Fathom has a famously generous free plan and good summaries. It can also record without a bot, which most of its rivals cannot. The catch is what you give up to do that.
Short answer: Fathom is one of the few notetakers that can record without a bot, but only in its transcript-only modes. If you want the video, the notetaker joins the call. Jotted records botless and keeps the full video at the same time, on every plan including free.
If you never need the screen, Fathom's free tier is hard to argue with. If half your value is in what was being shown, that is the gap.
Fathom's bot-free capture modes record audio and transcript. Turn the video on and the notetaker joins the call as a participant again.
Fathom Notetaker in the participant list is still a thing your client sees, and still something they may comment on.
A transcript of a demo tells you almost nothing. The value was in what you were pointing at.
| Jotted | Fathom | |
|---|---|---|
| Bot joins the call | Never, in any mode | Only avoidable in transcript-only modes |
| Keeps the full video | Yes, on every plan | Yes, but the bot joins for video capture |
| Botless and video at the same time | Yes | No |
| Free plan | Unlimited recordings, unlimited length, full local transcript | Generous free tier |
| Transcription runs on your own computer | Yes | No, cloud based |
| Recording length limit | None on any plan | Varies by plan, check their pricing page |
| Files kept locally on your machine | Always | Cloud based |
| Price, billed monthly | Free, or $14 | Free, with paid plans from around $16 |
Prices checked July 2026 and quoted on monthly billing, not the cheaper annual rate. Tools change their plans often, so check Fathom's own pricing page before you decide.
Fathom's free plan is more generous than most paid ones, and if a transcript with a good summary is genuinely all you need, it is an excellent tool that costs nothing. It also has a longer track record and a large user base behind it.
If you want live sales analytics, CRM logging or a mature team setup, Fathom is further along than Jotted, which does not do any of those.
Fathom is the tool people recommend when someone asks for a free notetaker, and the recommendation is fair. The free plan is properly free, the summaries land quickly, and it is easy to use.
It also gets partial credit for the bot problem. Fathom can capture a meeting as transcript only without sending a notetaker into the call, which most rivals cannot do at all.
The trade is the one that matters for client work. Bot-free means transcript only. Video means the bot joins. You cannot have both, and for anyone whose calls involve a screen share, a demo, a design review or a walkthrough, the video is the part worth keeping.
Jotted does not make you choose, because it never asks the meeting platform for anything. It records your screen and both sides of the audio directly from your computer, so botless and full video are the same mode.
One more difference worth knowing. Jotted transcribes on your own machine rather than in the cloud, which is why the transcript is free forever and why nothing you record leaves your computer on the free plan.
Yes, in transcript-only modes. If you want the video captured, the Fathom Notetaker joins the meeting as a participant. Jotted is botless in every mode, including full video.
Yes. Unlimited recordings, unlimited length, and every word transcribed on your own computer, forever, with no card. Summaries and action items are the paid additions.
Because it costs nothing to run, which is what makes the free transcript possible forever, and because on the free plan it means your recordings never leave your machine at all.
Jotted, if the screen matters. Botless plus full video in one mode is the difference. If your calls are voice only, Fathom's free tier is very strong.
Record free forever, no card and no bot. Join the waitlist and you'll be first in.
Free forever plan · Unlimited recordings · No bot, ever