Fathom vs Fireflies.ai

Fathom starts free; paid $15/seat/mo annual (free + per-seat); Fireflies.ai starts $18/seat/mo (free + per-seat (annual discount) + AI credits). Pick Fathom for free unlimited recording; pick Fireflies.ai for CRM sync + search. Pricing verified against each vendor's live page (2026-06-04).

Pick Fathom if you want free unlimited recording; pick Fireflies.ai if you want CRM sync + search. They bill on different models (free + per-seat vs free + per-seat (annual discount) + AI credits), so the cheaper one flips depending on how you run agents. The math is below.

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Head to head

Every attribute, both tools, side by side.

Fathom

free unlimited recording
pricing modelfree + per-seat
entry pricefree; paid $15/seat/mo annual
free tierUnlimited recordings and transcriptions forever for individuals, instant AI summaries, clips, playlists, and search across calls. Ask Fathom is limited to a single call, advanced summary templates and team/CRM features are paid.
self-hostNo
mcpNone
the gotchaThe free plan is genuinely generous on recording and transcription, but the AI features are throttled: Ask Fathom works on a single call only and advanced summary templates plus AI action items require Premium. CRM field sync (HubSpot/Salesforce) is locked to the top Business tier, not Team. Recording is done by a bot that visibly joins the call (a bot-free mode is Mac-only beta), so attendees see a notetaker present. The deepest annual discounts require yearly upfront billing.
Visit Fathom →
VS

Fireflies.ai

CRM sync + search
pricing modelfree + per-seat (annual discount) + AI credits
entry price$18/seat/mo
free tierFree forever: unlimited transcription, 800 mins of storage per seat, limited AI summaries, no recording. Bot still joins calls.
self-hostNo
mcpNone
the gotchaThe seat price is not the whole bill. The Free and Pro plans cap storage (800 mins/seat on Free, 8,000 mins/seat on Pro), and every plan includes only a small AI credit pool (20 on Pro, 30 on Business, 50 on Enterprise) that limits AskFred and AI-app actions, so power users pay for credit add-ons. The cheap $10 Pro price is annual-only; paying monthly is $18. The bot also visibly joins the call as a participant, which is a privacy flag for some external meetings.
Visit Fireflies.ai →

The real pricing math

One workflow, 6 steps, run hourly (about 720 runs a month). Same job, two billing shapes.

Fathomfree + per-seat
billable unit1 free + seat per run
720 runs720 billed units
entry planfree; paid $15/seat/mo annual
free tierUnlimited recordings and transcriptions forever for individuals, instant AI summaries, clips, playlists, and search across calls. Ask Fathom is limited to a single call, advanced summary templates and team/CRM features are paid.

A 5-person sales team needing CRM field sync must use the Business plan at $25/user/mo billed annually, which is 5 x $25 = $125/mo (~$1,500/yr); on monthly billing it jumps to $34/user/mo, or $170/mo. A team that only needs shared call libraries and search can drop to the Team plan at $15/user/mo annual, which is $75/mo (~$900/yr) for 5 seats. The catch: there is a 2-user minimum on both team tiers, and Salesforce/HubSpot field sync is gated to the pricier Business plan.

Fireflies.aifree + per-seat (annual discount) + AI credits
billable unit1 free + seat (annual discount) + AI credits per step
6 steps × 720 runs~4,320 billed units
entry plan$18/seat/mo
free tierFree forever: unlimited transcription, 800 mins of storage per seat, limited AI summaries, no recording. Bot still joins calls.

A team of 10 on the Business plan billed annually is $19/seat/mo, so $190/mo (about $2,280/yr). Billed monthly that same plan jumps to $29/seat, or $290/mo (about $3,480/yr), so paying monthly costs roughly 53% more. The catch is the AI credit pool: Business ships only 30 AI credits, which gates heavier AskFred and AI-app usage, so high-volume teams end up buying credit add-ons on top.

// worked estimate from each pricing model · run your own numbers in the real-cost calculator →

Choose Fathom if

  • You want a free notetaker that records and transcribes every call without time limits, and you only pay when you need advanced summaries, team sharing, or CRM sync.
  • You prefer a fully managed cloud tool with no infra.
  • You're comfortable with its free + per-seat billing.
  • Best for free unlimited recording.

Choose Fireflies.ai if

  • You want a bot that auto-joins every call, transcribes it, and syncs structured notes into your CRM and task stack.
  • You prefer a fully managed cloud tool with no infra.
  • You're comfortable with its free + per-seat (annual discount) + AI credits billing.
  • Best for CRM sync + search.

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Questions

Fathom vs Fireflies.ai: which is cheaper?

Fathom starts free; paid from $15/seat/mo annual; Fireflies.ai starts from $18/seat/mo. But they bill differently (free + per-seat vs free + per-seat (annual discount) + AI credits), so the real winner depends on your usage shape, not the sticker price.

Can you self-host Fathom or Fireflies.ai?

Fathom: No. Fireflies.ai: No.

Fathom vs Fireflies.ai: which should I pick?

Pick Fathom for free unlimited recording; pick Fireflies.ai for CRM sync + search.