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Head-to-head comparison

Fathom vs Shadow

Compare Fathom and Shadow side by side across pricing, features, ratings, pros, cons, best-fit use cases, and alternatives.

Fathom logo
Fathom
meeting-assistants

Fathom is an AI meeting recorder and summarization tool that transcribes and generates summaries for video calls

Pricing
Free plan
Rating
—
Votes
0
Shadow logo
Shadow
meeting-assistants

Botless AI meeting assistant that captures every call, on screen and off

Pricing
Free plan
Rating
—
Votes
0

Feature comparison

Feature
Fathom
Shadow
Category
meeting-assistants
meeting-assistants
Pricing
Free plan
Free plan
Free plan
API access
Mobile app
Browser extension
Team collaboration
Custom training
Self-hosted option
Offline mode
Multi-language support

Fathom pros and cons

Offers one of the most generous free tiers in the category, with unlimited recordings and transcription rather than a hard time cap
Automatically joins calls and produces summaries, action items, and highlight clips with minimal setup
Lets users clip and share specific meeting moments instantly, which is useful for looping in stakeholders who missed the call
Recent additions like bot-free capture, a desktop app, and ChatGPT and Claude integrations extend it beyond basic transcription
The free plan caps advanced AI summaries at a low number of calls per month, which pushes regular users toward paid tiers
AI-generated summaries can miss or misstate specific numbers and commitments, so critical details should be verified against the transcript
Pricing and plan limits have changed noticeably over time, making long-term budgeting less predictable

Shadow pros and cons

Botless, OS-level capture of every call
Works on impromptu and non-Zoom meetings
Captures on-screen content, not just audio
Very generous free tier
Always-listening design raises consent concerns
Recording disclosure is the user's responsibility
Desktop-only capture

Which one should you choose?

Best overall signal
Fathom

Selected using Toolglade popularity signals such as views and votes.

Best value signal
Fathom

Selected using free-plan availability and engagement signals.

Best for

Fathom

  • Sales teams running frequent discovery and demo calls
  • Customer success and account management teams
  • Individuals who want automatic notes without manual effort
  • Small teams needing a low-cost starting point
  • Client-facing professionals with heavy meeting loads

Shadow

  • sales teams
  • consultants
  • client-facing roles
  • sales reps
  • consultants

FAQ

Is Fathom better than Shadow?

It depends on your use case. Compare category fit, pricing, feature availability, and ratings before choosing.

Which tool has a free plan?

Fathom and Shadow offer a free plan based on current Toolglade data.

Where can I find alternatives?

View Fathom alternatives or view Shadow alternatives.