Circleback vs Fathom
Circleback scores 8.6 to Fathom's 6.7 among the AI meeting assistants we rate, and is the better pick for 4 of the 4 kinds of buyer below.
Circleback wins, 8.6 to 6.7
Circleback uniquely has 12 features · Fathom uniquely has 8 features.
Best for
Who each one suits, decided on the criteria that matter to that buyer and the checked facts where the two differ.
- Records in-person meetings: Circleback yes, Fathom no
- Languages it transcribes: 100 languages against 7 languages
- Meeting apps it records: 6 meeting apps against 3 meeting apps
- But Fathom leads on talk time and coaching insights: Fathom yes, Circleback no
- Where it runs: 5 platforms against 3 platforms
- Cheapest paid plan, monthly: $18 against $19
- Does not train AI on your data: Yes against unless you opt out
How they score
Both are scored the same way, against the other AI meeting assistants we rate, from facts on each vendor's own pages. Circleback leads on 4 of 4 criteria.
Where they differ
Every point where the two vendors' published facts disagree, with a link to where each fact was read. "Not published" means the vendor does not say either way.
Published by only one of them
Where they match (8)
Pricing, plan by plan
Every plan each vendor publishes, monthly and yearly where both are offered.
Circleback
Fathom
Pros and cons
From each tool's full review, written from the same checked facts.
Circleback
- The Free plan already includes AI meeting notes, action items and Ask Circleback, its cross-meeting search assistant.
- Circleback records in-person conversations through dedicated mobile and Apple Watch apps, not just online calls.
- A bot-free desktop app is available alongside the standard meeting bot for online meetings.
- Circleback does not use customer data to train AI models.
- Meeting and recording history is capped at 30 days on the Free plan; unlimited history requires the Pro plan.
- Full automations to connected apps like Salesforce and HubSpot are limited on the Free plan and only unlocked from Pro.
- There is no EU data residency option; all data is stored in the United States.
Fathom
- The free plan includes unlimited recordings and transcriptions, plus clips, playlists and search across calls, at no cost.
- A beta bot-free recording mode on Mac works alongside the standard bot that joins Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams.
- Third-party AI providers are not permitted to train on your data, and in-house model training can be opted out of in account settings.
- Advanced call summaries, action items and a custom meeting bot are included on the cheapest paid plan rather than sold as an add-on.
- In-person meetings are not captured; only Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams calls are recorded.
- Fathom trains its own models on de-identified meeting data unless you opt out in account settings.
- Coaching metrics and AI scorecards are on the Business plan only, which needs at least two users.
Circleback vs Fathom: common questions
Which is better, Circleback or Fathom?
Circleback scores 8.6 and Fathom 6.7 out of 10 among the AI meeting assistants we rate. Circleback is ahead on what it captures, where it works, pricing and privacy and trust.
Is Circleback or Fathom cheaper?
Circleback's cheapest paid plan is $18/mo (Pro) and Fathom's is $19/mo (Team). Compare what each plan includes below before going on price alone.
Do Circleback and Fathom have a free plan?
Yes, both do.
What can Circleback do that Fathom cannot?
On the facts both vendors publish: records in-person meetings.
What can Fathom do that Circleback cannot?
On the facts both vendors publish: talk time and coaching insights.
