Zoom vs Cisco WebEx Comparison Pricing Security and Features

If you are looking for a collaboration software for your business, you will need to look for one that is competitive enough. Collaboration technologies help you host meetings and presentations with ease. In fact, being able to conduct meetings even when sitting miles apart is one of the best options that these tools offer you. Two such capable tools that help you achieve it are Zoom and WebEx. In fact, it is quite confusing to choose the best of these two software tools (Zoom vs Cisco WebEx), and that is precisely what we would want to help you with.

Related Reading: WebEx vs GoToMeeting

What is Zoom?

One of the prominent tools for using video and web conferencing, Zoom is a name synonymous with consistent and excellent services. Work with Zoom and opt for the best in web conference, online meeting, and group messaging.

The software offers services like video webinar, meetings, Business IM, Zoom Rooms to name just a few. An easy to use interface coupled with an optimized functionality makes it one of the great choices for your collaboration requirements.

Cisco WebEx – An Overview

Just like Zoom, this is yet another great tool that can aid you to host a meeting and conduct video conferences without any issues concerning the physical distance. It has a host of functionalities making it one of the excellent alternatives to Zoom.

The WebEx Meeting Centre lets you meet up people from your own company across multiple locations, while it also helps you host webinars and other events with WebEx Event Centre. A quality product from the house of Cisco, it is one of the excellent options you can opt for all your needs in collaboration with your team and clients.

Related Reading: Cisco WebEx vs Skype for Business

Zoom vs Cisco WebEx – A Comparison

Having gone through an introduction to the two competing collaboration tools par excellence, let us compare the features and functionality of the tools in more exquisite detail. This can be helpful in making the best choice between the two options.

Infrastructure

The required infrastructure is an essential aspect while choosing the right collaboration tool. From that perspective, we would consider Zoom to be the more comfortable option in comparison to WebEx. The Cisco WebEx is a quite complicated tool when it comes to setting it up and ease of use.

Zoom will need you to opt for Video Conference Codec, and Cloud Connector account to get it up and to go. That would indeed make it quite simple in sharp contrast to WebEx which will need a more extensive suite of applications and tools. If you are opting for WebEx, you will need to have access video conference codex, VCS Control, and Expressway, MCU, TMS or Telepresence Management Suite, Smartnet and WebEx paid account.

The Features

Of course, being the most capable collaboration software tools, both of them come with a host of features that both these tools share between themselves. However, there are a few features you will find only with one of them.

WebEx offers you Co-Browsing, File Transfer and Removing of attendees from the meeting features. Zoom does not provide you with such options. Likewise, you will not find the features like Break-Out Sessions on WebEx, while Zoom offers these options for your needs.

Capacity

The capacity is yet another option that should help you make the right decision on the collaboration tool for your organization. In fact, the perfect choice would ideally depend upon the number of employees you have in your organization and the number of attendees you would typically have in an online meeting.

WebEx can support up to 8 members at a time, whereas Zoom can handle around 50 attendees at a time while you are on a web conferencing or video conferencing.

User-friendly Nature

Any tool that you opt for should have the best user-friendly nature. No matter how capable the software may be, it will not serve any purpose until it can be used without going through any of the hassles or complications.

In case you are not able to use the software confidently, it may indeed be a waste of time. From that perspective, Zoom is more user-friendly compared to WebEx. You can make use of the tool on any of your devices. One touch option to go for video conferencing is one of the excellent options you can opt for.

Security Features

If you are into online business meetings and conferences, the first and foremost thing you need to consider is security. When it comes to online communication and video conferencing – the safety of your online security is one of the essential aspects.

Both the tools have capable security features in place. Highly advanced security features would make both of them excellent options for all your needs. Encryption and user authentication are a few features that you will indeed find useful and practical enough. WebEx offers you OTP or One Time Password for a secure login option which Zoom may not be able to offer.

The Mobile Friendly Functionality – Zoom vs Cisco WebEx

We live on our smartphones these days. Perfect mobile compatibility is an essential element you will indeed look ahead to. The options for cloud functionality and workability on mobiles should be one of the prime choices.

Both Zoom and WebEx live up to your expectations. Both of them have both standalone and cloud-based clients and can work seamlessly with your smartphones.

Pricing

Pricing can be another point that needs particular attention. Pricing of the tool is quite comfortable with Zoom. If you are considering opting for WebEx, the service can be quite expensive in its own right.

The minimum pricing for WebEx is $ 24 per month per user, while the similar pricing for Zoom will begin at $ 15 per month per user. The services offered by Zoom are a bit better and reliable when compared to the WebEx services at the same price.

Following it Up

Of course, these tools let you meet up and discuss the future developments. But, what about following up? No meeting will be fruitful unless you follow it up for the real world results.

Zoom excels once again in this section. It offers you a Participant Reporting feature so that each of the participants can be requested to follow up. WebEx lacks this feature.

A Few Pros and Cons – Zoom vs Cisco WebEx

Having gone through the features of each of these two tools based on a few functions and capabilities, let us now check out a few Pros and cons of each of these tools for a better understanding.

WebEx

The Pros

• It is one of the best options for global communication. It has a connection in almost every country throughout the globe.
• The Webinar performance quite speedy enough. You can work with it on almost all browsers.
• It can be one of the best options for working with new clients.
• It offers you easy to use dial-up options and access codes
• Ability to mute attendees and share screens or any applications seamlessly

The Cons

• There is no recorder option available on the tool
• There is no option to invite more attendees to the meeting.
• Considerably lower number of attendees.
• Sound quality is good, but there is still room for improvements.

Zoom

The Pros

• The tool is simple to set up to start using.
• Download and installs do not take more than under a minute.
• The installer is remarkably smaller in size. Call quality and clarity are indeed quite excellent.

The Cons

• The software does not come with any Profile to work with. Switching between profiles would have been a great option if available
• No Chromecast support is available.

The Concluding Thoughts

Well, that was a comparison between Zoom and Cisco WebEx for effective collaboration and conference meetings. You would consider Zoom to be the best option among the two given the user-friendly functionality and pricing. In fact, almost every review you may come across puts Zoom to be more active in comparison to WebEx. Of course, WebEx comes with a few excellent high-end features, but when it comes to the intuitive usability and a user-friendly interface, Zoom beats it to the core.

Finally, the question you should ask should ideally be “ which tool meets my needs” than “ which tool is the best.” No matter what features and functionality that a software tool may offer, unless it meets the exact needs you have as an end user, no features will be worthwhile to meet your requirements. From that perspective, we will consider the ultimate choice should ideally rest with you.

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