Fathom vs Shmeetings
Comparing a privacy-first offline meeting assistant with a free cloud-based AI notetaker
What is Fathom?
Fathom is a free meeting AI assistant that records and transcribes video calls. In addition to transcribing calls, it summarizes them, assigns tasks, and allows users to share key points to others who participated in the call.
What makes Fathom's free version truly special is the fact that it offers unlimited recordings and transcriptions. This is an extremely rare feature among all of the meeting AI assistants available today. Although, Fathom charges users for its premium features including integration with customer relationship management (CRM) systems, team workspaces, and enhanced AI features that will cost you a minimum of $32/month.
The catch is the same as other cloud services. Your meeting audio gets uploaded to Fathom's servers for processing. The recording bot is visible to everyone in the meeting. And premium features come with recurring subscription costs.
The Core Difference
While Fathom has a lot of similarities to Shmeetings when it comes to transcribing meetings, they take completely different approaches to achieve the goal.
When you choose to use Fathom, it uses a cloud-based service to capture and store your meeting audio. A robot automatically logs into your video conference call, captures the audio and then uploads it to Fathom's servers for processing by their AI technology. All of the transcribed meeting information also lives on their server infrastructure, and is accessible using their web app.
On the other hand, Shmeetings uses your local computer to capture and process your meeting audio. The AI models that perform the transcription are located on your computer, which means no data ever leaves your machine. Furthermore, the Shmeetings robot does not join your calls, as it records audio directly from your computer's audio output.
If your top concern is the cost of a meeting AI assistant and you don't care if your meeting audio is being captured and processed in the cloud, or if you have a visible robot logging into your meetings, then Fathom is very difficult to beat on pricing. On the other hand, if you prioritize the security of your meeting data and you want it to remain on your computer, rather than in some company's cloud, then Shmeetings is the alternative.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Shmeetings | Fathom |
|---|---|---|
| Data Privacy | 100% Local Processing Never leaves your computer | Cloud-based Data sent to Fathom's servers |
| Bot Joins Call | No Invisible to participants | Yes Visible recording indicator |
| Account Required | No Just install and use | Yes Email signup required |
| Custom Prompts | Unlimited Any prompt, any length | Templates Only Pre-defined summaries |
| Works Offline | Yes No internet needed | No Requires internet |
| In-Person Meetings | Full Support Records from any audio source | No Video calls only |
| Team Collaboration | No Single user only | Yes Share clips and notes |
| Pricing | $39 once Lifetime license | Free / $32+/month Premium features extra |
Privacy and Your Meeting Data
While Fathom is certainly free to use, and it offers many great features, including unlimited meeting recordings and basic AI summaries, you should be aware that you're always giving up something in exchange for getting something for free. In the case of Fathom, you're giving up the fact that your meeting audio is going to be stored on Fathom's cloud-based servers. That's right - you're uploading your meeting audio to their cloud-based servers where it will be processed and made accessible to them via their web app.
While Fathom may be a great choice for casual meetings, it may not be the best option for meetings that involve sensitive topics such as confidential discussions with clients, employee concerns, legal discussions, or business strategy. Wherever that meeting audio ends up may be far beyond what you're comfortable with.
When you use Shmeetings to transcribe your meetings, all of the audio processing occurs locally on your Mac, which means none of your meeting data ever leaves your computer. Additionally, since you're storing all of your meeting audio and transcripts on your own computer, you'll never have to worry about losing access to your meeting data because of changes in company policies or your account status.
Who Should Use Each Tool
Choose Shmeetings If You:
- Handle sensitive or confidential conversations
- Don't want a visible bot in your meetings
- Can't get approval for cloud AI tools at work
- Want custom prompts with sensitive context
- Need to transcribe in-person meetings
- Value privacy over free pricing
Choose Fathom If You:
- Want a completely free solution
- Need to share transcripts with your team
- Don't mind visible recording notifications
- Only have video meetings (no in-person)
- Have company approval for cloud AI tools
- Prefer cloud-based convenience
Pricing: One-Time vs Free/Subscription
As mentioned earlier, Fathom offers a free version of its meeting AI assistant that provides unlimited meeting recordings and basic AI summaries. However, the premium features of Fathom include integration with customer relationship management (CRM) systems, customized meeting templates, and team workspaces. These features start at $32/month per user.
As we've already discussed, Shmeetings costs $39. While Fathom's premium features are more expensive than Shmeetings overall cost over time, if you only need the free features of Fathom, then you're essentially trading away the security of your meeting data for the lower cost.
| Plan | 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shmeetings | $39 | $39 | $39 |
| Fathom Free | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fathom Premium | $384 | $1,152 | $1,920 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why would I spend $39 for Shmeetings when I could get the exact same features from Fathom for free?
Free isn't necessarily without a cost. By choosing Fathom's free version, you're ultimately giving up the security and control of your meeting data. When you upload your meeting audio to Fathom's cloud-based servers, you're allowing Fathom to store and process your meeting data, and potentially allow them to access it. As previously stated, Shmeetings costs $39, but gives you the peace of mind knowing that all of your meeting data remains on your computer.
Can Shmeetings transcribe video conferencing calls using Zoom like Fathom does?
Yes, Shmeetings can transcribe video conferencing calls using Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, or any other meeting application. The primary difference between Shmeetings and Fathom is the location of the audio processing. Fathom transcribes the audio remotely on their cloud-based servers. Shmeetings, on the other hand, transcribes the audio locally on your Mac.
Will Fathom keep my meeting recordings?
Yes. Fathom will store your meeting recordings and transcripts on their cloud-based servers. This allows you to easily share and search for previous meeting recordings and transcripts. However, this means that your meeting data will be stored on a third party's servers that you have little to no control over.
Can I use Shmeetings for in-person meetings?
Yes. Shmeetings allows you to capture audio from your microphone during in-person meetings and/or phone calls. Fathom is limited to capturing and transcribing audio from video conferencing applications such as Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams.
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