The short answer
Fathom is the best free recorder around, and we say so below. People leave it for three reasons: the bot, the AI cap on the free plan, and notes that stop at the end of each call.
- SayBriefly: best overall. No bot on Mac and Windows, calls grouped into threads, "Since last call" on every note, and each call next to the client's project, email and brief.
- Granola: best for simple bot-free notes, with mobile apps.
- Otter: best for full searchable transcripts.
- Fireflies: best for integrations.
- Jamie: best for many languages.
We build SayBriefly, so read this with that in mind. We checked Fathom's own pricing page and read what reviewers say about it. Fathom is well liked, so the complaints are narrower than for most tools. They are also exactly the ones that matter when your calls are with clients.
A recap tells you what happened. Memory tells you what it means.
Why people leave Fathom
1. The bot is still the default
"Fathom Notetaker" joins as a visible guest. On a sales demo that is normal. On a first call with a new client, or a tense one about budget, it changes the room. Many reviewers say this alone is why they switched.
2. Bot-free is a beta, and Mac first
Fathom now offers bot-free capture, but its pricing page marks it as beta, and reviews describe it as Mac first with Windows "coming soon". If half your team is on Windows, the bot stays.
3. Free recording, capped AI
Recording and transcripts are unlimited on the free plan, and that is real. The fuller AI summaries stop after five calls a month according to reviewers, and AI action items need a paid plan. On Premium, action items are still listed as "limited use".
4. Built for the sales call
Fathom's best paid features push notes into HubSpot, Salesforce and Asana. That is great for a sales pipeline. For a studio delivering a project, the note ends up in a CRM that has nothing to do with the work.
5. Every call is its own island
Ask Fathom can search across your calls, which is useful. But each note still starts from zero. It does not tell you what your client asked for last week that is still open, or that they asked for the same change for the third time. That is the part client work runs on.
One call vs the whole client
This is the real difference, and it is why we built SayBriefly. Fathom is excellent at one meeting. SayBriefly remembers the client.
Calls with the same client become one thread
SayBriefly links recurring calls by the same meeting link, calendar series or people. In your notes they stack under the latest call, and one click opens the history. No tagging, no folders to keep up.
Every note opens with "Since last call"
Before it writes the new note, SayBriefly reads the earlier calls in the thread. You walk in knowing what got done, what is still open and who owes it, what was asked again, and what changed.
Example of the layout. Real notes only show what was said on the calls.
Next to the client's email and the brief
Each call sits in the client's project with their Gmail threads, the agreed brief and your tasks. Ask the agent, Scribbble, "what has Lena asked for across our calls and emails, and is it in the brief?" and it answers from all of it, with sources. When a request is not in the brief, you see it before you say yes.
Tasks stay with the work
Action items land on your own to-do list, linked to the project and the call they came from, not in a sales CRM.
All 5 Fathom alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Bot in the call? | Bot-free on Windows | Each note starts from past calls | Linked to project, email and brief |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 SayBriefly | Client work across many calls | No bot | Yes | Yes, Since last call | Yes |
 Fathom | Free recording, sales CRM (for reference) | Bot by default, bot-free beta | Coming soon | No | No |
 Granola | Simple bot-free notes | No bot | Yes | No | No |
 Otter | Full transcripts | Bot by default, or its desktop app | Yes | No | No |
 Fireflies | Many integrations | Bot by default, or a Chrome extension | Not stated | No | No |
 Jamie | Many languages | No bot | Yes | No | No |
Checked on each tool's own website, September 2026. All of them can search or chat across meetings; this table is about what a new note knows when it is written.
The 5 best Fathom alternatives, reviewed
1. SayBriefly: best Fathom alternative overall
SayBriefly records the call from your computer, on Mac and Windows, so no bot joins and nothing announces itself. It works with Google Meet, Zoom, Teams and browser calls. The note is ready about a minute after the call, with decisions, action items and owners.
Where Fathom stops at the recap, SayBriefly keeps going: the call joins its thread, the note opens with Since last call, and it sits in the client's project with their email and the brief. Your agent answers across all of it.
Why people switch to it
- No bot, on Mac and Windows, not a beta
- Every note knows what happened on the last call
- Calls, email and brief in one project
- Notes, tasks, calendar, booking and dictation in one app
Worth knowing
- No iPhone or Android app yet
- Email works with Gmail for now
- No CRM sync; it is built for delivering projects, not a sales pipeline
Pick SayBriefly if you have more than one call with the same client.
