The best Fathom alternatives in 2026
6 tools compared on what they do best, free plans, prices and recording without a bot.
The short answer
Fathom is hard to beat for free recording, so most people leave it for what happens after the call. Acta adds tracked action items, a decision log and role-specific reports. Fireflies adds search and integrations, Otter live transcripts, tl;dv multi-meeting reports, Read AI search across email, and Granola bot-free notes you write yourself.
Why people look for a Fathom alternative
AI features are limited on free
Fathom's free plan records unlimited meetings but limits AI features; reviews put paid plans from about $16 a month.
One call at a time
Fathom summarises each call well. Connecting calls, files and decisions over weeks takes extra work.
No tracker after the CRM
Action items go to the CRM, but there's no tracker that chases owners when they're overdue.
Fathom alternatives side by side
| Tool | Best for | Free plan or trial | Paid plans | Without a bot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acta | Teams that want follow-through: role-specific reports, action items tracked to done and a decision log. | 15-day free trial | Pro, per user | Desktop app & Chrome extension |
| Fireflies | Teams that mainly want searchable transcripts and a long list of integrations. | Yes, with AI credits | From $10/user/month | Bot joins the call |
| Otter | People who want a live transcript to follow and highlight during the call. | 300 min/month, 30-min calls | From about $8.33/user/month | Bot joins the call |
| tl;dv | Teams that want recordings with scheduled multi-meeting reports. | Limited AI notes | From about $18/seat/month | Desktop app |
| Read AI | People who want meeting reports plus search across email and messages. | 5 meetings/month | From about $15/user/month | Bot joins the call |
| Granola | People who like writing their own notes and want AI to fill in the rest. | Last 30 days of notes | From $14/user/month | Bot-free only |
Other tools' details are from their public pages and reviews as of October 2026; see the sources below. Plans and prices change, so check each vendor's pricing page.
The alternatives, one by one
- 1
Acta
Keeps Fathom's strengths (records Zoom, Meet and Teams, CRM sync with HubSpot and Salesforce) and adds OneChat across calls and files, an action item tracker with daily follow-ups and a decision log.
Best for: Teams that want follow-through: role-specific reports, action items tracked to done and a decision log.
Try Acta free for 15 days - 2
Fireflies
Searchable transcripts and AskFred across meetings, with many integrations.
Best for: Teams that mainly want searchable transcripts and a long list of integrations.
Acta vs Fireflies - 3
Otter
Live transcripts during the call, with AI Chat across your library.
Best for: People who want a live transcript to follow and highlight during the call.
Acta vs Otter - 4
tl;dv
Recordings with scheduled reports across many meetings, and a bot-free desktop recorder.
Best for: Teams that want recordings with scheduled multi-meeting reports.
Acta vs tl;dv - 5
Read AI
Meeting reports plus search across meetings, email and messages.
Best for: People who want meeting reports plus search across email and messages.
Acta vs Read AI - 6
Granola
No bot in the call and AI that builds on the notes you type.
Best for: People who like writing their own notes and want AI to fill in the rest.
Acta vs Granola
How to choose
- If Fathom's free plan covers you, switch only for a feature you'll use every week.
- Sales teams: check that the CRM fields you rely on are supported.
- Look for a tracker if action items keep slipping between calls.
Is there anything better than Fathom?
For free recording, Fathom is strong. For follow-through (action items tracked to done, a decision log and reports like MEDDPICC from each call), Acta goes further.
What's a Fathom alternative that records without a bot?
Acta records without a bot from its desktop app and Chrome extension. Granola and Jamie are bot-free only, and tl;dv has a bot-free desktop app.
Does Acta sync to HubSpot and Salesforce like Fathom?
Yes. Acta connects to HubSpot, Salesforce and Zoho CRM.
Sources
- https://sonix.ai/resources/fathom-pricing/
- https://www.usecarly.com/blog/fathom-pricing/
- https://fathom.ai/solutions/teams
- https://www.fathom.ai/solutions/sales
- https://sonix.ai/resources/fireflies-ai-pricing/amp/
- https://www.claap.io/blog/fireflies-pricing
- https://aident.ai/zh-CN/loadout/apps/fireflies_tools
- https://sonix.ai/resources/otter-ai-review-pricing/
- https://pipeline.zoominfo.com/sales/otter-ai-features
- https://yespress.io/products/tl-dv.md
- https://usagepricing.com/blueprint/tldv
- https://www.meetjamie.ai/en/blog/tldv-pricing
- https://meetgeek.ai/blog/read-ai-pricing
- https://ecosystem.hubspot.com/marketplace/apps/read-ai-meeting-notes
- https://costbench.com/software/ai-meeting-assistants/read-ai
- https://docs.granola.ai/help-center/getting-more-from-your-notes/chatting-with-your-meetings
- https://skillscouter.com/granola-review/
- https://www.usecarly.com/blog/granola-pricing/