Granola vs Fathom: which one fits you?
Granola works without a bot and enhances the notes you type. Fathom records your calls for free and writes the summary for you. Both let you ask questions about past meetings.
Granola vs Fathom in short
Pick Granola if you take your own notes and want no bot in the call. Pick Fathom if you want every call recorded for free and summaries sent to your CRM. Neither tracks action items across meetings or keeps a decision log.
Granola vs Fathom, side by side
With Acta as a third option, for teams that need follow-up after the meeting.
| Feature | Granola | Fathom | Acta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chat across meetings | Chat across folders | Ask Fathom | OneChat |
| Ask about files together with meetings | Upload in chat | ||
| Action items with owners | |||
| Action item tracker across meetings | |||
| Daily follow-up email of what's overdue | |||
| Decision log across meetings | |||
| Templates for different meetings | Templates & recipes | 14+ summary templates | 42 templates |
| Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams | |||
| Record without a bot | Bot-free only | Desktop app & Chrome extension | |
| Free plan or trial | Last 30 days of notes | Unlimited recording, limited AI | 15-day free trial |
| Paid plans | From $14/user/month | From about $16/month | Pro, per user |
Based on public pages and reviews as of October 2026; see the sources below. A dash means we didn't find it listed. Prices and plans change, so check each vendor's pricing page.
Pick Granola if you want
- No bot in the call
- Chat with files you attach
- Templates and recipes
Best for: People who like writing their own notes and want AI to fill in the rest.
Acta vs GranolaPick Fathom if you want
- Unlimited free recording
- Summaries synced to HubSpot and Salesforce
- 14+ summary templates
Best for: People who want free unlimited recording with short summaries.
Acta vs FathomNeed follow-up, not just notes? Try Acta.
Acta records Zoom, Google Meet and Teams with or without a bot, fills 42 templates from the conversation, tracks every action item to done with a daily follow-up email, keeps a decision log across meetings, and answers across your meetings and files with OneChat.
Granola vs Fathom: questions
Is Granola or Fathom free?
Both have free plans. Granola's free Basic plan keeps the last 30 days of notes; Fathom's free plan records unlimited meetings with limited AI features.
Which is better for sales calls, Granola or Fathom?
Fathom syncs summaries and action items to HubSpot and Salesforce. Granola suits people who prefer writing their own notes during the call.
Does Fathom record without a bot like Granola?
Granola is bot-free only. Check Fathom's own pages for how it joins your calls.
Is there an option that records with or without a bot?
Yes. Acta records Zoom, Google Meet and Teams with a notetaker from your calendar, or without a bot from the desktop app or Chrome extension, and tracks action items and decisions across meetings. It's free for 15 days.
Sources
- https://docs.granola.ai/help-center/getting-more-from-your-notes/chatting-with-your-meetings
- https://skillscouter.com/granola-review/
- https://www.usecarly.com/blog/granola-pricing/
- https://sonix.ai/resources/fathom-pricing/
- https://www.usecarly.com/blog/fathom-pricing/
- https://fathom.ai/solutions/teams
- https://www.fathom.ai/solutions/sales