Which AI meeting assistant is best?
AI-powered notetakers are changing the way we capture meeting content, freeing us to focus on real conversation instead of typing furiously. But with so many tools available, choosing the right option can be overwhelming.
We ran a comparison of three leading AI notetakers: Motion, Fireflies, and Fathom with testers scoring each tool across different criteria for at least 1 month. Our meetings were often populated with more notetakers than attendees, and here’s how each platform performed.
TL;DR Overall Verdict
🏆 Best Overall: Fathom – strong accuracy, excellent summaries, and great usability at a reasonable price point.
🥈 Runner-Up: Motion – highly accurate and reliable, though more expensive.
🥉 Third Place: Fireflies – strong compliance, but accuracy issues hold it back.
1. Scores & Comparison
| Category | Motion | Fireflies | Fathom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of Setup | 3/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 |
| Transcription Accuracy | 5/5 | 1/5 | 4/5 |
| Summary Quality | 5/5 | 1/5 | 5/5 |
| Integrations & Compatibility | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 |
| User Experience | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 |
| Privacy & Security Confidence | 3/5 | 5/5 | 2/5 |
| Reliability | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Support | 3/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
Motion
Motion performed exceptionally well in the areas that matter most: accuracy, reliability, and summary quality. It integrates smoothly with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, making it a strong fit for MSPs supporting clients in those environments.
Its main downside is cost – USD $49/month on an annual plan – making it the priciest of the three options tested.
Highlights:
- Stellar transcription accuracy
- Reliable across all meetings
- Strong integrations with major business platforms
Drawbacks:
- Highest-cost option
- Slightly more complex setup
- Support responsiveness varied
Best for: Businesses needing a premium, enterprise-ready notetaker with deep integrations.
Fireflies
Fireflies stands out for its easy setup and integration with various tools like Zoom and Google Meet as well as CRM and collaboration platforms.
However, our tester consistently reported low transcription accuracy and unhelpful summaries, even on the paid Pro plan at $10/month. Fireflies seems to be the most disruptive meeting attendee, and initiates chats to announce itself unnecessarily.
Highlights:
- Industry-grade compliance
- Competitive pricing
- Broad integration ecosystem – especially Sales CRMs
Drawbacks:
- Low accuracy, especially with accents or noisy backgrounds
- Poor summary quality
- Meeting joins feel disruptive and inconsistent
Best for: Organisations where recording/compliance is required but accuracy is not critical.
Fathom
Fathom was the highest-rated overall. It delivered very strong transcription accuracy, excellent summaries and an intuitive user experience. Setup took seconds, and the tool performed consistently across meetings.
While Fathom offers a free trial of its Premium features, ongoing use costs USD $16/month on an annual plan – still good value compared to competitors.
Highlights:
- Fastest setup and easiest onboarding
- High-quality summaries and action items
- Very reliable in real-world use
- Strong price-to-performance ratio
Drawbacks:
- Privacy and data practices could be more transparent
- Limited enterprise-control features
Best for: SMBs and teams wanting a high-quality, cost-effective AI notetaker at a mid-tier price.
3. Category Winners
| Category | Category | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Easiest to Use | Fathom | Intuitive workflow, quick setup |
| Most Accurate | Motion | Best transcription results |
| Best Summaries | Fathom | Clear, concise, actionable |
| Best Integrations | Motion | Strong Microsoft & Google compatibility |
| Best Privacy & Compliance | Fireflies | Multiple certifications |
| Best Value | Fathom | High performance at USD $16/mo (annual) |
4. Final thoughts from our testers
“I’m not going back.” – Zac (Fathom)
“Don’t do Fireflies.” – Andrew
“Ideal for someone who works across multiple departments: helps centralise scheduling, planning, and note-taking.” – David (Motion)
As always with these things, choosing the right AI notetaker depends on your priorities. If you want great accuracy and premium integrations, Motion is the best fit – though it comes at a premium price. For the best overall balance of cost, performance, ease of use and output quality, Fathom is our choice.
