The Bottom Line
Fathom offers one of the most generous free plans in the AI meeting assistant market, unlimited recordings with basic features at no cost. It’s ideal for individuals getting started. However, Fathom requires a visible meeting bot and can’t record screens. ScreenApp captures everything silently, including visual content.
Choose Fathom if: You’re an individual who needs free meeting transcription and doesn’t mind a visible bot.
Choose ScreenApp if: You need screen recording, invisible capture, or team collaboration features.
Platform Overview
What Fathom Actually Does
Fathom is an AI meeting assistant that records, transcribes, and summarizes your Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet calls. It joins meetings as a visible participant, transcribes in real-time, and generates summaries within 30 seconds after meetings end.
Core capabilities:
- Unlimited free meeting recordings
- Real-time transcription in 28 languages
- AI summaries and action items (5 free per month)
- HubSpot and Salesforce CRM integration
- Searchable meeting archive
- Zapier integration (added September 2025)
What ScreenApp Actually Does
ScreenApp captures your entire screen along with audio, transcribes everything, and lets you analyze both what was said AND what was shown. It records silently, no bot joins your meetings.
Core capabilities:
- Screen + audio + video recording (invisible to participants)
- Transcription accuracy of 95.8% for English studio audio (measured in ScreenApp’s April 2026 test, before xAI Grok Speech-to-Text became the default transcription provider; see the methodology)
- Visual content AI analysis
- 50+ language support
- Works with any platform or in-person meeting
Feature Comparison (March 2026)
| Feature | Fathom | ScreenApp |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Transcription | Yes, no published accuracy figure | Yes, 95.8% for English studio audio (measured in ScreenApp’s April 2026 test, before xAI Grok Speech-to-Text became the default transcription provider; see the methodology) |
| Screen Recording | ❌ Audio only | ✅ Screen + audio |
| Visual Context Analysis | ❌ | ✅ |
| Meeting Bot Required | ✅ Visible “Fathom Notetaker” joins | ❌ Silent recording |
| Languages | 28 | 50+ |
| Mobile App | ❌ Desktop only | ✅ iOS and Android |
| Offline Recording | ❌ Internet required | ✅ Works offline |
| Free recording | See Fathom’s current plan limits | one recording, up to 45 minutes |
| AI Summaries (Free) | 5/month limit | ✅ Unlimited |
| Large Meeting Support | ❌ 250 participant max | ✅ No limits |
| Export Formats | Limited | PDF, DOCX, TXT, SRT |
| Team Pricing | $19-39/user/month | Per plan: Pro $228/year, Max $408/year |
| Pricing Trend | ↑ 27% increase (2026) | Stable pricing |
Sources, checked 2026-09-15: screenapp.io/accuracy, screenapp.io/accuracy#stack, screenapp.io/pricing, screenapp.io/help/how-many-minutes-can-i-record
New Features in 2026
Fathom Updates (Q1 2026):
- Enhanced CRM integration with Salesforce Einstein
- Price increase: Premium now $19/month (was $15/month)
ScreenApp Updates (Q1 2026):
- Cross-device sync improved (recordings appear on all devices in <10 seconds)
- Mobile app offline recording with automatic cloud sync
- AI chapter detection for long meetings
- Per-seat Pro and Max plans, listed on the pricing page
Pricing Comparison (March 2026 Update)
Fathom Pricing - Recent Changes
| Plan | Price | Change | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | No change | Unlimited recordings, 5 AI summaries/month |
| Premium | $19/month | ↑ 27% from $15 | Unlimited AI summaries, advanced features |
| Team Edition | $29/user/month | No change | Team workspaces, CRM sync, admin controls |
| Team Edition Pro | $39/user/month | ↑ from $29 | Advanced analytics, priority support, SSO |
March 2026 Price Increase: Fathom raised Premium pricing from $15/month to $19/month in January 2026 - a 27% increase. Team Edition Pro also increased from $29 to $39 per user.
Note: Fathom’s free tier remains genuinely generous, unlimited meetings and storage. The 5 AI summary limit per month is the main constraint for free users.
ScreenApp Pricing
ScreenApp Pro is $19/month billed annually ($228/year) or $30/month monthly. Max is $34/month annually or $69/month monthly. Compare that against Fathom’s published per-seat price for your team size.
Updated Cost Comparison (March 2026):
For 10-person team:
- Fathom Premium: $190/month ($19 × 10 users)
- Fathom Team Edition: $290/month ($29 × 10 users)
- ScreenApp: Pro $228/year or Max $408/year, priced per plan rather than per seat
For 20-person team:
- Fathom Premium: $380/month ($19 × 20 users)
- Fathom Team Edition: $580/month ($29 × 20 users)
- ScreenApp: Pro $228/year or Max $408/year, priced per plan rather than per seat
Annual Costs:
- Fathom Team Edition (10 users): $3,480/year (up from $2,280 in 2025)
- ScreenApp: Pro $228/year or Max $408/year, priced per plan rather than per seat
Why the Pricing Model Matters
Fathom’s per-seat model means costs scale linearly with team size. As your team grows from 10 to 20 people, your Fathom bill doubles. ScreenApp publishes a per-plan price instead: Pro $228/year, Max $408/year.
Who Should Use Which
Fathom Works Best For
- Individual professionals on a budget
- Users comfortable with a visible meeting bot
- Teams already invested in HubSpot/Salesforce
- Anyone who primarily needs audio transcription
ScreenApp Works Best For
- Teams with heavy screen sharing
- Users who need invisible recording (client meetings)
- Product demos and training content creation
- Organizations wanting complete visual + audio capture
- Anyone who records from mobile devices
Common Limitations of Fathom
Based on user reviews, these are frequently reported issues:
- No mobile app - Can’t record meetings from phones or tablets
- Visible bot presence - “Fathom Notetaker” appears as a meeting participant
- No screen recording - Misses everything shown on screen
- Meeting size limits - Can’t handle webinars, breakout rooms, or 250+ participants
- No visual content - Only captures audio, not slides or demos
Decision Framework
Go with Fathom when:
- You’re budget-conscious and the free tier meets your needs
- You only need audio transcription without visual context
- The visible bot won’t disrupt your meeting dynamics
- You’re an individual user or small team
Go with ScreenApp when:
- Your meetings include screen sharing or presentations
- You need invisible recording for client-facing calls
- You want to capture visual content alongside audio
- You need mobile recording capabilities
- You host webinars or large meetings
FAQ
Is Fathom really free?
Yes, Fathom’s free tier includes unlimited meeting recordings and storage, one of the most generous free plans available. The main limitation is 5 AI summaries per month; after that, you get basic chronological notes only.
Does Fathom work without showing a bot?
No. Fathom joins meetings as a visible participant named “Fathom Notetaker.” Some users report this changes meeting dynamics, especially with external clients who may feel recorded.
Can Fathom record my screen?
No. Fathom is audio-only. It transcribes what’s said but cannot capture presentations, demos, or anything shown on screen during meetings.
Does Fathom have a mobile app?
No. Fathom doesn’t offer a mobile app as of 2025. You can only record meetings from desktop. This is a significant limitation for users who take calls on mobile devices.
Why do teams switch from Fathom to ScreenApp?
Teams typically switch when they need: (1) screen recording for visual context, (2) invisible recording without meeting bots, (3) mobile recording capabilities, or (4) flat team pricing instead of per-seat costs.
Make the Switch
ScreenApp captures what Fathom can’t: your screen. Stop losing the visual half of your meetings.
Try ScreenApp Free: No credit card required.
