Zoom and GoToMeeting are two of the most popular online meeting tools, which have become the “new normal,” especially since Covid-19 pandemic restrictions made remote working inevitable.
Video conferencing did not just become popular after 2020. No. GoToMeeting has existed since 2004, and Zoom was first used seven years later.
GoToMeeting started as a screen-sharing technology from GoToMyPC and GoToAssist, which provided web conferencing abilities. In 2006, GoToWebinar was released. By 2010, the capabilities improved, which led to GoToTraining, which allowed for even larger audiences.
Zoom had a similar trajectory but started later in 2011. Zoom seems to be the more popular of the two, providing video telephony and online chat services for online meetings and even phone calls and messaging.
Before you conclude on which is better, why not read through this comprehensive review. We’ve looked at the pros and cons and compared the significant features without leaving out the pricing and customer service. Our verdict is left for later.
But let’s begin with a review of Zoom.
Zoom
The Covid-19 pandemic negatively altered so many lives and businesses. But one of the few businesses that would never have one complaint about the lockdowns that changed so many things was Eric Yuan’s Zoom. The sudden shift to an online mode of meetings led to a boom in Zoom’s profile.
Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing service that allows you to hold virtual meetings and record them. You can host one-on-one meetings with the free plan of Zoom, although you need to pay for advanced features. Under the free plan, you can also host up to 100 participants for up to 40 minutes.
Zoom has some great features that allow collaboration with up to 300 UR and external non-UR individuals, will enable users to share their screen and individual applications, record meetings and upload them to other platforms, host large groups, and has excellent features for mobile users. On Zoom sessions, up to 500 interactive participants can participate, while up to 10,000 viewers can join in Zoom webinars.
To enjoy Zoom features, you can access them via the different payment plans, including Zoom free, Zoom Pro, Zoom Business, and Zoom Enterprise. You can also create Zoom Rooms and host webinars at a subscription cost.
Pros
- Very easy to use
- No need to install software for participants to join
- Cloud-based storage
- Allows for screen sharing
- Allows for breakout rooms and collaboration rooms
- It can be used on Windows, Mac, Android, Linux, and iOS.
- A variety of integration allows hooking into other operating systems
- You retain control over the meeting and limit what participants can see
- Reports on detailed usage available for users
Cons
- Cloud storage is limited
- Minimum licenses are required for certain subscriptions
- Works poorly with low bandwidth
- It doesn’t offer excellent protection against hackers
- Poor audio quality
GoToMeeting
GoToMeeting allows you to schedule online and host and record meetings like Zoom. Although it also has a free version that comes with all the features, it can only be accessed for a limited time.
Although not as popular as Zoom, GoToMeeting features high-definition video conferencing, toll-free numbers, and screen-sharing abilities.
Convening groups of people are easy and effective on GoToMeeting, which is why large corporations use it effectively to mobilize employees for online seminars.
GoToMeeting also allows for multiple meeting facilitators, sharing of keyboard and mouse control, as well as the recording of the meeting, and easy sharing. If you have to make presentations, GoToMeeting allows you to use drawing tools with which you can highlight items on the screen.
Using add-ons and plug-ins, you can set up meetings and invite participants via events on your calendar. It is also very easy to set up meetings on GoToMeeting. As we noted in the introduction, there are other versions of GoToMeeting, including GoToWebinar, and GoToTraining, with even more features that can be accessed for free for 30 days.
Pros
- Features unlimited cloud storage
- There is no minimum number of organizers or licenses
- You don’t need to install the software to join the meeting
- You have detailed reports on usage
- You can use it in different varieties of hardware
- The instant Meeting function allows you to invite participants easily
- Excellent customer service
Cons
- It doesn’t have a breakout room feature
- The host has limited control over the meeting
- Participants could easily disrupt the meeting
- Features very simple tools
Now, let’s compare some features.
Ease of setup
Zoom
Setting up a Zoom meeting is very easy. All you need is an account with Zoom. The procedure is so straightforward. Once you’ve installed the software or application on your device, start by signing in with your login details.
Select start withvideo and then New meeting, and your meeting can commence. You can select start without video if you want only an audio meeting.
If you’re a beginner, you will find the process of hosting or joining a meeting very easy on Zoom.
GoToMeeting
If you are joining a session that was scheduled by someone else, you don’t need a GoToMeeting account to participate. But if you want to set up a meeting, you must sign up.
Setting up a meeting is also very easy and convenient. Simply launch GoToMeeting from your device and log in to your account. Then select the personalized GoToMeeting.me link and select Start meeting to begin.
Webinar registration
Zoom
On Zoom, you can easily schedule a webinar with registration. This, however, requires having the Pro, Business, or Enterprise payment plans. You can also use an Education account to host a webinar with registration.
This would require the intending participants to complete a form before being enlisted to receive the webinar link. You will be able to use the data to approve participants manually.
Once you click Webinars on the navigation menu, select Schedule a Webinar, and choose the necessary settings, including Registration if you require registration to attend. Attendees may be required to register for recurring webinars or once and for all, depending on the settings.
Once you’re done, click Schedule, and your webinar is registered.
GoToMeeting
To host a webinar, sign in to your GoToWebinar account and click the schedule a webinar option. Fill in all the required details, including title, description, and date.
Once you’ve finished, click Schedule to end. You can set reminders, send invites to intending participants and manage the webinar page by editing the details.
