Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Whereby
Score 8.6 out of 10
N/A
Norwegian company appear.in offers their flagship video conferencing platform to small teams, both in a free edition hosting up to 4 guests simultaneously in a session or a paid edition that supports up to 12 simultaneous meeting guests, among other features.
$0
per user
Zoom
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
Zoom helps consolidate communications and collaboration in the boardroom, classroom, operating room, and everywhere. Zoom is an intelligent collaboration platform that makes connecting easier, more immersive, and more dynamic. Zoom technology facilitates collaboration through solutions like Zoom Team Chat, Phone, Meetings, omnichannel cloud Contact Center, smart recordings, and Whiteboard.
$5
per month per license
Pricing
WherebyZoom
Editions & Modules
Free
$0
per user
Pro
$9.99
per user
Business
$59.99 and up
per user/room
Add-On Zoom Translated Captions
$5
per month per license
Add-On - Zoom Whiteboard
$24.90
per year
Pro
$149.90
per year per user
Business
$199.90
per year per user
Business Plus
$250.00
per year per user
Add-On - Conference Room Connector
$499
per year
Basic
Free
Enterprise
Custom
Add-On - Large Meetings
starting at $600
per year
Add-On - Cloud Storage
starting at $120
per year
Add-On Audio Conferencing
starting at $1200
per year
Add-On Zoom Phone Power Pack
Starting at $300
per year per user
Add-On - Zoom IQ for Sales
Contact Sales
Add-On - Quality of Service Subscription
Contact Sales
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
WherebyZoom
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
WherebyZoom
Considered Both Products
Whereby
Chose Whereby
When compared to the other VC platforms, we found Whereby the easiest to use for users and invitees. The only install from a recipient's point-of-view is a Chrome extension. Zoom requires a download and an account to sign into. Microsoft Teams is only for other members on the …
Chose Whereby
Whereby is a great tool for individual meetings or among small groups. It's super simple to use and very convenient. But if you need to have meetings with more than 10 people, a tool like Zoom is probably necessary. You'll have more options to control who can share and who can …
Zoom
Chose Zoom
We started testing the tool and quickly changed everything. We chose to use it because it worked very well and with a higher quality than expected. Today we do not think of using another tool because it is meeting all our needs. We managed to keep the team updated and united, …
Chose Zoom
I have used quite a range of these tools over time. Some work pretty well if all parties are using a laptop with high bandwidth. However, Zoom works extremely well when people are on different devices / media (like some on phone, some on computer). Others services either can't …
Chose Zoom
Skype for Business has an instant messaging feature with the rest of the organization and is linked with Outlook email, so that's an advantage, but sometimes sharing the meeting invite with others is difficult, because it is linked to the Skype bridge.
appear.in was easy to …
Chose Zoom
I've used Google Meet, appear.in and Skype. In between these, I think Zoom is the most complete tool. But probably the most expensive too for larger use. In the videoconferences that we host, we use Zoom sometimes, other times when we don't need some tools, we use Google Meet. …
Chose Zoom
We like that appear.in is a web browser program. It is a bit difficult having different users and permissions over in our opinion
Top Pros
Top Cons
TrustRadius Insights
WherebyZoom
Highlights

TrustRadius
Research Team Insight
Published

Whereby and Zoom are both web conferencing tools. They also offer some collaboration capabilities, although Zoom provides a much broader range of collaboration and communication features. 

Zoom is the web conferencing giant used across company sizes. It offers a range of capabilities to serve many different use cases, including VoIP and collaboration. In contrast, Whereby is an SMB-focused video conferencing tool that specializes as a web-based platform. It’s designed to be as simple and easy to use as possible, in order to be highly accessible to smaller-scale teams and companies. 

Features

Whereby and Zoom both offer feature sets that differentiate their ideal uses for companies. 

Whereby specializes as an accessible platform for SMBs and small team use. The interface and mechanics of joining a meeting are relatively streamlined. Users simply create and share a web link that other participants can then use to join. This “one-click access” to meeting rooms, as well as the ability to join without downloading an app, are strong differentiators to Whereby reviewers. 

