HumlaThe local, open-source Fathom alternative
Fathom's free tier is generous — but every meeting is processed and stored in its US cloud. Humla keeps it on your Mac.
Free · Open source · macOS 13+ (Apple Silicon)
Which should you pick?
- Switch to Humla if you want a free, local, open-source alternative that keeps meetings on your Mac.
- Stick with Fathom if you want an unusually generous free cloud tier — unlimited recordings and storage — plus video capture.
Why people leave Fathom.
Why people look for a Fathom alternative — the reasons that come up most.
- Every meeting lives in Fathom's US cloud. Recordings are processed and stored on its servers — there's no fully on-device mode.
- It defaults to a visible bot. The newer bot-free mode is Mac-only, and either way the recording still goes to the cloud.
- Your meetings can improve its models. Fathom uses de-identified customer data to train unless you opt out.
- The free tier is generous, but paid plans run $15–34/user/month.
What Humla does instead.
Humla is the local, open-source take that never uploads a thing.
- Runs on your Mac. Transcription and summaries can run entirely on-device with Whisper on Apple Silicon — nothing has to leave the machine.
- No bot, nothing uploaded. Humla records your Mac directly; there's no participant in the call and no cloud copy.
- Nothing to train on. No backend and no telemetry — Humla only talks to the AI providers you choose.
- Free and open source. The app is free and MIT-licensed; optional team sync is $5/user/month — or self-host it free.
- Real speaker labels, kept audio. Offline diarization with colour-coded pills, plus a local playback file so you can re-listen.
- Speaks your language. Around 99 languages via Whisper — on-device or with your own key — plus a dedicated Norwegian model and per-language routing.
See a meeting become a note.
New note, record, summary — that's the whole workflow. The cleanup afterwards is none, on a five-minute meeting or an hour-long one.
When Fathom is still the better pick.
Humla isn't for everyone. Stick with Fathom if:
- You want an unusually generous free cloud tier — unlimited recordings and storage — plus video capture.
- You want first-party CRM integrations and cross-platform/mobile support — Humla is Mac-only.
- You're comfortable with your meetings being stored and processed in Fathom's US cloud.
FAQ
Is there a Fathom alternative that runs locally?+
Yes — Humla can run transcription and summaries fully on-device with Whisper on Apple Silicon, so meetings never leave your Mac.
Does Humla put a bot in the call like Fathom?+
No. Humla records your Mac directly, so nothing joins the call as a participant.
Is Humla free?+
The app is free and open source, with no meeting caps. Optional team sync is $5/user/month, or self-host it free.