Pick Otter if…
No clear edge in the facts we checked. Decide on price and features above.
Otter vs Fathom
See alternatives: Otter alternatives
Otter vs Fathom compared with prices from official pricing pages (per-tool checked dates): plans, free tiers and which is better value.
Which should you pick?
No price pick: Fathom has no comparable checked price — compare the plans on the official pages.
Free plan, refunds, privacy and more: see what else differs ↓
- Price
- Fathom: From $15/user/mo; Business $25-$34/user/mo — not in a form we can compare, so it is not ranked
- Real free plan
- Otter: yes · Fathom: yes
- ToolPick Best Value pick
- Neither — for productivity & meetings it is Fireflies
Rule: we only compare prices when the tools do the same main job (from what each official site says it does), and only on the same billing (monthly with monthly, billed-yearly with billed-yearly). A real free plan on only one tool comes first. Prices from official pricing pages, each with its own checked date below. No ratings or reviews. The cheaper pick comes from price alone; the Best Value label is shown separately and never replaces it — the same rule as on each tool page.
| Otter | Fathom | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Meeting transcription and notes. | AI meeting recorder and summaries. |
| All plans | List prices: Pro $16.99/user/mo ($8.33/mo yearly); Business $30/user/mo ($19.99/mo yearly). Promotional (first-time subscribers): Pro $8.49/mo monthly or $4.17/mo yearly (save 50%); Business $24/user/mo for 3 months (20% off) | From $15/user/mo; Business $25-$34/user/mo |
| Free tier | Basic: free forever | Free plan |
| Checked | 2026-10-19 · pricing page | 2026-10-19 · pricing page |
Beyond the price: Otter vs Fathom
Free plan limits, yearly savings, student and team deals, refunds and whether your data trains their AI, side by side. Every fact is from the tool's official page, with its source and the date we read it.
What matters to you?
Tap what matters to you. We tally which tool is ahead using only the facts in the table below.
| What you get | Otter | Fathom |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan Free plan limits → | Yes: 300 transcription minutes a month; 3 lifetime file importssource for Otter (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-22 | Yes: includes unlimited recordings; instant call summariessource for Fathom (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-22 |
| Yearly billing Monthly or yearly? → | Pro: $16.99/mo monthly, $8.33/mo billed yearly (save 51%)source for Otter (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-30 | Not in our checks yet |
| Student deal Student discounts → | 20% off: 20% off Otter Pro: $13.59/mo, or $6.67/mo billed $79.99 a yearsource for Otter (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-24 | Not in our checks yet |
| Team plan Team plan costs → | Business: $30/seat/mo monthly ($19.99 billed yearly)source for Otter (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-26 | Ahead Team: $19/seat/mo monthly ($15 billed yearly); from 2 seatssource for Fathom (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-26 |
| Refunds and cancelling Refund rules → | No refunds: Otter doesn't give refunds. Cancelling only stops the next charge. Cancel: Account Settings → Billing → Cancel plan → reason → Cancel subscription (at least 24 hours before your next billing date)source for Otter (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-27 | Not in our checks yet |
| Trains on your data? Data privacy → | Yes, by default (you can switch it off) Otter trains its own speech models on de-identified recordings and transcripts. Its outside AI providers don't train on your data. Opt out: Account Settings → Meetings → Feedback and Training → choose “Don't allow sharing”. Otter says future conversations then won't be used for training.source for Otter (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-29 | Yes, by default (you can switch it off) Fathom uses de-identified customer data to improve its own AI models. The AI companies it uses can't train on your data. Opt out: Opt out in My Settings (Fathom's page doesn't name the exact switch).source for Fathom (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-29 |
“Ahead” means better on that row only, by a fixed rule: a free plan beats none; the bigger yearly saving; free student plan, then discount; the lower per-seat price on the same billing; a stated refund window, then case by case, then none; not training on your data, then opt-in, then opt-out, then no opt-out. No row is called when a tool hasn't been checked. See how we pick.
Who should pick which
Pick Fathom if…
- You're buying seats: Team is $19/seat/mo on monthly billing (vs Otter $30).
More: best AI productivity & meetings tools · all productivity & meetings tools · cost calculator
Comparisons
FAQ
How much does Otter cost?
Per its official pricing page (checked 2026-10-19): List prices: Pro $16.99/user/mo ($8.33/mo yearly); Business $30/user/mo ($19.99/mo yearly). Promotional (first-time subscribers): Pro $8.49/mo monthly or $4.17/mo yearly (save 50%); Business $24/user/mo for 3 months (20% off).
Does Otter have a free plan?
Basic: free forever (checked 2026-10-19).
How much does Fathom cost?
Per its official pricing page (checked 2026-10-19): From $15/user/mo; Business $25-$34/user/mo.
Does Fathom have a free plan?
Free plan (checked 2026-10-19).
What is ToolPick's best-value pick for productivity & meetings?
Fireflies: Free-forever tier plus a $10/mo (billed yearly) Pro with full meeting-assistant features.
Which should I pick, Otter or Fathom?
No price pick: Fathom has no comparable checked price — compare the plans on the official pages (ToolPick rule using prices checked on official pricing pages).
Writing about this? Embed this price card — it updates when we re-check prices.