Fireflies.ai vs Fathom (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
Fireflies.ai
- if it is built for teams meeting across many platforms wanting searchable records, and that matches your job.
- if you specifically want cross-platform capture with sentence-level search across your whole history.
- if it starts cheaper, at $18/mo against $20/mo.
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.
What each one is
Fireflies.ai
What sets it apart cross-platform capture with sentence-level search across your whole history
Best for teams meeting across many platforms wanting searchable records · Pricing model freemium; per-seat Pro/Business/Enterprise
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
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
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 SEP 8, 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 Sep 8, 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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