Head to head / AI Transcription

AssemblyAI vs Fathom

The verdict
  • AssemblyAI has a free tier to start; Fathom does not.
ComparedAssemblyAIFathom
Accuracy (tested)96.9%Not tested
Starting price$0.15/hr$20/mo
Free tierYes
Visit AssemblyAIVisit Fathom

Feature by feature

FeatureAssemblyAIFathom
Languages99+38
APIYesYes (public API)
Real-timeYesYes (live in meetings)
Speaker labelsYesYes
Export formatsJSON, TXT, SRT, VTTMarkdown, JSON, TXT
Human optionNoNo

AssemblyAI

Developers who want a speech-to-text API with built-in audio intelligence like summarization, sentiment, and LLM queries.

  • +Universal-2 model, strong English accuracy
  • +LeMUR runs LLMs over your transcripts
  • +Sentiment, topics, PII redaction built in
  • +Generous free credit to start

Fathom

Individuals and sales teams who want automatic meeting notes and summaries for free, upgrading only for advanced AI and CRM features.

  • +Free plan with unlimited recordings and transcriptions
  • +Fast, high-quality AI call summaries and action items
  • +38 languages plus CRM and integration options
  • +Public API and native Claude/ChatGPT integrations

Compared on the metrics we track for this category. Prices are the cheapest paid tier. Some links are affiliate links.