Comparison
Fathom vs Qarar: when an upload-first notetaker fits
Meeting assistants differ in how they get the audio; some record the call while it happens. Qarar starts from a recording, which matters when the meeting happened in person, on a phone, or on a platform your notetaker does not join.
Why spoken Arabic needs its own handling
- In July 2026 Cohere released an open-source Arabic transcription model aimed at “dialect variety, bilingual Arabic-English conversations, code-switching”. [1]
- Arageek reported that founders “struggle with tools that handle English beautifully but stumble the moment a Gulf dialect is introduced.” [2]
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.
- A Mac menu-bar recorder is coming soon.
Choosing between them
- If your meetings are in English and you want an assistant inside the call, a live-recording tool may suit you.
- If your meetings are in dialect, in person, or arrive as files, test Qarar on one of them.
Questions
Can I upload an existing recording to Qarar?
Yes. Qarar accepts common audio and video files such as M4A, MP3, WAV and MP4.
Does Qarar work for in-person meetings?
Yes. Record the meeting on your phone or laptop, then upload the file.
Is there a desktop app?
A Mac app is coming soon. Until then, upload the recording or record in Chrome.
Sources
Sources checked in September 2026. Other products’ features and prices change; verify them before you buy.