NoteOwl vs Fathom

A Fathom alternative for private meeting notes on Mac

NoteOwl is a Fathom alternative for Mac that keeps your meeting notes private: no bot joins the call, and NoteOwl records your microphone and your Mac’s audio, then transcribes, summarizes and answers questions on the Mac itself.

Nothing is uploaded, it works the same with or without internet, it imports the recordings you already have, and you pay once instead of subscribing — with free dictation into every app on top.

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Meeting notes without a bot joining your call (0:45).
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You know that moment when a bot joins your call… and everyone gets a little weird?

Yeah. NoteOwl doesn’t do that.

It’s a Mac app that takes your meeting notes right on your computer. Nothing leaves your Mac.

When you hang up? Summary, decisions, action items. All done.

Every promise gets tracked, so nothing slips through.

And you can chat with all your past meetings. Even offline.

NoteOwl. Free to download. Your next call’s the test.

Why choose NoteOwl over Fathom?

Because no bot joins your call in any app, your meetings never leave your Mac, everything works offline, and you pay once. On top of that you get free dictation in every app, voices recognised in any call, and a memory you can ask — offline.

  • No bot, in any call app

    NoteOwl records your microphone and your Mac’s audio in any call app and any of its 34 languages, so nothing joins the call. Fathom’s default is the Fathom Notetaker bot; its bot-free capture is a beta on Mac for English-language meetings.[2,3]

  • The same online or offline

    Every feature works with Wi-Fi off, Chat included, after the one-time model download.

  • Pay once. No subscription.

    NoteOwl Pro is $79 once for your Mac. Fathom Premium is $16 a month per user, billed annually.[1]

  • Your meetings stay on your Mac

    Recording, transcription, summaries and chat all run on your Mac with on-device AI models. Nothing is uploaded, so there is nothing to train on.

  • Brings in your recordings

    Drag in MP3, WAV, M4A, AIFF, FLAC, AAC or MP4 files and NoteOwl Pro transcribes them with speaker labels. Fathom doesn’t support uploaded recordings.[5]

  • Voices recognised, on your Mac

    Speakers are separated in any call app. Name a voice once and it’s recognised in every meeting after; the voice profile stays on your Mac.

  • Free dictation in every app

    Tap fn and talk in Mail, Slack, Notion or your code editor. Your words type at the cursor as you talk, and one tap polishes them in the right tone for each app — free and unlimited.

  • Ask every meeting, even offline

    Chat answers from your own meetings and cites the passage it used — or tells you when nothing matches.

What is the Fathom AI notetaker, and how is NoteOwl different?

Fathom takes meeting notes in the cloud: by default the Fathom Notetaker bot joins your Zoom, Google Meet or Teams call, and bot-free capture is a beta on Mac for English-language meetings[2,3,9]. NoteOwl takes notes with no bot, on your Mac.

Bot in the call
NoteOwlNone; records your microphone and your Mac’s audio
FathomBy default, the Fathom Notetaker joins Zoom, Google Meet and Teams calls; bot-free capture is a beta on Mac for English-language meetings[1,2,3]
Call apps
NoteOwlAny call app on your Mac, from Zoom and Teams to FaceTime, Webex and Discord
FathomZoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Slack Huddles[2]
Where transcription and AI run
NoteOwlOn your Mac, with on-device AI models
FathomFathom’s cloud in the US: Google Cloud handles recordings and transcripts, and third-party AI providers handle meeting content[9,10]
Where recordings and notes are stored
NoteOwlA folder on your Mac; never uploaded
FathomIn the United States[8]
Training on your data
NoteOwlNothing is uploaded; the app has no analytics or telemetry
FathomFathom uses de-identified meeting data to train its own AI models unless you opt out in settings; its AI providers may not train on it[8,9,10]
Price
NoteOwl$79 once for one Mac; no subscription
FathomPremium $16 per user per month billed annually, or $20 billed monthly[1]
Import recordings
NoteOwlMP3, WAV, M4A, AIFF, FLAC, AAC and MP4 files, with no monthly limit
FathomNot supported; on Fathom’s roadmap[5]
Speaker names
NoteOwlSpeakers separated in any call app; name a voice once and it’s recognised in later meetings; voice profiles stay on your Mac
FathomLabels who said what, with or without the bot; with the bot, names come from the meeting’s participant list[11,12]
Getting notes out
NoteOwlCopy any note into any app, export it as Markdown, PDF, text or SRT, or export everything as plain files
FathomTranscripts can be copied but not downloaded; recordings download as MP4[6,7]
Calendar
NoteOwlNot required; NoteOwl Pro uses any calendar in the Mac’s Calendar app
FathomA linked Google or Outlook calendar is required to use Fathom[10]
Devices
NoteOwlMac
FathomRecords on Mac and Windows computers; an iOS app is announced[2,4]
Mac requirements
NoteOwlmacOS 26 or later, Apple silicon, 16 GB memory
FathomNo minimum published on Fathom’s site or in its Help Center[4,13]
Fathom’s column is taken from Fathom’s own website, Help Center, Trust Center and privacy policy, checked on 27 September 2026; the numbers link to the sources.

Fathom pricing

Is NoteOwl cheaper than Fathom?

Yes, for one person on one Mac. NoteOwl Pro is $79 once. Fathom Premium, its plan for individuals, is $16 per user per month, billed annually — $192 a year and $576 over three years — or $20 a month, billed monthly.[1]

And you can start free: dictation and voice notes are free forever, and every Pro feature is free for 7 days in the app, with no card.

