Fathom vs Fireflies. Fathom vs Fred.
Both send a bot to your calls by default, and both can record without one from a desktop app. Fathom leads on its free plan; Fireflies on integrations, in-person recording and a no-training policy.
Below: the sourced side-by-side, then who each one fits.
Fathom, Fireflies and Fluent, side by side
| Fathom | Fireflies | 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 $18/seat/mo, or $10 billed yearly. Business $29, or $19 yearly | 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 | Unlimited transcription, limited AI summaries, 400 minutes of storage | 5 conversations a month |
| How it captures | Bot joins Zoom, Meet and Teams; bot-free capture in the desktop app (beta, Mac) | Fred bot joins calls; bot-free desktop app and Chrome extension; phone app; uploads | 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 (Fred); the desktop app and Chrome extension record without it | Never |
| In-person meetings | Not yet: an iOS app is announced as coming soon | Yes, with the mobile 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 | Never, per Fireflies | Never used to train models |
Checked October 8, 2026 · Sources: Fathom pricing, Fathom what's new, Fathom privacy, Superhuman acquires Fathom (Goodwin), Fireflies pricing, Fireflies security, Fluent pricing, Fluent FAQ
The decision
Fathom gives the most away free: unlimited recordings and transcripts. Fireflies' free plan transcribes without limit too, but caps storage at 400 minutes and limits AI summaries. Fathom has been part of Superhuman since September 2026.
Fireflies goes further on integrations (100+ apps) and records in-person meetings in its mobile app today; Fathom's iOS app is still coming soon. Fireflies says it never trains on meeting data; Fathom may train its own models on de-identified data unless you opt out.
The third option
Fluent never joins a call. It records the room from your iPhone or a Limitless or Omi pendant and turns each conversation into commitments, people profiles and coaching. Your conversations are never used to train models.
On a remote call, Fluent hears what your room hears; a bot or desktop recorder gets cleaner far-side audio. See Fluent vs Fathom and Fluent vs Fireflies.
Questions
Is Fathom or Fireflies better?
For a free plan with unlimited recordings, Fathom. For integrations, in-person recording in a mobile app, and a policy of never training on your data, Fireflies. Both join calls with a bot by default.
Does Fireflies or Fathom train AI on my meetings?
Fireflies says meeting data is never used for AI training. Fathom may train its own models on de-identified data, with an opt-out in settings (checked October 2026).
Can either record without a bot?
Yes. Fathom's desktop app has bot-free capture (in beta, on Mac), and Fireflies has a bot-free desktop app and Chrome extension. Fluent never uses a bot: it records the room from your iPhone or a pendant.
Skip the bot entirely.
Fluent records the room, in person or on a call, and turns it into follow-through.
Download Fluent for iPhone