Rainbow vs Webex (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Rainbow if

• Fits if your company already runs Alcatel-Lucent phones and wants chat on top
• Works for organisations that need to choose where their data sits

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want a price on the page, as none is published
• Not for you if you are one person or a very small team, since it targets organisations
• Too light on detail for licences, because it is unclear which features come with which one
• Watch out: no trial or free plan is listed

Pick Webex if

• Fits if your organization wants meetings, messaging and a business phone line on one license
• Works for offices whose meeting rooms and desks already have Cisco devices

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you're staying free, as every meeting ends at 40 minutes and recording is local only
• Pricey if you need live translation or Call Me, paid add-ons at $300 per license a year and from $48
• Not for you if all you want is team chat, since $12 a user a month is well over the $7 that typically starts at
• Watch out: a phone number needs Suite at $22.50, and meetings over 200 attendees need Enterprise, sold through sales
• Skip it if you only ever join from a browser, as some features, PSTN calls among them, need the downloaded app

Rainbow

• No prices are published on the pages read; pricing is unverified and likely sold through Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise.
• The vendor describes an a la carte service, so which features come with which licence is not stated on the pages read.
• Rainbow is aimed at organizations, not individuals or very small teams.

Webex

• Free meetings end at 40 minutes, and the free plan records locally only.
• A business phone number and calling need Webex Suite, and meetings above 200 attendees need Webex Enterprise, which is sold by sales.
• Call Me and Real-Time Translation are paid add-ons: Call Me starts at $48 and translation is $300 per license a year.
• Webex runs in a browser, but the vendor says some features, such as PSTN calls, need the downloaded app.

Rainbow

Chat and collaboration

Enterprise messaging and collaboration sit in the same app as business telephony and meetings.

AI services

The vendor lists transcription, summaries, real-time translation and an AI reception agent as included in the licence.

Flexible deployment

Runs as public cloud, on top of an existing PBX or as a private cloud, for 5 to 100,000 users according to the vendor.

Data location and certifications

The vendor lists 15 data centres worldwide and certifications including ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA and C5.

Microsoft Teams connector

A telephony connector pairs Rainbow with Microsoft Teams, and APIs and SDKs support custom integrations.

Apps for each platform

The vendor's pages list a web application plus apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.

Webex

Video meetings

Meetings include screen sharing with annotation. They run 40 minutes with 100 attendees on Free, 24 hours with 200 on Meet, and up to 1,000 attendees on Enterprise.

Messaging

Group messaging, chat and file sharing sit in the same app as meetings, and the free plan includes unlimited messaging.

AI Assistant and cloud recording

Paid plans include the AI Assistant, closed captions and 10 GB of cloud recording. The free plan records locally, and Enterprise has unlimited cloud recording.

Whiteboards, polls and video messages

Whiteboards are unlimited on every plan and Vidcast records and shares video. Live polling and Q&A through Slido start with Webex Meet.

Calling

Webex Suite adds a business phone number, visual voicemail, 6-way conference calling and unlimited local and domestic long-distance calling.

Noise cancellation

Advanced noise cancellation is listed on every plan, including Webex Free, along with calendar service integration.

Rainbow

Pricing could not be confirmed. See openrainbow.com.

Webex

• Webex Free$0

  Unlimited meetings of up to 40 minutes and 100 attendees, unlimited messaging and whiteboards, and local recording.

• Webex Meet$12

  per user / month, billed annually ($144 a year)

  24-hour meetings with up to 200 attendees, the AI Assistant, 10 GB of cloud recording, Slido polling and Q&A, and closed captions.

• Webex Suite$22.50

  per user / month, billed annually ($270 a year)

  Meet plus calling: a business phone number, visual voicemail and unlimited local and domestic long-distance calls.

• Webex EnterpriseCustom

  Up to 1,000 attendees, unlimited cloud meeting recording and FedRAMP authorized security. Certain plans include Webex events.

Rainbow

No public discounts listed.

Webex

• Annual discount

  Lower rate on annual billing

  Billed annually, Webex Meet is $144 per user a year, shown as $12 a month. The pricing page's own plan data lists the monthly-billed Meet license at $14.50.

• Other savings

  6 months free with 5 or more licenses

  The pricing page advertises 6 months free on Webex Meet when 5 or more licenses are bought, a saving of $360 or more. Terms apply and no end date is shown.

• Nonprofit

  60% off for eligible nonprofits

  The Flex Plan Non-Governmental Organization offer gives eligible nonprofits a 60% discount on Webex for up to 100 users, arranged by contacting Webex.