Avoma vs Fathom for meeting automation

Here's what you should look for in an AI meeting automation tool:

• Transcripts that create a word-for-word record of the meeting. For example, a one-hour product development meeting generates a searchable document containing every feature discussion, technical requirement, and team decision.

• Action items are pulled directly from the conversation. When someone says "John will update the wireframes by Friday," the AI automatically creates a tracked task with the assignee and deadline.

• Meeting summaries distill hour-long conversations into 2-3 paragraphs. A 45-minute sprint planning meeting becomes a concise overview of sprint goals, resource allocation, and key decisions.

• Topic segmentation breaks discussions into labeled sections. A client call covering multiple projects is automatically divided into sections like "Website Redesign," "Q1 Marketing Campaign," and "Budget Review."

Other key features

In addition to the quality of these deliverables, we'll want to look at a number of other key factors:

• Ease-of-use: does it have a simple, intuitive setup that works for non-technical users?

• In-person meeting support: can it transcribe audio from live recordings or uploaded files, not just virtual calls?

• Security and privacy: how is customer data handled on the platform?

• Integrations: can it connect with your existing stack, like HubSpot, Notion, or Slack?

• Functionality: does it go beyond transcriptions and actually help you take action?

• Languages: can it transcribe and summarize meetings in different languages?

• Desktop and mobile apps: can you access it on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android for on-the-go meetings?

Understanding Avoma and Fathom

Avoma is an AI meeting assistant that records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings. It generates organized notes segmented by topics and action items, with transcription accuracy around 95% even with technical jargon. The platform offers agenda templates, live note collaboration, CRM synchronization, and integrates with tools like Zoom, HubSpot, and Slack. It functions through a web interface and mobile apps that support offline recording, and handles over 20 languages.

The service operates on a tiered pricing model starting with a limited free plan, followed by paid tiers from $19 to $129 per user monthly. While comprehensive for sales and customer success teams who need to log calls and follow-ups, some users find it overly complex for basic transcription needs. Additional limitations include occasional delays in joining meetings, speaker identification errors, and dense transcripts that can be difficult to skim quickly.

Fathom is an AI meeting notetaker that integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams. It automatically records meetings, transcribes in real-time across 25+ languages, and produces various AI summary formats including bullet lists, action items, and chronological summaries. The system identifies speakers, allows manual highlighting during calls, and features an "Ask Fathom" AI Q&A function for querying meeting content afterward. It operates through a desktop app (no mobile version) and offers CRM integration for syncing meeting notes.

The service has a free tier allowing unlimited recordings with full AI summaries for 5 meetings monthly. Paid plans range from $15/month for individuals to $29/user/month for teams with advanced features. Fathom cannot process external audio files or in-person meetings - it only works with scheduled online meetings through supported platforms. While it offers extensive automation for summary generation and CRM updates, it lacks a mobile app and external recording capabilities.

Comparing Avoma and Fathom

Avoma

• Avoma functions as an all-in-one meeting assistant with recording, transcription, and topic-organized notes. It offers CRM integration but lacks depth in its ecosystem, limiting how effectively users can implement insights from their meetings.

• While Avoma supports in-person meetings through its mobile app and allows offline recording uploads, its interface can overwhelm simple use cases. The platform promises productivity gains but users still need to manually process much of the generated content.

Fathom

• Fathom provides AI meeting notes primarily for online platforms with real-time transcription and multiple summary formats. Despite integrating with major CRMs, its limited integration capabilities prevent seamless workflow incorporation beyond basic note syncing.

• The platform offers an intuitive interface but restricts functionality to online meetings only with no mobile app support. While Fathom captures meeting content effectively, users must still manually translate insights into meaningful action.

Avoma serves teams with hybrid meeting environments who need both online and in-person meeting support. Its mobile capabilities make it suitable for field sales teams or consultants who frequently meet clients outside virtual environments. However, teams seeking a comprehensive solution might find its premium pricing and complex interface challenging for organization-wide adoption.

Fathom fits users who primarily conduct online meetings and prefer simplicity over feature breadth. Its generous free tier and intuitive interface make it ideal for individuals or small teams just starting with meeting intelligence. The lack of mobile support and offline recording capabilities makes it less suitable for professionals who operate outside traditional office environments.

Another alternative: Circleback

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