See how it works on the SayBriefly AI notetaker page.
2. Granola: best for simple bot-free notes
Granola records from your computer with no bot and writes clean notes, with chat across meetings and mobile apps. Reviewers mention everyone else becoming "Them" in group calls and no audio playback. It also faces a recording-consent class action.
Good
- No bot, clean notes
- Desktop and mobile apps
Worth knowing
- Basic keeps 30 days of history
- Calls are not linked to projects, email or a brief
Pick Granola if you only want the bot gone.
3. Otter: best for full transcripts
Otter is the transcript specialist, with AI chat across meetings and apps everywhere. Reviewers complain about the bot auto-joining, transcripts emailed to attendees, and meeting length limits on lower plans, and it faces the Brewer v. Otter.ai class action.
Good
- Mature, searchable transcripts
- Apps on every platform
Worth knowing
- 30 minute meeting cap on the free plan
- Six languages
Pick Otter if you want the whole transcript, word for word.
4. Fireflies: best for integrations
Fireflies works like Fathom, a bot joins and transcribes, with a longer list of integrations and AskFred for questions across meetings. If CRM sync is why you liked Fathom, Fireflies is the closest swap.
Good
- Many integrations
- Unlimited transcription free
Worth knowing
- The bot is the default
- Some AI features use credits
Pick Fireflies if you want Fathom's model with more integrations.
5. Jamie: best for many languages
Jamie runs without a bot on Mac and Windows, supports 99+ languages and leans on GDPR. If Fathom's bot-free mode does not cover your language or your Windows machine, Jamie does.
Good
- 99+ languages
- No bot, EU focus
Worth knowing
- Plus is capped at 20 notes a month
- Tasks are managed outside the app
Pick Jamie if your calls are not in English.
A word on recording consent
Fathom's bot at least tells everyone it is there. Bot-free tools do not, so the telling is up to you. Otter and Granola both face class actions over recording people who did not agree. Whatever you pick, say at the start of the call that you take notes, and put a line in your contract.
Where Fathom still wins
Fathom is genuinely good. Unlimited free recording is real, the recaps are strong, Ask Fathom works well, and if you sell for a living the HubSpot and Salesforce sync is hard to beat. If your calls are one-off sales demos, stay with Fathom.
If your calls are the same clients week after week, the recap is not the hard part. Remembering is.
How to choose a Fathom alternative
| Your situation | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Same clients, call after call | SayBriefly | Threads, Since last call, project memory |
| Team on Windows, no bot allowed | SayBriefly | Bot-free on Mac and Windows today |
| Only want the bot gone | Granola | Simple, bot-free, mobile apps |
| Need every word | Otter | Full searchable transcripts |
| Sales team, CRM first | Fireflies, or stay on Fathom | Integrations |
| Calls in many languages | Jamie | 99+ languages |
How we made this list
We checked each tool's own pricing and product pages in September 2026 and read public reviews and review roundups. We only state what a vendor says about itself; review themes are described as what users report. Prices and betas change, so check before you buy. SayBriefly is our product, and we have said where Fathom and the others are the better choice.
One client call, two tools
Here is how memory plays out on a real kind of call. A studio is rebuilding a bakery chain's website, run by Nina. Three weeks ago, on the kickoff call, everyone agreed on the scope. Today Nina joins a friendly check-in and, near the end, says:
"Could the menu pages also take online pre-orders? Just for Christmas."
Fathom writes it into today's note as a next step, accurately. You can also ask Ask Fathom about past calls, which is useful if you already know what to look for. What the note does not do on its own is put the request next to the brief you signed and the emails where Nina asked before.
SayBriefly writes the same note. Because the call is linked to the client's project, next to the earlier calls, the Gmail thread and the locked brief, the note opens with what changed and flags this:
Example of the layout. Real notes only show what was said on calls and in email.
You still decide: include it, quote it as extra, or move it to a later phase. SayBriefly does not reply to the client for you. It makes sure the decision happens before the work does, which is where most unpaid hours come from.
A trial script you can copy
Most people judge a note taker on one meeting. Use the same short script for every tool you test, so you compare like with like.
