Gather Town vs. Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Gather
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
Gather is a web-based video call platform, building virtual spaces for people to live and interact more effectively online. They combine video-calling with a 2D map, letting you walk around and talk to the other people right next to you. Their creation tools allow you to make custom, interactive spaces.
$0
per month
Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Score 7.2 out of 10
N/A
Skype for Business was an online messaging and conferencing tool, now superseded by Microsoft Teams.N/A
Pricing
Gather TownSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
GatherSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Gather TownSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Features
Gather TownSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software
Comparison of Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software features of Product A and Product B
Gather Town
8.3
1 Ratings
5% above category average
Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
8.0
195 Ratings
1% above category average
High quality audio9.01 Ratings9.1191 Ratings
High quality video9.01 Ratings9.0185 Ratings
Low bandwidth requirements7.01 Ratings5.0181 Ratings
Mobile support8.01 Ratings9.0146 Ratings
Screen Sharing
Comparison of Screen Sharing features of Product A and Product B
Gather Town
7.0
1 Ratings
12% below category average
Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
7.0
191 Ratings
12% below category average
Desktop sharing8.01 Ratings9.0191 Ratings
Whiteboards6.01 Ratings5.0120 Ratings
Online Meetings / Events
Comparison of Online Meetings / Events features of Product A and Product B
Gather Town
7.2
1 Ratings
12% below category average
Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
9.3
188 Ratings
13% above category average
Calendar integration7.01 Ratings10.0174 Ratings
Meeting initiation10.01 Ratings9.5182 Ratings
Integrates with social media6.01 Ratings8.182 Ratings
Record meetings / events8.01 Ratings9.0143 Ratings
Slideshows5.01 Ratings10.0115 Ratings
Online Events Collaboration
Comparison of Online Events Collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Gather Town
8.0
1 Ratings
1% below category average
Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
7.5
173 Ratings
7% below category average
Live chat8.01 Ratings8.5171 Ratings
Audience polling8.01 Ratings7.094 Ratings
Q&A8.01 Ratings7.094 Ratings
Online Events Security
Comparison of Online Events Security features of Product A and Product B
Gather Town
6.3
1 Ratings
24% below category average
Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
6.9
156 Ratings
15% below category average
User authentication7.01 Ratings9.0142 Ratings
Participant roles & permissions6.01 Ratings8.5148 Ratings
Confidential attendee list6.01 Ratings3.0109 Ratings
VoIP system collaboration
Comparison of VoIP system collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Gather Town
9.0
1 Ratings
18% above category average
Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
7.8
1 Ratings
3% above category average
Video conferencing8.01 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Audio conferencing8.01 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Video screen sharing10.01 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Instant messaging10.01 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Gather TownSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Small Businesses
Intermedia AnyMeeting Pro
Intermedia AnyMeeting Pro
Score 7.3 out of 10
Intermedia AnyMeeting Pro
Intermedia AnyMeeting Pro
Score 7.3 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
JioMeet
JioMeet
Score 9.8 out of 10
JioMeet
JioMeet
Score 9.8 out of 10
Enterprises
Webex Meetings
Webex Meetings
Score 8.6 out of 10
Webex Meetings
Webex Meetings
Score 8.6 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Gather TownSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(1 ratings)
8.4
(198 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(7 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(14 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.5
(40 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
Gather TownSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
Gather Presence Inc.
i personally use the web page so it's 100% more comfortable because i don't need to have so much applications open, plus i can rapidly silence the page if i need.I can share screen, documents, have a video call very easily with any people if i want because if the space is free i can only share a URL and that person can access to the world in Gather Town
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Discontinued Products
Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams is a remote/virtual team collaboration tool must have...especially if you already use Microsoft tools. Of course, since it now part of an MS 365 subscription, it really doesn't make sense to use anything else. It is easy to use and just works. I'm not sure how anyone who works with digital files/documents and needs to work with other people doing similar work can be effective without such a tool. Of course, there are a number of alternatives like Zoom or Webex, but why pay or use another separate tool if you don't need to. :-)
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Pros
Gather Presence Inc.
