Fellow score factors
Editorial quality82
Practical utility86
Trust & transparency85
Freshness88
Engagement quality7
Momentum100
Decision guide · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026 · AI Meeting Assistants, AI Meeting Summaries & Action Items
Fellow
79.3
Zoom AI Companion
74.5Choose Fellow when you need regulated enterprises, financial firms, and security-conscious teams needing botless recording with strict data retention rules. Choose Zoom AI Companion when you need Teams and organizations running meetings inside Zoom Workplace seeking native summaries, in-meeting AI queries, and connected follow-up workflows..
At a glance
The practical differences
| Decision factor | Fellow | Zoom AI Companion |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | regulated enterprises, financial firms, and security-conscious teams needing botless recording with strict data retention rules | Teams and organizations running meetings inside Zoom Workplace seeking native summaries, in-meeting AI queries, and connected follow-up workflows. |
| Not ideal for | individuals looking for open-ended free transcription or teams wanting bot-only public web transcription without desktop software | Organizations operating completely outside Zoom or teams requiring strictly credit-free, unlimited autonomous agent tasks. |
| Pricing | At the review date (September 2026), Fellow offers a free tier (limited to 5 lifetime AI notes and 5 seats), a Team tier at $7/user/month billed annually ($11 monthly), Business at $15/user/month billed annually ($23 monthly), and Enterprise starting at $25/user/month billed annually (minimum 10 seats). Always verify current tiers on the official pricing page. | At the review date, Zoom includes basic AI features (like 3 meeting summaries and My Notes uses per month) on free Workplace Basic accounts. Full Zoom AI features and My Notes are included with eligible Zoom Workplace paid plans starting at $14.16/user/month, or as a standalone My Notes plan starting at $8.33/user/month. Advanced ZoomMate agentic capabilities use a credit model (2,200 monthly AI credits). Check official Zoom pricing for current terms. |
| Key difference | Fellow pairs flexible capture—including device-level botless recording—with regulated governance controls like zero-day audio retention, MNPI redaction, and compliance archiving via Global Relay. | Native integration directly within the Zoom client and meeting infrastructure removes the need for third-party attendee bots, with explicit commitments that customer audio and video are not used to train AI models. |
| Overall rank | #50 | #378 |
| Review verdict | Fellow is well suited for organizations in regulated sectors or privacy-sensitive corporate environments that need structured meeting records without introducing unvetted recording bots into client calls. It may not fit teams seeking an entirely free ongoing tool, as its free tier is strictly capped at five lifetime AI recordings. | Zoom AI Companion is an ideal choice for organizations already invested in Zoom Workplace who want seamless meeting transcription, recaps, and agentic task automations without external bot friction. Teams that conduct calls exclusively on rival platforms without Zoom or that require completely unlimited advanced agentic actions without credit tracking may prefer dedicated alternatives. |
Zoom AI Companion score factors
Editorial quality82
Practical utility86
Trust & transparency82
Freshness88
Engagement quality10
Momentum25
Fellow strengths
- No training on customer data across all plans, including free
- Botless recording operates quietly via desktop app without disrupting client calls
- Robust compliance features including zero-day retention, HIPAA eligibility, and SOC 2 Type II certification
- Integrates with over 50 tools including CRMs, project management software, and Claude
Zoom AI Companion strengths
- Native Zoom integration runs without disruptive third-party participant bots joining the call.
- Included at no extra licensing cost on eligible Zoom Workplace paid plans.
- Works across third-party meeting platforms like Microsoft Teams and Google Meet via My Notes.
- Vendor pledges not to use customer communications (audio, video, chat) to train AI models.
- Turns meeting notes directly into presentations, spreadsheets, and structured documents.
Frequently asked
Fellow vs Zoom AI Companion
Should I choose Fellow or Zoom AI Companion?+
Choose Fellow when you need regulated enterprises, financial firms, and security-conscious teams needing botless recording with strict data retention rules. Choose Zoom AI Companion when you need Teams and organizations running meetings inside Zoom Workplace seeking native summaries, in-meeting AI queries, and connected follow-up workflows.. ToolsRank scores Fellow 79.3 and Zoom AI Companion 74.5; the gap reflects editorial quality, utility, trust, and freshness, not popularity or payment.
Is Fellow cheaper than Zoom AI Companion?+
Fellow: At the review date (September 2026), Fellow offers a free tier (limited to 5 lifetime AI notes and 5 seats), a Team tier at $7/user/month billed annually ($11 monthly), Business at $15/user/month billed annually ($23 monthly), and Enterprise starting at $25/user/month billed annually (minimum 10 seats). Always verify current tiers on the official pricing page. Zoom AI Companion: At the review date, Zoom includes basic AI features (like 3 meeting summaries and My Notes uses per month) on free Workplace Basic accounts. Full Zoom AI features and My Notes are included with eligible Zoom Workplace paid plans starting at $14.16/user/month, or as a standalone My Notes plan starting at $8.33/user/month. Advanced ZoomMate agentic capabilities use a credit model (2,200 monthly AI credits). Check official Zoom pricing for current terms. Compare the plan you would actually use and verify current prices on each vendor's pricing page before purchasing.
Which is better for ai meeting assistants?+
Fellow currently scores higher for ai meeting assistants work. Zoom AI Companion remains the stronger pick when your priority is Teams and organizations running meetings inside Zoom Workplace seeking native summaries, in-meeting AI queries, and connected follow-up workflows.. Avoid Fellow if you are individuals looking for open-ended free transcription or teams wanting bot-only public web transcription without desktop software.
Can I use Fellow and Zoom AI Companion together?+
Yes. Fellow stands out for fellow pairs flexible capture—including device-level botless recording—with regulated governance controls like zero-day audio retention, MNPI redaction, and compliance archiving via Global Relay. Zoom AI Companion stands out for native integration directly within the Zoom client and meeting infrastructure removes the need for third-party attendee bots, with explicit commitments that customer audio and video are not used to train AI models. Pairing them makes sense when one workflow needs both strengths; otherwise pick the tool that matches your primary job.