Fathom vs Otter.ai
An independent, side-by-side comparison to help you pick the right tool. Pricing, features, strengths, and trade-offs.
Free (unlimited) / Team $32/mo / Enterprise custom
$29M total
Free / Pro $16.99/mo / Business $30/mo
$63M total
User ratings
5/5
on G2 (6645 reviews)
98% satisfaction
4.4/5
on G2 (464 reviews)
75% satisfaction
Source: G2.com. Ratings may change over time.
At a glance
| Fathom | Otter.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free (unlimited) / Team $32/mo / Enterprise custom | Free / Pro $16.99/mo / Business $30/mo |
| Type | AI Notetaker | AI Notetaker |
| G2 Rating | 5/5 (6645 reviews) | 4.4/5 (464 reviews) |
| Team Size | 11-50 | 101-250 |
| Funding | $29M total | $63M total |
Feature comparison
| Feature | Fathom | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited free recording | — | |
| Native Zoom integration (no bot) | — | |
| AI highlights and summaries | — | |
| One-click CRM sync | — | |
| Call clip sharing | — | |
| Real-time transcription | — | |
| OtterPilot auto-join | — | |
| AI meeting summary | — | |
| Action item extraction | — | |
| Slack and Salesforce integrations | — |
What makes each tool different
Fathom
Fathom made waves by offering unlimited free recording and transcription for individuals. It uses a non-bot approach on Zoom (native integration), so no awkward bot joins. The highlight-and-clip workflow is fast and intuitive.
Otter.ai
Otter pioneered the real-time transcription space and remains one of the most recognized names. Its OtterPilot auto-joins meetings and generates live summaries, action items, and searchable transcripts across Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet.
Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
- Truly free for individuals with no minute caps
- No bot joining the meeting on Zoom
- Fast, clean UI with great clip workflow
Weaknesses
- Teams features require paid plan
- Fewer integrations than Fireflies or Otter
- Google Meet and Teams support added later
Strengths
- Generous free tier with 300 minutes/mo
- Strong real-time transcription accuracy
- Works across all major meeting platforms
Weaknesses
- Bot presence can feel intrusive to attendees
- Limited language support outside English
- Enterprise pricing jumps significantly
Try both and decide
The best way to choose is to test each tool with your own workflow. Most offer free tiers or trials.