  • alert for messages
  • Being able to have several spaces for communication for free
  • constant updates
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Discontinued Products
  • Instant messaging to anyone who we know only by name/email. Even if they're offline, they get the message in missed convos and a notification automatically goes to them via Outlook mail. All conversations are saved and accessible via Outlook.
  • Video and voice calls are a norm in the WFH scenario, and an average employee has around 4-5 calls a day. Skype gives notifications for upcoming meetings, allows easy scheduling via outlook calendar, and its audio/video quality [is] reasonably good compared to the amount of data it consumes.
  • Status availabilities - in the WFH scenario, you could be off for lunch, out of office, busy, sharing screens - and might not want to be disturbed. Skype allows you to do that, and in case you're off, ensures that you know that you have missed messages.
  • Screen sharing - we have to share screens at least once or twice a day with a coworker when working on some issues/features, and Skype easily lets us do that. One of the best things about Skype is that the screen can be shared without being on a video/voice call - which is of immense advantage because oftentimes, you could prefer sharing the screen, while it [is] too noisy to talk.
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Cons
Gather Presence Inc.
  • The chat history sometimes erase itself
  • sometimes the application become laggy randomly
  • the output lag when one member start to sharing the screen
  • The integration with google calendar doesn't detect all the meets even when refresh it or re-link the service
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Discontinued Products
  • Connection issues can be hard to diagnose when they come up(as some knowledge of server information may be needed to reestablish as the connection troubleshooting options on the sky are not as user-friendly as the rest of the platform.
  • Some issues setting up camera/sound could use more info on troubleshooting options with playback sound, video, etc.
  • Statuses sometimes are unreliable and do not display correctly .
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Likelihood to Renew
Gather Presence Inc.
No answers on this topic
Discontinued Products
The software is simple to install and configure. It is rather simple to explain for correct use. It is possible to profile users for the different functions offered. It is integrated quite completely with Outlook and with Active Directory security. It performs all communication functions well with one or more interlocutors and the possibility of granting control of your computer is convenient.
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Usability
Gather Presence Inc.
No answers on this topic
Discontinued Products
Very easy to use. Even though Microsoft Teams has a lot of features and integrations, as a user I feel completely comfortable on finding what I need, getting information about the app extensions and using them. It's a very comprehensive tool, intuitive design and does not make me feel tired to be using it. I am glad with the current experience.
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Support Rating
Gather Presence Inc.
No answers on this topic
Discontinued Products
I have only had to reach out to the Support team at Skype for Business once with an issue, and I was pleasantly surprised and encouraged by the quickness and thoroughness of their response. The wait time was short and my question was dealt with politely and clearly, so I would say the support team has it together.
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Implementation Rating
Gather Presence Inc.
No answers on this topic
Discontinued Products
Skpe for business is utilized company wide in regards to my company. Everyone not only uses it, but uses it often. It is an effective way of communicating. It also integrates very nicely with outlook and all conversation history is pushed to a folder within the outlook system. We also have it so that if someone misses a message, they are sent an email reminder saying that there is a message that went unread.
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Alternatives Considered
Gather Presence Inc.
- Free tier option
- Although all meet applications share the same functionalities, I can use gather quickly and easily. Only from a browser tab and anyone with that link can access my space.
- If security is required, you can count on blocking spaces so that unauthorized people do not enter.
- There is a conversation history and any documents can be sent in that chat
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Discontinued Products
For the below reason I will always choose this app over its competitors: Better audio and video quality, Little to no disconnections or freezing when on a call/video conference Integrates well with mailbox/ calendar/ one drive, and SharePoint is easy to use
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Return on Investment
Gather Presence Inc.
  • Considerable money savings since it has a free tier option
  • When required, a space for more than 100 people is contracted and we can canceled immediately.
  • social events have been carried out virtually thanks to this tool
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Discontinued Products
  • Skype for Business has enabled a migration in part away from fixed line telephony and introduced the user to mobile working with a headset which cannot be overstated as being a game changer.
  • Being able to schedule Skype for Business meetings through Outlook has meant meetings with colleagues without a meeting room has been a great enabler.
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ScreenShots