Fireflies.ai vs Fathom (2026)
A head-to-head on price, free access, and staying power. Both live and price-verified as of Jul 21, 2026.
The verdict, first
Fireflies.ai
- if it starts cheaper, at $18/mo against $20/mo.
- if a longer track record matters to you; it has run since 2016.
Fathom
- if you lean toward the more recent build, from 2020.
- if it is built for solo & SMB teams.
What each one is
Fireflies.ai
What sets it apart cross-platform capture with sentence-level search across your whole history
Fireflies records and transcribes meetings across Zoom, Meet, Teams, and other platforms, with transcription in a wide range of languages and search that can jump to a specific sentence and timestamp months later. It connects to CRMs and collaboration tools and layers on assistants such as AskFred. It fits teams that meet across several platforms and want one searchable, integrated record.
Sources Fireflies pricing
Fathom
What sets it apart unusually generous free plan with unlimited recordings and summaries
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
Side by side
| Metric | Fireflies.ai | Fathom |
|---|---|---|
| From $/mo | $18 | $20 |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Founded | 2016 | 2020 |
| Best for | solo & SMB & enterprise | solo & SMB |
| Status | Live | Live |
ALL FIGURES = LOWEST PAID MONTHLY PLAN · STATUS & PRICE VERIFIED JUL 21, 2026
Where they differ
Price
Fireflies.ai is the cheaper entry at $18/mo, versus $20/mo for Fathom. Both prices are the lowest paid monthly plan, verified Jul 21, 2026.
Free access
Both Fireflies.ai and Fathom 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
Fireflies.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
Fireflies.ai or Fathom - which is better in 2026?
Is Fireflies.ai cheaper than Fathom?
Does Fireflies.ai or Fathom have a free tier?
Are Fireflies.ai and Fathom still maintained?
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