Otter.ai vs Fathom
Fathom is the better free plan: its pricing page states unlimited recordings and transcriptions with instant AI call summaries and no minute or meeting-length cap, against Otter.ai Basic's 300 minutes a month and 30 minutes per conversation. Otter.ai is the better paid plan on price and on stated platform support: Pro is $8.33 per user a month billed annually for 1,200 minutes and 90-minute conversations, and the page names Zoom, MS Teams and Google Meet on every tier; Fathom Premium is $16 a month billed annually and its page names no meeting platform.
Side by side, from the two pricing pages
| Feature | Otter.ai | Fathom |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 300 min/month, 30 min per conversation, automated summaries | Unlimited recordings and transcriptions, instant AI summaries |
| Lowest paid plan | Pro $8.33/user/mo annual ($16.99 monthly) | Premium $16/mo annual ($20 monthly); Team $15/user/mo annual, 2-user minimum |
| Business plan | Business $19.99/user/mo annual ($30 monthly): unlimited minutes, 4 hr cap | Business $25/user/mo annual ($34 monthly): custom summaries |
| Paid minutes and caps | Pro: 1,200 min/month, 90 min per conversation | No allowance or cap stated on any plan |
| Meeting platforms named | Zoom, MS Teams, Google Meet on every plan | Not stated on the pricing page |
| Other integrations | Salesforce, HubSpot, Zapier from Pro | Asana, ChatGPT, Claude, HubSpot, Salesforce, Zapier, public API and MCP |
| Trial | Not stated | Free trial on paid plans |
Two free plans, one metered and one not
This is the whole argument for Fathom. Its free plan lists unlimited recordings and transcriptions, a choice of bot-free and bot capture types, instant AI call summaries, and clips, playlists and search across calls, and the page calls it free forever. No monthly minute figure and no per-meeting cap appear anywhere on the pricing page. Otter.ai's Basic plan is metered: 300 transcription minutes a month and 30 minutes per conversation, with automated summaries, action items and outlines. For someone with short meetings, Otter.ai Basic is enough. For anyone with an hour-long weekly call, the 30-minute cap on Otter.ai's free plan is the deciding number, and Fathom's page does not have one.
What paying buys, and what it costs
Otter.ai Pro is $8.33 per user a month billed annually, or $16.99 month to month, for 1,200 transcription minutes a month, 90 minutes per conversation, and Salesforce, HubSpot and Zapier integrations. Business is $19.99 per user a month billed annually ($30 month to month) for unlimited minutes, 4-hour conversations and unlimited audio and video file imports. Fathom Premium is $16 a month billed annually or $20 month to month and adds advanced call summaries; Team is $15 per user a month billed annually ($19 month to month) with a two-user minimum; Business is $25 per user a month billed annually ($34 month to month) with custom summaries. Because Fathom's free plan already has no stated minute limit, its paid tiers sell summary quality and team features rather than minutes. Otter.ai's paid tiers sell minutes and longer conversations. That is why Otter.ai Pro at half the price of Fathom Premium is the better value only if minutes are what you are short of.
Platform support as the pages state it
Otter.ai's pricing page lists Zoom, MS Teams and Google Meet on every plan, including Basic. Fathom's pricing page does not name a meeting platform at all; the words Zoom and Google Meet appear only in its footer links comparing Fathom to competitors. Fathom lists Asana, ChatGPT, Claude, HubSpot, Salesforce, Zapier, and a public API and MCP as integrations. This page records only what the pricing pages state, so a reader who needs Fathom on a specific platform should confirm it in Fathom's own documentation rather than assume it.
