Both can skip the bot. Only one skips the install.
Both write a transcript, a summary and action items, and both let you ask questions afterwards. The gap is what you set up first, and where the meeting can happen.
Nothing to install
Fathom's bot-free capture needs its desktop app. MeetingSidekick is a web page. Open a tab, press Start. Nothing for IT to approve, nothing to keep updated.
Any operating system
Fathom's site says bot-free is Mac-only for now. A browser tab does not care: Windows, Mac, Linux, a Chromebook, or a phone all work the same way.
Works in the room
A phone on the table or a laptop microphone captures an in-person meeting, a lecture, or an interview. Fathom lists an in-person iOS app as coming soon.
Keeps the audio
The recording is saved with the transcript so you can hear the exact moment. Replay is on Pro and Max.
How a meeting gets captured without a bot
Open a tab and press Start
Go to meetingsidekick.ai on your laptop or phone. Tick the box confirming you will handle consent, then press Start. Your browser asks for the microphone once.
On a call, share the tab audio
For a Zoom, Teams or Meet call on a desktop, the browser shows a share picker. Choose the meeting tab or screen and tick the audio box. This needs Chrome or Edge; Safari and Firefox show an error here.
Tell the room, then talk
Say you are taking notes. Nothing joins the call, so nobody sees a new attendee. The live transcript scrolls in your tab while you listen.
Get the notes and ask questions
Press Stop for a summary with decisions and action items, an email recap, and a chat box scoped to that meeting. Every meeting is saved to your account.
MeetingSidekick vs. Fathom
Only what we could confirm on Fathom's own website on the date below. No pricing, because theirs changes.
| MeetingSidekick | Fathom | |
|---|---|---|
| No bot on the attendee list | Yes, always | Bot, or bot-free beta |
| Nothing to install | Browser tab | Desktop app for bot-free |
| Bot-free on Windows, Linux, Chromebook | Yes | Mac only, per Fathom |
| In-person meetings | Phone or laptop mic | iOS app listed as coming soon |
| Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams | Any call, via tab audio | Yes, plus Slack Huddles |
| Search across all your meetings | Pro and Max | Yes (Ask Fathom) |
| Chat with a meeting afterwards | Yes, every plan | Yes |
Fathom rows reflect fathom.ai and fathom.ai/learn/bot-free-note-taker as read on 2 September 2026. Features change, so check their current docs. Fathom is a trademark of its owner. MeetingSidekick is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. See the full comparison with Otter, Fireflies and Granola.
When Fathom is the better choice
Pick Fathom if you live in Zoom, Meet or Teams on a Mac and want a desktop app that captures calls with speaker attribution, plus Ask Fathom to search everything you have recorded. It is a mature product, and its bot mode is a fine choice when a visible notetaker is welcome.
Pick MeetingSidekick when the install is the problem. A Windows or Chromebook machine that Fathom's bot-free mode does not cover yet. A locked-down work laptop. A meeting that is not on a computer at all: a client across the table, a lecture, a site visit.
Know the limits. No calendar auto-join; you press Start yourself. Audio, not video. No CRM or team-workspace integrations. Desktop call audio needs Chrome or Edge; Safari and Firefox show an error. And recording laws vary by place, so you still tell people you are taking notes; there is just no bot in the call.
Switching from Fathom, answered
Is MeetingSidekick a bot-free Fathom alternative?
Yes. Nothing joins your call and nothing appears on the attendee list. Fathom also offers bot-free capture, through a desktop app that its own site says is Mac-only and in beta. The difference is that MeetingSidekick needs no app at all: it runs in a browser tab on any device.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Open meetingsidekick.ai in your browser and press Start. There is no desktop app, no browser extension, no calendar connection and no admin approval to wait for.
Can it record in-person meetings?
Yes. Put a phone on the table or use a laptop microphone and it captures the room. Fathom's own bot-free page lists an in-person iOS app as coming soon, so as of this writing Fathom is a video-call tool.
Do the other people know I am recording?
You tell them. Before you can start, the app asks you to acknowledge that you are responsible for getting any consent your location and workplace require. There is simply no bot on the attendee list doing the announcing for you.
How much does MeetingSidekick cost?
Free is 2 hours of recording a month with no credit card. Pro is $15 a month or $120 a year for 30 hours, speaker names, search across all your meetings and audio replay. Max is $50 a month or $400 a year for unlimited hours plus screenshot chat. There is also a 5-minute trial with no signup at all.
Try it on your next meeting. No download, no bot.
Free to start, no credit card. Open a tab, press Start.
Start free →