Zoom, rather than overly specializing, provides features and services for a very broad range of organizations and businesses. In addition to a strong video conferencing service, Zoom also allows users to “dial-in” on a traditional phone, and other VoIP capabilities. The platform also delivers collaboration features like breakout rooms for more complex meetings, webinars, and sessions. The range and robustness of Zoom’s feature set make it an appropriate option for nearly any company size. 

Limitations

While both products have strong differentiators, there are some limitations to Whereby and Zoom. 

Whereby’s focus on the SMB market means that it is not as scalable as competing products. For instance, it lacks VoIP/Dial-In capabilities commonly found in video conferencing tools. The mobile app is also more limited, and its quality is less reliable than the browser-based desktop version. These limitations can constrain companies as they scale up and have to be more flexible to meet the needs of larger teams or clients. 

On the other hand, Zoom’s scalability leads to it being a heavier product to manage and administer. User management is more customizable, but also more complex than simpler products. It also requires a download to use since there’s not a web version. This download can be frustrating for one-off users who wouldn’t otherwise need to use Zoom. 

Pricing

Whereby offers 3 different plans. The Free version is for personal use, with one user, 1 meeting room, and up to 4 meeting participants, along with basic integrations and screen sharing. The Pro version, at $9.99/month, is for one user and provides 3 meeting rooms, up to 12 participants, branded rooms, premium support, better screen sharing, and recording for a $5 add-on fee. The Business plan, starting at $59.99/month  for multiple users and admins and 10 meeting rooms, caps at 50 meeting participants, a custom domain, priority customer support, and additional security and collaboration features.  

Zoom offers 4 pricing tiers. The Basic package is free, with a 40-minute cap on group meetings. The Pro version, at $14.99/month/host, extends the meeting length cap to 24 hours and adds user and administrator controls, reporting, and cloud recording. The Business plan, at $19.99/month/host starting at 10 hosts, adds dedicated phone support, dashboarding, SSO, and white labeling. The Enterprise plan, at $19.99/mo/host starting at 100 hosts, adds unlimited cloud storage, a dedicated customer success manager, executive business reviews, and bundled discounts on other Zoom products.  

