Fathom vs OBS Studio
Side-by-side comparison of Fathom and OBS Studio.
AI meeting recorder that writes your notes for you
Free, open-source software for streaming and recording
What they are
Fathom
Fathom records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings on Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, then delivers a structured recap with action items within seconds of the call ending. It is used by individual contributors, sales reps, consultants, and customer success teams who want to stay present in conversations rather than writing notes. A bot-free capture mode launched in 2026 for Mac lets participants see no extra attendee in the call. CRM sync to HubSpot and Salesforce is available on paid tiers, and the free plan is genuinely unlimited on recordings and storage.
OBS Studio
OBS Studio is a free, open-source tool for video recording and live streaming to platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook Live. It is used by gamers, podcasters, educators, and professional broadcasters who need granular control over their audio and video setup. The feature set rivals paid alternatives, but the interface has a steep learning curve that can frustrate beginners.
if you need ai meetings. It has a usable free tier to start with.
- +Free plan includes unlimited recordings, storage, and transcription in 38 languages with no time limits
- +AI summaries are ready within roughly 30 seconds of a meeting ending
- +Bot-free capture mode (Mac, 2026 beta) lets you record without adding a visible bot participant
if you need video editing. It has a usable free tier to start with.
- +Completely free with no paywalled features
- +Cross-platform: Windows, macOS, and Linux
- +Highly customizable through an extensive plugin ecosystem
Which to choose
Fathom and OBS Studio solve different problems, so most people would not choose between them directly. The comparison below helps if you are weighing where to spend budget, or deciding whether you need both.
Read the full reviews for Fathom and OBS Studio.
Pricing checked 28 Jun 2026.