Google Hangouts (Classic) vs. Webex Calling

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Google Hangouts (Classic)
Score 7.6 out of 10
N/A
The classic version of Google Hangouts is a communication platform that includes messaging, voice, VoIP, and video call capabilities. It was part of Google’s G Suite offering and integrated with applications such as Gmail and Google+. Users of the classic version of Hangouts will be migrated to the new Hangouts Chat collaboration tool, and Google continues to support conferencing via the new Hangouts Meet.N/A
Webex Calling
Score 8.4 out of 10
N/A
Webex Calling is Cisco’s flagship cloud calling solution with over 12 million users worldwide. It delivers an enterprise-grade calling experience that enables customers to replace PBX hardware with a cloud calling solution. Webex Calling's connectivity and collaboration experience includes calling, meetings, messaging, contact center, and integrated devices.
$11.95
per month per user
Pricing
Google Hangouts (Classic)Webex Calling
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Basic Plan
$0.00
user/month
Cisco Unified Communications Manager
$0
Call Plan
$17.00
user/month
Call + Meet Plan
$25.00
user/month
Enterprise Plan
Contact Sales
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Google Hangouts (Classic)Webex Calling
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeOptional
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Google Hangouts (Classic)Webex Calling
Considered Both Products
Google Hangouts (Classic)
Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
Best part of Google Hangouts is its simplicity, and performance. We never had connection problems, or quality interruptions, something that is more frequent with the other tools listed above.
Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
Google is the white cotton socks of the conferencing world. It’s a great ad-hoc tool, but not too much more. If you are not looking to spend money or operate completely on WiFi (without data charges), it’s a great free option as well. The benefit of being free and open is also …
Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
Google Hangouts (Classic) is better than those two competitors if you want [the] ease of use within Gmail. One does not need to go to a separate site to set up a meeting. You just select the link to add the Google meeting link within the scheduler.
Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
We use the Google emails for business hence, the Google Hangout application was available for free. There was no setup cost or training that was required. Advanced systems have advanced features which are good but the downside is that they require training. A separate account …
Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
The listings I could find in the database aren't exact competitors. I would think of Google Meet, GoTo Meeting, or Zoom Video Conferencing as closer competitors. Hangouts has instant messaging feature like Jabber but really they aren't competing in the same lane. I think …
Webex Calling
Chose Webex Calling
These are both excellent products. While Webex is certainly good, you have to weigh what it costs for the platform vs many of the newer entrants. In addition, it is important to think about how easy it is to integrate into conference rooms to make it a seamless process for the …
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Google Hangouts (Classic)Webex Calling
Cloud PBX
Comparison of Cloud PBX features of Product A and Product B
Google Hangouts (Classic)
6.5
57 Ratings
23% below category average
Webex Calling
8.1
143 Ratings
0% below category average
Hosted PBX6.915 Ratings8.1106 Ratings
Multi-level Interactive Voice Response (IVR)7.725 Ratings7.9107 Ratings
User templates5.422 Ratings00 Ratings
Call reports9.034 Ratings00 Ratings
Directory of employee names3.345 Ratings8.5135 Ratings
Call Management
Comparison of Call Management features of Product A and Product B
Google Hangouts (Classic)
7.9
66 Ratings
7% below category average
Webex Calling
7.6
148 Ratings
8% below category average
Answering rules8.033 Ratings8.4132 Ratings
Call recording7.437 Ratings8.6126 Ratings
Call park7.018 Ratings8.5120 Ratings
Call screening9.036 Ratings8.3115 Ratings
Message alerts8.158 Ratings8.4128 Ratings
Online Fax00 Ratings4.51 Ratings
Voicemail Transcription00 Ratings6.42 Ratings
VoIP system collaboration
Comparison of VoIP system collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Google Hangouts (Classic)
9.0
84 Ratings
8% above category average
Webex Calling
-
Ratings
Video conferencing9.379 Ratings00 Ratings
Audio conferencing9.379 Ratings00 Ratings
