Fathom wins for most free users, because it records, transcribes and stores unlimited calls with no storage cap. Fireflies.ai wins for teams that want deeper search across meetings, many languages and CRM sync at a lower paid price. If you want a free notetaker you’ll never outgrow on storage, choose Fathom; if you’re a team that lives in your CRM, choose Fireflies.
Fathom and Fireflies are two of the most popular AI notetakers with free plans. Both join your Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams calls, transcribe them without a minute cap and write a summary after each meeting. Where they differ is what each free plan holds back, and how much the paid plans cost for teams.
This comparison covers storage, AI summaries, languages, CRM sync and pricing side by side, then shows which tool fits common situations, from solo founders to sales teams of five. Prices are taken from each tool’s official pricing page.
Fathom vs Fireflies at a glance
| Fathom | Fireflies.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Individuals and small teams who want unlimited free recordings | Sales and small teams who want searchable notes and CRM sync |
| Free plan | Unlimited recordings and storage; advanced summaries on 5 calls a month | Unlimited transcription; 400 minutes of storage |
| Paid plans from | $15/user/month (Team, annual) | $10/user/month (Pro, annual) |
| Standout feature | No storage cap, even on Free | AskFred and 100+ languages |
| Biggest catch | Limited advanced summaries on Free | Free storage cap and AI credits |
| Cappy Score | 4.4/5 | 4.3/5 |
What’s the main difference between Fathom and Fireflies?
Both transcribe without a minute cap, so the difference is what each free plan holds back. Fathom keeps every recording forever but limits advanced AI summaries to 5 calls a month. Fireflies limits AI summaries on Free too, and stores only 400 minutes of recordings, about 6 to 7 hours.
So Fathom is better if you want a long archive of calls for free. Fireflies is the better deal once you pay, because Pro costs less than Fathom Premium and adds deeper search across your meetings.
Feature-by-feature comparison
Recording and storage
Both join Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams from your calendar. Fathom stores unlimited recordings on every plan. Fireflies’ free plan stores 400 minutes, and paid plans raise the limit.
Winner: Fathom.
AI summaries and search
Both write summaries and action items. Fireflies’ AskFred answers questions across many meetings, and AI Skills and soundbites run on AI credits. Fathom’s Ask Fathom does a similar job on paid plans, and Fathom offers more than 15 summary templates.
Winner: Fireflies, for search across a team’s calls; Fathom, for summary templates.
Languages
Fireflies transcribes in more than 100 languages. Fathom supports fewer, around 38 according to third-party reviews.
Winner: Fireflies.
CRM and integrations
Fireflies connects with HubSpot, Salesforce and many other apps, and its Business plan can update CRM records automatically. Fathom’s fullest CRM sync is on Business, at $25 per user per month on annual billing.
Winner: Fireflies, especially on price.
Bot-free recording
Fireflies’ Chrome extension can record without adding a bot on paid plans. Fathom joins as a visible notetaker.
Winner: Fireflies.
Pricing: Fathom vs Fireflies
| Plan level | Fathom (annual / monthly) | Fireflies.ai (annual / monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 |
| Individual | Premium $16 / $20 | Pro $10 / $18 per user |
| Team | Team $15 / $19 per user (2+ seats) | Business $19 / $29 per user |
| Advanced team | Business $25 / $34 per user (2+ seats) | Enterprise $39 per user (annual only) |
Cost for a team of 5, billed annually: Fathom Team costs $900 a year ($15 × 5 × 12). Fireflies Pro costs $600 a year, and Fireflies Business costs $1,140. For CRM sync, compare Fathom Business ($1,500 a year) with Fireflies Business ($1,140).
Free plan comparison
| Free plan | Fathom | Fireflies.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Recordings | Unlimited | Unlimited transcription |
| Storage | Unlimited | 400 minutes |
| AI summaries | Yes; advanced summaries on 5 calls a month | Limited |
| AI credits | Not used | 20 a month |
| Action items and follow-ups | Paid plans | Limited, with summaries |
Ease of use and setup
Both tools take a few minutes to set up. You connect your Google or Microsoft calendar, choose which meetings the notetaker should join, and it shows up in your next Zoom, Meet or Teams call.
Fathom keeps things simple: after each call you get a summary, transcript and clips in your library. Fireflies offers more depth, with a searchable Notebook, AskFred, soundbites and topic trackers, which takes a little longer to learn.
On Fireflies Free, accounts created on or after September 1, 2026 need Auto-join turned on to get unlimited transcription; otherwise the free plan covers 3 meeting transcriptions.
Privacy and security
Both tools record and store your conversations, so let participants know a call is being recorded and check your company’s policy before connecting a work calendar. Both let you choose which meetings the notetaker joins.
For larger organizations, Fireflies Enterprise adds SSO, SCIM, data retention controls and HIPAA compliance on request. Fathom’s Enterprise plan adds security, compliance and custom terms.
Fathom vs Fireflies for common situations
- A solo founder with a few important calls a week: Fathom Free, because it stores every call. Use your 5 advanced summaries on the most important ones.
- A freelancer who wants full AI notes on every call: Fireflies Pro, at $120 a year, is cheaper than Fathom Premium at $192 a year.
- A sales team of 5 that lives in HubSpot or Salesforce: Fireflies Business, at about $1,140 a year, compared with $1,500 for Fathom Business.
- A team with calls in several languages: Fireflies, which supports more than 100 languages.
- A team that wants a long archive of calls without paying: Fathom Free, which never runs out of storage.
