Best Fathom Alternatives of 2026
Eight note takers for people who outgrow Fathom's free plan, need cheaper CRM sync, or want no bot, ranked on published facts.
By , research by the BestBots team ยท Updated Oct 19, 2026
Fact checked against each company's published pricing, documentation and verified user ratings. How we score
Fireflies is the best Fathom alternative for teams that want CRM sync without paying for Business: Salesforce, HubSpot and Pipedrive come on a $10 annual seat. Pick Granola for bot free notes on any system, Otter for a live transcript at $8.33 a user, and Zoom's built in AI if your company already pays for Zoom.
Our top picks
How to choose
Fathom is our top pick for most people because its free plan has no meaningful cap. So the question is not whether an alternative is "better", but which Fathom limit you are hitting.
You need CRM sync for a team. Fathom allows CRM syncs for up to 3 users on Premium and puts automatic field sync on Business at $25 a user annual. Fireflies includes CRM integrations on its $10 Pro seat. Avoma syncs to five CRMs on every plan.
You do not want a bot. Fathom's bot free mode is a Mac beta. Granola and Krisp never join calls on any system.
You want a live transcript. Fathom produces notes after the call. Otter shows the transcript as people talk.
You meet in other languages. Fathom does not list supported languages on its pricing page. Fireflies lists 100+, Avoma 70+, Granola 31 and tl;dv 30+.
Your company already pays for a meeting platform. Zoom Workplace and Microsoft 365 Copilot both include meeting AI. See Zoom AI Companion vs Copilot in Teams.
Our picks, in detail
- Starting price
- $18 per seat per month
- Free plan limit
- Unlimited transcription with auto join, 400 minutes of storage per team, limited AI summaries
- Platforms
- Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, desktop app, mobile app, Chrome extension
- CRM sync
- Salesforce, HubSpot and Pipedrive; app and CRM integrations from Pro
Fathom keeps automatic CRM field sync on Business at $25 a seat annual with a 2 user minimum. Fireflies includes Salesforce, HubSpot and Pipedrive integrations on Pro at $10 a seat annual, plus 100+ languages and video.
Pros
- Pro at $10 per seat on annual billing is one of the lowest paid tiers in the category
- Transcription in 100+ languages on every plan
- Video recording, downloads and unlimited integrations from Pro
- SOC 2 Type II, GDPR and HIPAA listed; HIPAA is on Enterprise
Cons
- Free plan storage is 400 minutes for the whole team, so history fills fast
- AI features draw from a monthly AI credit balance (20 on Free and Pro)
- Unlimited free transcription only applies with calendar auto join on; invite only mode limits you to 3 transcriptions
- The bot joins the call by default
Skip it if you want a free plan with real storage; Fireflies Free stores 400 minutes per team.
- Starting price
- $14 per user per month
- Free plan limit
- No daily transcription limit; only the last 30 days of notes are visible in the app
- Platforms
- Bot free on Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Slack huddles and in person; macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Apple Watch
- CRM sync
- HubSpot, Attio and Affinity on Business; Salesforce on Enterprise
Fathom's bot free capture is a Mac beta; everyone else gets a bot. Granola captures from device audio on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android on every plan, with 31 desktop languages listed.
Pros
- No bot joins the call; capture runs on your device audio
- No daily transcription limit on any plan, per the help center
- Works across any meeting app plus in person, with desktop and mobile apps
- 31 transcription languages on desktop
Cons
- Free plan hides notes older than 30 days until you upgrade
- No annual discount on Business; annual billing is Enterprise only
- Salesforce sync and HIPAA are Enterprise only, from $35 per user
- No video recording listed on any plan
Skip it if you need video recordings or clips; Granola is a notepad, not a recorder.
- Starting price
- $16.99 per user per month
- Free plan limit
- 300 minutes per month, 30 minutes per conversation, last 25 conversations
- Platforms
- Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet; bot free capture on Mac and Windows desktop
- CRM sync
- Salesforce, HubSpot and Zapier from Pro
Fathom writes notes after the call. Otter shows a live transcript during it, offers bot free desktop capture on Mac and Windows, and Pro is $8.33 a user annual, half the price of Fathom Premium.
