AI notetaker that records, transcribes, summarizes and searches meetings across Zoom, Meet and Teams.
Fathom vs Happy Scribe
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 Happy Scribe is best for transcribing and subtitling media files in many languages, with an optional meeting notetaker. Only Fathom offers cRM sync. Only Happy Scribe offers in-person / mobile recording and transcribe uploaded files. Both Fathom and Happy Scribe 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
- CRM sync matters to you
- You're one of: sales reps, customer success teams, freelancers and consultants
- Free plan includes unlimited recordings and transcripts
Choose Happy Scribe if…
- You need transcribing and subtitling media files in many languages, with an optional meeting notetaker
- In-person / mobile recording matters to you
- Transcribe uploaded files matters to you
- You're one of: video editors and subtitlers, journalists and researchers, podcasters
At a glance
| Fathom | Happy Scribe | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Individuals and sales teams who want unlimited free meeting recording with quick summaries | Transcribing and subtitling media files in many languages, with an optional meeting notetaker |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | From $16/mo | From $8.50/mo |
| Learning curve | Low | Low |
| Platforms | Web, macOS, Windows, Chrome extension | Web, iOS, Android, API |
| Ideal for | Sales reps, Customer success teams, Freelancers and consultants, Budget-conscious individuals | Video editors and subtitlers, Journalists and researchers, Podcasters, Multilingual teams |
Feature comparison
| Fathom | Happy Scribe | |
|---|---|---|
| Records without a bot joining | Beta, Mac only | No |
| Meeting platforms | Zoom, Meet, Teams, Slack Huddles | Zoom, Meet, Teams |
| Transcription languages | 38 languages | 150+ languages |
| CRM sync | Yes | No |
| Ask AI across meetings | Limited | Limited |
| Speaker identification | Yes | Yes |
| In-person / mobile recording | No | Yes |
| Transcribe uploaded files | No | Yes |
| Translation | Limited | Yes |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Fathom | Happy Scribe | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Team plans | Enterprise plan |
| SCIM user provisioning | Team plans | — |
| SOC 2 | Type II | Type II |
| ISO 27001 | — | — |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | Yes | — |
| GDPR DPA | Yes | Yes |
| Data residency options | — | EU |
| No training on your data | — | — |
| Audit logs | — | — |
| Admin controls | Yes | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
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
Happy Scribe
Happy Scribe is a Europe-based transcription and subtitling platform that converts uploaded audio and video into editable transcripts and subtitles in 150+ languages. It also offers a calendar-connected notetaker for Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, mobile recording apps, AI translation and an optional human transcription service.
Key features- AI transcription in 150+ languages with speaker detection
- Subtitle editor with 15+ export formats on higher plans
- AI translation into 80+ languages
- Meeting notetaker for Zoom, Meet and Teams
- Optional human-verified transcription and subtitles
- iOS and Android apps for in-person recording
Pricing
Fathom
Free plan (unlimited recordings); Premium $16/mo annual ($20 monthly); Team $15/user/mo annual
Happy Scribe
Free tier (meeting recording + 10-min AI trial); Basic $8.50/mo annual ($17 monthly)
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.
Happy Scribe
Strengths- Very broad language coverage for transcription and translation
- Strong subtitle editing and export options for video work
- Human transcription available when accuracy is critical
- EU data storage and SOC 2 Type II certification
- Minute-based quotas on every plan; heavy users need higher tiers
- No bot-free desktop recorder yet (Mac/Windows apps listed as coming soon)
- CRM integration not yet available
- Basic plan limited to SRT subtitle export
Not ideal for: Sales teams that want CRM syncing and conversation analytics from their calls should choose a dedicated sales meeting assistant.
Integrations
Fathom
Happy Scribe
FAQ
What is the main difference between Fathom and Happy Scribe?
Fathom is built for individuals and sales teams who want unlimited free meeting recording with quick summaries; Happy Scribe is built for transcribing and subtitling media files in many languages, with an optional meeting notetaker. Key differences: Fathom offers cRM sync; Happy Scribe offers in-person / mobile recording and transcribe uploaded files.
Is Fathom or Happy Scribe cheaper?
Fathom starts from $16/mo and Happy Scribe starts from $8.50/mo (as of September 2026). On entry price, Happy Scribe is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Fathom and Happy Scribe have free plans?
Both Fathom and Happy Scribe offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which is easier to use, Fathom or Happy Scribe?
Both have a low learning curve.
What are good alternatives to Fathom and Happy Scribe?
Other meetings tools worth comparing include Fireflies.ai, Otter.ai and tl;dv.
