If you’ve been exploring AI meeting tools for your agile team, you’ve probably come across Fathom. It’s a popular AI-powered meeting tool with features like auto-recording, transcriptions, and AI summaries, designed to fully streamline your meeting experience. Sounds pretty nifty, right? As AI tools become more ubiquitous, especially for agile teams, I think we’ll see more and more ways to automate manual tasks, like note taking and task management. While Fathom does offer a decent set of features, especially useful for remote teams, it may not be the best solution for everyone.
Leaders on agile teams know it's essential to consider all your options when choosing the right software tool for your team. As you read this article, keep in mind the specific features you need for increased productivity, or the integrations that would fit with your unique tech stack.
Now let’s dive into some of Fathom's limitations, and explore five fantastic alternatives that might just be the missing link for your technical team.
Limitations of Fathom
Before we delve into alternatives, let's take a moment to examine why you might want to look beyond Fathom in the first place. While Fathom has some useful features, understanding its limitations can help us appreciate what other tools bring to the table. So, what holds Fathom back?
Limited integrations
One of the first things you might notice with Fathom is that its integration options are somewhat limited. While it does integrate with mainstream meeting platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, the list pretty much stops there. Unlike some competitors with more expansive ecosystems, Fathom may not seamlessly fit into more complex workflows that involve a variety of other tools.
Only transcribes calls in seven languages
Language support is crucial in today's globalized work environment. Fathom currently only supports seven languages, which can be a significant limitation for diverse or international teams. If your team converses in languages outside of Fathom's limited set, this could be a non-starter for you.
Collaboration features not available on the free version
Last but not least, let's talk about features—or the lack thereof—on Fathom's free version. While it may appear cost-effective, the free version comes with restricted collaboration options. This could be a limitation for teams that require robust collaborative functionalities without breaking the bank.
Now that you have a better understanding of Fathom's limitations, let's take a look at some alternatives that could check off more boxes for your team.
5 Great Alternatives to Fathom
While Fathom brings a variety of useful features to the table, it may not be the ideal solution for all teams, especially those seeking more comprehensive integrations, multi-language support, or advanced collaboration features. Here, we're diving into five AI meeting software alternatives, each with its own set of strengths and features. And of course, our top pick is Spinach— the AI Scrum Master that will take all your meetings to the next level.
1. Spinach
If you’re looking for a better alternative to Fathom, Spinach is the way to go. This AI Scrum Master does more than just record or transcribe meetings. It processes and internalizes the essential information from meetings, giving you just the key takeaways, so no one has to sift through long meeting transcripts. Spinach is engineered to help your dev team work smarter, not harder, streamlining your meeting processes, so you can focus on delivering results.
Spinach's free Starter plan offers many more features than Fathom's limited free offerings. With no credit card required, the Starter plan delivers GPT-3.5-powered summaries directly to your email or Slack, along with actionable items tagged to specific owners. This added functionality makes it easier for team members to concentrate on their roles, rather than getting bogged down with manual post-meeting tasks. Also, with unlimited users and full access to all of Spinach's integrations, it offers a more comprehensive and cost-effective solution for remote teams.
Key features
Meeting Summaries: Spinach offers meeting summaries that cut to the chase. It doesn’t just deliver a long recording or transcription. Instead, Spinach identifies decisions and actions and presents them directly in Slack, saving you the hassle of searching for key details in another application. The summaries are organized with defined categories, making them easy to consume and act upon.
Action Items: This tool goes a step further by generating action items for each meeting. These are documented, assigned an owner, and then sent in a comprehensive summary via Slack. Consequently, each team member receives a personalized To-Do List post-meeting. This ensures everyone knows their next steps, even if they weren’t present for the meeting, creating a seamless continuation of tasks.
Ticket Creation: Spinach also provides ticket creation based on your meeting discussions. If a bug or task is discussed, Spinach will suggest a corresponding ticket. You can then edit this ticket directly in Slack or add it to your project board with a single click. It even links the ticket in your summary and action items for extra context, ensuring everyone is on the same page.
Pricing
Starter plan: This plan is available at no cost and does not require a credit card for activation. This plan includes features such as GPT-3.5 processing, unlimited users, and meeting summaries sent directly to your email or Slack. Additionally, action items with assigned owners and access to all integrations are part of the package.
Pro plan: Costs $99 per month and includes everything in the Starter plan, along with GPT-4 processing, full meeting transcriptions, and priority support. For organizations looking for a tailored experience, there is an Enterprise option.
Pricing for the Enterprise plan is customized and includes additional features like Single Sign-On (SSO), SOC2 Report, branding customization, and a dedicated customer success manager.
