewer seats for clients.
For European enterprises: Skip - US-only data, Patriot Act exposure, no EU hosting, no BYOK.
For recruiters: Weak - no ATS integration; clips useful for interview review but not a primary recruiting tool.