In this article we will do an in-depth research and comparison of WebEx and GotoMeeting. After reading this WebEx vs GotoMeeting comparison you will be able to decide which program you should use for your team’s virtual conferencing needs.

In this modern era, online meetings are essential for organizations since it enables remote collaboration between employees, customers, and executives. The developments in web-based technologies in recent years has helped businesses scale at a global level.

At an organizational level, communication and collaboration tools have been the most influential, particularly audio/video conferencing software. If you are a business owner that is looking for the right virtual conferencing solution, then you have probably come across two popular names: WebEx and GoToMeeting.

These two names are used almost synonymously in the virtual conferencing arena and this makes it hard to choose between them. In this article, we take a look at an extensive comparison of WebEx vs GoToMeeting to help you pick the right one for your business.

Also Read: Skype vs Discord Comparison

WebEx vs GoToMeeting Comparison:

In the recent years, the growth of video conferencing tools has reduced our dependency on geographical proximity for conversing with people. Now, people can simply make use of web-based tools for talking, sharing real-time videos, screens, and files from anywhere in the world. This allows businesses to work with dispersed teams and clients from all around the globe. This is the reason behind the high popularity of virtual conferencing tools. In this section, we will look at a detailed comparison of WebEx vs GoToMeeting.

When it comes to the WebEx vs GoToMeeting comparison, it is important to know the similarities and differences between them since these are the leading virtual conferencing tools available today. The online meeting tool that you choose depends on the features that you require. The GoToMeeting vs WebEx comparison will show that each tool has its own unique features that can assist a business in different ways.

What is WebEx?

Originally known as ActiveTouch, WebEx was launched in 1995 and it was acquired by the technology giant Cisco for a price of $3 billion in 2007. WebEx is now part of the Cisco collaboration and communication suite that is intended for providing services such as video conferencing, web conferencing, and online meetings to businesses and professionals. The powerful tool is equipped with features for assisting online meetings such as screen sharing and file sharing. The notable clients of Cisco WebEx include Sapiem and Bauer.

WebEx Pricing:

For acquiring the WebEx services, you will need to choose from one of the following three packages offered by Cisco:

• Premium 8: A price of $24 per month with up to 8 people per meeting.
• Premium 25: A price of $49 per month with up to 25 people per meeting.
• Premium 100: A price of $69 per month with up to 100 people per meeting.

Each of these Premium plans is equipped with all the WebEx features that include video conferencing, drawing tools, screen sharing, and video recording.

WebEx Features:

WebEx is a versatile tool that is equipped with an easy to use web-based interface. Screen sharing, mark up tools, meeting recording, event hosting, file sharing, and instant messaging are some of the features that are available in WebEx. Here is a list of the key features of WebEx that will help you understand the WebEx vs GoToMeeting comparison:

1. Device compatibility: To broadcast the video in online meetings, you need a compatible video camera. WebEx is compatible with PC cameras, Cisco’s telepresence devices, and all third-party video devices that are capable of recording video.
2. File Sharing: WebEx has a built-in feature for file sharing that allows you to send files to and receive files from attendees of an online meeting. The attendees can also download the files that are uploaded on a meeting room for offline use.
3. Privileges: As with a conventional meeting, WebEx allows you to assign roles and privileges to the attendees of a meeting. For instance, one attendee could be allowed to access the screen sharing feature while another might not.
4. Drawing tools: WebEx has a Whiteboard feature that allows all participants (including the presenter) to write (or draw) on a multi-page screen that is visible to everyone. You can select between freehand drawing (for graphs and diagrams) and text-based drawing (for writing numbers and words).
5. Supported platform: WebEx has support for all common platforms that include Windows, Windows Phone, Linux, Android, MacOS, and iOS. For Windows users, the minimum version required is Windows Vista while for MacOS users, the minimum version required is Mac OS X Lion 10.7.

What is GoToMeeting?

GoToMeeting was first introduced in 2004 (much later than WebEx) by the enterprise software company Citrix. Unlike WebEx, GoToMeeting has been a product of Citrix from the very beginning and it is now a part of a collaboration suite by Citrix. This collaboration suite is a collection of cloud applications that include GoToMyPC, ShareFile, GoToWebinar, GoToTraining, GoToAssist, and GoToMeeting. The noteworthy clients of GoToMeeting include Fujitsu and SuccessFactors. As with WebEx, GoToMeeting also has a number of features for facilitating online conversations that include drawing tools and instant messaging.

GoToMeeting Pricing:

The GoToMeeting services can be acquired by choosing any of the following plans by Citrix:

• Starter: A price of $24 per month with up to 10 participants per meeting and basic video conferencing tools.
• Pro: A price of $36 per month with up to 50 participants per meeting and advanced video conferencing tools such as drawing, recording, personal meetings, and mobile apps.
• Plus: A price of $59 per month with up to 100 participants per meeting and features such as Active Directory and Sightboard.

Unlike WebEx, the features that you can use depend on the GoToMeeting package that you choose.

GoToMeeting Features:

GoToMeeting is a powerful tool that is equipped with a platform-specific interface which boosts usability. Desktop sharing, shared mouse/keyboard control, instant messaging, and webinar hosting are some of the features that are available in GoToMeeting. Here is a list of the key features of GoToMeeting:

1. Device compatibility: For video conferencing, the compatible video recording devices with GoToMeeting are PC cameras. When you compare WebEx vs GoToMeeting, GoToMeeting does not have support for third-party video recording devices and features.
2. File Sharing: GoToMeeting lags behind in the file sharing department since it lacks a built-in feature for file sharing like WebEx. You are expected to make use of ShareFile (a separate tool by Citrix) for sending out files to the attendees of a meeting. From within GoToMeeting, an attendee can only view this file, but they cannot download it.
3. Privileges: There is no option for assigning privileges to the participants of a meeting in GoToMeeting – there are only two roles that are available, the first is that of the presenter (the person who initiates the meeting) and that of the participants (the individuals that have been invited to attend the meeting).
4. Drawing tools: As with WebEx, GoToMeeting has a markup tool by the name of “Drawing Tools” that allows the participants to write on a screen that is visible to everyone. However, this feature is just limited to Windows users right now and Mac users cannot access this feature.
5. Supported platform: GoToMeeting also supports the most common platforms that include Windows, Windows Phone, Android, MacOS, and iOS. It does not have support for the Linux platform though. For Windows users, the minimum version required is Windows 7 while for MacOS users, the minimum version required is Mac OS X Mavericks 10.9.

Summary – WebEx vs GoToMeeting:

Here is a chart that shows the comparison of WebEx vs GoToMeeting.

Conclusion:

At the end of our GoToMeeting vs WebEx comparison, we can conclude that WebEx is the winner because of its better pricing plan and features. If you are looking for the ideal choice for a virtual conferencing tool, then we recommend that you make use of WebEx. The pricing plan is suitable for businesses of all types (with all features being available with each package). Moreover, features such as file sharing, selected screen sharing, and cloud storage make WebEx a better choice than in our WebEx vs GoToMeeting comparison.