Screen-aware desktop context vs call-only recorders
Side-by-side comparison
Fathom
- Restricted strictly to video calls (Zoom, Meet, Teams)
- Uploads and streams all audio/video data to cloud servers
- No desktop search, file indexing, or active screen memory
Maple
- Silent native recorder for all voice apps and offline talks
- 100% on-device database and local AI embeddings
- Continuous screen-aware memory mapping
Key differences
Recording Scope
Tracks only structured virtual conferences on Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams.
Silent, background system-level capture. Works on Slack huddles, browser calls, and local audio.
Screen Indexing
No awareness of open applications, browsers, Figma layers, terminal commands, or code.
Stitches meetings together with a timeline of what was actually visible on your screen during the call.
Data Sovereignty
Streams call records to Fathom's cloud servers for hosting and shared transcript access.
Runs 100% locally. Audio transcription and context embeddings never leave your physical hard drive.
Retrieval UX
Requires visiting a centralized cloud dashboard to watch playbacks and extract notes.
Accessible instantly anywhere on your system via global keyboard hotkey (⌥ Space).
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