Lifesize Video Conferencing vs. Zoom

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Lifesize Video Conferencing
Score 8.3 out of 10
N/A
Lifesize is a web conferencing platform focused on making video conferencing systems and video conferencing apps work well together, while still being easy-to-use. Their platform incorporates web conferencing software with meeting room devices and wireless screen sharing.
$12.95
Call for pricing
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
Lifesize Video ConferencingZoom
Editions & Modules
Enterprise
$12.95 per user/month
Call for pricing
Plus
$14.95 per user/month
Call for pricing
Standard
$16.95 per user/month
Call for pricing
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
Lifesize Video ConferencingZoom
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsWith every plan, you get the collaboration features you use everyday, at no additional cost: • Unlimited video conferences • Downloadable desktop and mobile apps • Secure encryption set by default • Unlimited meeting duration • Free, browser-based web app • Two-way and group chat with popular chat integrations • Centralized, name-based directory • Online reporting and account management • Email and calendar scheduling
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Lifesize Video ConferencingZoom
Considered Both Products
Lifesize Video Conferencing
Chose Lifesize Video Conferencing
When I compare with other products Lifesize wins definitely for video quality.
Chose Lifesize Video Conferencing
The presence of the camera and microphone in all the meeting rooms we have is amazing. The video and audio quality are great and you really feel as if you were in-person speaking. We love to use Lifesize and are very used to make video calls every day at all times.
Chose Lifesize Video Conferencing
Security is important so we use both depending on what is required. The low bandwidth has an advantage for multiple users and the locations can mute the conversation to talk with themselves in Lifesize. Zoom has controls for the moderator and not the individual.
Chose Lifesize Video Conferencing
Overall, I'd have to say that on the endpoint side Lifesize really competes well against Polycom and Cisco, and I think they have the best product. On the software front, Lifesize does very well overall and they are continuing to get better.
To sum up, when we look at the total …
Zoom
Chose Zoom
I did not list all of the software we have tried here, but we have literally tried and used everything, nothing works as seamlessly and easily as Zoom.
Chose Zoom
Hands down the ease of use for our hosts to initiate and our users to get on a Zoom session. We've used very little hardware so far but the fact that we were able to use Zoom with our laptops and desktops was a huge positive. Now we're looking to see the hardware for Zoom rooms …
Chose Zoom
The UI for Zoom is much more user-friendly compared to Lifesize. The overall cost of entry is substantially lower as well. Lifesize is limited in its cross-platform compatibility. This is a problem that Zoom solves out of the box.
Chose Zoom
With Webex we had performance problems on thin clients. With Zoom they are solved, at least on the latest generation thin clients. Lifesize Cloud, in my own opinion, asks for more resources from the client.
Chose Zoom
Zoom has more functionality, and seems to be developing its platform on a much more regular basis. Lifesize is focused on developing their hardware, making their software development lag behind. Zoom is also much more streamlined and more simple to use than Lifesize is. …
Chose Zoom
Both BlueJeans and Zoom offered superior audio and video quality to our users. Either one of them would have been a solid choice. We ultimately selected Zoom not only because of the quality, but because of the effort that the Zoom team was putting into their product, while …
Chose Zoom
We selected Zoom very early on primarily due to cost. We truly didn't think it was really ready to take over for our H323 legacy system but it truly surprised and has exceeded our expectations in all areas.
Top Pros
Top Cons
TrustRadius Insights
Lifesize Video ConferencingZoom
Highlights

TrustRadius
Research Team Insight
Published

Lifesize Video Conferencing and Zoom are both web and video conferencing platforms that allow users to host and attend online meetings. Zoom also offers the Zoom Webinar and Zoom Cloud Phone options, but here we compare just its video conferencing solutions (Zoom Rooms, and Zoom Meetings), against the similar competing Lifesize conferencing solution.

Lifesize prefers to bundle its own hardware (e.g. camera, conference phone) with its video conferencing software. Zoom specializes in software and supports a variety of third-party hardware, including Logitech, Crestron, Poly, Yealink, or the Neat Bar.

