Fathom vs Granola
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
Fathom joins Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams calls (either as a visible bot or bot-free via its desktop app) and produces a transcript, AI summary, and list of action items as soon as the meeting ends, so participants can stay present instead of typing notes. Summaries and clips sync automatically to tools like Slack, Notion, and CRMs such as Salesforce and HubSpot. Beyond individual use, Fathom's Team and Business tiers add global search across every recorded meeting, shared playlists, and sales-focused features like CRM field sync, deal views, and AI coaching scorecards, aimed at revenue teams that want a searchable record of every customer conversation.
Granola is an AI meeting notepad built for people who sit in back-to-back calls. Instead of sending a bot into your meetings, Granola runs quietly in the background, transcribes what's said on Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and other call apps, and turns your own rough notes into a polished, structured summary after the call ends. Because it works from system audio rather than a visible bot, meetings feel like a normal conversation. Granola adds calendar integration to auto-detect upcoming meetings, pre-meeting briefs pulled from prior notes, and an MCP connector so meeting notes can flow into tools like Claude and Cursor.
- Free plan includes unlimited recordings and transcripts
- Fast, accurate AI summaries
- Strong CRM integrations for sales teams
- Bot-free capture option avoids awkward meeting bots
- No bot joins the call, so meetings feel unchanged for other participants
- Generous free tier for day-to-day note taking
- Works across major meeting platforms rather than locking you into one
- MCP integration makes notes usable inside other AI workflows
- Team pricing has a 2-user minimum
- Advanced CRM features locked to Business tier
- Requires joining via supported meeting platforms
- Free tier limits access to notes older than 30 days
- Requires the desktop or mobile app running during the meeting to capture audio
- Summary quality depends on how much you type during the call
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View all →The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataFathom offers unlimited free recordings with strong CRM sync but requires a visible bot and a 2‑user minimum for paid plans, while Granola captures audio locally without a bot, keeping meetings unchanged but limits free notes to 30 days and needs a running app.
Key differences
- •Fathom joins calls as a bot and syncs recordings directly into Salesforce/HubSpot; Granola records locally without a bot and stores notes privately.
- •Fathom’s free tier provides unlimited recordings; Granola’s free tier limits note access to 30 days.
- •Fathom requires a 2‑user minimum for paid plans; Granola has no stated minimum.
- •Granola needs a desktop or mobile app running during meetings; Fathom works via native Zoom/Google Meet/MS Teams integration.
- •Granola offers mobile apps for in‑person meetings; Fathom is cloud‑only.
Pricing & value
Free plan gives unlimited recordings; Granola’s free tier restricts notes older than 30 days.
Ease of use / learning curve
Granola runs silently on device, no bot join required; Fathom needs bot join and platform setup.
Features & depth
Fathom includes AI coaching scorecards and global transcript search, not mentioned for Granola.
Integrations & ecosystem
Both integrate Zoom, Google Meet, Teams; Fathom adds Salesforce/HubSpot, Granola adds Claude/Cursor via MCP.
Collaboration
Fathom syncs notes to CRM for team access; Granola requires explicit sharing per note.
Scalability
Fathom’s cloud SaaS can scale across teams; Granola is a desktop app limited to device.
Support & security
Granola notes stay private by default; Fathom’s data flows to cloud and CRM, privacy not specified.
Choose Fathom if…
Sales teams needing CRM‑linked transcripts and AI coaching, comfortable with a bot and cloud SaaS.
Choose Granola if…
Professionals who want silent, device‑based capture, mobile note‑taking, and strict default privacy.
Common questions
Can I use the free version of each tool indefinitely?
Fathom’s free plan offers unlimited recordings; Granola’s free tier limits access to notes older than 30 days.
Do I need to install software to capture meetings?
Granola requires a desktop or mobile app running during the meeting; Fathom works via cloud integration with supported platforms.
Which tool integrates directly with Salesforce or HubSpot?
Fathom syncs meeting notes and recordings into Salesforce and HubSpot; Granola does not list those CRM integrations.