> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.useraven.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Raven vs Fathom
> A free, open-source Fathom alternative with unlimited AI notes on your own key, live in-call help, and no bot — recordings stay on your machine.
Fathom is a great free notetaker — until you hit the part most people miss: on the free plan, **advanced AI summaries and action items are capped at 5 calls a month**. After that you get a basic transcript-style summary until the cycle resets. Raven gives you **unlimited** AI notes because they run on **your own API key**, adds **live help during the call** (Fathom is after-the-call only), and keeps everything **local** with **no bot** in the meeting.
## At a glance
| | Raven | Fathom |
| --------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Live in-call assist | **Yes** — overlay suggests what to say | No — recap is after the call |
| AI summaries / action items | **Unlimited** (your own key) | Free: **5 calls/month**, then basic only; unlimited on paid |
| Follow-up email draft | Yes | Yes (paid) |
| Bot in the meeting | **Never** — local capture | Bot, or bot-free capture in beta (Mac) |
| Where your meetings live | Local SQLite | Fathom's cloud |
| Price | Free, open source (your own keys) | Free (capped AI); Premium \$16/user/mo (annual), \$20 monthly; Business \$25/user/mo |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Platforms | macOS + Windows (native capture) | Zoom-native; Meet/Teams; Mac bot-free beta |
## Price
Fathom's free tier is genuinely generous on **recording, transcription, and storage** (no minute cap) — the limit is the AI: **5 advanced summaries/action-item runs per month**. To remove that you're on **Premium at \$16/user/mo** (billed annually; \$20 monthly), and CRM sync lives in **Business at \$25/user/mo**.
Raven's AI is **unlimited** because you're billing your own provider for usage — typically a few dollars a month — with **no per-seat fee**.
## Where your meetings live
Fathom stores your recordings, transcripts, and summaries in its cloud. Raven keeps them in a **local SQLite database** on your machine — no account, no server, and (because it's open source) a data path you can audit. Audio only ever goes to the transcription/AI providers you configured with your own keys.
## What Fathom does better (honestly)
* **Calendar auto-join**: Fathom's bot joins scheduled meetings automatically. Raven detects a meeting and offers to start (or auto-starts) locally, but it doesn't join from your calendar.
* **CRM sync** (HubSpot/Salesforce), **clips/playlists**, **team collaboration**, and **15+ summary templates** are mature.
* A very polished, zero-setup hosted experience.
If you're a team that lives in a CRM and wants shared clips, Fathom's paid tiers are strong.
## When Raven wins
* You want **unlimited** AI notes without a 5-a-month cap or a subscription.
* You want **help during** the call, not just a recap after.
* You don't want a **bot** joining, and you want recordings **on your machine**.
* You're on **Windows** and want native capture (not just Mac bot-free beta).
## Switching from Fathom
1. [Download Raven](https://useraven.ai/download) and add your keys.
2. Set meeting auto-start (Settings → prompt or auto) so you never forget to record.
3. Run both for a week; compare notes + action items. Cancel Fathom once Raven owns the habit. (Fathom importers are on the roadmap; export what you need from Fathom in the meantime.)
Free, open source, Mac + Windows. Bring your own keys.
Structured action items, follow-up email, export.
Fathom pricing and the 5-call free AI cap verified August 2026 (fathom.ai/pricing). Vendors change pricing often — confirm before relying on a figure.