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A Free Fathom Alternative
Fathom records and summarizes your calls with a bot that joins the meeting; on Mac it now also offers bot-free desktop capture, in beta and included on its free plan (Windows is “coming soon”). If you’d rather not record the call at all — or you just have a transcript to summarize — MinutesAI is a free, no-bot alternative: no app, no account, and nothing recorded.
Processed by z.ai to write your notes — not stored on our servers. How we handle your data
Summary, action items & decisions in seconds — your text is never saved.
Reading your meeting and writing the notes…
MinutesAI vs. Fathom
| Feature | MinutesAI | Fathom |
|---|---|---|
| Account to start | No — paste and go | Yes |
| Joins your meeting | No bot | Its bot joins and records the call; bot-free capture is in beta on Mac |
| How you get notes | Paste a transcript you have | Records & transcribes the call |
| Where it works | Any browser, nothing to install | Records on Mac and Windows computers only |
| Stores your data | Not stored on our servers | Stored in your Fathom account |
| Price | Free (daily limit) | Free tier + paid plans |
Checked against Fathom’s own pricing and help pages in September 2026. Fathom’s features and pricing change — verify on fathom.ai.
When Fathom is the better choice
If you want your calls recorded and summarized for you — with video when its bot joins, bot-free capture on a Mac (in beta), and clips and search across a library of calls — Fathom is built for that. MinutesAI records nothing: it turns a transcript you already have into notes, in any browser, with no bot, no app and no account.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Fathom alternative without a bot?
Yes. MinutesAI never joins your call — it doesn’t record anything at all. You paste a transcript and get a summary, decisions, and action items: no bot, no app, no signup. (Fathom itself now offers bot-free capture too, in beta on Mac only.)
Why avoid a meeting bot?
Some calls are sensitive, some clients do not want an extra participant recording, and some companies do not allow third-party bots. A paste-based tool sidesteps all of that.
Does this record or transcribe the call like Fathom?
No. MinutesAI works from an existing transcript. To create a transcript, use your meeting tool (Meet, Teams, Zoom) — see our platform guides.
Is it really free?
Yes, free with no signup and a per-device daily limit. Fathom has a free tier plus paid plans.
Is my meeting data stored?
No. Unlike a recorder that keeps your calls in an account, MinutesAI uses your transcript only to generate the notes and does not store it on our servers.