Zoom is a leader in the web conferencing space and is widely used across businesses of all sizes. Lifesize is deployed in large and midsize companies, but very rarely in small companies. While competitors, users that prefer the Lifesize Icon camera and HD phone but prefer the Zoom application and service can use them together.

Features

Lifesize and Zoom both provide users with standard video and web conferencing features, though there are a few key differences to be aware of. 

Lifesize supports large-scale conferences with its app and bundles its Icon series cameras and phone. Together the solution boasts 4k content sharing (useful for sharing digital media, such as images, video, via video conference) and 4k camera with an ultra-wide field of view and dynamic auto-focus, pan, and zoom. The Icon phone offers a beam-forming microphone that hones in on just the speaker, dampening room noise and amplifying the voice of whoever is talking, with HD touchscreen and calendar integration.

Zoom offers no hardware of their own, but users enjoy the app’s strong collaboration features (chat, screen sharing, etc.) and small office features (scheduled & ad hoc calls or teleconferences, ease of use, virtual backgrounds, etc.). Notably, Zoom works with nearly any preferred hardware (including the Lifesize Icon).

Limitations

Each platform has a few limitations to keep in mind as you evaluate which one best fits your business needs. 

For example, Zoom requires a strong internet connection with sufficient bandwidth to host and attend meetings. In comparison, Lifesize is known to provide high-quality audio and video even when bandwidth may be limited. Zoom has also faced a number of security-related issues recently, including ‘Zoom bombing’ and user data privacy concerns. 

One the other hand, Lifesize excels in the large conference room but those who use it for small office meetings may be disappointed with the clunky desktop app, and poor collaboration features (screen sharing, etc.). This makes it less than ideal for labs, collaborative workshops, or group meetings needing interactivity.

Pricing

Zoom and Lifesize both offer free versions of their software for individual users. On its free tier, Zoom has a 40-minute meeting cap, but has unlimited 1:1 meetings and can support up to 100 attendees. Lifesize supports only 10 meeting attendees on their free plan, but conference time is not limited.

Zoom licenses are billed annually, and Zoom caps video quality at 720p on all plans. Paid plans range from  $149 per license per year to $199 per license per year on their highest-tier plan. Zoom’s Enterprise plan features unlimited cloud storage. Lifesize subscriptions are billed monthly and all plans support at least 1080p video and screen sharing. Paid plans range from $12.50 per license per month for up to 100 meeting attendees to $14.95 per license per month for up to 300 attendees and support for 4K video. Lifesize offers an Enterprise plan as well but does not publish pricing. 

As a rule, Zoom supports more meeting attendees and cloud storage per pricing tier than Lifesize does. However, Lifesize offers higher video quality across all its plans. 