Features
WherebyZoom
Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software
Comparison of Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software features of Product A and Product B
Whereby
7.8
14 Ratings
3% below category average
Zoom
7.2
710 Ratings
12% below category average
High quality audio9.014 Ratings7.7704 Ratings
High quality video9.014 Ratings7.6706 Ratings
Low bandwidth requirements8.012 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile support5.011 Ratings00 Ratings
Screen Sharing
Comparison of Screen Sharing features of Product A and Product B
Whereby
8.0
13 Ratings
0% above category average
Zoom
7.6
698 Ratings
5% below category average
Desktop sharing8.013 Ratings8.1697 Ratings
Whiteboards8.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Online Meetings / Events
Comparison of Online Meetings / Events features of Product A and Product B
Whereby
9.4
13 Ratings
13% above category average
Zoom
7.5
703 Ratings
6% below category average
Calendar integration9.94 Ratings7.5626 Ratings
Meeting initiation9.010 Ratings7.9685 Ratings
Integrates with social media9.72 Ratings00 Ratings
Record meetings / events9.07 Ratings7.7658 Ratings
Slideshows9.35 Ratings00 Ratings
Online Events Collaboration
Comparison of Online Events Collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Whereby
8.3
9 Ratings
2% below category average
Zoom
7.3
613 Ratings
5% below category average
Live chat9.09 Ratings7.4595 Ratings
Audience polling7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Q&A9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Online Events Security
Comparison of Online Events Security features of Product A and Product B
Whereby
6.9
11 Ratings
19% below category average
Zoom
7.1
591 Ratings
5% below category average
User authentication8.86 Ratings6.7511 Ratings
Participant roles & permissions5.09 Ratings6.9565 Ratings
Confidential attendee list7.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Cloud PBX
Comparison of Cloud PBX features of Product A and Product B
Whereby
-
Ratings
Zoom
5.3
15 Ratings
42% below category average
Hosted PBX00 Ratings4.68 Ratings
Multi-level Interactive Voice Response (IVR)00 Ratings5.010 Ratings
Directory of employee names00 Ratings6.411 Ratings
Call Management
Comparison of Call Management features of Product A and Product B
Whereby
-
Ratings
Zoom
6.7
19 Ratings
20% below category average
Answering rules00 Ratings6.510 Ratings
Call recording00 Ratings8.116 Ratings
Call park00 Ratings5.810 Ratings
Call screening00 Ratings6.510 Ratings
Message alerts00 Ratings6.314 Ratings
Business SMS/External Messaging00 Ratings6.86 Ratings
Voicemail Transcription00 Ratings7.110 Ratings
Mobile apps
Comparison of Mobile apps features of Product A and Product B
Whereby
-
Ratings
Zoom
7.4
18 Ratings
15% below category average
Mobile app for iOS00 Ratings8.016 Ratings
Mobile app for Android00 Ratings6.812 Ratings
Unified Communications Platform and Collaboration
Comparison of Unified Communications Platform and Collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Whereby
-
Ratings
Zoom
5.5
11 Ratings
30% below category average
Centralized communications management00 Ratings4.98 Ratings
Team messaging00 Ratings5.39 Ratings
Team document sharing00 Ratings6.79 Ratings
Call and meeting analytics00 Ratings5.09 Ratings
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Score 9.1 out of 10
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ClickMeeting
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User Ratings
WherebyZoom
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(15 ratings)
7.0
(727 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(2 ratings)
4.3
(16 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(2 ratings)
7.0
(39 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
5.1
(9 ratings)
4.7
(39 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(1 ratings)
9.6
(7 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
-
(0 ratings)
7.9
(13 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Professional Services
-
(0 ratings)
9.2
(8 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
WherebyZoom
Likelihood to Recommend
Whereby
If you cannot use another more common solution on the market or are looking for an alternative to the known solutions, it is a great alternative. If you have other tools already, and just want to test [them], that's fine, but I think the better-known ones have a better chance of using, knowing, and the learning curve will be shorter.
Read full review
Zoom
I think Zoom runs circles around Teams! I just wish starting meetings was easier - anyone with a link should be able to start the meeting the way you can in Teams. It would also be great to be able to see participants when you are sharing your screen.
Read full review
Pros
Whereby
  • Easy to use: The app is very, very easy to use. Literally just create a chat room (input a name) and access it to chat.
  • Call/video quality: I've experienced better call quality on appear.in than in almost all other chat and video conferencing services out there.
Read full review
Zoom
  • I love how easy it is to set the focus on the presenter. It is annoying when people don't spotlight themselves as a presenter, so you get to see the whole gallery of attendees in smaller, two-inch windows.
  • I like the capability of having break-out rooms. Even though I don't use them very often, it is nice to have them available if the right situation presents itself for smaller group chats.
  • The recording quality is better than I have experienced with other products (Microsoft Teams, WebEx, etc.), and the fact that it is already an MP4, so I don't have to convert it for publishing on our intranet is huge to me.
Read full review
Cons
Whereby
  • The paid version may have dial-in. But I have always used the free version. Dial-in is typically required for an "official" multi-purpose teleconference platform.
  • I did have some trouble with larger groups (5+) when it was Appear.in but almost always use it for small 1-on-1 or 3 person meetings.
Read full review
Zoom
  • Sharing zoom complete information is not visible on the screen, and also a bit is confusing minimizing and maximizing.
  • Every time someone enters the chat, a chat box appears on my screen, and some features are missing from this version.
  • Automatic conference connection based on a schedule isn't an option, and neither is enhanced security measures.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Whereby
