Fathom vs Shortwave
Fathom (freemium, AI Score 8.8/10) vs Shortwave (freemium, AI Score 8.3/10). Side-by-side pricing, features, pros and cons, and which to pick.
The verdict
- →overall capability matters more than price (AI Score 8.8 vs 8.3)
- →you want our editor's pick for this category
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | Fathom | Shortwave |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Productivity | Productivity |
| Pricing model | freemium | freemium |
| Headline pricing | Freemium — Free core; Team $19/user/mo | Freemium |
| Free tier | Unlimited recording, transcription, and AI summaries for individual users | Basic AI features with limited daily queries |
| AI Score | 8.8/10 | 8.3/10 |
| Best for | — | — |
| Editor's pick | ✓ Yes | — |
| Use cases | — | productivity research |
| Date added | 2026-04-30 | 2025-09-15 |
Pros and cons
Fathom
Productivity · freemium
Pros
- ✓No bot joins the meeting — records natively without awkward participant notifications
- ✓Free tier includes unlimited recording and transcription, far more generous than competitors
- ✓Clean, fast interface that stays out of your way during calls
- ✓One-click highlight clips make sharing key moments easy
Cons
- ×English-focused — transcription accuracy drops for other languages and heavy accents
- ×Team features locked behind $19/user/mo, which adds up for larger organizations
- ×Fewer third-party integrations than Fireflies.ai or Otter.ai at this stage
- ×No conversation intelligence analytics on the free plan
Shortwave
Productivity · freemium
Pros
- ✓Most AI-integrated email client available
- ✓Excellent thread summarization
- ✓Natural language search is powerful
- ✓Clean, modern interface
Cons
- ×Gmail-only (no Outlook or other providers)
- ×Free tier is quite limited
- ×Newer product with smaller user base
- ×Some AI features can be slow
FAQ
Is Fathom better than Shortwave? ▾
Fathom scores 8.8/10 in our evaluation versus Shortwave at 8.3/10. Fathom edges ahead overall, but "better" depends on your use case — see the verdict block above.
Does Fathom or Shortwave have a free tier? ▾
Both offer free access. Fathom: Unlimited recording, transcription, and AI summaries for individual users. Shortwave: Basic AI features with limited daily queries.
Should I choose Fathom or Shortwave in 2026? ▾
If overall capability matters more than price (AI Score 8.8 vs 8.3) pick Fathom. If you need: productivity, research pick Shortwave. Both are credible — neither is a wrong choice.
Related comparisons
Updated 2026-06-27. Spec data sourced from official product pages and tracked in our public directory at /tools.