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.
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.
