Compare/Head to head

Fathom vs Granola

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Starting price

Fathom

$15/user/mo Free tier Free trial

General AI note taker with unlimited recordings, transcripts and instant summaries on the free plan. Team is $15/user/mo billed annually with a two user minimum; Business adds CRM field sync.

Where Fathom fits

  • Solo recruiters who want an uncapped free note taker
  • Agency desks that live in a CRM for client work
  • Teams that share call highlights through playlists
  • Buyers who want a long money back window

Granola

$14/user/mo

For recruiters on back-to-back screens and client calls who do not want a bot joining: Granola listens through your laptop or phone audio and turns your rough jottings into full notes. Free with 30 days of history, then $14/user/mo for unlimited history.

Where Granola fits

  • Agency recruiters on heavy call days who want clean notes without a visible meeting bot
  • Recruiters who already use Claude or ChatGPT and want to query past screens and client calls
  • Phone and in-person conversations as well as video calls, through the iOS and Android apps

At a glance

DetailFathomGranola
Starting price$15/user/mo$14/user/mo
Free tier✓Yes–No
Free trialYesNot on record
MCP server–No✓Yes
Public API✓Yes✓Yes
Listed underAI note takersAI note takers

Where they pull apart

Fathom

Stands out: Fathom's free plan has no cap on recordings, transcripts or instant summaries, and paid plans come with a 90 day money back guarantee.

Watch out: There is no ATS writeback, only CRM sync. Team and Business need at least two users, and Team works out cheaper than the individual Premium plan.

Not the right fit for

  • Teams that need interview notes in an ATS
  • Solo buyers who want Team pricing without a second seat

Granola

Stands out: No bot joins the call. Granola captures your device audio in the background, works on Zoom, Meet, Teams, Slack huddles and in-person meetings through its mobile apps, and builds the notes around what you typed, so a candidate sees a normal call rather than a recorder in the participant list. Its MCP server then lets Claude or ChatGPT answer questions across all your past calls.

Watch out: It is a general meeting notepad, not a recruiting tool: there is no ATS or recruiting CRM integration, no scorecards and no interview kits, CRM sync with HubSpot, Attio or Affinity needs Business, and Salesforce is Enterprise only. Because no bot announces it, you have to tell candidates you are transcribing yourself; an admin-enforced notice is Enterprise only. Audio is deleted after transcription, so there is no recording to replay or share.

Not the right fit for

  • In-house teams that need interview notes pushed into Greenhouse, Lever or Ashby
  • Teams that want call recordings or clips to share with hiring managers
  • Anyone who wants structured interview scorecards

Pros and cons

Fathom

  • Unlimited recordings and summaries free
  • 90 day money back guarantee
  • Bot free capture on Mac (beta)
  • No ATS writeback
  • Two user minimum on Team and Business
  • Account wide Ask Fathom is still in beta

Granola

  • No bot in the meeting; captures device audio on desktop and mobile
  • Unlimited notes on the free plan
  • First-party MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor
  • SOC 2 Type II, and audio is deleted after transcription
  • Free plan only shows the last 30 days of notes
  • No ATS or recruiting CRM integration
  • Salesforce, SSO and an admin-enforced recording notice need the $35 Enterprise plan

What each one costs

Fathom

$15/user/mo

Free covers unlimited recordings, transcription and instant AI summaries. Premium, for individuals, is $16/user/mo billed annually ($20 monthly). Team is $15/user/mo billed annually ($19 monthly) with a two user minimum. Business is $25/user/mo billed annually ($34 monthly) and adds CRM field sync and AI scorecards. Enterprise is quoted. Paid plans have a free trial and a 90 day money back guarantee. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 22 Sep 2026

Granola

$14/user/mo

Basic is free with unlimited meeting notes, but only the last 30 days of history can be viewed and searched. Business is $14/user/mo for unlimited history, pre-meeting briefs, follow-up emails, API access and integrations with Notion, HubSpot, Attio, Affinity and Zapier. Enterprise is $35/user/mo and adds SSO, SCIM, workspace-wide retention and sharing policies, HIPAA-compliant workspaces and Salesforce. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 28 Sep 2026

Common questions

Is Fathom cheaper than Granola?
Granola starts lower, at $14/user/mo against $15/user/mo for Fathom. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.
Can you try Fathom or Granola for free?
Fathom carries a free tier on our listing. Fathom offers a free trial.
Does Fathom or Granola have an MCP server?
Granola ships a first party MCP server, so an AI assistant can work the product directly.

Not the pair you wanted?

All Fathom alternatives All Granola alternatives Every AI note takers tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 22 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?