In today’s fast-paced, interconnected world, businesses seek ways to enhance communication, collaboration, and efficiency. Video conferencing has emerged as a powerful tool that addresses these needs, bridging geographical distances and fostering real-time interactions. By incorporating video conferencing into your business strategy, you can unlock advantages that elevate your operations and propel your organization towards success.
Video conferencing facilitates seamless communication between individuals and teams, regardless of their physical location. This eliminates the limitations of traditional phone calls and email exchanges, allowing more nuanced interactions. Video conferencing shows facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice, enhancing understanding and minimizing misinterpretations.
Embedding video conferencing directly into your website further amplifies its benefits. By providing a readily accessible platform for virtual meetings. Imagine the convenience of scheduling a consultation with a potential client without the hassle of leaving their office. Or picture the impact of conducting a product demo while showcasing the product live in action, on your own site surrounded by your own branding.
Zoom is the most well-known video conference platform that is used by businesses worldwide to host virtual meetings. However, Zoom is receiving a lot of competition from other robust video conferencing platforms like Whereby.
In this article, we’ll compare Zoom vs Whereby and see how well they stack up against each other. This can help you better understand which video conference platform is the better option for your business.
Zoom vs Whereby: Overview
Zoom is one of the most popular video conference platforms that’s used by businesses worldwide to connect with team members.
One of the highlight features of Zoom that makes it the go-to solution for most businesses is its responsive virtual meetings. You can host virtual meetings with high-quality audio and video, so it’s easier to communicate with your team members. You can also use the digital whiteboard to get your points or ideas across to your team members, making it the ideal tool for brainstorming and collaborating with your team.
Additionally, Zoom also gives you access to other useful features like a dedicated phone system, interaction with email and scheduling apps, and the ability to set up online webinars and events for your target audience. You can interact and host webinars or live events for your learners using Zoom’s robust video platform. It’s designed to help businesses virtually connect and collaborate with team members while also offering functionality for hosting secure virtual events.
Whereby offers an all-in-one solution for hosting video calls or setting up online meetings on your own platform.
You can use Whereby to set up meetings within a few clicks. Team members can use the link to connect to the meeting from any device. This is an easy way for businesses to quickly set up and host online meetings without downloading software or setting up anything. The great thing about Whereby is that it also lets you customize meeting rooms so you can create online meetings that match your brand’s unique aesthetic.
Whereby is the perfect solution for brands that are looking for a Zoom alternative that also lets them embed video conference functionality on their own platform.
Zoom vs Whereby: Comparing key features
Let’s dive deeper into the specific features on offer with Zoom vs Whereby to see how well they compare against each other.
Setup and ease of use
One of the first and most important features to compare between the two video conference platforms is how easy they are to get started with.
While Zoom offers an intuitive interface for quickly setting up meetings with team members or inviting them via email, it still requires you and your team members to install an app on your device. It takes more time for your business to set up online meetings, especially if your team members have to download and install the software first.
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The other thing with Zoom is that anybody who wants to join a Zoom meeting must have an account. This slows down workflows for your business, especially when you want to collaborate with other brands or host meetings with your clients. You will have to make sure the other person also has a Zoom account before they can join your virtual meeting.
Whereby, on the other hand, it is much easier to set up for hosting online meetings thanks to its browser-based meetings. You don’t have to download any program and can set up an online meeting that team members can join within a few clicks. This is a huge timesaver, especially for brands that regularly coordinate with their clients through virtual meetings. Additionally, it doesn’t require attendees to create an account and log in.
Overall, Whereby is the better video conference platform when it comes to ease of use and quickly setting up virtual meetings for your business.
Free version functionality
Many businesses that are just getting started with a video conference platform might want to give it a try for free before fully committing to the premium version. However, some brands might not want extensive features and just want to host virtual meetings in a cost-effective way. For these reasons, having robust free version functionality is essential for any video conferencing platform.
Zoom and Whereby are on the same page when it comes to video conference tools and functionality in the free version. Both platforms let you host virtual meetings with screen sharing and give you access to chat, emojis, and moderator controls to mute or kick team members. This makes both platforms perfect for setting up professional virtual meetings without paying a single penny.
However, the major difference between Zoom’s and Whereby’s free versions is the meeting time and participants limit. Zoom’s free version lets you host video conferences for up to 100 participants and has a total time limit of 40 minutes. On the other hand, Whereby doesn’t have a set time limit for one-on-one meetings but still has a 100-attendees per meeting limit and a 45-minute time limit for each group meeting hosted on the platform. While this is not a huge deal breaker, Whereby’s free version is much more robust for hosting free virtual meetings, especially one-on-one meetings.
Audio and video quality
One of the key factors that make a virtual meeting look and feel professional is the audio and video quality. This can come down to the video conference platform you’re using to host your online meeting.
Zoom and Whereby both offer great audio and video quality compared to most other video conference platforms, however, there’s a major difference between the two. Since Whereby lets you host meetings directly from the browser, it can cause choppiness or lag issues depending on the device and internet connection you and your team are using. While it’s a great feature that makes online meetings much more accessible, you can expect to have some audio and video quality issues, especially if you don’t have a speedy internet connection.
Zoom, on the other hand, doesn’t have this issue since virtual conferences are hosted on the platform. This ensures top-notch audio and video quality throughout your meeting duration and helps make your virtual meetings look and feel more professional.
