Best AI Meeting Assistants: Otter vs Fathom Review

Do you hate taking notes during video calls? Most of us do. It is hard to listen to someone and type at the same time. You always miss something important. That is why AI meeting assistants have become so popular lately.

We write a lot of AI tools reviews on this blog. Today we are looking at two of the biggest names in the space. We will compare Otter and Fathom. Both of these tools promise to write your meeting notes for you. But which one should you actually use? Let us find out.

Why Use an AI Meeting Assistant?

Before we look at the tools, let us talk about why people use them. Typing notes during a call distracts you. You look down at your keyboard instead of looking at the screen. You miss body language and visual cues. An AI assistant lets you focus entirely on the conversation.

These tools also help with team alignment. Instead of arguing about who agreed to what, you have a written record. You can search the transcript for specific words. It takes just a few seconds to find that one number your client mentioned twenty minutes into the call.

Otter. ai: The Famous Transcription Tool

Otter is one of the oldest names in the transcription space. It started as a simple mobile app to turn voice into text. Now it is a smart assistant that joins your Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams calls. It sits in your meeting like a normal guest and records everything.

What I like about Otter is how well it handles different voices. It easily separates who is talking. The live transcript is fast and quite accurate. To see other software we cover, visit The Hunter Labs homepage for our latest tech guides.

However, Otter has some downsides. The free plan has become very limited over the last year. You do not get many minutes of transcription anymore. Also, the interface can feel a bit crowded. There are many buttons and options that you might never use. It can feel overwhelming if you just want simple notes.

Fathom: The Best Free Option for Zoom and Teams

Fathom is a newer tool compared to Otter, but it is growing very fast. The best part about Fathom is that its core features are completely free. There are no limits on how many meetings you can record. This makes it a great choice for small businesses, freelancers, and students.

Fathom works a bit differently than Otter. It does not just transcribe. It helps you highlight key parts of the call while it is happening. You can click a button to mark a decision, a task, or a question. When the call ends, you get a clean summary with those exact highlights.

The main drawback of Fathom is that it does not have a great mobile app. Otter is much better if you need to record face-to-face meetings on your phone. Fathom is built mostly for computer screen calls. If you use your phone for most meetings, Otter is the clear choice.

Comparing the Note Quality

You want notes that make sense. Both tools give you a full text transcript. But nobody has time to read a 40-minute transcript. You want a short summary that tells you who needs to do what.

Otter gives you a solid summary with keywords. It is good, but it can sometimes feel a bit generic. It just lists the main topics discussed without much structure.

Fathom organizes its summaries by topics and action items. I find Fathom summaries much easier to read. They look like they were written by a real assistant. It groups tasks clearly under each person's name.

Once you have these notes, you can use them for other tasks. For example, you can turn meeting ideas into blog posts or marketing materials. If you want to do that, check out these 5 Free AI Tools to Write Local Business Content Fast.

Pricing and Value for Money

Let us talk about cost. Otter has a free plan, but it only gives you 300 minutes of transcription per month. Each meeting is capped at 30 minutes. If you want more, you have to pay around ten dollars per month. This can add up if you have a small team.

Fathom is free for individual users. You get unlimited recordings with no time limits on calls. They make money by selling team features. These team features help managers see what is happening across many sales calls. If you are using it just for yourself, the free version is more than enough.

Which One Should You Choose?

Your choice depends on how you work. If you have a budget and need to record both online and offline meetings, Otter is great. It is reliable and works on almost any device. It has been around a long time for a reason.

If you only do online calls and want something free, choose Fathom. The unlimited recording is a huge benefit. The summaries are sharp and clean. I personally prefer Fathom for my daily Zoom calls because it saves me money and keeps me focused.

Which tool are you planning to try first? Test them both on your next call and see which summary you like better.