Softwr

AI · head to head

Fathom vs Otter.ai

Fathom logo

Fathom

AI

Free AI meeting assistant

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Otter.ai logo

Otter.ai

Remote Work

Transcription and meeting notes powered by AI

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Fathom team plan requires minimum 2 users; cannot purchase single seat at team pricing; Otter.ai two separate limits apply at once, a monthly minute allowance and a per conversation cap, so a long meeting can be cut short with allowance remaining
  • They diverge on capability: Fathom covers Auto-recording, Otter.ai covers Automatic transcription.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fathom and Otter.ai actually diverge.

Attributes where Fathom and Otter.ai differ
AttributeFathomOtter.ai
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft TeamsWeb, Ios, Android, Mac
CategoryAIRemote Work
Founded20202016

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

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 Fathom

  • Auto-recording
  • AI summaries
  • Transcription
  • Highlight clips
  • HubSpot
  • Desktop support

Only in Otter.ai

  • Automatic transcription
  • Real-time transcription
  • Speaker identification
  • Searchable transcripts
  • Highlights and summaries
  • Sharing
  • Mobile apps
  • Microsoft Teams

Both cover

  • Zoom
  • Google Meet
  • Salesforce
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Fathom

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

Otter.ai

  • Meeting transcription and recordingnot Fathom
  • Live transcription for accessibilitynot Fathom
  • Multi-language meeting supportnot Fathom

Where each one falls short

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

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

Otter.ai

  • Two separate limits apply at once, a monthly minute allowance and a per conversation cap, so a long meeting can be cut short with allowance remaining
  • The free plan cuts off at 30 minutes per conversation and 300 minutes a month
  • The Pro plan still caps a single conversation at 90 minutes
  • Even unlimited plans cap a conversation at 4 hours
  • Imported file transcription has its own separate monthly limit, at 6,000 minutes on Business
  • Paying monthly rather than annually roughly doubles the rate, from $8.33 to $16.99 on Pro

Pricing, plan by plan

Fathom

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Fathom review.

Otter.ai

Free
  • BasicFree
    • 300 monthly transcription minutes
    • 3 lifetime audio/video file imports
    • Zoom, MS Teams, Google Meet support
  • Pro$16.99/month
    • 1,200 in-app recording minutes
    • 10 monthly audio/video file imports
    • Up to 90 minutes per meeting
  • Pro Annual$8.33/month
    • 1,200 in-app recording minutes
    • 10 monthly audio/video file imports
    • Up to 90 minutes per meeting
  • Business$30/month
    • Unlimited meetings and in-app recordings
    • Unlimited audio/video file imports
    • Up to 4 hours per meeting

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Otter.ai if

  • You need automatic transcription.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Mac.
  • You also want real-time transcription.
Otter.ai review

Questions people ask

Is Fathom or Otter.ai better?
Neither clearly leads. Fathom starts at Free and Otter.ai at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fathom or Otter.ai?
Fathom starts at Free and Otter.ai at Free.
Does Fathom or Otter.ai run on more platforms?
Fathom runs on Web, Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams. Otter.ai runs on Web, Ios, Android, Mac.
Can I use Fathom for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Fathom best used for?
Fathom is most often used for ai-powered meeting transcription and automatic note-taking for sales teams and professionals, meeting analysis with ai scorecards and action item generation that syncs to crms. Of those, ai-powered meeting transcription and automatic note-taking for sales teams and professionals and meeting analysis with ai scorecards and action item generation that syncs to crms are not what Otter.ai is typically brought in for.
What can Fathom do that Otter.ai cannot?
Fathom covers Auto-recording, AI summaries, Transcription, Highlight clips. Otter.ai covers Automatic transcription, Real-time transcription, Speaker identification, Searchable transcripts. Both handle Zoom, Google Meet, Salesforce, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Fathom: What is the most affordable paid plan for individuals, and what does it include?

Fathom Premium costs $20 per month (or $16 per month billed annually). It includes advanced summaries, action items, and a conversational AI assistant, in addition to the features in the free plan.

Source
Otter.ai: What are the monthly transcription minute limits on Otter.ai plans?

Basic tier includes 300 monthly transcription minutes at no cost. Pro tier includes 1,200 in-app recording minutes. Business tier provides unlimited meetings and in-app recordings.

Source
Fathom: What is included in Fathom's free plan?

The free plan includes unlimited recordings, transcriptions, AI summaries, clips, and playlists at no cost forever.

Source
Otter.ai: What meeting duration limits apply to different Otter.ai tiers?

Pro tier supports up to 90 minutes per meeting. Business tier supports up to 4 hours per meeting. Enterprise tier offers custom configurations.

Source
Fathom: How much does the Team plan cost per user, and what features does it add?

The Team plan costs $19 per month per user (minimum 2 users, or $15 per month annually). It includes everything from Premium plus global search, collaboration features, and team playlists.

Source
Otter.ai: How much can you save with Otter.ai annual billing?

Pro annual plan costs $8.33 per month (51% savings compared to $16.99 monthly). Business annual plan costs $19.99 per month (33% savings compared to $30 monthly).

Source
Fathom: What trial or guarantee is available before committing to a paid plan?

All paid plans offer a 90-day guarantee to test features risk-free.

Source
Otter.ai: What integrations are available with Otter.ai Pro plan?

Pro tier includes integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zapier. Enterprise tier provides access to Otter API and custom webhooks.

Source
Fathom: Does Fathom offer free or discounted plans for startups or nonprofits?

Yes, qualified portfolio companies get up to 2 years free, and nonprofits can apply for 10 free seats.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Fathom

More on Otter.ai

Keep looking

Other head to heads