Otter.ai
✓ Pros
- Zoom, MS Teams and Google Meet listed on every plan including free
- Pro at $8.33 per user a month billed annually is half Fathom Premium
- Stated minutes and caps on every tier, so the limits are knowable
- Business allows 4-hour conversations and unlimited minutes
✗ Cons
- Free plan is capped at 30 minutes per conversation and 300 minutes a month
- Month-to-month Pro is $16.99, roughly double the annual rate
- No free trial stated on the pricing page
Fathom
✓ Pros
- Free plan states unlimited recordings and transcriptions
- Instant AI call summaries on the free plan
- Free trial offered on paid plans
- Integrations include ChatGPT, Claude, a public API and MCP
✗ Cons
- Premium is $16 a month billed annually, about double Otter.ai Pro
- Team plan needs at least two users
- No meeting platform is named on the pricing page
- No minute figures on any plan, so limits cannot be compared
Verdict
Take Fathom if you will not pay, because its free plan has no stated limit and Otter.ai's does. Take Otter.ai if you will pay, because Pro is $8.33 per user a month billed annually against Fathom Premium at $16, and because its page names the three big meeting platforms. If your meetings are under 30 minutes and you want the platform list in writing, Otter.ai Basic is also free and does the job.
Otter.ai
- Free plan Basic: 300 transcription minutes per month, 30 minutes per conversation, automated summaries with action items and outlines
- Pro $8.33 per user per month billed annually, or $16.99 per user month to month: 1,200 transcription minutes per month, 90 minutes per conversation
- Business $19.99 per user per month billed annually, or $30 per user month to month: unlimited transcription minutes, 4 hours per conversation, unlimited audio and video file imports
- Enterprise Price on request (schedule a demo); unlimited minutes, 4 hours per conversation, custom CRM and dialer integrations
- Meeting platforms Zoom, MS Teams and Google Meet, listed on every plan including Basic
- Other integrations Salesforce, HubSpot and Zapier listed from Pro up
- AI summaries Listed on every plan, including the free Basic plan
- Free trial Not stated on the pricing page
Facts from Otter.ai's pricing page, checked 2026-09-05.
Fathom
- Free plan $0, "free forever": unlimited recordings and transcriptions, choice of bot-free and bot capture types, instant AI call summaries, clips, playlists and search across calls
- Premium $16 per user per month billed annually, or $20 month to month: advanced call summaries; free trial offered
- Team $15 per user per month billed annually, or $19 month to month, 2-user minimum; includes everything in Premium
- Business $25 per user per month billed annually, or $34 month to month, 2-user minimum; advanced call summaries including custom summaries
- Enterprise Price on request ("talk to sales")
- Minutes and caps No monthly minute allowance or per-meeting length cap is stated on the pricing page
- Meeting platforms Not stated on the pricing page (Zoom and Google Meet appear only in competitor-comparison links)
- Other integrations Asana, ChatGPT, Claude, HubSpot, Salesforce, Zapier, public API and MCP
- AI summaries Listed on every plan, including the free plan
Facts from Fathom's pricing page, checked 2026-09-05.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on whether you will pay. Free, Fathom states the larger allowance: unlimited recordings and transcriptions with instant AI call summaries, against Otter.ai Basic's 300 minutes a month and 30 minutes per conversation. Paid, Otter.ai is cheaper: Pro is $8.33 per user a month billed annually against Fathom Premium at $16 a month billed annually. Otter.ai's pricing page names Zoom, MS Teams and Google Meet; Fathom's does not name meeting platforms.
Its pricing page lists "Unlimited recordings + transcriptions" under the free plan, described as free forever, and states no monthly minute allowance or per-meeting cap. That is what the page says on 2026-09-05; the page is linked under the card and is the authority.
On annual billing, Otter.ai Pro is $8.33 per user a month and Fathom Premium is $16 a month, so Otter.ai is about half the price. Month to month it is $16.99 against $20. Fathom Team is $15 per user a month billed annually but requires at least two users; Otter.ai Business is $19.99 per user a month billed annually and Fathom Business is $25.
Otter.ai's pricing page lists Zoom, MS Teams and Google Meet on every plan, including the free Basic plan. Fathom's pricing page does not name any meeting platform; Zoom and Google Meet appear there only in competitor-comparison links. Confirm Fathom's platform support in its own documentation.
Yes. Otter.ai Basic lists automated summaries with action items and outlines. Fathom Free lists instant AI call summaries; Fathom's advanced call summaries are on Premium and custom summaries on Business.