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Otter.ai vs Fathom

Otter.ai: Live transcription and summaries for meetings and lectures. Fathom: A free AI notetaker for Zoom, Meet and Teams. Here is how they compare on features, pricing, platforms, pros and cons.

Quick verdict

Otter.ai

Best for: Students and professionals who need notes from talks and meetings.

Stands out for: Live transcription; Joins Zoom, Meet and Teams automatically.

Fathom

Best for: Anyone who wants meeting notes without paying.

Stands out for: Generous free plan; Quick, clear summaries.

Side-by-side comparison

Comparison of Otter.ai, Fathom
Visit otter.ai (opens in a new tab)Visit fathom.video (opens in a new tab)
What it isLive transcription and summaries for meetings and lectures.A free AI notetaker for Zoom, Meet and Teams.
Pricing
Free + Paid
Free + Paid
Free to useYesYes
CategoryAI ProductivityAI Productivity
Editor rank#2 in category#5 in category
Made byOtter.aiFathom
Best forStudents and professionals who need notes from talks and meetings.Anyone who wants meeting notes without paying.
Key features
  • Live meeting transcription
  • Summaries and action items
  • Joins calls automatically
  • Instant call summaries
  • Shareable highlights
  • Generous free plan
Pros
  • Live transcription
  • Joins Zoom, Meet and Teams automatically
  • Free plan to try it out
  • Generous free plan
  • Quick, clear summaries
  • Simple to set up
Cons
  • Free plan limits minutes per month
  • Accuracy drops with heavy accents or noise
  • Some team and CRM features need a paid plan
  • Works only with supported meeting apps
Use it to
  • Transcribe a lecture as it happens
  • Get a summary and action items after a meeting
  • Search past conversations by keyword
  • Get automatic notes from Zoom calls
  • Share highlight clips from a meeting
  • Copy call summaries into your CRM
Web app
iPhone & iPad
Android
Windows
Mac
Chrome extension

Otter.ai vs Fathom: questions

Is Otter.ai better than Fathom?

Neither wins for everyone. Our editors rank Otter.ai slightly higher overall in AI Productivity, but Fathom can be the better fit: Anyone who wants meeting notes without paying.

Which is free, Otter.ai or Fathom?

Both can be used without paying: Otter.ai is free + paid and Fathom is free + paid. Paid plans add more usage or features.

Can I use Otter.ai and Fathom together?

Yes. Many people keep both and pick per task, for example transcribe a lecture as it happens with Otter.ai, and get automatic notes from Zoom calls with Fathom.

More comparisons

Otter.ai vs Fathom (2026): Pricing, Pros & Cons | AltFTool