AI notetaker that records, transcribes, summarizes and searches meetings across Zoom, Meet and Teams.
Fathom vs Granola
Features, pricing, strengths and trade-offs — and which one fits your situation.
The verdict
Summary
Fathom is best for individuals and sales teams who want unlimited free meeting recording with quick summaries, while Granola is best for professionals who want bot-free AI notes that build on their own jotted notes. Only Granola offers in-person / mobile recording. Both Fathom and Granola offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which should you choose?
Choose Fathom if…
- You need individuals and sales teams who want unlimited free meeting recording with quick summaries
- You're one of: sales reps, customer success teams, freelancers and consultants
- Free plan includes unlimited recordings and transcripts
Choose Granola if…
- You need professionals who want bot-free AI notes that build on their own jotted notes
- In-person / mobile recording matters to you
- You're one of: founders and investors, consultants, product managers
- No bot joins the call, so it works with any meeting app
At a glance
| Fathom | Granola | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Individuals and sales teams who want unlimited free meeting recording with quick summaries | Professionals who want bot-free AI notes that build on their own jotted notes |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | From $16/mo | From $14/user/mo |
| Learning curve | Low | Low |
| Platforms | Web, macOS, Windows, Chrome extension | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Ideal for | Sales reps, Customer success teams, Freelancers and consultants, Budget-conscious individuals | Founders and investors, Consultants, Product managers, People in back-to-back meetings |
Feature comparison
| Fathom | Granola | |
|---|---|---|
| Records without a bot joining | Beta, Mac only | Yes |
| Meeting platforms | Zoom, Meet, Teams, Slack Huddles | Any (device audio) |
| Transcription languages | 38 languages | 30+ languages |
| CRM sync | Yes | Yes |
| Ask AI across meetings | Limited | Yes |
| Speaker identification | Yes | Limited |
| In-person / mobile recording | No | Yes |
| Transcribe uploaded files | No | No |
| Translation | Limited | Limited |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Fathom | Granola | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Team plans | Enterprise plan |
| SCIM user provisioning | Team plans | Enterprise plan |
| SOC 2 | Type II | Type II |
| ISO 27001 | — | — |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | Yes | — |
| GDPR DPA | Yes | Yes |
| Data residency options | — | — |
| No training on your data | — | Enterprise plan |
| Audit logs | — | — |
| Admin controls | Yes | Enterprise plan |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud (desktop app) |
From each vendor's security documentation. "—" = not confirmed. What to ask vendors · Compare all tools
What each tool does
Fathom
Fathom is an AI notetaker that records Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams calls, then produces transcripts, summaries and action items shortly after the meeting ends. It offers a choice of a bot that joins the call or a bot-free desktop capture mode (beta, Mac). Paid tiers add team workspaces, coaching metrics and CRM field syncing.
Key features- Unlimited recordings and transcripts, including on the free plan
- AI summaries with 15+ meeting templates and action items
- Ask Fathom chat within a call, plus account-wide search (beta)
- Automatic HubSpot and Salesforce record updates on team plans
- Clips, highlights and playlists for sharing moments
- AI-drafted follow-up emails
Granola
Granola is an AI notepad that captures meeting audio directly from your device without a bot joining the call. You type rough notes during the meeting and Granola combines them with the transcript to produce structured notes afterwards. It runs on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android and supports chat across past meetings.
Key features- Bot-free device-audio capture on desktop and mobile
- Enhances your own notes with the transcript using templates
- Chat across meetings and folders
- Mobile apps for in-person meetings
- HubSpot, Attio and Affinity CRM integrations
- MCP connector for Claude and ChatGPT
Pricing
Fathom
Free plan (unlimited recordings); Premium $16/mo annual ($20 monthly); Team $15/user/mo annual
Granola
Free plan: yes (limited). Paid from ~$14/user/mo (Business)
Prices last checked September 2026. Plans change often — confirm on each vendor's site.
Pros and cons
Fathom
Strengths- Free plan includes unlimited recordings and transcripts
- Summaries are delivered within about a minute of the call ending
- Choice between bot-based and bot-free capture
- Native CRM syncing for HubSpot and Salesforce
- Bot-free capture is in beta and Mac-only
- No dedicated mobile app for in-person meetings yet
- Cannot transcribe uploaded audio or video files
- Native summaries limited to seven languages; other languages rely on translation
Not ideal for: Teams that need to transcribe in-person conversations or pre-recorded files should look at a tool with a mobile app and file uploads.
Granola
Strengths- No bot joins the call, so it works with any meeting app
- Notes reflect what you flagged as important
- Clean, simple interface with little setup
- Available on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android
- No video recording; audio transcript only
- Speaker attribution is limited compared with bot-based tools
- Free tier keeps only a limited meeting history
- Cannot transcribe uploaded audio or video files
Not ideal for: Teams that need video recordings, clip sharing or detailed per-speaker analytics should choose a bot-based recorder.
Integrations
Fathom
Granola
FAQ
What is the main difference between Fathom and Granola?
Fathom is built for individuals and sales teams who want unlimited free meeting recording with quick summaries; Granola is built for professionals who want bot-free AI notes that build on their own jotted notes. Key differences: Granola offers in-person / mobile recording.
Is Fathom or Granola cheaper?
Fathom starts from $16/mo and Granola starts from $14/user/mo (as of September 2026). On entry price, Granola is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Fathom and Granola have free plans?
Both Fathom and Granola offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which is easier to use, Fathom or Granola?
Both have a low learning curve.
What are good alternatives to Fathom and Granola?
Other meetings tools worth comparing include Fireflies.ai, Otter.ai and tl;dv.