Tool: ____________ Platform: Mac / Windows 1. Did anything join the call that my client could see? Y / N 2. How long after the call was the note ready? ___ min 3. Were names and numbers right? (check 3 of each) 4. Were action items clear, with an owner? Y / N 5. On the SECOND call with the same client, did the note mention the first? Y / N 6. Could I find what the client asked for 2 calls ago in under a minute? Y / N 7. Did tasks land where I actually work? Y / N 8. Where do the notes live: CRM / app / my project? ____________
Questions 5 and 6 matter most for anyone with repeat clients. A single note can look great in every tool. The difference shows on the third and fourth call.
How to switch from Fathom in one week
Switching note takers is less work than it sounds, as long as you do not try to move everything at once.
- Day 1: export what matters. Download the notes and transcripts you still need from Fathom. Most people only need the last few months of active clients.
- Day 2: install and connect. Install the new tool, connect Google Calendar and, if it offers it, Gmail. Check it records from your computer on a short test call with yourself.
- Days 3 to 5: run both. Keep Fathom on for your real calls and let the new tool record too. Compare the notes side by side on the same call.
- Day 6: check the second call. The real test for client work is the second call with the same person. Does the new note remember the first?
- Day 7: pick one. Turn the other off, and tell clients once, in your next email, how you take notes.
Mistakes people make when choosing
| Mistake | Why it hurts | Do this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Testing on one call only | Every tool writes a decent single note | Test across two or three calls with the same client |
| Choosing on transcript accuracy alone | Most tools are close enough now | Judge what happens to the tasks and follow-ups |
| Ignoring where notes end up | Notes in a CRM or a separate app get forgotten | Put notes next to the project, email and tasks |
| Not telling clients | Trust and, in some places, the law | Say it at the start and put a line in the contract |
| Moving every old note from Fathom | Days of work for notes you never open | Export only active clients |
Who should switch, and who should stay
Freelancers
Same clients every week, no time to reread old notes before each call.
Small studios
Several people on one client, one memory everyone can ask.
Happy on Fathom?
If your calls are one-off, a single great note may be all you need.
Switch if you meet the same clients again and again, if your calls turn into tasks and scope decisions, or if your notes live far from the email and the brief. Stay on Fathom if it already fits your week. A tool you use beats a better one you don't. More on the category: AI note taker, best AI note takers, and the Fireflies vs Otter vs Fathom comparison.
Questions people ask about Fathom alternatives
What is the best Fathom alternative?
SayBriefly, if you run many calls with the same clients. It records from your computer on Mac and Windows with no bot, groups recurring calls into threads, opens every new note with Since last call, and keeps calls next to the client's project, email and brief.
Is Fathom really free?
Recording and transcription are unlimited on the free plan. Reviews point out that the fuller AI summaries stop after five calls a month, and AI action items need a paid plan. Check fathom.ai/pricing for the current limits.
Can Fathom record without a bot?
Fathom offers bot-free capture as a beta. Reviews describe it as Mac first, with Windows listed as coming soon. The bot is still the default for most people.
How do I stop the Fathom bot from joining my calls?
In Fathom's settings, turn off auto-join or pick which meetings it records. On a Mac you can try its bot-free mode. SayBriefly never sends a bot on any platform.
Does Fathom remember past calls?
Yes. Ask Fathom can search and answer across your calls. What it does not do is keep calls next to the client's email and brief, or open each note with what changed since the last call. SayBriefly does both.
Where do Fathom's action items go?
On paid plans they sync to tools like HubSpot, Salesforce and Asana. SayBriefly keeps action items on its own to-do list, linked to the client's project and the call they came from.
Is Fathom good for agencies and freelancers?
It is built mainly around sales calls and CRM sync. If your work is delivering projects for clients, a tool that ties every call to the project, the email thread and the agreed brief fits better.
Can I export my notes from Fathom?
Fathom lets you download or copy notes and transcripts from its app; check its help pages for the current formats. Export only the active clients you still need.
What is the Fathom AI note taker?
Fathom is an AI note taker that joins or records your Zoom, Google Meet and Teams calls and writes a recap with next steps. People look for alternatives when they want no bot, notes tied to client projects, or tasks outside a CRM.
How do I test an AI note taker properly?
Use it on two or three calls with the same client, not one. Check whether the second note remembers the first, whether tasks are clear, and where the notes end up.
Do I need to tell people I am recording?
Yes, tell them. Rules vary by place, and some require everyone's consent. Say it at the start of the call and add a line to your contract.
