Fathom is an AI meeting assistant that works with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. It records your calls, writes out what people say while you're talking, and creates summaries about 30 seconds after your meeting ends. You can mark important moments during the call by clicking, and the tool will highlight those sections. The desktop app works on Mac and Windows, and it captures audio right on your computer without needing a bot to join your meeting.

The free version gives you unlimited meeting recordings and transcripts, plus basic summaries. For your first 5 meetings each month, you get more detailed summaries, but after that it switches to simpler timeline-style summaries unless you upgrade. The paid plans start at $15 per month and add features like unlimited advanced summaries, automatic follow-up emails, and updates to your CRM system. It connects to Salesforce and HubSpot to automatically save notes and tasks.

Fathom only works for online meetings - you can't use it to record face-to-face conversations unless they happen during a video call. There's no mobile app, so you need to use your computer or the regular Zoom app during meetings, though you can view summaries on your phone afterward. The tool supports multiple languages and can translate summaries into 28 different languages. You can also share video clips from your meetings and send them to teammates through Slack or other platforms.

Users look for alternatives to Fathom because...

• You're stuck with specific platforms - Fathom only works with Zoom, Teams, and Meet, and it can't record people who dial in by phone or capture in-person meetings unless they happen through one of these platforms. This means you'll miss important discussions that happen outside these specific digital spaces.

• The free plan runs out of steam quickly - While you get unlimited basic recordings, you only get smart AI summaries for your first 5 calls each month. After that, you're stuck with basic timeline summaries. Features like searching across all your meetings are locked away in paid plans, pushing you to upgrade for the good stuff.

• Meeting widgets get in the way - Some users find the on-screen timers and banners that pop up during meetings pretty annoying. While you can turn these off with paid plans, free users have to put up with visual distractions that can mess with the flow of conversation.

How Circleback can help

People choose Circleback because it actually delivers on what meeting tools promise: making your meetings more productive without making your life more complicated. Users love how Circleback turns messy discussions into clear, useful summaries that capture what really matters from their conversations.

What makes Circleback different is how it tackles the problems that trip up other meeting assistants. Take the platform issue that bugs Fathom users - Circleback gives you much more flexible recording options that work across different meeting situations. Whether you're dealing with hybrid meetings, phone calls, or unusual meeting setups, Circleback adapts to how you actually work instead of forcing you into specific constraints.

The feature limits that hold back Fathom's free users? That's where Circleback really stands out. Instead of cutting off core features after a few uses, Circleback gives you consistent access to quality AI summaries and search tools. This means you can count on the tool for all your meetings without worrying about hitting limits that downgrade your experience right when you're finding it most helpful.

Maybe most importantly, Circleback has fixed the distraction problem that bugs users of other tools. The interface stays out of your way during meetings, so people can focus on the conversation instead of being constantly reminded they're being recorded. This thoughtful approach shows that Circleback gets it - the best meeting tool is one that helps collaboration without becoming the center of attention.

Users also appreciate how Circleback really understands meetings - it doesn't just write down what people say and summarize it, but actually gets the context and how different parts of the conversation connect, making the results much more useful for follow-up and decision-making.

Circleback provides best-in-class AI meeting notes and automations

Circleback provides best-in-class AI-powered meeting notes and automations. We support over 100 languages and automatic participant identification in both in-person and online meetings.

• Automatically-identified and assigned action items

• AI-enabled search across all meetings

• Automations with 100+ app integrations

• Industry-leading security with SOC 2 Type II, EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, and HIPAA compliance

• Ability to capture both online and in-person meetings with desktop and mobile apps