MeetKeep vs Fathom
Credit first: Fathom has the most generous free tier here — unlimited recording and transcription, with bot-free capture available even on the free plan (beta, Mac only). The difference from MeetKeep is not price. It is where the audio goes. Fathom transcribes in the cloud and trains on de-identified data unless you opt out. MeetKeep does everything on your Mac, and adds Chinese transcription and voiceprints.
Facts verified on 2026-08-26
Head to head
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Privacy & data | ||
| No bot joins the call | YesCaptures system audio, never joins | PartialBot-free option on free tier (beta, Mac only) |
| Where audio is transcribed | On-device (never uploaded) | Cloud |
| Works offline | Yes | No |
| Audio/transcripts used for training? | NoData never leaves your Mac | PartialDe-identified training; opt-out |
| Pricing | ||
| Pricing model | $39 one-time | Free tier + Premium $16/mo annual |
| First-year cost (individual paid tier) | $39 | $0, or $192 for Premium |
| Every year after | $0 — free updates forever | $0, or $192 again |
| Free tier | 14-day full trial | Unlimited recording & transcription |
| Transcription & notes | ||
| Speaker separation | Yes | YesKept in bot-free mode; not per-person in one room |
| Voiceprint recognition across meetings | YesLocal voiceprints; any platform, and in person | Not verified |
| Notes traceable back to the audio | Yes | Not verified |
| Transcription languages | Chinese, English + 25 European languages | Not verified |
| Platform | ||
| Native Mac app | YesApple Silicon, macOS 15+ | Yes |
| Mobile app | No | NoiOS pre-order, not shipped; no Android |
| Bring your own AI key (BYOK) | YesAny provider; only text is sent | No |
| Individuals can buy directly | Yes | Yes |
Prices and features belong to their vendors. Each column shows when it was last verified — spot something stale and we would like to hear about it.
Which one is for you
What three years cost
The bar shows Premium. Fathom’s free tier really can cost nothing indefinitely, and it wins that one.
Questions
If free and bot-free are all you need, Fathom covers it — we are not going to argue otherwise. The $39 buys three other things: audio that never leaves your Mac (Fathom still uploads, and trains on de-identified data by default), on-device Chinese plus 25 European languages, and voiceprint recognition across meetings.
Yes. MeetKeep separates speakers acoustically and can map them to real people by voiceprint. Fathom’s known limitation is that several people in one physical room are not distinguished — they are attributed to the Fathom user.
$39 once, two Macs, free updates forever, a 14-day trial and a 14-day refund. AI notes use your own API key — only text is sent to the provider you choose, never audio.
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macOS 15+ · Apple Silicon · $39 once