AI notetaker that records, transcribes, summarizes and searches meetings across Zoom, Meet and Teams.
Fathom vs Otter.ai
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 Otter.ai is best for english-first live transcription for meetings, lectures and in-person conversations. Only Otter.ai offers in-person / mobile recording and transcribe uploaded files. Both Fathom and Otter.ai 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 Otter.ai if…
- You need english-first live transcription for meetings, lectures and in-person conversations
- In-person / mobile recording matters to you
- Transcribe uploaded files matters to you
- You're one of: students and educators, journalists, sales and account teams
At a glance
| Fathom | Otter.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Individuals and sales teams who want unlimited free meeting recording with quick summaries | English-first live transcription for meetings, lectures and in-person conversations |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | From $16/mo | From $8.33/user/mo |
| Learning curve | Low | Low |
| Platforms | Web, macOS, Windows, Chrome extension | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Chrome extension |
| Ideal for | Sales reps, Customer success teams, Freelancers and consultants, Budget-conscious individuals | Students and educators, Journalists, Sales and account teams, English-speaking remote teams |
Feature comparison
| Fathom | Otter.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Records without a bot joining | Beta, Mac only | Yes |
| Meeting platforms | Zoom, Meet, Teams, Slack Huddles | Zoom, Meet, Teams |
| Transcription languages | 38 languages | 6 languages |
| CRM sync | Yes | Paid plans only |
| Ask AI across meetings | Limited | Yes |
| Speaker identification | Yes | Yes |
| In-person / mobile recording | No | Yes |
| Transcribe uploaded files | No | Yes |
| Translation | Limited | — |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Fathom | Otter.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Enterprise plan |
| GDPR DPA | Yes | — |
| Data residency options | — | — |
| No training on your data | — | De-identified data only |
| Audit logs | — | — |
| Admin controls | Yes | Enterprise plan |
| 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
Otter.ai
Otter.ai transcribes meetings in real time through its OtterPilot bot on Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, via a bot-free desktop app, or through its mobile apps for in-person conversations. It generates summaries and action items, and Otter AI Chat answers questions within and across meetings. Higher tiers add CRM syncing and admin controls.
Key features- Live transcription with speaker identification by name
- OtterPilot bot for Zoom, Meet and Teams
- Bot-free recording via Mac and Windows desktop app
- Otter AI Chat within and across meetings
- Salesforce and HubSpot note syncing
- Import of audio and video files
Pricing
Fathom
Free plan (unlimited recordings); Premium $16/mo annual ($20 monthly); Team $15/user/mo annual
Otter.ai
Free Basic plan (300 min/mo); Pro $8.33/user/mo annual ($16.99 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.
Otter.ai
Strengths- Mature live transcript with editable speaker tags
- Works for online meetings, in-person recordings and imports
- Mobile apps suited to lectures and interviews
- Cross-meeting AI chat included on paid plans
- Transcribes only six languages
- Free plan limits file imports to three in total
- AI Chat queries are capped per month on lower tiers
- No built-in translation of transcripts
Not ideal for: Teams that hold meetings in languages beyond English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese or Chinese should choose a tool with wider language support.
Integrations
Fathom
Otter.ai
FAQ
What is the main difference between Fathom and Otter.ai?
Fathom is built for individuals and sales teams who want unlimited free meeting recording with quick summaries; Otter.ai is built for english-first live transcription for meetings, lectures and in-person conversations. Key differences: Otter.ai offers in-person / mobile recording and transcribe uploaded files.
Is Fathom or Otter.ai cheaper?
Fathom starts from $16/mo and Otter.ai starts from $8.33/user/mo (as of September 2026). On entry price, Otter.ai is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Fathom and Otter.ai have free plans?
Both Fathom and Otter.ai offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which is easier to use, Fathom or Otter.ai?
Both have a low learning curve.
What are good alternatives to Fathom and Otter.ai?
Other meetings tools worth comparing include Fireflies.ai, tl;dv and Granola.
