Fathom vs Otter.ai
Cheapest paid tier each vendor publishes. Free plans are listed above; tiers priced on request are not plotted because there is no figure to plot.
Where they differ
Only on Otter.ai
- Lower entry price: $8.33/mo against $15/mo
- Speaker identification
- Also on iOS, Android and Chrome extension
From the pricing tiers and capability tags we track. A capability missing on one side means we have not recorded it there, not that the tool cannot do it.
At a glance
Fathom and Otter.ai both appear in this directory's audio listings. Prices below were read from the vendors' own pages, most recently on October 26, 2026. Paid plans start at $15/mo on Fathom and $8.33/mo on Otter.ai. We track ai search on Fathom and speaker identification on Otter.ai; both cover meeting notes and transcription. No score and no winner: the facts do the picking.
Capability tags are factual labels we assign when a tool is added; they describe what a tool does, not how well it does it.
Checked against the vendors. Written from each vendor's own site and last re-checked there: Fathom on October 19, 2026 · Otter.ai on October 26, 2026. Vendors change pricing and features without notice, so confirm anything that decides your purchase on the vendor's page.
Fathom
AI notetaking that summarizes meetings with or without a bot
Fathom captures meeting recordings, generates instant summaries, and creates transcripts. Users can record calls using a meeting bot or through a bot-free capture option on Mac. The tool includes the Ask Fathom conversational assistant to search and query conversations.
Otter.ai
AI meeting assistant for audio recording, note-taking, and summaries
Otter.ai is an AI meeting assistant that records audio, transcribes conversations in real time, and generates summaries with action items. It joins virtual meetings automatically or records in person.
Also in audio
A tool we have an affiliate relationship with. It is not part of the comparison above and we are not calling it the better pick.
- Recording and summarizing meetings without sending a bot into the call
- Pulling action items out of a call instead of writing notes during it
- Enhancing clarity in online meetings
Key features
Fathom
- Bot-free capture or standard meeting bot recording
- Automated AI summaries and action item generation
- Ask Fathom conversational search across call transcripts
- Automatic synchronization to CRMs and productivity apps
- Clips, highlights, and team playlists
Otter.ai
- Live transcription of spoken audio
- Automated meeting summaries
- Speaker identification
- Action item extraction
- Integration with calendar and video conferencing platforms
What each one does well
Fathom
- ✓ Automating meeting notes and post-call action items
- ✓ Syncing meeting summaries and deal context directly into CRMs
- ✓ Searching transcripts across calls with conversational AI
Otter.ai
- ✓ Transcribing live meetings and interviews
- ✓ Generating automated meeting notes and summaries
- ✓ Improving accessibility for spoken content
People also ask
Which is cheaper, Fathom or Otter.ai?
Otter.ai is cheaper: paid plans start at $15/mo for Fathom and $8.33/mo for Otter.ai.
Does Fathom or Otter.ai have a free plan?
Both Fathom and Otter.ai publish a free plan.
What is the difference between Fathom and Otter.ai?
Fathom and Otter.ai are both tracked for meeting-notes, transcription, summarization. Of the capabilities they do not share, only Fathom is tracked for ai-search, ai-chat, workflow-automation, and only Otter.ai is tracked for speaker-identification.
How much do Fathom and Otter.ai cost?
Fathom: free plan, then $15/mo. Otter.ai: free plan, then $8.33/mo.
Answers are generated from the tracked plans and capability tags shown above, so they move when the vendors' pages do.
Full fact sheets, FAQs, and discussion links: Fathom · Otter.ai · all audio tools