We are using a larger tool suite that already includes video conferencing instead of our older approach of using different apps from different vendors. appear.in has a simple but great set of features but its pricing scheme is not as scalable as we really need in a 500+ employee company.
Read full review
Zoom
We're sticking with Zoom for the foreseeable future--given its compelling feature set, ease of use, and advanced technology, there's just no other competition to be excited about. Plus it's a Gartner-recognized industry leader, so it's a rather easy choice.
Read full review
Usability
Whereby
Very easy to use, technical and non-technical colleagues have used it with no instructions needed. That says all about the app and services.
Read full review
Zoom
Zoom is made for the non tech office. It has features that can be made to do what you need to run things on a day to day basis. Immediately we we able to get meetings going with remote employees. The ability to be able to add smartphone connected people was a big plus. Zoom met our needs at the time.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Whereby
No answers on this topic
Zoom
There have been less than a handful of outages during our two years with Zoom, and whenever there was one, an email informing us of the outage went out immediately, and they had the issue resolved shortly thereafter.
Read full review
Performance
Whereby
No answers on this topic
Zoom
Zoom has among the best performance of any video conference platform, as I've mentioned several times. Besides that, their Chat platform works great, and their back end always runs smooth. It's unfortunate that reporting can now only be done by one month at a time, but nonetheless, it only takes a second to run any kind of Zoom report, whether it's an attendee report, Poll results, a user report, a list of meetings from the past month, etc.
Read full review
Support Rating
Whereby
Never had to contact support, so we cannot give a rating for their overall support. When we noticed the audio was not always great quality, we simply educated our users to mute the mic and use the in-room conference phone which is connected via a dedicated VOIP link and had much better voice quality. The video performance varied by locations network speed and found it got much worse when the room size increased to over 4 connections.
Read full review
Zoom
As I've written before, Zoom makes us feel like we matter and that we're a client rather than a customer. They want us to succeed and they put in the time to make sure that we do. I feel like they're more of a business partner rather than simply a vendor or supplier. They spent a lot of time onboarding with us, giving us demos, helping us get set up, and then giving us follow-up to be sure it's going well.
Read full review
Implementation Rating
Whereby
After a recommendation from a partner, as the system is very easy to use, we simply start.
Read full review
Zoom
If you receive any pushback from higher ups, point to any of the various positive reviews like this one. Or show Zoom's excellent Gartner report, or articles describing Zoom's partnership with Sequoia capital. It's not difficult to show how Zoom is a trustworthy industry leader with best-in-class technology.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
Whereby
I find Zoom more complicated to use and harder to use because a lot of people do not like having to download things to their computers or devices and Whereby is so easy to get connected with . I like that Zoom offers larger rooms, but at this point the cost is not worth the extra expense.
Read full review
Zoom
Zoom cannot be beaten for ubiquity - 100% of my clients and prospective clients are already familiar with Zoom. This is the #1 reason why I use Zoom. Additionally, Zoom integrates with AcuityScheduling, saving me a lot of time in creating meetings and adding them to the calendar. Zoom is disappointing in terms of video quality, interactivity features, and privacy. In cases where I need to use the recording of webinars for digital products, I will always use Crowdcast, and in cases where privacy is essential, I will use JitsiMeet.
Read full review
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Whereby
No answers on this topic
Zoom
The billing and price model is really fair for so many functions that they offer, our remote work requires each of the features that Zoom offers, so accepting payment for a tool like this is the least we can do. I like that billing arrives on time and that they offer opportunities and payment times.
Read full review
Scalability
Whereby
No answers on this topic
Zoom
Because the Basic licenses are completely free, and because it's very easy to configure and install Zoom, and because anyone can join Zoom from a link without needing an account, scaling is a Breeze. There are absolutely no roadblocks. My company keeps adding more Zoom Pro license every week since it's so in demand. We were able to convert users from several different platforms onto Zoom with no trouble at all.
Read full review
Professional Services
Whereby
No answers on this topic
Zoom
Zoom is perfect for our business. We use it to video chat with prospective clients. The name recognition alone gives us credibility and it is very easy to screen share and send content out.
Read full review
Return on Investment
Whereby
  • In general, any sort of online collaborations saves a lot on your budget. The meetings are rather more on time and can be efficient and short.
  • Easy to drop-by and have a small talk with clients/teammates within COVID era.
  • The URL makes you look fancy instead of a random hash.
Read full review
Zoom
  • It enables me to send and receive messages from my team members during video calls, handling online presentations.
  • With the ability to quickly stop, mute, and even receive notifications when someone enters or exits the meeting room, I'm never obligated to show up while making a call.
  • It is possible to record online meetings for future reference and more effective customer service. As we dealt with a lockdown, Zoom helped our business run smoothly.
Read full review
ScreenShots

Whereby Screenshots

Screenshot of Easy video meetings in your browser. No downloads, no login.Screenshot of Up to 50 participants in Townhall rooms.Screenshot of Record, save, and share meetings.