The above features and pricing models offer flexibility and scalability, making Spinach a strong contender for teams looking to boost their remote collaboration without compromising on functionality.
2. Otter
Otter AI is a cloud-based transcription service that also provides AI-generated summaries of meetings and conversations. While it doesn't boast the same level of AI-driven decision-making and task assignment features as Spinach, it is competent in transcribing audio with a fair degree of accuracy. The tool integrates well with various platforms, making it a versatile alternative to Fathom, especially for those who prioritize transcription services.
Key Features
Otter AI's main feature is its real-time transcription, converting spoken content into written text. The tool also includes AI-powered summaries that highlight key points in a conversation, similar to Fathom. Additionally, Otter allows for real-time sharing of transcriptions and has a built-in search functionality to help you locate specific pieces of information within transcribed content.
Pricing
Otter offers a freemium model, allowing users to access basic features without any cost. For advanced functionalities, such as higher transcription limits and custom vocabulary, their premium plan comes in at $9.99 per month. Enterprise-level offerings are also available, with custom pricing based on the specific requirements of the organization.
3. Fireflies.ai
Fireflies.ai is another tool that specializes in AI transcriptions, offering features such as meeting recording and AI-based note-taking. While similar to Fathom in its core functionalities, Fireflies.ai distinguishes itself by providing more robust automation capabilities, such as the ability to automatically join scheduled meetings. These additional functionalities make it a viable alternative to Fathom, especially for teams looking for more advanced automation features.
Key Features
Fireflies.ai offers a comprehensive set of features that extend beyond basic transcription services. It has the capability to automatically join meetings, offers full-text search within transcripts, and provides a dedicated dashboard to manage all your meetings. Furthermore, it supports CRM integrations that help automate tasks like lead tracking and client management.
Pricing
Fireflies.ai provides a free tier with limited features, suitable for individuals or smaller teams. For enhanced functionalities, their premium plans start at $19 per user per month, and they also offer customized enterprise plans to meet specialized requirements.
4. Tl;dv
TL;DV (Too Long; Didn't View) is another notable alternative to Fathom for teams that want a more streamlined approach to meeting management. TL;DV offers not just transcription but also video summaries, condensing long meetings into brief, watchable snippets. This makes it an attractive option for teams that prefer a more visual recap of their meetings as opposed to a purely textual format.
Key Features
Among TL;DV's standout features are its capability for video summarization, interactive agendas, and real-time collaboration. It allows team members to actively participate in the agenda setting, thereby making meetings more focused and productive. Additionally, it offers integrations with various productivity tools, helping users to navigate seamlessly through their work ecosystem.
Pricing
TL;DV operates on a freemium model, with a basic version available at no cost. For advanced features such as unlimited meeting durations and priority support, premium plans start at $10 per user per month.
5. Chorus AI
Chorus AI offers an array of features centered around conversation intelligence, which extends beyond the scope of mere meeting transcriptions to actionable insights. It uses artificial intelligence to analyze sales calls, customer interviews, and other types of meetings, thereby serving as an excellent tool for various kinds of teams, including those in sales and customer support. Its focus on providing insights makes it an alternative worth considering if your team is looking for more than just basic transcription services like Fathom's.
Key Features
The key features of Chorus AI include real-time transcription, sentiment analysis, and deal coaching. These features help in understanding the nuances of customer interactions and team conversations, which can be crucial for strategic planning and decision-making. Additionally, it offers robust integrations with CRM software and other productivity tools, making it easy to incorporate into existing workflows.
Pricing
Chorus AI doesn't publicly disclose its pricing, opting for a quote-based approach that customizes the cost based on the specific needs of your organization. This can be beneficial for companies that have unique requirements but may be a hindrance for those looking for straightforward pricing options.
Get the most out of your team meetings with Spinach
While each tool covered in this article has its merits, Spinach stands out as the best alternative to Fathom, offering advanced AI-powered features that go far beyond transcription. Inviting Spinach to your meetings means you get a smart summary of key meeting discussions, plus actionable insights and ticket suggestions to accelerate your team. Spinach saves you hours every week on note taking, follow ups, and keeping your board up to date, which means you can spend less time documenting your work and more time delivering results. If you’re looking for an AI meeting tool that will fundamentally transform how your team collaborates, Spinach is the way to go. Don't just record your meetings—make them smarter and more productive.
Ready to take your team meetings to the next level? Get started with Spinach today by visiting https://www.spinach.io/ai-setup and explore how it can help your remote team collaborate more effectively.
try spinach for free