Comparing the differences between Webex vs. Zoom  

Nowadays, even if you’re working on-site it’s highly likely you’ll still use online video conferencing or run webinars and events to meet with remote team members, customers, and partners. On a very basic level, all video communication platforms do the same thing. But that doesn’t mean they’re completely interchangeable, or that some platforms don’t do certain things better than others. It’s always worth investigating and making comparisons to see which video conferencing solution will work best for you. In this article, we’re going to compare two of the best-known: Cisco’s Webex vs. the ubiquitous Zoom.

What is Webex?

Webex is a long-established communication solution, first established as an independent startup in 1995 and later in 2007 acquired and reworked by the networking/telecommunications giant Cisco. While the name has been around for quite a while, the Webex product has been continuously updated and refined. As a tool backed by a big name in technology, Webex’s evolution over time has been with tech-savvy business users firmly in mind. Currently, they offer a suite of professional-grade conferencing and communication solutions, including a fairly robust free video conferencing plan.

What is Zoom?

Zoom is a highly recognized name in the field of web meeting products. Like Webex, Zoom has been around for some time. Zoom was founded and launched in 2011-2013 by a former Cisco Webex VP. While it was gradually building up a positive reputation in the online meeting field, true to its name Zoom seemed to surge to the front of the pack during widespread shifts to remote work during the Covid pandemic. Zoom is well known for its free version but also offers paid plans for individuals and businesses, and completed their offering with webinars and events.

Comparing Webex vs Zoom:

When comparing Webex vs. Zoom on their merits as webinar, virtual event, and web conferencing solutions, it’s important to remember that choosing the most recognizable name does not automatically mean you get the best possible product. Software products have their own strengths as well as weaknesses–and where one product is lacking, another might be a better alternative. That said, both Zoom and Webex have a fairly decent reputation to go with their name recognition, and barring more specific requirements, can “get the job done” as far as webinars, virtual events, and online meetings go. For more specific details, and to get a better sense of which product might fit your more specific use case, we’ll lay out the most crucial details below.

●     Main features comparison

Comparing the main features of Webex vs. Zoom is a relatively straightforward affair: At base capacity, both have online meetings of approximately 40 minutes with a capacity of about 100 people, team chats, screen sharing, and access to an interactive whiteboard. Both can also open meetings in a browser window or a downloaded app version. Zoom webinars, however, capped the access at a hefty 500+ attendee price point for a fairly limited feature offering. For a similar price point, Webex allows for 1,000 attendees and more features. Conversely, Zoom gave their virtual event solution a richer set of features, compared to Webex.

These core features are expanded out in paid plans. Depending on your price point and business size, the paid features may become more relevant and desirable. Both products also offer Enterprise tiers, though the features of an enterprise plan differ. Webex seems to have a more modest set of enterprise features vs. Zoom.

●     Main differences

As we pointed out before, the essential use and functionality of Webex vs. Zoom are remarkably similar. Since web conferencing, webinar, and virtual event platforms are generally not the most complicated software to learn, the user experience will also be similar. There shouldn’t be a huge learning curve between one or the other. There IS likely to be some preference for one or the other based on the region in which you do business (we’ll discuss that more below).

Aside from the mostly identical functionality, there are a few cosmetic differences in the UI. Webex frequently compares positively vs. Zoom for attractiveness and ease of use. That said, Webex doesn’t have any startling innovations in controls or layout that edge out the competition. Zoom offers video filters and 3D avatars at all tiers (including free). On the other hand, window dressing is not likely to be a key selling feature.

One difference not necessarily in Webex’s favor is that while both have the same video specs, Zoom provides 1080p/HD video quality automatically (where applicable) while Webex requires back-end work by its administrator to enable 1080p video. Both Zoom and Webex default to 720p video.

●     Pros and cons of each platform

At the free level both services are relatively similar and provide a similar user experience, so picking Webex vs. Zoom (or vice versa) is a matter of deciding which trade-offs you can live with.

If moving to a paid plan, you’ll want to be more careful with the analysis. From our research here are a few starting bullet points.

Zoom:

• • • A popular app with a well-recognized name may already be used by many potential conference attendees.
    • Zoom paid plans can run meetings longer than 24 hours if you need that capability.
    • Paid-tier Zoom can also offer a higher capacity for meetings than Webex.
    • Has received a reputation for poor security. (They’re working on that.)

Webex:

• • • Plans trend cheaper; if both sets of features seem identical to you, you’ll save some budget here.
    • Easy to learn.
    • While both apps have the same video specs, Webex’s HD options are more limited “right out of the box.”
    • Better reputation for meeting security.
    • As mentioned, Webex is less widely used, which may lead to difficulties.

●     Pricing plans

Both companies post their pricing plans on their websites. We won’t burn through a lot of column space here with an overview since prices and offers change quickly over time, but it’s worth noting that Zoom offers 5 pricing plans to Webex’s 4, and in general, Zoom appears to be heavier on offering more features (overall) and adding features as you move away from the most basic price tier. However, depending on your specific needs, we can’t definitively say that translates to “better value.”

●     Typical customers of each platform

We’ll state the obvious and say that while Zoom is almost universally used in US offices, particularly in hybrid situations, Webex does not have the same customer base in the US market (… so much so that a default search for their price plans may show you the cost in Indian rupees). Anticipate possible complications with external meetings or integrations.

Both services are appealing to small businesses and contractors, particularly the free plans, and see strong adoption for that type of use. For people who only need to host short, infrequent online meetings or connect with a few remote employees, the free and lower-tier paid plans offer the same essential features.

●     Which tool suits your business more?

Ultimately weighing the pros and cons of Webex vs. Zoom as it applies to your business will be up to you.

The free plans are very similar, so if it comes down to only needing basic service, either one can work. As far as paid plans, Zoom’s paid plans tend to have more conference call capacity (meeting length, meeting size, streaming options) while Webex plans tend to offer more storage. Weighing which trade-off is more advantageous is down to your use case and an individual decision. It might also just seem more advantageous to use whichever product is more widely adopted in your geographical region.

Kaltura as a better alternative for video communication:

There’s a good chance that neither Zoom nor Webex will tick all of your boxes for video communication needs, or you’ve tried one (or both!) and are looking for an alternative. In that case, you should look into Kaltura’s video comm solutions:

• • Kaltura Webinars
  • Kaltura Events
  • Kaltura Meetings

There are no trade-offs on quality, functionality, or capacity here: Kaltura provides scalable, brandable, and highly customizable corporate communication solutions with enterprise streaming quality, security, accessibility, and AI capability. All our solutions come with automatic session recording, VOD upload to the same url for smart content repurposing, and advanced analytics.

That’s just scratching the surface of the possibilities Kaltura can offer to enhance your video strategy and digital experiences – we also encourage you to start a free trial or request a demo. Experience first-hand the numerous enhancements we can offer over other solutions.

Conclusion

Settling on a tool for your business can be complicated. The best move in picking between Webex vs. Zoom is to determine whether you strongly prefer one price package or quote over the other. You’d also do well to remember that there are other options–it’s possible you could find a better fit with another product such as Kaltura! Finally, don’t hesitate to test out free versions of whichever platform you want to size up; if nothing else you might discover that you prefer one user experience over the other.