AI notetaker that records, transcribes, summarizes and searches meetings across Zoom, Meet and Teams.
Fathom vs Read.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 Read.ai is best for teams that want meeting notes plus search across meetings, email and messages. Only Read.ai offers in-person / mobile recording. Both Fathom and Read.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 Read.ai if…
- You need teams that want meeting notes plus search across meetings, email and messages
- In-person / mobile recording matters to you
- You're one of: managers and team leads, sales teams, knowledge workers juggling email and meetings
- Search spans meetings, email and messaging, not just calls
At a glance
| Fathom | Read.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Individuals and sales teams who want unlimited free meeting recording with quick summaries | Teams that want meeting notes plus search across meetings, email and messages |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | From $16/mo | From $15/seat/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 | Managers and team leads, Sales teams, Knowledge workers juggling email and meetings, Coaches tracking meeting effectiveness |
Feature comparison
| Fathom | Read.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Records without a bot joining | Beta, Mac only | Yes |
| Meeting platforms | Zoom, Meet, Teams, Slack Huddles | Zoom, Meet, Teams, Webex |
| Transcription languages | 38 languages | 16+ 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 | Paid plans only |
| Translation | Limited | Limited |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Fathom | Read.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 (BAA) |
| GDPR DPA | Yes | Yes |
| Data residency options | — | — |
| No training on your data | — | — |
| 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
Read.ai
Read.ai records and summarizes meetings on Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, with bot-based or bot-free capture on desktop and mobile. Beyond meetings, its Ask Read search connects meetings, email and chat to answer questions, and it adds engagement and sentiment metrics plus a meeting coach.
Key features- Meeting reports with summaries, action items and topics
- Bot or bot-free capture across web, desktop and mobile
- Ask Read search across meetings, email and messages
- Speaker-separated transcripts with sentiment and engagement scores
- Salesforce and HubSpot integration
- Upload audio and video to generate reports
Pricing
Fathom
Free plan (unlimited recordings); Premium $16/mo annual ($20 monthly); Team $15/user/mo annual
Read.ai
Free plan: yes. Paid from ~$15/seat/mo billed annually (Pro)
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.
Read.ai
Strengths- Search spans meetings, email and messaging, not just calls
- Engagement and talk-time metrics for self-coaching
- Apps on every major platform including in-person capture
- Reports available in 16+ languages
- Free plan limited to a few meeting transcripts per month
- Upload minutes are capped on paid plans
- CRM integrations require premium tiers
- Engagement scoring can feel intrusive to some participants
Not ideal for: People who only want plain transcripts without analytics or connected inboxes may find the scope broader than necessary.
Integrations
Fathom
Read.ai
FAQ
What is the main difference between Fathom and Read.ai?
Fathom is built for individuals and sales teams who want unlimited free meeting recording with quick summaries; Read.ai is built for teams that want meeting notes plus search across meetings, email and messages. Key differences: Read.ai offers in-person / mobile recording.
Is Fathom or Read.ai cheaper?
Fathom starts from $16/mo and Read.ai starts from $15/seat/mo (as of September 2026). On entry price, Read.ai is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Fathom and Read.ai have free plans?
Both Fathom and Read.ai offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which is easier to use, Fathom or Read.ai?
Both have a low learning curve.
What are good alternatives to Fathom and Read.ai?
Other meetings tools worth comparing include Fireflies.ai, Otter.ai and tl;dv.
