Fathom vs Qarar: when an upload-first notetaker fits

Fathom and Qarar get the meeting audio in different ways. Below is what Fathom publishes about Arabic and capture, followed by how Qarar works from a recording. These are the company’s published capabilities and plans, not a test: we have not compared Fathom and Qarar on the same recording.

What Fathom publishes about Arabic and capture

• Fathom’s help center says “We currently support transcripts in 38 languages”, and Arabic is one of them. The same page says translated summaries are available only for the languages it marks in bold: German, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, English and French. Arabic is not marked. ^[1]
• Fathom’s pricing page lists “Choice of bot-free (in beta) or bot capture” on its Free plan, and its feature table calls bot-free capture a “Beta feature for Mac”. ^[2]
• In a help article edited 22 August 2025, Fathom says: “Right now, Fathom can only record and transcribe live meetings on Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams - we do not support uploaded calls.” ^[3]

Upload-first, in practice

• In-person meetings: record on your phone or laptop, then upload the file.
• Zoom, Teams and Meet: use the platform’s own recording, then upload the file.
• Browser meetings: record your microphone and the tab’s audio in Chrome or Edge.
• On a Mac with macOS 14.4 or later: Qarar’s optional menu-bar recorder captures the meeting audio, then uploads it.

Choosing between them

• If your meetings are on Zoom, Google Meet or Teams and you want them recorded as they happen, that is the workflow Fathom describes.
• If your meetings happen in person or on a phone, or arrive as files, Qarar works from the recording. Test it on one of them.
• Whichever you choose, check the transcript of one of your own Arabic meetings against what was said.