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Software · head to head

Airtable vs Fathom

Airtable logo

Airtable

Software

Create apps that perfectly fit your team's needs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fathom logo

Fathom

Software

Free AI meeting assistant

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Airtable hitting a plan limit blocks adding records or attachments entirely until you upgrade, rather than degrading gracefully; Fathom team plan requires minimum 2 users; cannot purchase single seat at team pricing
  • They diverge on capability: Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Fathom covers Auto-recording.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airtable and Fathom actually diverge.

Attributes where Airtable and Fathom differ
AttributeAirtableFathom
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, DesktopWeb, Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams
Founded20122020

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Airtable

  • Spreadsheet-database hybrid
  • Custom views
  • Automation
  • Forms
  • Integrations
  • Mobile apps
  • Real-time collaboration
  • API access

Only in Fathom

  • Auto-recording
  • AI summaries
  • Transcription
  • Highlight clips
  • Zoom
  • Google Meet
  • HubSpot
  • Web support

Both cover

  • Salesforce

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Airtable

  • Structured team databases with grid, calendar and kanban viewsnot Fathom
  • Lightweight internal tools built on shared recordsnot Fathom
  • Automations between Airtable and other systemsnot Fathom
  • Sharing read-only views with collaborators, who are not chargednot Fathom
  • Collecting submissions through forms without paying for a seatnot Fathom

Fathom

  • AI-powered meeting transcription and automatic note-taking for sales teams and professionalsnot Airtable
  • Meeting analysis with AI scorecards and action item generation that syncs to CRMsnot Airtable

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Airtable

  • Hitting a plan limit blocks adding records or attachments entirely until you upgrade, rather than degrading gracefully
  • Team is $20 per user per month and Business $45, both at the annual rate
  • Automation and API usage are capped by plan
  • Enterprise Scale pricing is not published

Fathom

  • Team plan requires minimum 2 users; cannot purchase single seat at team pricing
  • CRM field sync and deal view summaries available only on Business plan ($34/user/month) and above

Pricing, plan by plan

Airtable

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited bases
    • 1,000 records per base
    • Up to 5 editors
  • Team$20/month per editor annual
    • 50,000 records per base
    • Unlimited automations
    • API access
  • Business$45/month per editor annual
    • 125,000 records per base
    • Advanced permissions
    • Priority support
  • Enterprise Scale$null/custom
    • 500,000+ records per base
    • Custom SLA
    • Dedicated support

Fathom

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Fathom review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Airtable if

  • You need spreadsheet-database hybrid.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want custom views.
Airtable review

Choose Fathom if

  • You need auto-recording.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams.
  • You also want ai summaries.
Fathom review

Questions people ask

Is Airtable or Fathom better?
Neither clearly leads. Airtable starts at Free and Fathom at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airtable or Fathom?
Airtable starts at Free and Fathom at Free.
Does Airtable or Fathom run on more platforms?
Airtable runs on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop. Fathom runs on Web, Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams.
Can I use Airtable for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Airtable best used for?
Airtable is most often used for structured team databases with grid, calendar and kanban views, lightweight internal tools built on shared records, automations between airtable and other systems, sharing read-only views with collaborators, who are not charged. Of those, structured team databases with grid, calendar and kanban views and lightweight internal tools built on shared records are not what Fathom is typically brought in for.
What can Airtable do that Fathom cannot?
Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Custom views, Automation, Forms. Fathom covers Auto-recording, AI summaries, Transcription, Highlight clips. Both handle Salesforce.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Airtable: Is there a free Airtable plan and what does it include?

Yes, Airtable's Free plan is indefinite with unlimited bases, 1,000 records per base, up to 5 editors, 1 GB storage per base, 100 automation runs per month, and core features like Interface Designer and mobile apps.

Source
Airtable: How does Airtable handle permissions and viewers?

Airtable charges per editor only. Read-only viewers, form submitters, and people accessing share links are free on every plan, making it cost-effective for large viewing audiences.

Source
Airtable: What are Airtable's record limits?

Free plan has 1,000 records per base, Team plan has 50,000, Business plan has 125,000, and Enterprise Scale has 500,000+ records. Performance degrades past 100,000 records in a single base.

Source
Airtable: Can Airtable integrate with other tools like Slack?

Yes, Airtable integrates with Slack via Zapier or Make.com, allowing automation like sending Slack messages when records are created or updated. Airtable also has a native API for direct integrations.

Source
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Related pages

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