Does Fathom join the meeting as a visible participant?
By default, yes: Fathom joins the meeting as a visible notetaker participant. Since Fathom 3.0 in April 2026 its Mac desktop app can capture a transcript or audio without the bot, but bot-free video capture is a limited beta and the Windows version is listed as coming soon. Fathom's what's-new page describes those modes, and full video recording still uses the bot. So a client who does not want an extra participant can be accommodated on Mac, with the newest and least-tested path. Audiee has only ever worked one way: it records from your Mac's audio, nothing joins the call and nothing announces itself, on Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams or Lark, and for anything else Ctrl+M. It does not record video at all; you get transcript, summary, action items and follow-ups into ~/.audiee as Markdown, and every meeting joins a knowledge base you can ask. There are 3 free meeting hours every month. If discretion is the requirement, choose the tool where it is the default.
Checked September 2026. Numbers about other products link to the page they came from.
“Bot-free video capture is currently in a limited beta”
— Fathom: what's new (Fathom 3.0, bot-free capture), checked September 2026
Key facts
- Fathom: bot participant by default; Mac bot-free transcript/audio modes since 3.0 (Apr 2026); bot-free video limited beta; Windows coming soon (checked September 2026).
- Audiee: never joins the call; audio only, no video; Markdown on your Mac.
- Audiee: Zoom, Meet, Teams, Lark auto-detect; Ctrl+M otherwise; Free 3 h/month.
Who this fits
Agencies, consultants and salespeople whose clients object to a bot.
Next step
See bot-free meeting notes on Mac.