Fathom vs Granola 2026 — Scores & Verdict
Quick verdict: Fathom is our overall pick for Fathom vs Granola.
Fathom vs Granola 2026: head-to-head across free tier, entry price, transcription coverage, CRM depth and the bot-vs-no-bot model, plus the workflow each is for.
| Tool | Rating | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fathom Best overall Best free Best for teams | 4.3/5 | Free $15/mo (Team, annual) | Fathom is the free-first AI notetaker — unlimited recording and transcription on the $0 ti… |
| Granola | 4.2/5 | Free $14/mo (Business) | Granola is the no-bot AI notepad — it transcribes local system audio on Mac/Windows and en… |
Bottom line: Fathom (4.3/5) and Granola (4.2/5) solve overlapping problems. Fathom: unlimited recording + transcription at $0 free, entry $15/mo annual (Team, 2-user min), strongest on the most generous $0 tier + sales CRM auto-fill (2-user minimum on team tiers; deep analytics gate behind paid). Granola: limited note history; no bot, local audio deleted free, entry $14/user/mo (Business), strongest on no-bot local privacy model; cheapest team entry (not fully passive — you still take notes; fewer team integrations). Pick Fathom on overall capability; for the more usable free tier, Fathom; for team depth, Fathom. Prices are re-checked against each vendor's live pricing page on the date shown, because these tier plans change often enough that we verify rather than guess.
Pricing and details
Fathom · 4.3/5
Free plan available · $15/mo (Team, annual)
Free tier is unlimited recordings + transcription (the most generous in the set). Paid tiers add advanced summaries, action items and conversational assistant; team tiers gate CRM field sync, deal views and coaching. Annual ~20-26% off. 90-day guarantee.
Premium $16/mo · Team $15/mo · Business $25/mo (per user, 2-user min)
Fathom is the free-first AI notetaker — unlimited recording and transcription on the $0 tier, sales-friendly CRM auto-fill, Premium entry at $16/mo annual for the teams tier.
Score breakdown
Pros
- The only $0 tier with unlimited recording and transcription
- Sales-oriented: CRM field sync, deal views, coaching metrics
- Bot-free capture option (in beta) for quieter meetings
- Contractual: audio/transcripts not used to train models
Cons
- Team and above require a 2-user minimum
- Advanced coaching/CRM features gate behind $15-34/mo team tiers
- Cloud-based — data residency for regulated teams
Pricing verified 2026-09-21
Granola · 4.2/5
Free plan available · $14/mo (Business)
Freemium. Basic free with limited meeting history; Business adds unlimited history, integrations (Notion/Slack/HubSpot/Zapier), MCP support and admin controls; Enterprise adds SSO and org-wide opt-out of model training. Audio processed locally and deleted after transcription.
Basic free (limited note history) · Business $14/user/mo · Enterprise $35/user/mo (50+ users, SSO)
Granola is the no-bot AI notepad — it transcribes local system audio on Mac/Windows and enhances the notes you already take, not a full transcript; Business from $14/mo, privacy-first local processing.
Score breakdown
Pros
- No bot joins — local system-audio capture (privacy-first, no consent friction)
- Enhances your own notes rather than replacing them with a transcript
- Audio processed locally and deleted; opt-out of model training on paid/Enterprise
- Cheap entry: Business $14/user/mo with unlimited history + integrations + MCP
Cons
- Requires the desktop app (Mac/Windows) running during the meeting
- You still take notes — not fully passive transcription
- Free tier limits how far back you can search
Pricing verified 2026-09-21
Frequently asked questions
Which is better overall, Fathom or Granola?
Fathom is our overall pick (4.3/5 vs 4.2/5). Fathom vs Granola 2026: head-to-head across free tier, entry price, transcription coverage, CRM depth and the bot-vs-no-bot model, plus the workflow each is for.
Do Fathom and Granola offer free plans?
Fathom and Granola have a free tier. Fathom paid plans start at $15/mo (Team, annual); Granola paid plans start at $14/mo (Business).
What does Fathom cost?
$15/mo (Team, annual) — Free tier is unlimited recordings + transcription (the most generous in the set). Paid tiers add advanced summaries, action items and conversational assistant; team tiers gate CRM field sync, deal views and coaching. Annual ~20-26% off. 90-day guarantee. Prices were last verified on 2026-09-21.