Fathom vs Otter.ai

Fathom

Still one of the most generous free notetakers we have looked at: unlimited recordings and transcripts with no paywall on the basics, and the paid tiers stay cheap for small sales teams. Since September 2026 Fathom belongs to Superhuman (the former Grammarly), so buyers signing annual contracts should expect the product to be pulled toward that suite. Teams that need deep revenue analytics are still better served by Gong-class platforms.

Pros

• +Free tier includes unlimited recordings, transcripts and clips, which competitors gate
• +Bot-free capture avoids the awkward third participant in the call
• +Public API and MCP server on paid plans, plus native Claude and ChatGPT integrations
• +Aggressive switching offers: free Business for Gong contract holders, 10 free nonprofit seats

Cons

• −CRM sync is capped at three users per domain on lower tiers
• −Team and Business both require two seats, so a solo user pays the $20 Premium rate
• −Business costs $34 per user on monthly billing, $25 only when paid annually
• −Account-wide Ask Fathom search is still marked beta and has lookback limits by tier

Otter.ai

Still the default for English-language meeting notes, and the free tier is unusually usable. What determines the right plan is not features but the per-conversation ceiling: 30 minutes on Basic and 90 on Pro means a standard hour-long review truncates on the free tier and a workshop truncates on Pro. Pick the tier by your longest recurring meeting.

Pros

• +300 free minutes a month makes evaluation real rather than token
• +Annual Pro at $8.33 is roughly half the month-to-month rate
• +An MCP server is exposed from the free tier, so assistants can query transcripts without the paid API
• +Business removes the minute cap entirely rather than raising it

Cons

• −The API and webhooks require Enterprise, which is quote-only
• −Per-conversation ceilings (30 min free, 90 min Pro) cut recordings mid-meeting
• −Basic allows three file imports in total, not per month
• −Month-to-month pricing is roughly double annual at both self-serve tiers

Is Fathom cheaper than Otter.ai?

They charge in different units, so there is no like-for-like answer: Fathom starts at $20/mo, Otter.ai at $8.33/seat/mo. Entry price is the lowest paid plan as we last verified it.

Does Fathom or Otter.ai have a free tier?

Both: Fathom has a free tier, and Otter.ai has a free tier.

Which has a public API, Fathom or Otter.ai?

Both ship a public API, so either can be built on; the fact table above shows the platforms each one runs on.