Fathom vs Otter.ai (2026)
A head-to-head on price, free access, and staying power. Both live and price-verified as of Sep 8, 2026.
The verdict, first
Fathom
- if it is built for individuals and small teams wanting free, unlimited notes, and that matches your job.
- if you specifically want unusually generous free plan with unlimited recordings and summaries.
- if it is built for solo & SMB teams.
Otter.ai
- if it is built for individuals and teams wanting low-cost real-time transcription, and that matches your job.
- if you specifically want real-time transcription with cross-meeting AI chat.
- if it starts cheaper, at $16.99/mo against $20/mo.
What each one is
Fathom
What sets it apart unusually generous free plan with unlimited recordings and summaries
Best for individuals and small teams wanting free, unlimited notes · Pricing model freemium; per-seat Premium/Team/Business
Fathom records and summarizes meetings and lets you query a call through a chat interface it calls Ask Fathom. Its distinguishing move is a genuinely generous free plan with unlimited recording, transcription, and summaries, where most rivals cap the free tier. It suits individuals and small teams that want solid notes without paying, with paid tiers adding team collaboration and coaching.
Sources Fathom pricing
Otter.ai
What sets it apart real-time transcription with cross-meeting AI chat
Best for individuals and teams wanting low-cost real-time transcription · Pricing model freemium; per-seat Pro/Business
Otter.ai transcribes meetings in real time across Zoom, Teams, and Meet, adds speaker identification, and layers a chat that answers questions within and across meetings. It sits at a low per-seat price with a free tier. Note that Otter is currently flagged on Verdict as degrading following privacy litigation, tracked with dated sources on its signals page.
Sources Otter pricing
Side by side
| Metric | Fathom | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|
| From $/mo | $20 | $16.99 |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Founded | 2020 | 2016 |
| Best for | solo & SMB | solo & SMB & enterprise |
| Status | Live | Live |
ALL FIGURES = LOWEST PAID MONTHLY PLAN · STATUS & PRICE VERIFIED SEP 8, 2026
Where they differ
Price
Otter.ai is the cheaper entry at $16.99/mo, versus $20/mo for Fathom. Both prices are the lowest paid monthly plan, verified Sep 8, 2026.
Free access
Both Fathom and Otter.ai offer a permanent free tier - you can trial either at no cost. A permanent free tier lowers the risk of committing before you have validated the fit.
Track record
Otter.ai has been operating since 2016; Fathom since 2020. For a tool you build a business process on, a longer survival record matters.
Questions of record
Fathom or Otter.ai - which is better in 2026?
Is Fathom cheaper than Otter.ai?
Does Fathom or Otter.ai have a free tier?
Are Fathom and Otter.ai still maintained?
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