Fathom alternatives. Four honest options.
Fathom is a strong free notetaker for remote calls, and it joined Superhuman in September 2026. If you want in-person recording, no bot at all, or no AI training on your meetings, these are the alternatives worth comparing.
One sourced table, then which one fits which reason for leaving.
Fathom and four alternatives
| Fathom | Otter | Fireflies | Granola | Fluent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paid plans | Premium $20/mo, or $16/mo billed yearly. Team $19/user/mo, or $15 yearly. Business $34/user/mo, or $25 yearly | Pro $16.99/mo, or $8.33/mo billed yearly. Business $30/mo, or $19.99/mo yearly | Pro $18/seat/mo, or $10 billed yearly. Business $29, or $19 yearly | Business $14/user/mo. Enterprise $35/user/mo | Pro $9.99/mo, or $83.99/yr. Premium $19.99/mo, or $167.99/yr |
| Free plan | Unlimited recordings and transcripts; AI action items and Ask Fathom are limited | 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation | Unlimited transcription, limited AI summaries, 400 minutes of storage | Unlimited notes, 30 days of meeting history | 5 conversations a month |
| How it captures | Bot joins Zoom, Meet and Teams; bot-free capture in the desktop app (beta, Mac) | OtterPilot bot joins Zoom, Meet and Teams; bot-free desktop app; phone apps; uploads | Fred bot joins calls; bot-free desktop app and Chrome extension; phone app; uploads | Your computer's audio on calls; phone app in person | Your iPhone mic (rolling out) or a paired Limitless or Omi pendant |
| Bot in your calls | Yes by default; the desktop app records without one | Yes by default (OtterPilot); the desktop app records without one | Yes by default (Fred); the desktop app and Chrome extension record without it | Never | Never |
| In-person meetings | Not yet: an iOS app is announced as coming soon | Yes, recorded in the iOS or Android app | Yes, with the mobile app | Yes, with the iOS or Android app | Yes — what it is built for |
| Trains AI on your data | May train its own models on de-identified data; you can opt out | Yes, on de-identified data; no opt-out found | Never, per Fireflies | Yes, anonymized, unless you opt out | Never used to train models |
Checked October 8, 2026 · Sources: Fathom pricing, Fathom what's new, Fathom privacy, Superhuman acquires Fathom (Goodwin), Otter pricing, Otter apps, Otter privacy & security, Fireflies pricing, Fireflies security, Granola pricing, Granola security, Fluent pricing, Fluent FAQ
Pick by your reason for leaving
You want in-person meetings covered
Otter, Fireflies and Granola all record in person from a phone app today; Fathom's iOS app is still coming soon. Fluent is built for it, from your iPhone or a Limitless or Omi pendant.
You never want a bot on the call
Granola and Fluent never join calls. Otter, Fireflies and Fathom use a bot by default but each has a bot-free desktop option.
You want no AI training on your meetings
Fireflies and Fluent say they never train on your data. Granola and Fathom offer an opt-out; we found none on Otter's pages.
You want follow-through, not just notes
Fluent turns each conversation into the commitments people made, a profile of everyone you talk to, and coaching. The others focus on per-meeting notes and search.
Questions
What is the best free alternative to Fathom?
For remote calls, Fireflies: unlimited transcription with 400 minutes of storage. For notes on calls at your desk, Granola: unlimited notes with 30 days of history. Fluent's free plan covers 5 conversations a month (checked October 2026).
Is there a Fathom alternative without a bot?
Granola and Fluent never join calls. Granola uses your computer's audio; Fluent records the room from your iPhone or a pendant. Fathom itself now has bot-free capture in its Mac desktop app (beta).
What changed with Fathom in 2026?
Fathom 3.0 (April 2026) added bot-free capture and live summaries, and Superhuman acquired Fathom in September 2026. Its iOS app for in-person meetings is announced as coming soon.
Try the alternative that follows you into the room.
Free for 5 conversations a month. No bot, ever.
Download Fluent for iPhone