Pros
- Pro at $8.33 per user on annual billing is the lowest annual paid tier among the big names
- Live transcript during the call plus bot free desktop capture
- Salesforce and HubSpot integrations start on Pro
- Business removes the minute cap for $19.99 per user annual
Cons
- Free plan caps each conversation at 30 minutes and keeps only the last 25
- Six transcription languages, far fewer than Fireflies or Notta
- Pro still caps you at 1,200 minutes and 90 minutes per conversation
- Class action over recording without consent survived a motion to dismiss in August 2026
Skip it if you need more than 1,200 minutes a month or more than six languages.
- Starting price
- $29 per seat per month
- Free plan limit
- Unlimited recordings; AI notes on 10 meetings; data kept up to 3 months
- Platforms
- Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, iOS and Android apps
- CRM sync
- CRM integrations and field mapping from Pro
tl;dv matches Fathom's unlimited free recordings, hosts and stores data in the EU and publishes a no training policy, which suits European companies with strict data rules.
Pros
- Free plan keeps unlimited video recordings with unlimited storage
- GDPR, SOC 2 and EU hosting listed on the pricing page
- Pro adds unlimited AI notes, API, webhooks and an MCP server
- Business adds sales coaching (playbooks, objection handling) without usage fees
Cons
- Free AI notes stop after 10 meetings and data retention is up to 3 months
- Monthly Pro at $29 per seat is above Fireflies ($18) and Otter ($16.99)
- Weekly web recording caps apply (40 on Free, 80 on Pro)
- Each recording is capped at 3 hours
Skip it if you want free AI notes; tl;dv's free plan writes them for only 10 meetings.
- Starting price
- $16 per user per month
- Free plan limit
- No free plan; 7 day free trial
- Platforms
- Bot free on Zoom, Google Meet, Teams and other voice apps; Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
- CRM sync
- Salesforce on Advanced
Krisp captures any call on Windows and Mac without a bot, adds its noise cancellation, and Core costs $8 a user annual, half of Fathom Premium.
Pros
- Bot free capture through a virtual microphone and speaker
- Noise cancellation included, which no other pick here offers
- Core at $8 per user annual is among the lowest paid tiers
- 4.7 on G2 from 1,612 reviews
Cons
- No free plan, only a 7 day trial
- Salesforce needs Advanced at $30 per user monthly
- 10 GB storage cap on Core
- 17+ languages, fewer than Fireflies or Notta
Skip it if you want to stay free; Krisp only has a 7 day trial.
- Starting price
- $19.75 per user per month
- Free plan limit
- 5 meeting transcripts per month
- Platforms
- Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Chrome
- CRM sync
- Salesforce and HubSpot from Pro
Read AI summarizes meetings, email and messages together and adds speaker coaching, with unlimited transcripts on Pro at $15 a user annual, a dollar under Fathom Premium.
Pros
- Covers meetings plus email and messages in one assistant
- SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR and HIPAA listed
- Salesforce and HubSpot on the first paid tier
- Desktop, mobile and browser apps for in person capture
Cons
- Free plan is capped at 5 meeting transcripts a month and 1 hour per meeting
- Audio and video playback needs Enterprise at $29.75 monthly
- HIPAA needs Enterprise+ with a 5 license minimum
- No refunds, per its pricing FAQ; cancel before renewal
Skip it if you rely on the free plan; Read stops at 5 meetings a month.
- Starting price
- $16.99 per user per month
- Free plan limit
- Summaries and in meeting questions for 3 hosted meetings a month, 3 My Notes uses, 20 AI queries
- Platforms
- Zoom Meetings, Team Chat, Mail and Docs; My Notes also works on third party meeting platforms and in person
- CRM sync
- ZoomMate connects to third party sources such as CRMs, cloud storage and ticketing tools
Paid Zoom Workplace plans include unlimited meeting summaries and in meeting questions at no extra cost, with no bot and Zoom's published no training policy.
Pros
- Unlimited meeting summaries included with Zoom Workplace Pro and Business at no extra charge
- No bot joins: the assistant is native to the Zoom client
- Zoom says it does not train its or third party models on customer audio, video, chat or attachments
- Admins can generate summaries without keeping a persistent transcript
Cons
- Free accounts get summaries for only 3 hosted meetings a month
- The agentic ZoomMate plan is an extra $16.67 to $20 per user
- ZoomMate agent features are English only for now
- Credits meter the advanced actions, so heavy users can run out
Skip it if your meetings run on Meet or Teams, or you are on free Zoom with 3 summaries a month.
