Fathom alternative
Fathom's free plan is generous. Here is what it costs you instead.
Fathom gives away unlimited recordings and summaries, and makes its money on team plans. The trade is that every call is stored and transcribed in Fathom's cloud. Parlo charges a small subscription and keeps everything on your Mac: transcription on-device, notes as files you own, no bot, and dictation plus voice commands in the same app.
Parlo requires macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later on Apple Silicon. Intel Macs aren't supported.
Parlo vs Fathom
What is being compared.
Marks are our reading of each cell: a check is a plus for you, a cross is a limit, a dash is neither. We make one of these two products, so read this as argued rather than neutral. Fathom's prices and features were checked on its own pages on 21 September 2026; plans move, so verify before you buy.
| Fathom | Parlo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Plus.Free plan; Premium $20/mo ($16 yearly); Team $19, Business $34 per user | Plus.$8/mo, or $80 once (first 100) |
| Free plan | Plus.Unlimited recordings, transcription and basic summaries | Neither.14-day trial, then paid |
| Joins the call | Neither.Bot by default; bot-free capture on Mac in beta | Plus.Never. System audio plus mic, no attendee |
| Transcription | Neither.Fathom's cloud | Plus.On your Mac, open speech models (WhisperKit, Parakeet). Audio never leaves the machine |
| Where notes live | Limit.Fathom's cloud, with video recording | Plus.Markdown files in ~/Documents/Parlo Meetings, plus a folder or Google Drive you pick |
| Action items | Neither.Premium and up | Plus.Included |
| Ask the meeting | Plus.Ask Fathom chat, Claude and ChatGPT integrations | Limit.Voice question over your library only |
| System-wide dictation | Limit.No | Plus.Hold fn (or any shortcut you pick), speak, text lands in any app. On-device |
| Voice commands for your Mac | Limit.No | Plus.Hold fn+ctrl: open apps, move files, set reminders, run Shortcuts |
| Agent access (MCP, API) | Plus.Public API and MCP | Limit.Not yet; the files are plain Markdown |
| Platforms | Plus.macOS, Windows, web, mobile | Limit.macOS 15+ on Apple Silicon only |
| Team features | Plus.Team folders, comments, CRM sync, coaching, SSO | Limit.None. Shared folder and Drive export only |
| Maturity | Plus.Established, funded, large user base | Limit.Young, in alpha, built by one person |
Where the two actually differ.
What the free plan is paid with
Fathom's free tier is real: unlimited recordings and summaries. It works because the recordings live in Fathom's cloud and the paid tiers sell what teams do with them. Parlo has no free tier and no cloud library; the subscription pays for a product where the audio never leaves your Mac.
Bot-free is the default, not a beta
Fathom's standard capture is a bot in the call; a bot-free mode for Mac is in beta. Parlo has only ever worked one way: system audio plus mic on your own machine, nothing joins.
Files, plus the rest of the voice layer
Parlo writes each meeting as Markdown on disk and also does hold-fn dictation into any app and voice commands that operate the Mac. Fathom is a meeting product, and a deeper one on the team side.
Where Fathom is the better answer.
You want it free.
Fathom's free plan covers unlimited recordings and summaries. Parlo is paid after 14 days.
You want video and a chat over your calls.
Fathom stores the recording, lets you clip highlights, and answers questions across calls, with Claude and ChatGPT integrations. Parlo keeps audio local and has no chat.
You need team features or CRM sync.
Team folders, comments, deal views, coaching metrics, HubSpot and Salesforce sync are Fathom's core. Parlo has a shared-folder export.
You're not only on a Mac.
Fathom runs on Windows, the web and mobile. Parlo is Mac only.
If none of those are you, and what you wanted was the part Parlo does well, that is what Parlo is for.
Best for.
Parlo
People who would rather pay a little than have their calls stored in someone's cloud, want no bot, and want dictation and voice commands in the same app.
Fathom
Anyone who wants a free, polished meeting recorder with video, chat and team collaboration, and doesn't mind the cloud.
Parlo, pros
- Audio and transcript never leave the Mac.
- No bot, no beta flag needed.
- Dictation and voice commands included; notes are files you keep.
Parlo, cons
- No free plan.
- No video, no clips, no chat over calls.
- No team features or CRM integrations.
Asked before switching
Questions people search first.
What's the best Fathom alternative for Mac?
If you want the no-bot recorder without the cloud library, Parlo: transcription on your Mac, Markdown files you own, and dictation plus voice commands in the same app, for $8 a month or $80 once. If free is the priority, or you want video, chat and team features, Fathom is hard to beat.
Is Fathom really free?
Yes. Checked on 21 September 2026 on fathom.ai/pricing: the free plan has unlimited recordings, transcription and basic summaries. Advanced summaries, AI action items and the meeting assistant are on Premium at $20 a month ($16 billed yearly); Team and Business plans are $19 and $34 per user.
Does Fathom join meetings as a bot?
By default, yes. A bot-free capture mode for Mac is listed as a beta. Parlo never joins a call.
Where does Fathom store my recordings?
In Fathom's cloud, including the video. Parlo transcribes on your Mac, deletes the audio after the notes are written, and keeps the notes and transcript as Markdown files on your disk.
Pricing
A writer. A listener. A doer. One membership.
A power user pays $30+/month across point-solutions today: one app to dictate, another for meeting notes, nothing that acts. Parlo replaces the stack.
Audio never leaves your Mac · no usage limits
Monthly
- Everything in one app: write, listen, act*
- Parlo Cloud meeting notes included · no API key
- Speech and dictation on-device · no usage limits
- Direct line to the founder
- Price locked in as long as you stay subscribed
14 days free, then $8/month. Cancel anytime before and you won't be charged.
*Act (voice commands) is in active alpha.
Founder First 100
- Lifetime access, no recurring billing, ever
- Everything in Monthly, forever, Parlo Cloud included
- Direct line to the founder
- Push Parlo's development further, up front
Not sure yet?
No pressure. Leave your email and we'll keep you posted as Parlo evolves. Ready now? The trial above starts today.
Get updatesRequires macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later on Apple Silicon. Intel Macs aren't supported.
Not ready yet?
No pressure.
Leave your email and we'll keep you posted as Parlo evolves. Ready to try it today instead? The trial above starts right away.