Wave vs Fathom
Wave and Fathom both record and transcribe meetings with AI, but they're built for different workflows. Here's an honest comparison.
Fathom has been gaining popularity as a free AI meeting recorder, especially among sales teams and anyone tired of paying for Otter or Fireflies. Wave takes a different approach — instead of specializing in one recording method, it gives you four ways to capture meetings across every scenario. If you're comparing the two, here's what actually matters.
The Fundamental Difference: Scope
Fathom is a desktop app that records virtual meetings. It connects to Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams and captures the call directly through screen and audio recording on your computer. No bot joins the meeting — Fathom records locally on your machine, which is a meaningful improvement over bot-based tools. But Fathom only works on your desktop, and only for virtual meetings.
Wave offers four recording methods. You can send a meeting bot to Zoom, Meet, or Teams. You can use the desktop app on Mac or Windows to capture system audio (similar to Fathom). You can make phone calls through Wave's built-in VoIP dialer. Or you can use the mobile app to record in-person conversations. The desktop recording method overlaps with what Fathom does, but Wave extends far beyond virtual meetings.
Where Fathom Works Best
Fathom is excellent for people whose work lives center on virtual meetings. Its strengths:
- Free tier is genuinely useful. Fathom offers unlimited recording and AI summaries on its free plan, which is rare in this space.
- No bot in the meeting. Unlike Otter or Fireflies, Fathom records locally. Other participants don't see a recording bot join.
- Real-time highlights. You can mark key moments during the call and Fathom clips them automatically.
- CRM integrations. Fathom connects to HubSpot, Salesforce, and other tools, making it popular with sales teams who want call notes pushed directly to deal records.
- Video recording. Fathom captures video, not just audio, so you can rewatch specific moments with screen shares and reactions visible.
Where Wave Works Best
Wave is built for people whose important conversations don't always happen on Zoom. Its strengths:
- Four recording methods. Meeting bot, desktop app, VoIP dialer, and mobile recorder. Choose the right method for each situation instead of being locked into one.
- Records anything, anywhere. In-person meetings, phone calls, lectures, interviews, brainstorming sessions, coffee conversations. If there's audio, Wave captures it.
- Phone call recording. Wave's built-in VoIP dialer records calls and shows your real number — something Fathom doesn't do.
- Desktop and mobile. Fathom is desktop-only. Wave works on iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, and web.
- Privacy-first design. SOC-2 compliant. No data used for AI training. When discretion matters, use the desktop app or mobile recorder instead of a bot.
- Works offline. Start recording even without internet. Wave processes the transcript when you're back online.
Feature Comparison
- Recording methods: Fathom offers one (desktop capture for virtual meetings). Wave offers four (meeting bot, desktop app, VoIP dialer, mobile mic).
- Virtual meetings: Both capture Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams. Fathom records locally on desktop. Wave offers both a meeting bot and desktop system audio capture.
- In-person meetings: Fathom cannot record in-person meetings. Wave handles these via the mobile app.
- Phone calls: Fathom does not record phone calls. Wave records them through its built-in VoIP dialer.
- AI summaries: Both generate AI summaries with key points and action items.
- Speaker identification: Both identify and label speakers. Fathom uses meeting participant names; Wave uses voice fingerprinting.
- Video recording: Fathom captures video. Wave is audio-only.
- CRM integration: Fathom has native CRM integrations. Wave offers an open API and MCP protocol for connecting to other tools.
- Platform: Fathom is desktop-only (Mac and Windows). Wave is available on iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, and web.
- Pricing: Fathom has a generous free tier for individuals. Wave offers a free tier with a paid plan for unlimited recording.
The Real Decision: Where Do Your Conversations Happen?
This is the question that makes the choice simple. If your most important conversations happen exclusively on Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams — and you're always at your computer when they happen — Fathom is a strong tool for that specific workflow. The free tier, video recording, and CRM integrations make it particularly good for sales teams running virtual demos and discovery calls.
If your conversations happen in more places — client offices, lecture halls, phone calls, walking meetings, conference rooms — Wave covers all of them with different recording methods for each scenario. It can do what Fathom does (desktop recording of virtual meetings) while also handling phone calls via VoIP, in-person meetings via mobile, and bot-based recording when you want it.
Can You Use Both?
Absolutely. Some people use Fathom for their scheduled Zoom calls (especially if they need CRM sync) and Wave for everything else — phone calls, in-person meetings, quick voice memos. The two tools don't overlap much in practice because they serve different contexts.
That said, if you want one tool that covers everything, Wave is the more versatile option. It may not have video recording or native CRM sync, but it works in every situation where you need to capture a conversation — scheduled or spontaneous, virtual or in-person, on a computer or on the go.
Common questions about Wave vs Fathom
Can Fathom record in-person meetings?
No. Fathom is a meeting bot — it joins scheduled Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams calls and records what the meeting platform sends it. There is no in-person capture path: no phone microphone, no Apple Watch, no Wave-style "press record in the room." If your meetings happen face-to-face, Fathom can’t help you. Wave can — press record on your phone, Apple Watch, or the Wave Desktop app and capture the room directly.
Can Fathom record phone calls?
No. Fathom records video meetings only. iPhone phone calls and any other PSTN call are outside its scope. Wave includes a Phone Bridge that records incoming and outgoing iPhone calls in addition to its calendar-meeting bot.
Is there a Fathom-style meeting recorder for Mac and Windows?
Wave Desktop runs on both Mac and Windows and captures mic + system audio simultaneously — no bot required. You also get the calendar meeting bot, the iPhone Phone Bridge, the mobile and web apps, and Apple Watch. Same job as Fathom, much wider surface.
Can I use Fathom for lectures or in-person interviews?
Not really — Fathom needs a calendar invite and a Zoom/Meet/Teams join link to capture audio. Lectures, in-person interviews, hallway conversations, and walk-and-talks all live outside that model. Wave captures any of those directly from your phone.