Video screen sharing8.048 Ratings00 Ratings
Instant messaging9.352 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile apps
Comparison of Mobile apps features of Product A and Product B
Google Hangouts (Classic)
8.4
85 Ratings
1% above category average
Webex Calling
8.4
143 Ratings
2% below category average
Mobile app for iOS8.773 Ratings8.2127 Ratings
Mobile app for Android8.271 Ratings8.6115 Ratings
Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software
Comparison of Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software features of Product A and Product B
Google Hangouts (Classic)
-
Ratings
Webex Calling
8.0
4 Ratings
1% below category average
High quality audio00 Ratings8.04 Ratings
High quality video00 Ratings8.04 Ratings
Screen Sharing
Comparison of Screen Sharing features of Product A and Product B
Google Hangouts (Classic)
-
Ratings
Webex Calling
8.2
4 Ratings
2% above category average
Desktop sharing00 Ratings8.24 Ratings
Online Meetings / Events
Comparison of Online Meetings / Events features of Product A and Product B
Google Hangouts (Classic)
-
Ratings
Webex Calling
7.6
4 Ratings
5% below category average
Calendar integration00 Ratings8.04 Ratings
Meeting initiation00 Ratings6.64 Ratings
Record meetings / events00 Ratings8.24 Ratings
Online Events Collaboration
Comparison of Online Events Collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Google Hangouts (Classic)
-
Ratings
Webex Calling
8.2
2 Ratings
7% above category average
Live chat00 Ratings8.22 Ratings
Online Events Security
Comparison of Online Events Security features of Product A and Product B
Google Hangouts (Classic)
-
Ratings
Webex Calling
8.0
3 Ratings
6% above category average
User authentication00 Ratings7.93 Ratings
Participant roles & permissions00 Ratings8.23 Ratings
Unified Communications Platform and Collaboration
Comparison of Unified Communications Platform and Collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Google Hangouts (Classic)
-
Ratings
Webex Calling
7.0
4 Ratings
6% below category average
Centralized communications management00 Ratings7.74 Ratings
Team messaging00 Ratings6.84 Ratings
Team document sharing00 Ratings6.44 Ratings
Call and meeting analytics00 Ratings7.34 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Google Hangouts (Classic)Webex Calling
Small Businesses
CloudTalk
CloudTalk
Score 9.5 out of 10
Nextiva Business Phone Service
Nextiva Business Phone Service
Score 9.1 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
CloudTalk
CloudTalk
Score 9.5 out of 10
Nextiva Business Phone Service
Nextiva Business Phone Service
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises
Cisco Business Edition 7000 (discontinued)
Cisco Business Edition 7000 (discontinued)
Score 9.1 out of 10
Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Call Manager)
Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Call Manager)
Score 8.6 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Google Hangouts (Classic)Webex Calling
Likelihood to Recommend
7.9
(91 ratings)
7.9
(161 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(1 ratings)
9.8
(2 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(7 ratings)
9.2
(4 ratings)
Support Rating
8.0
(36 ratings)
8.7
(3 ratings)
User Testimonials
Google Hangouts (Classic)Webex Calling
Likelihood to Recommend
Google
Had I completed this review a couple years ago, I would have given a rating of 9 or 10 as Hangouts (Classic) is an excellent product. However, now that Google Chat has succeeded Hangouts, I would not recommend that any new users begin using it where other more modern options are available. Android users who want an internet based instant messaging that also supports calling and video calling could benefit from using Hangouts (Classic) as Google Chat requires the user to also have Google Meet installed to make video calls and there is no voice only calling option.
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Cisco
I just deploy WebEx calling for one customer a few months ago and yes there was using an old infrastructure OnPrem on-premise. They have migrated to WebEx calling and they're very happy with this solution because they have some new features that they don't have with their old infrastructure. Now they have some new features even if they don't really pay for it, they have it and they are very happy. For example, they don't own a Cisco Unity server and now it's WebEx calling. They have the SVI function, they have the voicemail function and even if they don't have in mind to merge to WebEx calling in order to have these features, they have these features and they're happy to discover it and now they're using it. So it's very a good experience.
