SwitchDesk vs Fathom: AI meeting notes for sales calls, compared
Both write up your sales calls. SwitchDesk records them on your Mac and turns the follow-ups into to-dos in your own list.
Last checked
Pick Fathom if you want
a free plan, a notetaker that joins Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams calls as a participant, native CRM sync, and team call libraries with coaching.
Pick SwitchDesk if
you want each call saved on your Mac first, its follow-ups suggested as to-dos in the list you dictate into, and dictation and screen video in the same subscription.
TL;DR
Both can record without a bot: Fathom with a bot-free beta for Mac, SwitchDesk on every call.
Fathom syncs notes into Salesforce and HubSpot. SwitchDesk sends the calls you OK to a webhook (Zapier, Make, n8n) on Pro, and your automation updates the CRM.
Billed yearly, Fathom Premium is $16/mo per user; SwitchDesk Essential is $12/mo with 25 hours of meeting notes a month.
Try it: press Stop on the pill.
A call between Joe Raman and Sam Rivera with no third participant, and SwitchDesk’s recording pill at the bottom of the screen. Press Stop on the pill to end the recording and see the suggested to-dos.
A video call window with Joe Raman and Sam Rivera. No meeting bot in the participant list.
Lumora kickoff
JRJoe Raman
SRSam Rivera
SwitchDesk’s meeting recording pill: Recording · Lumora kickoff, 12:01, with Open, Stop and Cancel buttons.
Recording · Lumora kickoff12:01
SwitchDesk’s pill: “Generating to-do items…” after the call ends.
Generating to-do items…
SwitchDesk’s end-of-call popup for “Lumora kickoff”: 4 suggested to-dos — Send Lumora the revised proposal, Set up the pilot workspace, Share the pilot pricing with Lumora, Book a pilot check-in with Joe — each with an Add button, plus Not now and Add all.
Suggested after every call. “Add all” files them in your to-do list, under the right category.
AI action items in the summary (limited on Free), which sync to tools like Asana.
Before · During · After
Press Stop, and the call’s to-dos are one click from your list.
A pill counts down to the Lumora kickoff with Record on it. Press Stop when it ends, and SwitchDesk suggests the four to-dos it heard.
Before: turn on “Countdown before meetings”, or “Auto-record when opening a meeting”.
During: transcribed live as two tracks. Names come from Google Meet’s captions; on other call apps, lines read “You” and “Them”.
After: notes, decisions and action items, plus suggested to-dos you add with one click.
SwitchDesk doesn’t announce itself in the call, so tell people you’re recording. Laws vary by place.
Three steps on Sam’s Mac. Before the Lumora kickoff, the countdown pill offers Open Meeting and Record. During the call, the recording pill shows the time with Stop. After Stop, the action-items popup suggests four to-dos; Add all files them under Fernhill in the to-do list.
A video call window with Joe Raman and Sam Rivera. No meeting bot in the participant list.
Lumora kickoff
JRJoe Raman
SRSam Rivera
SwitchDesk’s meeting countdown: Lumora kickoff starts in 4:32.
Lumora kickoff·4:32
Lumora kickoff
SwitchDesk’s meeting recording pill: Recording · Lumora kickoff, 12:01, with Open, Stop and Cancel buttons.
Recording · Lumora kickoff12:01
SwitchDesk’s pill: “Generating to-do items…” after the call ends.
Generating to-do items…
SwitchDesk’s end-of-call popup for “Lumora kickoff”: 4 suggested to-dos — Send Lumora the revised proposal, Set up the pilot workspace, Share the pilot pricing with Lumora, Book a pilot check-in with Joe — each with an Add button, plus Not now and Add all.