Features
Lifesize Video ConferencingZoom
Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software
Comparison of Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software features of Product A and Product B
Lifesize Video Conferencing
8.9
161 Ratings
11% above category average
Zoom
7.2
713 Ratings
11% below category average
High quality audio8.9161 Ratings7.7707 Ratings
High quality video8.9159 Ratings7.7709 Ratings
Low bandwidth requirements8.8151 Ratings00 Ratings
Screen Sharing
Comparison of Screen Sharing features of Product A and Product B
Lifesize Video Conferencing
8.9
156 Ratings
11% above category average
Zoom
7.5
703 Ratings
6% below category average
Desktop sharing8.9156 Ratings8.1702 Ratings
Online Meetings / Events
Comparison of Online Meetings / Events features of Product A and Product B
Lifesize Video Conferencing
8.8
149 Ratings
8% above category average
Zoom
7.5
708 Ratings
6% below category average
Calendar integration8.8113 Ratings7.5631 Ratings
Meeting initiation8.8142 Ratings7.9690 Ratings
Record meetings / events8.8112 Ratings7.7663 Ratings
Slideshows8.897 Ratings00 Ratings
Online Events Collaboration
Comparison of Online Events Collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Lifesize Video Conferencing
9.0
93 Ratings
7% above category average
Zoom
7.3
617 Ratings
5% below category average
Live chat9.092 Ratings7.5599 Ratings
Q&A9.062 Ratings00 Ratings
Online Events Security
Comparison of Online Events Security features of Product A and Product B
Lifesize Video Conferencing
9.0
114 Ratings
8% above category average
Zoom
7.2
595 Ratings
4% below category average
Participant roles & permissions9.0114 Ratings7.0568 Ratings
User authentication00 Ratings6.8515 Ratings
Cloud PBX
Comparison of Cloud PBX features of Product A and Product B
Lifesize Video Conferencing
-
Ratings
Zoom
6.2
19 Ratings
27% below category average
Hosted PBX00 Ratings5.811 Ratings
Multi-level Interactive Voice Response (IVR)00 Ratings5.713 Ratings
Directory of employee names00 Ratings7.115 Ratings
Call Management
Comparison of Call Management features of Product A and Product B
Lifesize Video Conferencing
-
Ratings
Zoom
7.1
22 Ratings
14% below category average
Answering rules00 Ratings7.012 Ratings
Call recording00 Ratings8.319 Ratings
Call park00 Ratings6.312 Ratings
Call screening00 Ratings6.912 Ratings
Message alerts00 Ratings6.716 Ratings
Business SMS/External Messaging00 Ratings7.18 Ratings
Voicemail Transcription00 Ratings7.512 Ratings
Mobile apps
Comparison of Mobile apps features of Product A and Product B
Lifesize Video Conferencing
-
Ratings
Zoom
7.7
22 Ratings
11% below category average
Mobile app for iOS00 Ratings8.220 Ratings
Mobile app for Android00 Ratings7.115 Ratings
Unified Communications Platform and Collaboration
Comparison of Unified Communications Platform and Collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Lifesize Video Conferencing
-
Ratings
Zoom
6.0
14 Ratings
22% below category average
Centralized communications management00 Ratings5.311 Ratings
Team messaging00 Ratings5.812 Ratings
Team document sharing00 Ratings7.112 Ratings
Call and meeting analytics00 Ratings5.712 Ratings
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Lifesize Video ConferencingZoom
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Score 9.5 out of 10
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ClickMeeting
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User Ratings
Lifesize Video ConferencingZoom
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(162 ratings)
7.1
(733 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(24 ratings)
4.1
(16 ratings)
Usability
8.4
(37 ratings)
6.8
(39 ratings)
Availability
8.2
(7 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
8.2
(15 ratings)
9.0
(2 ratings)
Support Rating
7.0
(49 ratings)
4.3
(39 ratings)
In-Person Training
7.3
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
9.1
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.0
(136 ratings)
9.6
(7 ratings)
Configurability
7.7
(10 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
-
(0 ratings)
7.9
(13 ratings)
Ease of integration
7.4
(10 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
8.2
(18 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Professional Services
-
(0 ratings)
9.2
(8 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
8.2
(6 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.1
(3 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Lifesize Video ConferencingZoom
Likelihood to Recommend
Lifesize
Lifesize Video Conferencing is a real-time meeting and video conferencing solution that works simply and immediately with features that fit our needs. I recommend it because it is professional, easy to configure, with maximum security, and where collaboration and teamwork are essential. possible, increasing workflow and productivity, to increase communication and efficiency in projects, it offers positive results and a pleasant experience for all.
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
Lifesize
  • The touchpad makes it extremely easy to join or start conference calls with a single pushbutton.
  • The Lifesize solution is affordable and has been extremely reliable for our video conference calls.
  • Camera quality is great and provides clear video for our organization.
  • The pan/tilt/zoom features are very helpful to focus in on specific people or items during a training or demonstration.
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
Lifesize
  • Lack of features or options to integrate with other solutions
  • Audio was just ok. If it was a meeting with more than 3-4 people, it seemed it was too much
  • I had a hard time with support. They were not very responsive and felt like an up-hill battle at times.
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
Lifesize
Other than the HIPAA compliance, we have no compelling reason to retain LifeSize when we can already pay for similar services included with our UCaaS service. Our UCaaS vendor, Fuze, includes video conferencing with the VoIP services via single, integrated client software package. Additional limitations include minimal implementation assistance, training service, training materials and assistance driving internal adoption. Issues with slow speed for desktop sharing and audio quality make the technical aspects of Lifesize inferior to competitors.
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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.
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Usability
Lifesize
