<!-- Markdown twin of https://auroraisyours.com/compare/fathom-alternative/, generated at build from the page. Do not edit. -->

# Best Fathom alternative for iPhone

> Fathom is a cloud meeting assistant for Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, now available bot-free. Aurora is an iPhone app that transcribes and summarizes on the device, with nothing joining. Where audio goes, platforms, and when Fathom is the better pick.

COMPARE · AURORA VS FATHOM

Fathom is a cloud meeting assistant for Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, and is now available bot-free. Aurora is an iPhone app that keeps the speech pipeline on the device. This page explains the difference, with links to Fathom's own pages for its side.

Published 31 October 2026

## Is Aurora a good Fathom alternative on iPhone?

If your notes come from calls, pick a call joiner like Fathom. If they come from conversations in the room and you want the notes made on your device, pick Aurora. Fathom is a cloud service for Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, with a bot that can join calls and a bot-free option. Aurora is an iPhone app with no bot and no account, and it transcribes and summarizes on the phone. As of 31 October 2026 Aurora is iPhone only, in a private beta.

## How do Aurora and Fathom compare?

Aurora and Fathom compared, with Fathom's facts sourced to its own pages
| Question | Aurora On-device speech processing | Fathom Cloud speech processing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Does a bot join the call? | **No. Aurora records through the microphone of the iPhone in the room.** | **By default a participant joins to capture notes. Fathom is now available bot-free.** |
| Where is speech transcribed? | **On the iPhone.** | **In Fathom's cloud.** |
| Where are summaries written? | **By a language model on the iPhone.** | **In Fathom's cloud.** |
| Where is audio processed? | Recording, transcription, speaker separation and summaries run on the iPhone. Aurora is local-first, not network-free; other network flows are listed in the [Privacy Notice](https://auroraisyours.com/privacy/#app-egress). | **In Fathom's cloud.** |
| Which platforms? | **iPhone. The Mac app is in development.** | **Fathom supports Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams.** |
| Do I need an account? | No account with Aurora. The beta installs through TestFlight with your Apple Account. | **Yes, you sign in to Fathom.** |
| What does it cost? | **Free while the private beta lasts, as of 31 October 2026.** | **Plan limits and prices are on its pricing page.** |

## What is the real difference between them?

Fathom is for calls and teams. It gives you a participant that can join the call and a shared workspace, and it now offers a bot-free option. Aurora trades those for on-device processing on an iPhone, with no call join and no account.

## When should I pick Fathom?

-   You want automatic notes from Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams calls you or your team are on.
-   You want a shared workspace and integrations.

## When should I pick Aurora?

-   The conversations are in person and the recording should not be uploaded to a service for transcription.
-   You want to work without creating accounts.

## Sources checked

Every Fathom fact on this page comes from Fathom's own site, read on the date shown. Prices and limits change; check their site for the current ones.

1.  [Fathom, product overview](https://www.fathom.video/) (“Now available bot-free”; “Works where you meet”), checked 31 October 2026.
2.  [Fathom, pricing and plans](https://www.fathom.video/pricing), checked 31 October 2026.

## How do I try Aurora?

Aurora is in a private beta on TestFlight, free while it lasts. Join the waitlist and we will email you when your invite is ready.

[Join the waitlist](https://auroraisyours.com/#waitlist)

[How invites work](https://auroraisyours.com/beta/) has the steps. [Aurora for iPhone](https://auroraisyours.com/iphone/) shows a session end to end, and [What Aurora does](https://auroraisyours.com/product/) lists every capability with its status. For interviews and classes, see [Interviews](https://auroraisyours.com/use/interviews-journalists/) and [Lectures](https://auroraisyours.com/use/lectures-students/).