Action itemsLumora kickoff
Send Lumora the revised proposalFernhill45 min
Set up the pilot workspaceFernhill35 min
Share the pilot pricing with LumoraFernhill20 min
Book a pilot check-in with JoeFernhill10 min
scroll for more
All added
Today's Todo
1.Reply to Daniel about the Q4 hiring planReply to Daniel about the Q4 hiring planFernhill
2.Prep pricing slides for ThursdayPrep pricing slides for ThursdayFernhill
1 category hidden
Fernhill
Send Joe the pilot timeline by ThursdaySend Joe the pilot timeline by ThursdayFernhill
Send Lumora the revised proposalSend Lumora the revised proposalFernhill
Set up the pilot workspaceSet up the pilot workspaceFernhill
Share the pilot pricing with LumoraShare the pilot pricing with LumoraFernhill
Book a pilot check-in with JoeBook a pilot check-in with JoeFernhill
Today's Todo
1.Reply to Daniel about the Q4 hiring planReply to Daniel about the Q4 hiring planFernhill
2.Prep pricing slides for ThursdayPrep pricing slides for ThursdayFernhill
1 category hidden
Fernhill
Send Joe the pilot timeline by ThursdaySend Joe the pilot timeline by ThursdayFernhill
UrgentBlocked
Send Lumora the revised proposalSend Lumora the revised proposalFernhill
Set up the pilot workspaceSet up the pilot workspaceFernhill
Share the pilot pricing with LumoraShare the pilot pricing with LumoraFernhill
Book a pilot check-in with JoeBook a pilot check-in with JoeFernhill
SwitchDesk to-do window, Beige theme: Today's Todo: Reply to Daniel about the Q4 hiring plan (in progress); Prep pricing slides for Thursday. Fernhill: Send Joe the pilot timeline by Thursday; Send Lumora the revised proposal; Set up the pilot workspace; Share the pilot pricing with Lumora; Book a pilot check-in with Joe.
After: all four suggested to-dos added under Fernhill.
Try it: press Record on the pill, then Stop, then Add all.
Rows landing in the list: animation added for this page.
Ask across calls
Ask what you promised Lumora, then jump to the moment.
Type it into “Ask me about any past meetings”. Each part of the answer cites its call, and a source opens the transcript at that line.
Plan: Essential 15 questions/mo, Pro UnlimitedEssential15 questions/moProUnlimited
Ask across all past meetings: "What have we promised Lumora so far?" — answered "A 12-seat pilot for their support team starting next month, a revised proposal by Thursday, and the security questionnaire you said you'd send after the intro call." Sources: Lumora kickoff · Today · 8:41; Lumora kickoff · Today · 12:11; Lumora intro call · Thu last week · 5:12.
All meetings
Ask about any past meeting
Answers come from all your recorded calls, read oldest to newest, with a link to every moment they cite.
What’s the latest with Lumora?What did I commit to last week?Which calls discussed pricing this month?
We'd want twelve seats to start, for the support team, starting next month.
Joe Raman12:04
If the pilot goes well, we'd roll it out to all forty agents. Can you share the pilot pricing before then?
Me12:11
Great — I'll send the revised proposal by Thursday.
Maya Chen12:26
I'll set up the pilot workspace.
Me12:49
Let's book a pilot check-in with you two weeks in.
The Lumora intro call transcript, opened at 5:12.
At 5:12·
Joe Raman0:52
We're looking at tools for our support team — about forty agents.
Me1:10
Happy to walk you through how the notes and follow-ups work.
Joe Raman4:38
Security will want to see your answers before anything else.
Me5:12
I'll send over our security questionnaire after this.
Try it: pick the question, then a source under the answer.
Meeting exports
Send the calls you choose to your CRM through a webhook.
There’s no native Salesforce or HubSpot app. Instead, a meeting export sends a copy of each call to Zapier, Make, n8n or your own server, and your automation updates the deal.
Pick a category, such as Fernhill, and a destination.
“Send a copy of future calls in a category to a webhook — Zapier, Make, n8n, or your own server. Calls stay on this Mac; only what you pick is sent, and only calls that start after you set it up.”
Plan: Meeting exports, ProMeeting exportsPro
On your MacLumora kickoffAudio, transcript and notes, saved locally
You OK it“Ask me before each send”Review each call before it goes
SignedRelayed by our serverYour endpoint checks the signature
Your webhookZapier, Make, n8nOr your own server
Your CRMThe deal recordMapped by your automation
Fig. — A call’s path to your CRM, with your OK first.Illustration
Honest trade-offs
Where Fathom is better
If these matter most, Fathom is the better pick. Facts from Fathom’s own pages, read on Oct 5, 2026.
