Aside vs Fathom
Fathom is a free-to-start notetaker with a bot by default and a bot-free mode in beta on Mac. Aside never joins the call and transcribes on your Mac.
Which should you choose?
Choose Fathom if…
- You want unlimited recording and transcription on a free plan.
- You want HubSpot or Salesforce sync, plus Slack, Asana, Notion, Zapier, an API or MCP.
- You want sales templates such as BANT, clips, playlists and coaching scorecards.
- You use Windows or want to review calls on the web.
- You need transcripts in up to 38 languages.
Choose Aside if…
- You want bot-free recording as the only way it works, not a beta.
- You want the call transcribed on your Mac, with the audio never uploaded.
- You want guidance during the call from your own goals and answers.
- You want speaker names suggested from clues in the call.
Side by side
| Fathom | Aside | |
|---|---|---|
| How it records | A bot joins Zoom, Meet and Teams by default. A bot-free mode is a beta on Mac. | No bot. Records your microphone and the sound your Mac plays. |
| Where transcription happens | In the cloud for the bot. Not stated publicly for bot-free mode. | On your Mac, with an on-device speech model. Audio is never uploaded. |
| The audio afterwards | Recordings are kept on Free and Premium; custom retention on Enterprise. | Saved in a folder you choose, with playback of both sides. |
| Notes during the call | In the bot-free Mac app: a live summary, a scratchpad and a real-time transcript. | Press ⌃⌥N in any app to type a note. It lands in the transcript at the moment you started typing. |
| Live guidance during the call | No in-call answers are documented. | Optional. Goals you set fill in as dots, one line suggests your next move, and answers you prepared appear when the topic comes up. Paid plan. |
| After-call write-up | Summaries, action items, follow-up emails, 15+ templates, Ask Fathom, clips and coaching scorecards. | A summary, the goals you reached, next steps and a follow-up email to copy. Paid plan. |
| Speaker names | Not stated publicly. | Suggested from clues in the call, like a name said aloud, with the reason shown. Voices you’ve confirmed before are named for you, and you can undo it. |
| Platforms | Mac and Windows desktop, plus a web app. Bot-free mode is Mac only. | Mac only (Apple silicon, macOS 14.2 or later). |
| Languages | 38. | English plus 24 European languages. |
| Integrations | HubSpot, Salesforce, Slack, Asana, Notion, Zapier, API and MCP, plus ChatGPT and Claude. | None yet. |
| Search or ask across meetings | Ask Fathom across calls (beta). Global search on Team. | Not yet. |
| AI training on your data | See its privacy policy. | Nothing you record or write is used to train AI models. |
| Price | Premium is listed at $16 and $20 per user a month, depending on billing. See its pricing page. | $15 a month, or $12 a month billed yearly, for guidance and write-ups. |
| Free plan | Yes. Unlimited recording and transcription; some AI features are limited. | Yes. Recording, notes and transcripts. |
Fathom prices are from its pricing page on 8 Oct 2026.
What Fathom is
Fathom is an AI notetaker for individuals and sales and customer-success teams. Its bot joins Zoom, Meet and Teams by default, and a bot-free mode launched as a Mac beta in April 2026. Superhuman announced it had acquired Fathom in September 2026.
Where Fathom is stronger
Fathom’s free plan includes unlimited recording and transcription. Paid plans add CRM field sync, sales templates, clips and coaching scorecards, and it connects to many tools, including ChatGPT and Claude.
Where Aside differs
Aside has never used a bot. It records your microphone and your Mac’s audio and transcribes on your Mac, so audio is never uploaded. Fathom transcribes in the cloud for its bot; it doesn’t say publicly where bot-free transcription happens.
Help during the call
Fathom’s bot-free Mac app builds a live summary while you talk. Aside can guide you: your goals fill in as you cover them, one line suggests the next move, and the answers you prepared appear when the topic comes up.
Questions
Can Fathom record without a bot?
Yes, as a beta on Mac. The bot is the default for Zoom, Meet and Teams.
Which one is free?
Both have a free plan. Fathom’s includes unlimited recording and transcription with limited AI features. Aside’s includes recording, notes and transcripts; guidance and write-ups are on the paid plan.
Does Aside sync to my CRM?
Not yet. You can copy the summary and follow-up email. Fathom syncs with HubSpot and Salesforce.
Does Aside work on Windows?
No. Aside is a Mac app for Apple silicon Macs.
Last checked 8 Oct 2026. Products change, so check each company’s pages before you decide.
Sources
Facts about Fathom come from its own pages, read on 8 Oct 2026.