Head to Head

Circleback vs Fathom

Both scored against the same 13 criteria, from the same hands-on testing. Here is where each one actually wins.

Last updated October 2026 · 28 tools ranked

Circleback rates higher overall, 3.8 out of 5 against Fathom's 3.7, across our 13 weighted criteria. Circleback leads on data retention & training transparency. Fathom still wins on real-time / live capability, integration ecosystem, knowledge connection.

Circleback

#7 of 28

Meeting notes with or without a bot, unusually clean action items, and deep automation hooks

3.8
Pricing
Free tier available; paid from $15/mo (annual)
Platforms
macOS, Windows, Web, iOS, Android
Read the full Circleback review →

Fathom

#9 of 28

Free AI meeting assistant with instant summaries

3.7
Pricing
Free tier available; paid from $16/mo
Platforms
Web, macOS, Windows
Read the full Fathom review →

All 13 Criteria, Side by Side

Criterion Weight Circleback Fathom Winner
Privacy & Data Security High 3 3 Tie
Transcription Accuracy High 5 5 Tie
AI Analysis Quality High 4 4 Tie
Recording Consent & Compliance Med 4 4 Tie
Data Retention & Training Transparency Med 5 2 Circleback
Real-Time / Live Capability Med 2 3 Fathom
Recording Method Med 4 4 Tie
Ease of Use Med 5 5 Tie
Platform Support Med 4 4 Tie
Offline Capability Med 1 1 Tie
Integration Ecosystem Med 4 5 Fathom
Knowledge Connection Low 4 5 Fathom
Pricing & Value Low 4 4 Tie
Overall (weighted) 3.8 3.7 Circleback

Overall is a weighted average, not a mean: high-weight criteria count triple and low-weight criteria count once. See the formula.

Choose Circleback if…

  • → Data Retention & Training Transparency matters to you. Circleback scores 5/5 here against 2/5.

One of the best-executed notetakers in the mid-market, with excellent transcription and action items, and now a real free plan and a $15 entry price to prove it on.

Choose Fathom if…

  • → Real-Time / Live Capability matters to you. Fathom scores 3/5 here against 2/5.
  • → Integration Ecosystem matters to you. Fathom scores 5/5 here against 4/5.
  • → Knowledge Connection matters to you. Fathom scores 5/5 here against 4/5.

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.

Circleback at a glance

Strengths

  • +Choice of a meeting bot or bot-free desktop capture on every plan, plus mobile and Apple Watch apps for in-person conversations
  • +Permanent free plan with unlimited meetings, launched August 2026
  • +Transcription quality is among the best we have tested, across 100+ languages
  • +Action items are genuinely well-extracted, with suggested assignees rather than loose bullets

Limitations

  • −Free plan keeps only 30 days of history; older meetings are locked until you upgrade
  • −Post-meeting by design: no live transcript, no in-meeting assistance
  • −No offline capability; all processing happens in Circleback's cloud
  • −HIPAA, SSO and SCIM are gated to Enterprise, which is annual-only

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
  • −Only a limited number of advanced AI summaries on the free plan
  • −Trains its own AI models on de-identified customer data by default (opt-out available)
  • −No mobile app yet (iOS announced, not shipped)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Circleback or Fathom better? +
Circleback scores higher overall — 3.8 out of 5 against Fathom's 3.7 — on our 13-criteria weighted scoring. That is a 0.1-point gap, so it is a real but not overwhelming difference. Circleback is the better default choice; Fathom is the better choice if you specifically need real-time / live capability or integration ecosystem.
How much do Circleback and Fathom cost? +
Circleback: Free tier available; paid from $15/mo (annual). Fathom: Free tier available; paid from $16/mo. On our pricing and value criterion, which weighs cost against what you get for it, Circleback scores 4/5 and Fathom scores 4/5.
Which platforms do Circleback and Fathom support? +
Circleback runs on macOS, Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Fathom runs on Web, macOS, Windows. They score the same on platform support.
Which is better for privacy, Circleback or Fathom? +
On privacy and data security Circleback scores 3/5 and Fathom scores 3/5. Two related criteria matter as much: recording consent and compliance (Circleback 4/5, Fathom 4/5) and data retention and training transparency (Circleback 5/5, Fathom 2/5). Tools that train on customer data by default or record without clear all-party consent score low on those two regardless of their encryption claims.
All comparisons → Circleback alternatives → Fathom alternatives → Full rankings →