A free plan. Free forever, with unlimited recordings and transcription.1
Native CRM integrations. Salesforce and HubSpot sync without a webhook in between, with CRM field sync on Business.12
It doesn’t need a Mac. Its notetaker joins Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams calls. SwitchDesk is a Mac app.2
Team call libraries and coaching. Team playlists, global search, AI scorecards and coaching metrics on its team plans.1
Price and switching
What it costs, and how to move over
Prices as listed
Fathom and SwitchDesk prices, as listed on Oct 5, 2026
Plan
Price
Billing basis
Fathom Free
$0
free forever: unlimited recordings and transcription; AI action items and Ask Fathom are “limited use”
Fathom Premium
$16/mo
per user, billed yearly, or $20 billed monthly
Fathom Team
$15/mo
per user, billed yearly, or $19 monthly; 2-user minimum
Fathom Business
$25/mo
per user, billed yearly, or $34 monthly; 2-user minimum; CRM field sync and AI scorecards
SwitchDesk Essential
$12/mo
billed yearly, or $15 billed monthly
SwitchDesk Pro
$18/mo
billed yearly, or $23 billed monthly
Source: fathom.ai/pricing, read . Prices change; check the page before you buy.
Switching from Fathom
01
Keep your Fathom history.
There’s no importer. Fathom’s free plan keeps your past calls; SwitchDesk starts with your next one.
02
Turn on the countdown.
Switch on “Countdown before meetings” and a pill offers Record before each call. Settings → Meetings
03
Optional: record when you open the call.
“Auto-record when opening a meeting” starts recording when you click Open Meeting.
04
Set “How much to suggest”.
Choose “Everything”, “Concrete tasks only” or “High-confidence only” for the to-dos after each call.
05
On Pro, point a meeting export at your CRM.
Paste a Zapier, Make or n8n webhook and pick “Ask me before each send”. Settings → Meeting exports
Shown in the Apricot theme
SwitchDesk also does your dictation, screen videos and to-do list.
The same app and subscription. The to-dos from your calls land in the list you dictate into; a walkthrough video ends in a link.
SwitchDesk’s dictation pill: “Todo Added”.
Todo AddedAdd to...
Voice Dictation
Hold Globe, talk, let go. Clean text lands wherever your cursor is, and “add a todo …” files a to-do.
1.Set up the pilot workspaceSet up the pilot workspaceFernhill
3 categories hidden
Sam Rivera's Today's Todo
Reply to Daniel about the Q4 hiring planReply to Daniel about the Q4 hiring planFernhill
Record Lumora pilot walkthroughRecord Lumora pilot walkthroughFernhill
Prep pricing slides for ThursdayPrep pricing slides for ThursdayFernhill
Fernhill
Draft the onboarding checklistDraft the onboarding checklistFernhill
Sam Rivera's Fernhill
Send Joe the pilot timeline by ThursdaySend Joe the pilot timeline by ThursdayFernhill
Post the support-lead job listingPost the support-lead job listingFernhill
Add the salary rangeAdd the salary range
Share it in the founders' groupShare it in the founders' group
Book a pilot check-in with JoeBook a pilot check-in with JoeFernhill
UrgentBlocked
SwitchDesk to-do window, Apricot theme: Today's Todo: Set up the pilot workspace. Sam Rivera's Today's Todo: Reply to Daniel about the Q4 hiring plan (in progress); Record Lumora pilot walkthrough; Prep pricing slides for Thursday. Fernhill: Draft the onboarding checklist (in progress). Sam Rivera's Fernhill: Send Joe the pilot timeline by Thursday; Post the support-lead job listing; Book a pilot check-in with Joe.
Maya’s view: Sam’s Fernhill to-dos, including the ones he moved into Today. Nothing from Personal, Family or Pottery Shop.
No. SwitchDesk records your mic and your Mac’s audio as two tracks, so nothing appears in the participant list. It doesn’t announce itself either, so tell people you’re recording. Laws vary by place.
Can I import my Fathom recordings?
No. There’s no importer. Keep your Fathom history where it is; SwitchDesk starts with your next call.
Which call apps does it work with?
It records your mic and what your Mac plays, rather than joining through a call app. Speaker names come from Google Meet’s own captions; on other call apps, transcript lines read “Me” and “Them”.
Can notes go straight into Salesforce or HubSpot?
Not directly. On Pro, a meeting export sends the calls you choose to a webhook (Zapier, Make, n8n or your own server), and your automation updates the CRM. Set it up in Settings → Meeting exports.
Is there a free plan?
No. There’s a 14-day free trial of Pro. After that, Essential is $12/mo billed yearly, or $15 monthly.
Does it run on Windows?
No. SwitchDesk is a Mac app for macOS 14.6 or later.
What leaves my Mac during a call?
Your mic and the call’s audio stream to our transcription provider for the live transcript. After the call, the transcript goes to an AI model for the notes, suggested to-dos and Ask. The recording files stay on your Mac.