Webex Vs. Zoom: What is the Best Video Conferencing Software?

Video conferencing is becoming the norm for companies everywhere in response to the rise in remote work, international meetings, and travel. Team collaboration and check ins require top-notch video conferencing software to accommodate the needs of your company. You’ve been tasked with the important decision, what video conferencing software will work best for your team? 

Things to consider are plans and pricing, quality and versatility of conferencing solutions, integration capabilities, cybersecurity, and overall ease of use and user experience (UX). Below we’ve compared these aspects between WebEx and Zoom video conferencing software. Let’s compare. 

Comparison 1: Plans & Pricing - WebEx vs. Zoom 

You need a plan that supports the needs of your company but allows you to stay within budget. Below, we’ve compared the plans for WebEx and Zoom which details the pricing and features for both. 

Winner - Tie  

While both plans offer a free version, WebEx seems to be less transparent with the pricing of their enterprise plan. It does, however, offer two mid-plan options which allows for a more targeted solution for video conferencing needs. Depending on the size of your organization however, you are likely able to walk away with a better rate for both software solutions. Keep that in mind when considering which video conferencing software is best for you.

Comparison 2: Quality and Versatility of Video Conferencing Solutions 

Standards-based video conferencing is an important factor to consider when analyzing the quality and versatility of your software. If video conferencing software meets this standard platform, then it should connect seamlessly and securely to any hardware and software endpoints. You need clear and secure video and audio, and reliable performance that will allow any user the ability to reach teammates anywhere at any time of day.

For this section, we will compare the audio and video quality, the number of potential attendees at one time, and the quality and usability of the mobile apps for each software.

Audio and Video Quality

Number of Attendees & Number of People on Screen at One Time

Mobile Apps & Interoperability

Your team shouldn’t have to be at their desktop to join a meeting. For their convenience and to ensure full attendance, mobile apps with interoperability will allow your team to access meetings from anywhere. Here we compare Cisco WebEx's Meetings Mobile App and Zoom's Mobile App. 

Winner: WebEx

The WebEx app offers a more robust platform, allowing for a larger attendance rate than Zoom. It also offers a mobile app with comparable usability and featured functions to Zoom. 

Comparison 3: Integration Capabilities 

Toggling between multiple software platforms to keep track of all the necessary data is a hassle. Both Zoom and WebEx video conferencing software offer integrations to help keep all important tools and information in one easy-to-reach spot. This simplifies the lives of everyone involved. Take a look at a few of the integrations that each video conferencing software has to offer. 

Winner: WebEx

WebEx offers more integration capabilities. This will assist with overall user experience and allow your company to make better use of their existing software, CMS systems, and more. 

Comparison 4: Cybersecurity 

As you know, cybersecurity, especially when dealing with confidential or private documentation and information is of the utmost importance. Each software has their own security measures in place to ensure secure meeting rooms.

Zoom Security Flaw

As of July 2019, Time reporters uncovered a Security flaw in Zoom’s videoconferencing software. The flaw may have left multiple users vulnerable to spying. This recent security breach unfortunately has cost Zoom many points in the cybersecurity arena. Webex has explained the importance of security overall, especially given the complications that can arise with interoperability, and it seems they have continued to align with these standards. With those factors weighing in, the victor for this round goes to Webex.

Winner: Webex

Both software platforms invest in meeting compliance standards for their prospective industries. WebEx does not directly state that they are HIPAA compliant, but imply that the user of their software should review the security measures themselves. There are different demands for cybersecurity across industries, this approach would allow the user to confirm that their needs are met, not assume that they are as Zoom seems to do.

Comparison 5: Ease of Use and Overall User Experience (UX) 

This last comparison will help you determine the basics of user experience. Keep in mind that everyone who will be using this software is not an IT professional, so you will need to make sure that scheduling and joining meetings is simple and seamless. Take a look at a few basic UX focused features for each below. 

Winner: WebEx

While Zoom offers more interactive features, WebEx is geared more towards secure interoperability and allowing more members into meetings with ease. Which factors are more important for your business?

The Verdict

Depending on the size of your organization and the frequency for which you will need a reliable video conferencing software, WebEx may provide a better solution as it allows for larger meeting attendance while still maintaining a high level of usability, security, and overall quality. If you are going for a more affordable option, Zoom offers a cheaper business plan that includes an impressive number of features, however, depending on the size of your organization Webex may offer a more cost-effective option. 

At the end of the day, however, user experience and video conferencing versatility and capability are the true determining factors. While maintaining general security compliance, WebEx offers simple touch and go meeting scheduling and attendance. With that being said, both options offer comparable benefits and ultimately, the decision is yours to determine the option that will work best for your company. 

IE & Cisco Webex: Let Us Help You Bring Your Team Together

We can help streamline the installation and maintenance of Webex so that it works for your team. As your IT solutions provider, we would help you address common collaboration issues and provide tiered adoption services options to help quickly onboard your team, accelerate adoption, and achieve a faster ROI.

If you would like a free 90-day trial of Webex video conferencing software, contact our Webex Specialists at IE for more information. We look forward to helping you find the best video conferencing software solution for your company.