Fireflies vs Fathom: Which AI Meeting Notetaker Actually Fits Your Workflow?

Fireflies.ai and Fathom both record and transcribe your meetings, but they are built for different kinds of users. Fireflies is a team-focused meeting assistant with deep integrations into CRMs and work tools. Fathom is a generous, individual-friendly notetaker that gives you unlimited recordings and transcripts on the free plan. Comparing them is not about which is "better" — it is about whether you need team workflows or just a reliable personal notetaker.

This guide breaks down what each one does, what they cost in 2026, and the one question that decides which fits you. If you are choosing your first AI meeting tool, start here.

What Fireflies.ai does best

Fireflies joins your online meetings, records and transcribes them, and writes summaries and action items you can search later. Its strength is breadth: it works with many meeting apps and connects to CRMs and project tools, so the notes flow into where your team already works.

Where Fireflies wins

• Works with many meeting and work apps: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and integrations with CRMs and project tools.
• Searchable transcripts and summaries: Find any moment or action item across all your meetings.
• A free plan with unlimited transcription: A real starting point, not a demo.
• Team features on paid plans: Shared folders, conversation intelligence, and analytics for teams.

Where Fireflies falls short

Fireflies uses AI credits for advanced features, so heavy use of summaries and analytics needs a paid plan. The free plan stores 400–800 minutes per seat and includes 20 AI credits per month — enough for light use, not for a full meeting calendar. Paid plans start around $10/user/month billed annually.

What Fathom does best

Fathom records your video calls, transcribes them, and writes clear summaries so you can focus on the conversation. Its selling point is the free tier: unlimited recordings, unlimited transcriptions, and no storage time limit — which is rare in this category.

Where Fathom wins

• Unlimited recordings and transcripts on the free plan: No minute caps, no storage clock.
• Quick, clear summaries: The AI notes are readable, not a wall of text.
• Easy to get started: No complex setup, works with Zoom, Meet and Teams.
• Strong reviews and adoption: One of the highest-rated notetakers on G2, with thousands of reviews.

Where Fathom falls short

The free plan caps advanced AI summaries at around 5 calls per month, so heavy users will need a paid plan. Paid plans start around $15/user/month billed annually. Fathom is also less focused on CRM and sales workflows than Fireflies, so teams that need deep integration may find it limiting.

Pricing in 2026: what you actually pay

Fireflies.ai

• Free: $0 — unlimited transcription, 400–800 minutes storage per seat, 20 AI credits per month.
• Pro: Around $10/user/month billed annually — fuller AI summaries, more storage, search.
• Business: Higher tiers with conversation intelligence and analytics.

Fathom

• Free: $0 — unlimited recordings and transcripts, advanced AI summaries limited to about 5 calls per month.
• Team: Around $15/user/month billed annually — unlimited AI summaries, team features.
• Business: Higher tiers for larger teams and CRM integrations.

The free plans are both genuinely usable, but for different reasons: Fireflies gives you unlimited transcription with tight storage and AI limits; Fathom gives you unlimited recordings and transcripts with tight AI-summary limits.

The one question that decides it

Are you recording meetings for yourself, or for a team that needs the notes in a CRM or project tool?

If you are an individual or a small team that mainly needs reliable recordings and transcripts without paying, Fathom is the better fit. Its free plan is the most generous in this category for recording and transcription.

If you are a team that needs the notes to flow into a CRM, project tool, or sales workflow — and you are willing to pay for it — Fireflies is the better fit. Its integrations and team features are built for that job.

When you need both (or neither)

• You just want a free notetaker that works: Fathom.
• You need CRM integrations and team analytics: Fireflies.
• You want unlimited transcription but not AI summaries: Fireflies free plan.
• You want unlimited recordings and transcripts with basic AI notes: Fathom free plan.
• You want a third option: See our AI meeting notes top 5 for Otter, tl;dv and Notta.

Frequently asked questions

Is Fathom really unlimited on the free plan?

Yes. Fathom offers unlimited recordings and transcriptions on the free plan, with no storage time limit. Advanced AI summaries are limited to around 5 calls per month, but the core recording and transcription is genuinely unlimited.

Does Fireflies have a free plan?

Yes. Fireflies free plan includes unlimited transcription, 400–800 minutes of storage per seat, and 20 AI credits per month. It is a real free tier, not just a trial, but the storage and AI limits mean heavy users will need a paid plan.

Which is better for sales teams?

Fireflies, because it integrates with CRMs and offers conversation intelligence and analytics that sales teams use. Fathom is better for individuals and small teams that mainly need recordings and transcripts.

Can I use these with Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams?

Yes, both work with the major meeting apps. Check each tool's official website for the exact list of supported platforms and integrations.

Which one is more private?

Both store recordings in the cloud, so check each tool's privacy policy and data-processing terms before using them for sensitive meetings. Neither is a local-only solution.

Final verdict

Pick Fathom if you want the most generous free plan for recordings and transcripts, and you mainly need a reliable personal notetaker. Pick Fireflies if you need team features, CRM integrations, and a tool that fits into a larger sales or operations workflow.

For the full ranked list of meeting notetakers, see our AI meeting notes top 5. If you want a free-only view, see our best free AI meeting note takers guide. And if you are still deciding which tool fits your workflow, try the meeting notes quiz.