- Client calls where a visible bot feels awkward: Fireflies on a paid plan, using the Chrome extension to record without a bot.
Fathom vs Fireflies limits at a glance
| Limit | Fathom | Fireflies.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Storage on Free | Unlimited | 400 minutes |
| AI summaries on Free | Advanced summaries on 5 calls a month | Limited |
| Meeting length | Not the main limit | 2 hours on Free and Pro, 3 hours on Business |
| AI extras | Ask Fathom on paid plans | AI credits: 20 a month on Free, a one-time allowance on paid plans |
| Seat minimum on team plans | 2 seats on Team and Business | None for Pro |
How to get the most out of either tool
- Turn on auto-join only for the meetings you need, so your library stays useful and, on Fireflies Free, your storage lasts longer.
- Tell guests the call is being recorded. It builds trust, and some places legally require everyone’s consent.
- Pick a summary template that matches your call type, such as sales, interview or stand-up.
- Connect your CRM early if you’re on a Business plan, so notes flow there automatically.
- Skim each summary before sending it to a client or logging it in a CRM.
What each tool costs as your team grows
| Team size | Fathom (annual billing) | Fireflies.ai (annual billing) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | Premium: $192 a year | Pro: $120 a year |
| 2 people | Team: $360 a year | Pro: $240 a year |
| 5 people | Team: $900 a year | Pro: $600 a year |
| 5 people with CRM sync | Business: $1,500 a year | Business: $1,140 a year |
| 10 people | Team: $1,800 a year | Pro: $1,200 a year |
| 10 people with CRM sync | Business: $3,000 a year | Business: $2,280 a year |
At every team size, Fireflies costs less on paid plans. Fathom’s advantage is on the free plan, where it stores unlimited calls.
The limits people run into most
On Fathom, the most common surprise is the free plan’s summary cap. Recordings and transcripts stay unlimited, but after your 5 advanced summaries each month, notes become more basic. Team and Business also need at least 2 seats, which matters if you’re a team of one.
On Fireflies, the most common surprises are storage and AI credits. The free plan’s 400 minutes fill up in about a week of daily hour-long calls, and AI credits on paid plans are a one-time allowance rather than a monthly refill, so heavy AskFred users may need add-on credits.
Knowing these limits up front makes the choice easier: if you can live with 5 advanced summaries a month, Fathom Free goes a long way. If you’ll pay anyway, Fireflies is cheaper.
Which one should you try first?
Try Fathom first if you want to record every call for free and you’re not sure yet whether you’ll pay. Its free plan never runs out of storage, so you can use it for weeks without deleting anything.
Try Fireflies first if you already know you’ll pay, if your calls are in several languages, or if your team needs CRM sync. Its paid plans cost less, and its search across meetings goes deeper.
Whichever you start with, run it for at least two weeks of real meetings before you decide. Turn off auto-join in one tool if you test both, so guests don’t see two bots in the same call.
Who should choose Fathom?
- Anyone who wants a free notetaker with no storage limit.
- Individuals with only a few important calls a month.
- Small teams of 2 or more, where Team costs $15 per person.
- People who want a long archive of past calls without paying.
Who should choose Fireflies.ai?
- Sales and customer success teams who want CRM sync at a lower price.
- Teams with meetings in many languages.
- Users who want deeper search across all their calls.
- People who want bot-free recording through the Chrome extension.
For more detail on each tool, read our full Fathom review and Fireflies.ai review, or see how both rank in our guide to the best AI meeting assistants.
Cappy’s pick
- Best free plan: Fathom, because storage never runs out.
- Cheapest paid plan for one person: Fireflies Pro at $10 a month annually.
- Sales teams needing CRM sync: Fireflies Business, which costs less than Fathom Business.
- Small teams who mainly share recordings: Fathom Team.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fathom better than Fireflies?
For free users, usually yes, because Fathom stores unlimited calls. Fireflies is better for teams that want CRM sync, many languages and a cheaper paid plan.
Is Fathom cheaper than Fireflies?
No, not for one person. Fireflies Pro costs $10 a month on annual billing, while Fathom Premium costs $16. For teams of 2 or more, Fathom Team costs $15 per person.
Which is better for sales teams, Fathom or Fireflies?
Fireflies, for most teams. Its Business plan includes CRM autofill at $19 per user per month on annual billing, compared with $25 for Fathom Business.
Can I use Fathom and Fireflies together?
You can, but avoid having both bots join the same meeting. Pick one as your main notetaker and turn off auto-join in the other.
Which has better AI summaries, Fathom or Fireflies?
Both write clear summaries with action items. Fathom offers more than 15 summary templates on paid plans, while Fireflies adds AskFred for questions across many meetings. On free plans, Fathom limits advanced summaries to 5 calls a month.
Which supports more languages, Fathom or Fireflies?
Fireflies, with more than 100 languages. Fathom supports fewer, around 38 according to third-party reviews.
Can I switch from Fathom to Fireflies?
Yes. Download any recordings or transcripts you want to keep, connect your calendar to Fireflies, and turn off auto-join in Fathom so you don’t get two bots in each call. Fireflies can also transcribe uploaded audio and video files.
Does Fathom or Fireflies work without a bot?
Fireflies can record without a bot on paid plans, using its Chrome extension. Fathom joins your calls as a visible notetaker.
Which is better for small teams, Fathom or Fireflies?
It depends on whether you’ll pay. On free plans, Fathom is better because it stores unlimited calls. On paid plans, Fireflies is cheaper at every team size, with Pro at $10 per user per month on annual billing compared with $15 for Fathom Team.