Fathom vs Otter. Two bots, two free plans.
Both send a bot into Zoom, Meet and Teams by default, and both now record without one from a desktop app. The differences are in the free plan, the price, in-person meetings and what happens to your data.
Below: the sourced side-by-side, then who each one fits.
Fathom, Otter and Fluent, side by side
| Fathom | Otter | 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 $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 | 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 | 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 | Never |
| In-person meetings | Not yet: an iOS app is announced as coming soon | Yes, recorded in 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 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, Fluent pricing, Fluent FAQ
The decision
If you live on remote sales calls and want the most generous free plan, Fathom: unlimited recordings and transcripts at $0, with CRM sync on paid plans. Fathom has been part of Superhuman since September 2026.
If you also record meetings away from your desk, Otter: its iOS and Android apps record in person today, while Fathom's iOS app is still announced as coming soon. Otter's free plan is tighter (300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation).
On data, Fathom lets you opt out of training its own models; we found no training opt-out on Otter's pages.
The third option
Fluent never joins a call. It records the room from your iPhone or a Limitless or Omi pendant, then turns each conversation into the commitments people made, a profile of everyone you talk to, and coaching from what was said. Your conversations are never used to train models.
The honest boundary: on a remote call Fluent hears what your room hears, so a bot or desktop recorder gets cleaner far-side audio. See Fluent vs Fathom and Fluent vs Otter.
Questions
Is Fathom or Otter better?
For remote calls on a free plan, Fathom: unlimited recordings and transcripts at $0. For meetings away from the desk, Otter, whose phone apps record in person today. Both join calls with a bot by default and both have a bot-free desktop option.
Is Fathom free?
Fathom has a free plan with unlimited recordings and transcripts; AI action items and Ask Fathom are limited. Paid plans start at $20/mo, or $16/mo billed yearly (checked October 2026).
Can Fathom or Otter record in-person meetings?
Otter can, through its iOS and Android apps. Fathom's iOS app is announced but not out yet. Fluent records in person from your iPhone or a Limitless or Omi 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