Webex vs Whereby

Webex

• Organizations that equip rooms and desks with Cisco devices
• Teams that want meetings, messaging and phone calling on one license
• Short free meetings with whiteboards and noise cancellation
• Public-sector buyers that need FedRAMP authorized security

Whereby

• Consultants, coaches and therapists who meet clients in one fixed room
• Guests who should join from a browser without an account or download
• Small teams that want simple per-host pricing
• Product teams adding video calls through the separate Embedded API

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.

Whereby

• The Free plan allows 1 host, 4 attendees per meeting and 30-minute meetings; Business requires at least 3 hosts.
• There is an iOS app but no Android or desktop app; Android users join in Chrome, and screen sharing and recording work only on computers.
• End-to-end encryption is listed only for small peer-to-peer rooms.
• The about page says product and engineering have focused entirely on Whereby Embedded, the API product, since 2023.

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.

Whereby

Rooms that run in the browser

Calls run in desktop and mobile browsers over WebRTC with no download needed, and guests join a fixed room URL without creating an account.

Collaboration during calls

Screen sharing, live chat with reactions and file sharing, breakout groups, and embedded Miro boards and Google Docs for working together.

Recording

The Pro plan lists unlimited recording, and the Meetings plan comparison lists local recording, which saves a call to your own device.

Room controls

Rooms can be locked so the host decides who joins, with background effects and noise reduction in calls and a custom waiting room on the plan comparison.

Branding and shared rooms

Pro adds custom room colors, logos and backgrounds. Business adds a custom subdomain, shared rooms, and Flex rooms that run without a licensed host present.

Whereby Embedded API

A separately priced API and SDK for adding video calls to your own product: free to test, then $9.99 a month plus usage, with 2,000 participant minutes included.

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.

Whereby

• Free$0

  1 host, 1 room URL, 4 attendees per meeting and meetings of up to 30 minutes.

• Pro$10.99

  per month, billed monthly ($109.90 billed annually)

  For one host: 3 room URLs, 100 attendees per meeting, no time limit, custom branding and unlimited recording.

• Business$13.99

  per host / month, billed monthly ($139.90 billed annually)

  Minimum 3 hosts. Unlimited room URLs, 200 attendees per meeting, shared and Flex rooms, and a custom subdomain.

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.

Whereby

• Annual discount

  Save 17% with annual billing

  The pricing page lists a 17% saving on annual plans: Pro is $109.90 billed annually against $10.99 a month, and Business is $139.90 per host against $13.99 a month.

• Nonprofit

  20% off Pro and Business for nonprofits

  Registered nonprofits and charities can claim 20% off monthly or annual Whereby Meetings Pro and Business plans by emailing support, per a 2023 Whereby announcement.