Fathom vs Granola (2026)
Both take notes for you so you can pay attention to the conversation. The big difference is how. Fathom is a meeting recorder: it captures the call (traditionally with a bot that joins, now with a bot-free option in beta on Mac), transcribes it, and summarizes it, and you can go back to the recording and make clips. Granola is a notepad on your device: it listens to your computer's audio with no bot in the call, and turns your rough notes into clean ones. Granola is #1 and Fathom #2 on our meetings list.
Side by side
| Fathom | Granola | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Records, transcribes, and summarizes Zoom/Meet/Teams | AI notepad for meetings. No bot joins the call. |
| How it captures | Meeting bot, or bot-free capture (beta, Mac) (per fathom.video, Oct 22, 2026) | Device audio on your computer or phone, no bot (per granola.ai, Oct 22, 2026) |
| What you get back | Recording, transcript, AI summary, clips, and playlists | Your notes enhanced with AI, plus chat across meetings |
| Best for | Solo operators | Back-to-back calls |
| Free plan | Free forever for individuals: unlimited recordings and transcriptions (per fathom.video, Oct 22, 2026) | Basic is $0 with 30 days of meeting history (per granola.ai, Oct 22, 2026) |
| Paid plans | Team from $15/user/month billed yearly, 2-user minimum (per fathom.video, Oct 22, 2026) | Business $14/user/month with unlimited history and integrations (per granola.ai, Oct 22, 2026) |
| Our meetings rank | #2 | #1 |
| Visit Fathom ↗ | Visit Granola ↗ |
Pick Fathom if…
- you want the actual recording to go back to, not just notes
- you want unlimited recordings and transcripts free as an individual
- you share clips or highlights with teammates or clients
Pick Granola if…
- you don't want a recorder bot showing up in your calls
- you like jotting your own notes and having AI fill in the rest
- you're in back-to-back calls and want clean notes seconds after each one
FAQ
Granola if you want notes without a bot in the call. Fathom if you want full recordings and transcripts, and a free plan with unlimited recordings for individuals. Granola is #1 and Fathom #2 on our meetings list.
Fathom's site lists a free-forever plan for individuals with unlimited recordings and transcriptions and instant AI summaries. Paid plans add things like advanced summaries, AI action items, and team features.
No. Granola captures audio on your own device, so no bot joins the call. Granola says audio is deleted after transcription, so you get notes and a transcript, not a recording to replay.
Often, yes. Recording and consent laws vary by place, and many companies have their own rules. Tell people at the start of the call. Granola also has a setting to let people know you're using it.
TwinMind's note-taker is now a Mac and Windows app that captures meetings, lectures, and in-person conversations and also does dictation. We covered the launch on our New this week page; we haven't ranked it yet.
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Facts here come from our own tool notes and each vendor's official site. Pricing not independently confirmed; check the vendor.