- Starting price
- $29 per seat per month
- Free plan limit
- No free recorder plan; 14 day trial, free view only seats
- Platforms
- Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, GoToMeeting, plus dialers like Aircall, Dialpad, RingCentral and Zoom Phone
- CRM sync
- Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, Pipedrive and Copper on every plan
Teams that bought Fathom Business for coaching can step up to Avoma's CRM sync to five CRMs, 70+ languages, dialer recording and a built in scheduler.
Pros
- CRM sync to five CRMs on the entry plan
- 70+ transcription languages
- Dialer coverage (Aircall, Dialpad, RingCentral, Zoom Phone) for phone calls
- Free viewer seats, so you only pay for people who record
- SOC 2 Type II and ISO/IEC 42001 AI management certification
Cons
- No free plan for recorders
- Coaching and forecasting are add ons at $29 to $35 per seat
- Monthly Startup at $29 is above most general note takers
- Built for sales workflows, more than a solo user needs
Skip it if fathom Business already covers your coaching needs; Avoma's add ons can double the seat price.
What the alternatives cost
| Tool | Free plan | Cheapest paid seat, annual | Monthly | CRM sync starts on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fathom (for reference) | Unlimited recordings | $15 (Team) or $16 (Premium) | $19 to $20 | Premium (3 users), Business for field sync |
| Fireflies.ai | Unlimited transcription, 400 minutes storage per team | $10 | $18 | Pro |
| Granola | No daily limit, 30 day history | No annual option | $14 | Business (HubSpot), Enterprise (Salesforce) |
| Otter.ai | 300 minutes a month | $8.33 | $16.99 | Pro |
| tl;dv | Unlimited recordings, 10 AI notes | $18 | $29 | Pro |
| Krisp | 7 day trial | $8 | $16 | Advanced (Salesforce) |
| Read AI | 5 meetings a month | $15 | $19.75 | Pro |
| Zoom AI Companion | 3 summaries a month on free Zoom | Included with Workplace Pro ($14.16) | $16.99 | ZoomMate connectors |
| Avoma | 14 day trial | $19 | $29 | Every plan |
Prices from each vendor's pricing page in October 2026. Fathom's own plans are broken down in Fathom pricing.
When to stay on Fathom
If you are a solo user or a small team that mostly needs notes, staying on Fathom Free is the right call; nothing here matches it at $0. Fathom also holds the largest verified review base in the category (5.0 on G2 from 7,085 reviews, 4.8 on Trustpilot from 286) and lists SOC 2 Type II, GDPR and a signed HIPAA BAA on Enterprise. And if a two person team needs shared search, Fathom Team at $15 a user annual is cheaper than Premium.
Switching tips
- Keep Fathom Free running while you trial an alternative; it costs nothing and keeps your archive searchable.
- Disable one bot before connecting another calendar based tool, or both will join your meetings.
- Check language support in the new tool before you move non English meetings.
- Plan CRM mapping before your first sales call on the new tool so deal notes land in the right fields.
How we picked
We compared every meeting assistant in our database on published facts: free plan limits, price per seat on monthly and annual billing, CRM sync tier, bot free capture, languages, security listings and verified ratings. Each pick had to solve at least one specific Fathom limit better than Fathom does. Ranked order is the best fit for most people leaving Fathom. Full method: how we score.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Fathom?
Fireflies, for teams that need CRM sync cheaply: Salesforce, HubSpot and Pipedrive integrations come on its $10 annual Pro seat. Granola, for people who want no bot on any system.
Is there anything better than Fathom for free?
Not on published terms. Fathom's free plan has unlimited recordings, transcription and summaries. tl;dv also has unlimited free recordings but stops AI notes at 10 meetings, and Granola has no daily limit but shows only 30 days of history.
What is a Fathom alternative for Windows without a bot?
Granola and Krisp both capture without a bot on Windows. Otter's Windows desktop app also captures meetings without sending a bot. Fathom's bot free mode is a Mac beta.
Fathom vs Fireflies: which should I choose?
Fathom if you want to stay free, Fireflies if you need CRM sync and many languages for a team. See [Fathom vs Fireflies](/fathom-vs-fireflies).
Fathom vs Otter: which is better?
Fathom's free plan beats Otter's, which caps conversations at 30 minutes. Otter has the live transcript and a cheaper annual Pro seat. See [Otter vs Fathom](/otter-vs-fathom).
Why would someone leave Fathom?
The measurable reasons are CRM field sync on Business only, bot free capture limited to a Mac beta, unpublished language support, and team features that need a 2 user minimum. On Trustpilot, where Fathom scores 4.8 from 286 reviews, complaints mention email only support and missed joins on some Google Meet calls.