Attending the webinar
Zoom
To attend webinars on Zoom, you need to receive an invitation and be accepted by the convener. If a webinar requires pre-registration, then attendees must fill out a form and be accepted by the host.
If it is open and requires no registration, then the user only needs to sign in, click or tap Join, enter the webinar ID, and click Join Meeting. If you’re prompted to enter further information, do so.
GoToMeeting
Attendees need to register to be part of webinars and need to receive an invitation, and a confirmation email (Registration Confirmation page) is received to affirm it. Attendees don’t need to log in to GoToMeeting to be part of webinars.
Audio and Video Quality
Zoom
Zoom’s audio and video quality is excellent and features full HD (1080p) and noise cancellation to improve the audio quality. Zoom also boasts of features that allow for video and picture quality improvement. This makes it good for interviews.
GoToMeeting
GoToMeeting also offers maximum resolution, although it is only achieved in one-on-one sessions. Video Conferencing is streamed at 720p. Audio quality is also top-notch, although hardware issues may affect the reception.
Analytics
Zoom
Analytics on Zoom is excellent. Zoom Analytics collects and analyzes your data automatically, allowing you to have real-time information on your visitors. Since it integrates with Zapier, you can also automatically send info between Google Analytics and Zoom without needing any code.
GoToMeeting
GoToMeeting has an Analytics page that displays a well-detailed overview of all past live events. You can also access the videos and find or sort different recordings.
GoToMeeting also has a detailed report on every meeting, including attendee reports that display registration, Q & A responses, interest rating, and in-session time.
Whatever data you need from meetings is easily accessible.
Integration
Zoom
Zoom integrates with a variety of programs to improve your experience and productivity. Some of these integrations are available as plug-ins, extensions, or add-ons.
Examples of apps Zoom integrates include Vimeo, which allows you to keep your videos, Hive, Google Workspace, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Coda, and Zapier. With all of these integrations, you can do much more!
GoToMeeting
GoToMeeting is seamlessly integrated with several apps, so you can continue doing much more. Featured apps include Hubspot, Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Teams, and Outlook. Most of the apps are applicable for different aspects of GoToMeeting, like GoToWebinar.
Pricing
Zoom
Zoom has a free plan that allows up to 100 participants for 40 minutes. You can also host one-on-one sessions without paying anything and for as long as you want.
The paid plans of Zoom are in different categories. They are
- Professional plan,
- Business plan, and
- Enterprise plan
You can host meetings for as long as 30 hours and have 1 gigabyte of cloud storage on the professional plan. You can also host up to 100 people on the platform, although you can increase the number to 1000 with special add-ons. It costs $14.99 a month or $149 a year.
The business plan costs $199 a year, and you can host up to 300 people and have access to 5 GB of storage.
The enterprise plan can host up to 1000 participants and features Zoom rooms and many other special packages. It is a specialized plan, and the number of features available determines the cost.
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GoToMeeting
GoToMeeting has three main pricing plans. They are
- Professional,
- Business, and
- Enterprise.
Each has varying features, but the Professional plan costs $14 per month. The Business plan costs $19 per month. Both are on per user basis.
The Enterprise plan is a custom package that requires specialized pricing because it involves different products tailored to meet specific needs. The pricing is determined by the number of services rendered.
The professional plan can host up to 150 participants, while the Business plan can accommodate 250 participants. The business plan also allows for the sharing of transcripts of meetings. The enterprise plan can host as many as 3000 participants and features specialized packages depending on the user’s wants. Enterprise packages are designed for businesses, corporations, and enterprises.
Unlike Zoom, GoToMeeting has no free plan but has a limited trial version that lasts for a month.
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Customer service
Zoom
If you are on Zoom, you have access to global support centers and Zoom learning centers. However, your account type and user type determine your response’s priority.
Later in the year, Zoom is poised to release the Contact Center for better customer service, which will have about 100 features at launch and meet the needs of agents, supervisors, and contact center administrators to address customers.
GoToMeeting
GoToMeeting has a Live Chat, Phone Support, and Support ticket system to address customer needs round the clock. You can also search for support queries and search through different categories.
Final verdict
Zoom boomed during the coronavirus pandemic and is the most popular meeting platform with every group. It is also the best entry point for those new to videoconferencing; however, businesses and professionals need lots more features that are not always available on Zoom.
For example, Zoom users need to pay more toll-free audio calls, but GoToMeeting users can easily access this. But perhaps the reason why many businesses may find GoToMeeting the better option is the ability to achieve near-perfect image quality in video settings.
Also, with GoToMeeting, you can receive unlimited cloud storage for all your meetings, especially for important meetings where you want the details archived for apparent reasons. You can also do this on Zoom, but the capacity is limited.
So without prejudice to the popularity and ease of use of Zoom, our verdict is that for more advanced features, especially for more security and control, we give it to GoToMeeting.
Conclusion
Zoom is obviously the best option for video conferencing because of its affordability, ease of use, and general features.
However, GoToMeeting is ideal for larger teams due to its unlimited recording features and better picture quality. Zoom, meanwhile, offers better screen sharing and collaboration tools, and GoToMeeting has fewer tools.
Your choice should depend on the number of participants you want to be hosted and the kind of features you want.
However, bigger groups and large corporations prefer GoToMeeting because they offer better support. However, both are excellent and useful in making it easier to host meetings.
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