Fathom vs Read.ai for meeting automation

Fathom is an AI meeting notetaker that works with Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams. It records meetings, transcribes in real-time (supporting 25+ languages), and generates multiple styles of summaries including bullet lists, action items, and detailed chronological recaps. The system identifies speakers, allows highlighting of key moments, and offers post-meeting features like "Ask Fathom" for querying meeting content. It's commonly used by sales teams for call recaps and by people who want to focus on conversations rather than note-taking.

The service offers a free plan with unlimited recording but AI summaries for only 5 meetings monthly. Paid tiers range from $15/month for individuals to $29/user/month for teams with advanced integrations. Fathom works only with scheduled online meetings (no external audio imports), requires a desktop app, and lacks a mobile application. It integrates with CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce, and can push meeting data to tools like Slack and Notion.

Read.ai is an AI meeting "copilot" that provides real-time transcription and meeting summaries while analyzing engagement metrics like speaking time, sentiment, and attention scores. It integrates with Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet, offers AI search across meeting transcripts, and can summarize Slack threads or emails. The platform supports 16+ languages with real-time translation capabilities and syncs with tools like Notion, Confluence, HubSpot, and Salesforce.

The service operates on a tiered pricing model: a free plan with 5 meeting transcripts monthly, a Pro plan at $19.75/user/month (annual) for unlimited meetings and team features, and Enterprise plans starting at $29.75/user/month with video playback. Read.ai captures meetings through browser extensions or cloud integrations, offers an iOS app for in-person recording, but has no dedicated desktop application. Some users find the interface complex and the free tier restrictive compared to competitors.

Comparing Fathom and Read.ai

Fathom

• Fathom offers real-time transcription and AI-generated meeting summaries for Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams. Its interface is simple and intuitive, with generous free tier access, but lacks mobile functionality and external audio file support. Despite integrations with CRMs and automatic action item generation, its integration catalog remains limited compared to enterprise solutions.

Read.ai

• Read.ai functions as a meeting "copilot" providing transcription, summaries, and unique engagement analytics showing speaker balance and sentiment. It supports in-person recording via iOS and offers more extensive integrations with tools like Notion, Jira, and Confluence, but has a restrictive free tier and a steeper learning curve due to its feature-rich interface.

Fathom appears best suited for individual professionals and small teams who prioritize simplicity and straightforward meeting capture. Its generous free tier and clean interface make it accessible for those new to AI note-taking, while sales teams benefit from its CRM integrations. However, users with complex post-meeting workflows may find its limited integration ecosystem restricting.

Read.ai caters more to enterprise teams seeking analytical insights beyond basic transcription. The engagement metrics and extensive integration options benefit larger organizations tracking meeting effectiveness and wanting deeper connections to their existing tech stack. Despite a more complex interface and higher price point, it offers valuable capabilities for those managing in-person and remote meetings across distributed teams.

Fathom vs Read.ai: What do users say?

Fathom users consistently praise its generous free plan, which offers unlimited meeting recordings with full AI summaries for 5 meetings monthly. Many highlight its accurate transcriptions, intuitive interface, and the ability to generate summaries in different formats seconds after meetings end. Users appreciate how Fathom allows them to be fully present in meetings without worrying about note-taking. The main limitations mentioned include the lack of external audio file uploading (it only works with scheduled online meetings), no mobile app, and some advanced features being limited to paid plans. In contrast, Read.ai stands out for its comprehensive analytics that measure engagement, sentiment, and speaker balance. Users value its ability to integrate with numerous platforms and its support for 20+ languages with real-time translation. However, some find Read.ai's free tier too restrictive at only 5 meetings per month, and others mention its interface can be complex compared to competitors. Read.ai offers unique features like in-person meeting recording via its iOS app and robust integrations with tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Notion.

To learn more about these tools, check out detailed Fathom user reviews on The Business Dive, 773 verified Fathom reviews on Capterra, Read.ai reviews on Trustpilot, and Read.ai ratings in the Microsoft AppSource.

FAQs

• Would Fathom work for in-person meetings? What about Read.ai? No, Fathom does not work for in-person meetings as it "Cannot import external audio – only works for scheduled online meetings (Zoom, Google Meet, Teams)." In contrast, Read.ai does work for in-person meetings through its "iOS app captures in-person/offline meetings with one tap."

• What about meeting bots? Does either of these tools require a meeting bot? Read.ai specifically states "No meeting bots – records virtual meetings via cloud or extension, and offline audio via mobile app."

• What do users say about the quality of transcriptions? For Fathom, transcriptions are "praised as quick and accurate" according to user reviews. For Read.ai, there are no specific mentions about the quality of transcriptions in the provided context.

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