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Pros
Google
  • Google Hangouts (Classic) is embedded within Gmail's scheduler, so setting up the link is as quick as a click of the button. It's a one-step process.
  • Google Hangouts (Classic) is user-friendly and [has] features to share screens easily.
  • Google Hangouts (Classic) is much easier to use than its competitors.
  • Google Hangouts (Classic) have [a] good connection time and there are few glitches.
Read full review
Cisco
  • In addition, Webex Calling makes it simple to add people and manage teams.
  • It also seamlessly integrates with a variety of other applications, making it a versatile choice.
  • Furthermore, it boasts good audio and video quality, making it ideal for conducting meetings and remote communications.
Read full review
Cons
Google
  • I would like to see improved video support, so that saved videos can be sent back and forth via Hangouts more easily, without having to start a separate meet chat
  • More pronounced notifications of messages would be helpful; pop up notifications are good, but once there is one, additional messages do not pop up
  • Custom muting times would be great, so that if I am in a 90 minute Zoom meeting, I can set it for that time; right now, it is 1 hour or 2 hours. Easy to forget.
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Cisco
  • It might be that we didn't have this package, but transcription capabilities were not included.
  • Sometimes, using Webex Calling would make my computer and other programs run slow
  • If screens were being shared, it required a lot of bandwidth and sometimes froze or glitched.
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Likelihood to Renew
Google
No answers on this topic
Cisco
because have been using it and its easy to configure and manage
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Usability
Google
The tool is almost self-implemented. It is likely to be available in every pc or mobile device a user or potential user might have, and all you need to do is adding the company's account and you are done. Once you are setted up, you have almost all actual communication methods available in one tool
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Cisco
It is a very easy product to deploy and configure and to really take advantage of. It does not matter if you are using it in an office or your home, or for a security office or a collaboration meeting room - you have the right endpoint available for each case and the configuration parameters to improve the functionality you need.
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Support Rating
Google
Google Hangouts works great and does not require a lot of work to troubleshoot. Everything is simple and easy to use. Google provides all of the tools that one requires to utilize Google Hangouts and any information can be found in the built-in help tools. There is also a forum for users to report issues and typically, Google responds well and will try to work out any issues.
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Cisco
I have been working for a long time with Cisco as a provider and also Cisco TAC and Cisco Support Engineers. The support starts right beforehand in the documentation of the product you are interested in. From the start you have a good, complete, and detailed and easy to read datasheet and there's always someone available to answer any questions.
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Alternatives Considered
Google
Google is the white cotton socks of the conferencing world. It’s a great ad-hoc tool, but not too much more. If you are not looking to spend money or operate completely on WiFi (without data charges), it’s a great free option as well. The benefit of being free and open is also the liability. It doesn’t have a great integration story with other corporate tools, but [it doesn’t have to] if you aren’t looking for that. All in all, it’s as helpful and ubiquitous as a public payphone…without the pay…and with a video capability.
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Cisco
The differences between both software can be marginal in some aspects,
but for the campaign in a proffessional level it was a clear win to
Webex due the quality and security of the platform, being a Cisco
product has more impact on the final decision, and in the end the
overall experience has been great, having used Twilio in the past, that
last part is my personal opinion.
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Return on Investment
Google
  • I believe it was part of the google suite that was purchased. It was worth the cost as it was cheaper. I believe it is now free, but also becoming deprecated. It is much better to use Teams, Discord, Telegram, etc. Google does not provide enough support or features to make using hangouts worth it these days.
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Cisco
  • I don't make decisions on ROI, but Webex Calling is used quite widely in the organization.
  • The ease of calling definitely makes it easy to coordinate across teams and geographies.
  • Good performance in low bandwidth situations means that employees with lower bandwidths don't necessarily need to upgrade internet speeds to have video calling.
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ScreenShots

Webex Calling Screenshots

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