Overall experience with Lifesize Video Conferencing has been great. While it serves it's basic purpose of allowing smooth video/audio meetings of people located at different places with option of screen sharing/chatting/ recording, what add to it's pros are it's accessibility from various platforms, flexibility to switch to a listen only mode in case of network issues and ease of operation.
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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.
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Reliability and Availability
Lifesize
Since we are an educational institution we not only have scheduled classes which must be available, but we have staff members in a variety of areas ranging from recruiting and admissions to advancement and the President's office who need to connect with students, alumni and other interest groups, often at odd hours. I have not, since using Lifesize had anyone complain of not being able to connect
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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
Lifesize
Lifesize is an amazing platform for VC. However, it is a costly solution for any scaling startup. However, implementation and user acceptability was fairly easy and worth the additional spend. Quality has always been on point and support has always taken care of us. Our account manager also ensured a seamless transition process for Google Hangouts. Will go with this solution again at any other organization.
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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.
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Support Rating
Lifesize
Support has been decent throughout our use of Lifesize Video Conferencing. There were times we needed to make changes, customizations and additions to the application which took a little longer than expected. Overall the support team for Lifesize was very responsive to our requests. When we experienced issues with the application they were resolved to our expectations.
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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.
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In-Person Training
Lifesize
Sensus was really helpful in the initial setup and training of our technical Support Team. Sensus gave us training on site so that it would be our own equipment that was set up. Then the in house tech team took over to train other users who would be using the system. When needed the Sensus and Lifesize tech support were really helpful in trouble shooting or guiding us through any difficulty.
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Zoom
No answers on this topic
Online Training
Lifesize
I gave this rating because Lifesize's website offers multiple quality videos that shows you exactly how the software works. The videos are divided into different categories which makes searching for a video fairly simple! If for some reason you have a question not answered in one of the how-tos you can always contact support. Excellent product, excellent service!
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Zoom
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Lifesize
Great for companies that need to accomplish multiple things at once while at different places. From our experience, broadcasting news is most favorable considering the level of excellence you get with the product plus the affordability. It can be used both privately amongst employees, or shared publicly through covering events
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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.
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Alternatives Considered
Lifesize
When compared to Zoom, one of the massive benefits that Lifesize brings is total peace of mind with security. Call encryption is part of the core in Lifesize and not an optional feature as in Zoom. I don't know about you, but every conversation can contain private and confidential information, so protecting me, my team, and my customers is totally covered with Lifesize! When compared with other providers, the quality of the video and lip sync on Lifesize is simply flawless. With the ability to deliver a call at 4k ultra high definition at 60 frames per second, the platform is simply awesome! Zoom is only 720p and the data share is only 5 frames per second. Zoom is simply substandard when compared to Lifesize. We often speak with clients who are using Teams or Skype for Business, but when you compare the video and audio quality with that achieved by Lifesize, they simply do not match up. If you want excellent quality video and ultra-sharp audio, then Lifesize is the only way to go!
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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.
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Lifesize
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.
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Scalability
Lifesize
With LifeSize Cloud, it's very easy to simply add another Icon to your system and join it to your cloud. You can easily and instantly create meetings and add users both in your organization and out without any difficulty. The cooperation between the Icons and cloud users running on their laptops makes it easy to scale this out to your entire company, including joint venture without difficulty.
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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.
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Professional Services
Lifesize
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.
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Return on Investment
Lifesize
  • Training users on how to use the software is quick and easy.
  • Calling abroad saves a good chunk of money for both the end user and company.
  • Does save on travel as remote users are able to have a similar experience as the people attending the meetings and no need to travel to the other locations for meetings.
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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

Lifesize Video Conferencing Screenshots

Screenshot of Lifesize Web App directoryScreenshot of Lifesize Web App screen sharing and five-way callScreenshot of Lifesize Desktop App home screenScreenshot of Lifesize Desktop App group video call with moderator controlsScreenshot of Lifesize Record & Share personal video libraryScreenshot of Lifesize Record & Share personal video library - video feed