tldv 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 tldv and Fathom

tldv is a meeting productivity tool that records, transcribes, and summarizes video conferences. It works through a desktop application for Windows and macOS, supporting Zoom and Microsoft Teams with local recording capabilities. The platform offers AI-driven features including transcription in over 30 languages, timestamped highlights, and AI agents that automate recording, note-taking, and CRM data entry.

The service connects with external tools through integrations with HubSpot, Notion, Salesforce, and thousands of other platforms. tldv offers a tiered pricing structure with a free plan and paid options at $18/month (Pro) and $59/month (Business). It doesn't support in-person meetings and lacks a native mobile application, while its performance depends on stable internet connectivity.

Fathom is an AI meeting assistant that integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft 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 tagging key moments, and offers post-meeting tools including an overview, action items, follow-up email drafts, and an AI Q&A feature for querying meeting content.

The service offers a free plan with unlimited recording but AI summaries for only 5 meetings monthly, with paid tiers ranging from $15-29/user/month for unlimited AI features and additional capabilities. It requires a desktop app (Mac/Windows) for meeting capture, integrates with CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce, and automatically pushes summaries to integrated tools. Fathom doesn't support in-person meetings, external audio uploads, or mobile devices.

Comparing tldv and Fathom

tldv

• tldv offers AI meeting recording, transcription, and summarization with a focus on CRM integration. While providing accurate transcriptions and a generous free plan, it suffers from limited platform support and requires stable internet connection.

• The tool integrates with various platforms including HubSpot, Notion, and Salesforce, though its integration ecosystem lacks depth for meaningful workflow automation. Despite having AI agents for recording and note-taking, tldv still requires significant user involvement to extract actionable value from meetings.

Fathom

• Fathom functions primarily as an AI meeting notetaker for Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams with real-time transcription and various AI summary formats. While offering an intuitive interface and quick summaries, it lacks support for external audio uploads and doesn't have a mobile app.

• Though Fathom connects with major CRMs and can push meeting content to other tools, its integration capabilities remain superficial rather than transformative. The tool automates basic meeting capture tasks but falls short in helping users meaningfully act upon the information gathered.

tldv is better suited for teams heavily invested in CRM workflows who need to capture and reference meeting content across multiple platforms. Its broader claimed integration ecosystem and slightly more comprehensive feature set make it appropriate for organizations with complex document management needs, though users should be prepared to spend more for business-level functionality.

Fathom works best for individual professionals or small teams focused primarily on virtual meetings who need quick, accurate meeting summaries and action items. Its more affordable pricing structure and straightforward approach to AI note-taking make it accessible for freelancers and small businesses, though both tools ultimately require users to develop their own systems for turning meeting content into meaningful action.

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