Security and privacy features
Imagine hosting your annual team meeting that’s highly exclusive to people within your business and an unauthorized user joins and sabotages your important live event. Compared to how secure in-person meetings are, online meetings pose a threat of being hacked and sabotaged. However, the right video conference platform can help you avoid that by “locking” your online meeting room so you can allow participants to join.
Both, Zoom and Whereby let you set up private meetings that are locked for all users who join in until they are approved by you. This means you can choose who gets to listen, talk, and interact in your virtual meetings, even if they have the invite link for your online conference.
The only difference between both platforms is the “knock” feature in Whereby. This lets new users join your meeting and knock before an admin approves them. It’s a great way of notifying meeting administrators that someone wants to join your online meeting before they get a chance to do any damage.
Integrations
If you use other services like Trello or Google Docs to work with team members, you need to make sure the video conference platform integrates seamlessly with the services you use.
Both Zoom and Whereby offer extensive integration support and make it easier for brands to set up advanced-level collaborations with their team members or clients using third-party services.
Whereby integrates with over 13 platforms, including YouTube, Google Docs, Trello, and Miro, and lets meeting admins control the integrations at any time during the virtual conference. It doesn’t have a dedicated marketplace for apps or integrations, mainly because it’s a new platform compared to Zoom. What it does have that Zoom doesn’t is the ability to integrate it with your brand’s platform or website. This way, you can add Whereby’s video conference functionality to your own website and host online meetings or live events.
Zoom features its own marketplace with thousands of apps and integrations that work seamlessly with Zoom video conferences. You can easily integrate some of the most popular platforms, including Gmail, Dropbox, InfusionSoft, Google Calendar, Google Drive, and Google Docs.
Zoom vs Whereby: Pricing
Both platforms, Zoom and Whereby, let you get started for free or offer a basic free plan that lets you host online video conferences. However, if you want the full functionality of both platforms, you’ll have to purchase the premium versions.
Zoom’s Pro pricing plan starts at $149.90 per year, which gives you access to online meetings with a maximum time limit of 30 hours and for up to 100 attendees. It also gives you access to cloud storage and essential apps for adding more functionality to your virtual conferences.
Whereby’s Pro pricing plan starts at $69.90 per year and gives access to a total of 3 meeting rooms with no time limit on group meetings for up to 100 attendees.
Talking about value for money, Whereby is the clear winner here as it lets you host unlimited time online group meetings for much less than what you would pay with Zoom.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the difference between Zoom and Whereby?
A: Zoom is a feature-rich video conferencing platform that offers various plans for different user needs. Whereby, on the other hand, is a simple and user-friendly video conferencing tool that does not require software installation.
Q: Which video conferencing platform is better for coaches and membership websites, Zoom or Whereby?
A: Both Zoom and Whereby have their strengths. Zoom is known for its robust features, especially for large webinars and collaborative meetings, while Whereby is praised for its seamless and simple interface, making it ideal for personal coaching sessions and small group meetings.
Q: Can I use Zoom for webinars?
A: Yes, Zoom offers a webinar feature in its paid plans, allowing users to host large-scale webinars with interactive options and audience engagement tools.
Q: Is it possible to schedule meetings on Whereby?
A: With Whereby’s paid plan, users have the option to schedule meetings in advance, providing a more organized approach to managing coaching appointments and website-related discussions.
Q: What are the collaboration tools available in Microsoft Teams and Zoom?
A: Both Microsoft Teams and Zoom offer collaborative features such as file sharing, virtual whiteboards, and breakout rooms to enhance teamwork and productivity during meetings.
Q: Which platform is better for free video conferencing, Google Meet or Zoom?
A: Zoom and Google Meet are both popular choices for free video conferencing. While Zoom offers more features in its free tier, Google Meet is seamlessly integrated with Google Workspace, making it a convenient choice for users already utilizing Google’s productivity tools.
Q: Can I host webinars with Zoom’s free plan?
A: Zoom’s free plan has limitations and does not include the webinar feature. Users who require webinar hosting capabilities would need to upgrade to a paid plan.
Q: How does Microsoft Teams compare to Zoom in terms of mobile app functionality?
A: Both Microsoft Teams and Zoom offer comprehensive mobile app experiences, allowing users to join meetings, collaborate, and manage schedules on the go. However, the interface and feature sets differ between the two platforms.
Q: Is Zoom suitable for businesses that need a seamless video conferencing solution?
A: Yes, Zoom’s platform is designed to offer a seamless video conferencing experience, particularly for business users. With its range of features and integrations, Zoom caters to the needs of diverse businesses seeking a reliable video conferencing solution.
Q: How do Zoom webinars compare to Zoom meetings in terms of features and functionality?
A: Zoom webinars are specifically designed for hosting large-scale events and presentations, offering interactive tools, registration options, and audience engagement features. On the other hand, Zoom meetings focus on real-time collaboration and interactive meetings among participants.
Conclusion
Whereby is a great Zoom alternative for brands that are looking for a more affordable and easy-to-use video conferencing platform. Compared to Zoom, it’s much easier to set up and doesn’t require meeting attendees or the meeting admin to create or log in to their accounts. However, it’s important to remember you’re sacrificing some video and audio quality on Whereby as it’s hosted on a web browser. Zoom carries this sense of being ubiquitous and almost a “given” in your tech stack, but the ease and simplicity of Whereby embedded in your site are very attractive.
Do you know other Zoom alternatives that are as robust as Whereby is? Let us know in the comments box below.