What one person pays

  1. After 1 year

    NoteOwl Pro$79
    Fathom Premium, billed annually$192

  2. After 2 years

    NoteOwl Pro$79
    Fathom Premium, billed annually$384

  3. After 3 years

    NoteOwl Pro$79
    Fathom Premium, billed annually$576
NoteOwl Pro: $79 once, for one Mac. Fathom pricing: Premium is $16 per user per month, billed annually ($20 per user per month billed monthly).[1] Fathom’s US-dollar list prices, checked 27 September 2026; yearly totals are $16 × 12.

Where does Fathom process and store your meetings?

In the cloud, in the US. Fathom stores all its data in the United States, lists Google Cloud and third-party AI providers as handling meeting content, and uses de-identified meeting data to train its own AI models unless you opt out.[8,9]

Fathom, in its own words

“All Fathom data is stored in the United States.”[8]
“Google Cloud Platform • Primary Cloud Provider USA … Handles Meeting Content Data (Recording, Transcript)”[9]
“Fathom uses de-identified customer data to improve the accuracy of our proprietary AI models in order to improve our service for all users. You can opt out of this anytime in your My Settings …”[8]

NoteOwl

Recording, transcription, speaker detection, summaries, search and chat all run on the Mac. Recordings, transcripts and notes are never uploaded to NoteOwl or anyone else, and the app has no analytics or telemetry.

The only network use: the one-time model download, update checks and, for Pro, signing in and an occasional licence check — none of which sends what you record. How NoteOwl takes meeting notes without a bot

When is Fathom the better choice?

When you want a cloud service. Fathom processes your meetings in its cloud and stores them in the United States. If you want your meetings on your Mac, online or offline, choose NoteOwl.[8,9]

Can you switch from Fathom to NoteOwl?

Yes, starting with your next meeting. Download NoteOwl, and the next call you take is transcribed and summarized on your Mac, with no bot. Recordings you already have as audio or video files can be imported into NoteOwl Pro and transcribed with speaker labels.

Your notes are never locked in: copy any note into any app, or export it as Markdown, PDF, text or SRT — or all of your data at once as plain files.

Sources

Last checked . Fathom facts are quoted or summarised from Fathom’s own website, Help Center, Trust Center and privacy policy, using US-dollar list prices. Fathom’s bot-free capture is still rolling out; check plans and policies before you decide.

  1. [1]Fathom, Pricing
  2. [2]Fathom, Overview
  3. [3]Fathom Help Center, How to upgrade to the new Fathom experience
  4. [4]Fathom Help Center, What devices is Fathom compatible with?
  5. [5]Fathom Help Center, Can I upload an external recording?
  6. [6]Fathom Help Center, Get a copy of your transcript
  7. [7]Fathom Help Center, Downloading the recording
  8. [8]Fathom Help Center, Is Fathom secure?
  9. [9]Fathom Trust Center, Subprocessors
  10. [10]Fathom, Privacy policy
  11. [11]Fathom, Fathom vs Granola
  12. [12]Fathom Help Center, Name Picker
  13. [13]Fathom, Help Center — all 131 articles, searched for Mac requirements

FAQ

Questions about NoteOwl and Fathom

Is there a Fathom alternative without a bot?

Yes. NoteOwl is a Mac app that takes meeting notes with no bot in any call app: it records your microphone and your Mac’s audio, then transcribes, summarizes and answers questions on the Mac itself. Fathom’s default is the Fathom Notetaker bot; its bot-free capture is a beta on Mac for English-language meetings.

Is NoteOwl cheaper than Fathom?

Yes, for one person on one Mac. NoteOwl Pro is $79 once, with a 7-day free trial and no card, and NoteOwl’s dictation is free forever. Fathom Premium is $16 per user per month, billed annually — $192 a year, or $576 over three years — or $20 per user per month billed monthly. Prices checked on 27 September 2026.

Does NoteOwl join my calls?

No. NoteOwl records your microphone and your Mac’s audio, so no bot joins your Zoom, Google Meet or Teams call. Nothing tells the other people that you are taking notes, so tell them yourself — it is the right thing to do and, in many places, the law.

Can NoteOwl import recordings I already have?

Yes. NoteOwl Pro imports MP3, WAV, M4A, AIFF, FLAC, AAC and MP4 files and transcribes them on your Mac with speaker labels. Fathom’s Help Center says Fathom does not support uploaded calls. Checked on 27 September 2026.

Can I download my transcripts from NoteOwl?

Yes. NoteOwl exports any transcript or note as Markdown, PDF, plain text or SRT subtitles, or all of your data at once as plain files. Fathom’s Help Center says Fathom transcripts can’t be downloaded directly, only copied and pasted.

Does Fathom train AI on my meetings?

Fathom says it uses de-identified customer data to train its own AI models, that you can opt out at any time in your settings, and that its AI providers are not allowed to train on your data. NoteOwl uploads nothing, so there is nothing to train on.

Does NoteOwl work offline?

Yes. NoteOwl records, transcribes, summarizes and answers questions on your Mac, so every feature works offline after a one-time model download, Chat included.

Does NoteOwl run on Windows or iPhone?

No. NoteOwl is a Mac app for macOS 26 or later on Apple silicon with 16 GB of memory. Its AI runs on the Mac itself, which is what keeps your meetings off the cloud.

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How NoteOwl does it

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Keep your next meeting’s notes private, on your Mac

Free to download. Runs entirely on your Mac.

Download free

macOS 26 or later · Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) · 16 GB memory minimum, 24 GB recommended

About NoteOwl

NoteOwl is private AI meeting notes and memory for the Mac. It captures meetings without a bot joining the call, labels every speaker, writes summaries and action items, and builds a memory of every conversation that you can chat with — fully offline, because the speech recognition and the AI run on the Mac itself. Dictation into any app is free; Pro is a one-time purchase.

NoteOwl pricing: what’s free and what Pro adds

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