Schedly vs Fathom
Fathom is a popular free AI note-taker for Zoom — it records, transcribes, and summarizes Zoom calls at no cost. Schedly is a complete platform: scheduling, HIPAA-eligible video, and AI notes including clinical formats. Here is when each is the right choice.
Independently researched. No sponsored rankings.
Which is right for you?
Skip to the part that matters for your situation.
Choose Schedly if you...
- Need HIPAA compliance with a signed BAA
- Need SOAP, DAP, or BIRP clinical notes for healthcare sessions
- Want scheduling and AI notes in one platform — no Zoom required
- Run telehealth or clinical sessions where Fathom's BAA absence is a blocker
- Need to collect payment at booking
Stick with Fathom if you...
- You want the best free meeting notes tier available and Zoom is your standard
- HIPAA is not a concern for your use case
- Your entire team is standardized on Zoom and switching is not feasible
Even in these cases, we recommend trying Schedly Free — migration takes 30 minutes and your calendar stays untouched.
The features that matter most
The specific areas where Schedly delivers meaningfully more value.
Scheduling included — not just notes
Schedly books the meeting, runs the video session, and generates notes. Fathom only covers the notes layer — you still need a separate scheduling tool and you must use Zoom.
Works without Zoom
Fathom requires Zoom. Schedly Video is built in — no Zoom subscription needed. For users paying $15+/month for Zoom, Schedly can replace that cost.
HIPAA-eligible with signed BAA
Schedly offers signed Business Associate Agreements for healthcare customers. Fathom does not currently offer a BAA — making it unsuitable for HIPAA-covered healthcare use.
Clinical note formats
Schedly generates SOAP, DAP, and BIRP clinical notes. Fathom generates general meeting summaries. For therapists, health coaches, and healthcare providers, Schedly's clinical documentation is the critical differentiator.
Every feature compared.
No marketing spin. Just what each platform actually includes.
SchedlyFathomWhat you actually pay
No hidden fees. No enterprise gatekeeping.
SchedlyBest ValueUnlimited bookings · 1 event type · calendar sync
Everything + SMS, payments, HIPAA, team routing
FathomFree · Team $19/seat/moEven in its best cases, we recommend trying Schedly Free before committing.
Pricing based on publicly available plan information. Verify current pricing at each vendor's website before purchasing.
Start Free — See the Difference"Fathom is an excellent free choice for teams that live in Zoom and need AI meeting notes without clinical documentation or scheduling integration. Schedly is the right choice for healthcare providers, coaches, financial advisors, and professional service providers who need scheduling, HIPAA-eligible video, and structured clinical or professional documentation in one platform."
Switching is embarrassingly easy.
Your calendar stays untouched. Your existing meetings survive. Your clients get a better experience from day one.
Create your Schedly account
Sign up at schedly.io — no credit card required. Connect your Google or Outlook calendar with one click. Schedly reads your availability in real time without touching existing events.
Set up your event types
Recreate your event types in Schedly (or use the import tool if switching from a supported platform). Configure your availability, durations, and intake questions exactly as you had them.
Swap your booking links and go live
Replace your old booking URLs in your email signature, website, and outreach with your new Schedly link. Your clients see a cleaner, branded booking page — no Schedly badge on Pro.
Frequently asked questions
Fathom does not currently offer a HIPAA BAA, making it unsuitable for sessions involving Protected Health Information. Schedly offers signed BAAs for healthcare customers.
Fathom primarily integrates with Zoom. Google Meet support is limited. Schedly Video is a built-in video platform that does not require Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams.
You could, but it would be redundant for video sessions. Schedly's integrated approach — scheduling + Schedly Video + AI notes — replaces the need for Fathom for most use cases.
Fathom vs Schedly: Free Zoom Notes vs Complete Clinical Platform
Fathom is one of the best free meeting note-takers available. Its free tier includes unlimited recordings, transcription, and AI summaries for Zoom calls -- a genuinely impressive free product for business teams that live in Zoom. The constraint is that Fathom is Zoom-only (Google Meet support is limited), has no scheduling functionality, and critically, does not offer a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement. For healthcare providers and clinical practitioners, that last point is a hard blocker.
Why Healthcare Providers Cannot Use Fathom
Any session involving Protected Health Information -- therapy, health coaching, telehealth, medical consultations -- requires HIPAA compliance from every tool that touches session data. Fathom does not currently offer a BAA, which means it is not suitable for clinical use regardless of its other capabilities. Schedly is built for this use case: HIPAA-eligible scheduling, HIPAA-eligible video sessions via Schedly Video, and AI clinical notes in SOAP, DAP, and BIRP formats -- all with a signed BAA available on Pro plans.
The Value of Integration vs. Best-of-Breed
Fathom's free tier represents genuine value for teams running all meetings through Zoom who are not in regulated industries. But every Fathom user still needs a scheduling tool and a Zoom subscription. For clinical and professional service providers, Schedly's integrated approach -- one platform, one login, one monthly cost -- eliminates the tool sprawl that comes with assembling a best-of-breed stack. At $24/month, Schedly Pro replaces Calendly + Zoom + Fathom for most professional service workflows.
Related Schedly resources
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