The Best Fellow Alternatives
Fellow ranks #5 of the 28 AI meeting assistants we test. If it is not working for you, here is what to move to, matched to the reason you are leaving.
Last updated August 2026
The strongest overall alternative to Fellow is Hedy, which scores 4.7 out of 5 on our 13 weighted criteria against Fellow's 3.9. Fellow ranks #5 of the 28 tools we test. The right substitute depends on why you are leaving — the table below maps each alternative to the specific weakness it fixes.
What Fellow does well — and where it falls short
A privacy-forward AI meeting assistant that captures meetings without a bot and surfaces answers across all of them through its Ask Fellow agent.
Worth keeping
- +Botless desktop and Zoom-native recording — captures in-person meetings and huddles with no bot
- +Ask Fellow agent answers questions across every meeting and takes agentic actions
- +HIPAA, SOC 2 Type II, and GDPR compliant; never trains AI on customer data
- +Strong integration ecosystem plus a public API and MCP server
Why people switch
- −Cloud-only — no on-device processing or offline mode
- −Free tier is effectively a trial (5 lifetime AI notes and recordings)
- −Unlimited AI usage requires the Business plan or higher
- −Per-user pricing scales quickly for larger teams
Ranked alternatives to Fellow
Hedy
Editor's Pick On-DeviceAI meeting coach with full on-device AI and real-time intelligence
The only tool among the 28 we tested that can run its entire AI pipeline — transcription, summaries, and real-time coaching — on-device on supported hardware, making it the privacy and reliability leader for 2026.
Fathom
CloudFree AI meeting assistant with instant summaries
The best free option for individuals who want simple, no-fuss meeting notes, now backed by a transparent paid ladder and a real-time desktop app.
Otter.ai
CloudReal-time transcription and agentic meeting AI for teams
A powerful, increasingly agentic cloud platform for teams who prioritize collaboration and live AI over on-device privacy.
Fireflies.ai
CloudAI meeting assistant with CRM integration and conversation intelligence
Best for sales teams who need deep CRM integration and conversation analytics, now with real-time meeting features layered on top.
Circleback
CloudBot-free meeting notes with unusually clean action items and deep automation hooks
The best-executed bot-free notetaker in the mid-market, with excellent transcription and action items, undercut only by a high entry price and no free tier to prove it on.
Jamie
CloudA bot-free, EU-hosted notetaker built for GDPR-first teams who don't need live notes
A privacy-minded, bot-free notetaker with genuine EU data residency and clean compliance credentials, held back by an entirely post-meeting design with no live transcription and no Android app.
Which alternative fixes which problem
| Alternative | Score | Beats Fellow on | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hedy | 4.7 | Offline Capability (5 vs 1); Real-Time / Live Capability (5 vs 3); Pricing & Value (5 vs 3) | Free tier available; paid from $12.99/mo |
| Fathom | 3.9 | Transcription Accuracy (5 vs 4); Ease of Use (5 vs 4); Pricing & Value (4 vs 3) | Free tier available; paid from $16/mo |
| Otter.ai | 3.9 | Transcription Accuracy (5 vs 4); AI Analysis Quality (5 vs 4); Real-Time / Live Capability (4 vs 3) | Free tier available; paid from $16.99/mo |
| Fireflies.ai | 3.7 | Transcription Accuracy (5 vs 4); AI Analysis Quality (5 vs 4); Real-Time / Live Capability (4 vs 3) | Free tier available; paid from $10/mo |
| Circleback | 3.7 | Transcription Accuracy (5 vs 4); Data Retention & Training Transparency (5 vs 4); Ease of Use (5 vs 4) | No free tier; from $20.83/mo (annual) |
| Jamie | 3.7 | Recording Consent & Compliance (5 vs 4); Data Retention & Training Transparency (5 vs 4); Ease of Use (5 vs 4) | Free tier available; paid from €21/mo |