I’ve tested out two AI notetakers (see also AI meeting assistants/conversation intelligence tools) for SMEs.
Fathom vs Fireflies. Let's go:
Onboarding
Fathom's onboarding process is a breeze, making it simple for users to get started without any hassle.
What sets it apart is the incorporation of gamification elements that incentivize and reward users for completing tasks effectively.
Fireflies also offer a relatively easy onboarding experience, but it requires users to manually enable video recording, which I found a bit odd.
Overall though, not much to choose between here.
AI
When comparing the AI-captured transcripts generated by both Fathom and Fireflies, Fathom's accuracy stood out to me. G2 transcription reviews also back this up.
Both platforms did pretty well in providing AI-generated summary notes, but again, I felt Fathom's were slightly more accurate. They also automatically emailed these notes to me after each call - which is great for following up with meeting recordings and actions.
Example automated summary from Fathom:
Fathom's automated action-taking feature was pretty good too, with around 90% accuracy. It does miss a few some times so you have to be careful to not trust it blindly.
Fireflies also performed well in this aspect, but there were instances where their actions were arguably overkill and sometimes incorrect. a reliable AI notetaker.
Usability
Fathom’s UI is always white on black and I find that hard in daylight. Fireflies is the inverse so IMO, it's better here.
At times, I encountered an issue where Fathom failed to join the call when initiated from Google Meet. I found a workaround by starting the call from Fathom directly. They released a Chrome Extension in February that appeared to solve this issue.
With Fathom, transferring actions to different platforms is a seamless process. They have buttons for one-click action copy and even an email draft version:
In contrast, I found it a bit more challenging to replicate this ease of action-sharing with Fireflies. The functionality seemed less intuitive and required more effort on my part (especially given actions required more scrutiny)
Fireflies has more advanced filtering options for sentiment, speakers, and trackers. The user interface of Fireflies is pretty similar to Avoma, which would mean if you're using that and are looking to move it would probably be a more seamless transition.
Fireflies call overview page
Integrations
Both Fathom and Fireflies are compatible with the most popular video conferencing platforms, including Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams.
The integrations allow users to easily capture and transcribe meetings conducted on these platforms, providing a comprehensive record of discussions and actions.
When it comes to CRM sync, both Fathom and Fireflies offer good integration with HubSpot. However, there was a slight discrepancy in the way they handle recording notes.
Fireflies tends to push recording notes as new meetings by default, which can result in duplicated entries in HubSpot and lead to inaccurate tracking. Fathom's sync process pushes the call summary into the original meeting activity in HubSpot.
You do have the option to manually switch Fireflies to push notes instead of new meetings, but overall, Fathom's sync functionality is the winner here.
Both sync to Salesforce, but I've not got first hand experience of the integrations.
Fathom's integration also allows for actions to be transferred as tasks directly into HubSpot. This feature is useful for those who rely on tasks for project management but if you prefer not to clutter your task list with meeting actions, the setting can easily be turned off.
Personally, I disabled this setting so my tasks in HubSpot remain sales focused.
Analytics
Fireflies has more advanced capabilities for reporting, allowing users to delve deeper into meeting analytics and track various metrics for better insights.
Fathom offers unique in-call alerts that not only warn you when you're speaking too much but also highlight the number of monologues you've had during the conversation.
This feature can be particularly helpful in ensuring balanced participation and effective communication within meetings.
Pricing
Both offer free plans, but Fireflies has restrictions on the recording minutes allowed, whereas Fathom's free plan provides unlimited recording time.
When comparing the paid plans of both Fathom and Fireflies, the differences in pricing are minimal, with a few dollars separating them per month - although Fathom's entry point is higher for the Teams plan because they require a minimum of 3 seats.
Fireflies starts at $10 p/m per user (Pro plan paid annually) or $18 p/m per user paid monthly, then a Business plan at $19/29 p/m per user (annual/monthly) and Enterprise plan at $39 p/m per user (annual only).
Fathom has two tiers for their Teams plan which both require a minimum of 3 users:
- Standard - $24 per user p/m (annual) or $32 per user p/m (monthly)
- Pro- $29 per user p/m (annual) or $39 per user p/m (monthly)
For most SMEs, the differences here will be relatively small unless you've got in excess of 20-30 seats.
Summary
Fireflies
Fireflies offers a lot of advanced filtering options, allowing users to easily sift through meeting transcripts based on sentiment, speakers, and trackers. Additionally, Fireflies leads in providing more detailed and comprehensive reporting, giving users the ability to track various metrics and analyse meeting data.
However, despite these strengths, some users may find Fireflies' user interface to be slightly "clunkier" compared to other AI notetaking tools. The layout and navigation may require a bit more time to get used to.
Fathom
In comparison to Fireflies, Fathom stands out for its superior note-taking abilities, accurate transcriptions, and overall ease of use.
Fathom excels in note-taking and action management, providing users with a seamless and efficient way to capture important details and follow-up tasks. Their transcriptions & automated action-taking feature was, in my experience (and to my surprise), more accurate than Fireflies and up there with Gong - more of a mid-market/Enterprise tool.
Which would I choose?
It may be obvious by now but Fathom takes it for me.
I’ve seen their product roadmap, and I'm looking forward to what's coming later this year.
If you want to try them out yourself, you can click on the links below: