Fathom vs Grain
Both scored against the same 13 criteria, from the same hands-on testing. Here is where each one actually wins.
Last updated August 2026 · 28 tools ranked
Fathom rates higher overall, 3.9 out of 5 against Grain's 3.5, across our 13 weighted criteria. Fathom leads on transcription accuracy, recording consent & compliance, data retention & training transparency. Grain still wins on price alone.
Fathom
#2 of 28Free AI meeting assistant with instant summaries
- Pricing
- Free tier available; paid from $16/mo
- Platforms
- Web, macOS, Windows
Grain
#18 of 28AI notetaker and revenue intelligence for agents and teams
- Pricing
- Free tier available; paid from $15/mo
- Platforms
- Web, Chrome extension, macOS, Windows
All 13 Criteria, Side by Side
| Criterion | Weight | Fathom | Grain | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privacy & Data Security | High | 3 | 3 | Tie |
| Transcription Accuracy | High | 5 | 4 | Fathom |
| AI Analysis Quality | High | 4 | 4 | Tie |
| Recording Consent & Compliance | Med | 4 | 3 | Fathom |
| Data Retention & Training Transparency | Med | 4 | 3 | Fathom |
| Real-Time / Live Capability | Med | 3 | 2 | Fathom |
| Recording Method | Med | 4 | 4 | Tie |
| Ease of Use | Med | 5 | 4 | Fathom |
| Platform Support | Med | 4 | 4 | Tie |
| Offline Capability | Med | 1 | 1 | Tie |
| Integration Ecosystem | Med | 5 | 5 | Tie |
| Knowledge Connection | Low | 5 | 5 | Tie |
| Pricing & Value | Low | 4 | 4 | Tie |
| Overall (weighted) | 3.9 | 3.5 | Fathom |
Overall is a weighted average, not a mean: high-weight criteria count triple and low-weight criteria count once. See the formula.
Choose Fathom if…
- → Transcription Accuracy matters to you. Fathom scores 5/5 here against 4/5.
- → Recording Consent & Compliance matters to you. Fathom scores 4/5 here against 3/5.
- → Data Retention & Training Transparency matters to you. Fathom scores 4/5 here against 3/5.
- → Real-Time / Live Capability matters to you. Fathom scores 3/5 here against 2/5.
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.
Choose Grain if…
Grain does not lead on any individual criterion in this pairing. It can still be the right call if you are already committed to its ecosystem, but on the merits the other tool is ahead across the board.
A capable cloud notetaker that has grown from a clip-sharing tool into a revenue-intelligence platform for sales and customer-facing teams.
Fathom at a glance
Strengths
- +Genuinely generous free tier
- +Very easy to use
- +Clean summaries
- +Bot-free capture and real-time summaries
Limitations
- −Cloud processing required
- −Advanced summaries capped at 5 calls/month on free plan
- −No mobile app yet (iOS announced, not shipped)
- −No offline mode
Grain at a glance
Strengths
- +Strong video clip creation and highlight sharing
- +Cross-meeting 'Ask anything' RAG search with citations
- +Deal intelligence and AI coaching for sales teams
- +Bot-free Desktop Capture on Mac and Windows
Limitations
- −Cloud-only processing and storage
- −No real-time in-meeting coaching
- −No offline capability
- −Business tier adds up across larger teams