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HCL Sametime vs Webex comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 3, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

HCL Sametime
Ranking in Virtual Meetings
19th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Webex
Ranking in Virtual Meetings
2nd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
123
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Virtual Meetings category, the mindshare of HCL Sametime is 0.4%, down from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Webex is 17.9%, up from 15.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Virtual Meetings
 

Featured Reviews

Bogdan Chechlowski - PeerSpot reviewer
Stable product, communicate very fast and allows to see who's online in the office or work environment
It was used for communication through text messages, primarily Being able to see who was online and communicate very fast was a good feature.  The security was quite good. However, when we tried to implement it for email at a high level, we had to use another solution, FortiMail Gateway. I view…
AlexandruCioruta - PeerSpot reviewer
Used to conduct online third-party client meetings or third-party vendor meetings
The solution's video conferencing quality is good, and I rate it a nine out of ten. The solution's security features are end-to-end encrypted, and I rate them ten out of ten. The version we're using requires no technical team for deployment and maintenance. The solution has an enterprise version, but we're not currently using it. I would recommend the solution to other users because it has good video conference quality. I mostly leverage the solution for third-party client meetings or third-party vendor meetings. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The security was quite good."
"I can view the status and availability of colleagues or team members, which makes it easy to approach them when they are available."
"Webex has enhanced the remote team collaboration process regarding time management and cost savings."
"It is a valuable solution for virtual meetings."
"The installation is not difficult."
"Seamless integration with Microsoft Outlook."
"As compared to Zoom, I like its user interface more. It is much easier to use, and I also find it more stable."
"The installation of Webex is simple. You only need to click an executable file to run it. it is very easy."
"The solution is perfectly stable, it normally performs very well."
"The most valuable feature is that you can host presentations with a lot of attendees."
 

Cons

"The webinar should be integrated into Sametime for a larger number of participants."
"It lacks some features compared to modern solutions. For example, it doesn't allow sending screenshots or other files."
"Sometimes we've had issues with the connection."
"Webex could be improved by having a password-protected system. I don't remember there being any passwords for the meetings, but, presently, Zoom has meeting protection."
"There could be a feature available to record the meetings."
"Webex's translation feature could work more accurately."
"The initial implementation was a bit difficult. If they could simplify that aspect of the solution, it would be helpful for future users."
"There is a small bug when it comes to connecting my Webex with my Outlook Calendar. Some meetings show up, and others don't. They should fix this bug."
"The modification of the email template is not very intuitive."
"The solution is heavy and slow."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"Price is the one area where Webex needs to improve relative to its competitors. It's difficult to sell to small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) because of the license price."
"The price should be improved significantly."
"Webex is a cheaply priced tool."
"I am not aware of the pricing details."
"The tool is expensive."
"This is an expensive product compared to Teams and it should be cheaper."
"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a six out of ten."
"The charges attached to the subscriptions of the product are okay. There are no extra charges to be paid in addition to the standard licensing fees."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Educational Organization
85%
Computer Software Company
4%
Government
2%
Financial Services Firm
2%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with HCL Sametime?
I view it as part of HCL Notes and Domino, and my opinion is similar to those products. It lacks some features compared to modern solutions. For example, it doesn't allow sending screenshots or oth...
What is your primary use case for HCL Sametime?
It was used for communication through text messages, primarily.
What advice do you have for others considering HCL Sametime?
Overall, it was quite good. I would rate it an eight out of ten. It's a better product than some others from HCL, but overall, I wouldn't recommend it, given the availability of superior alternatives.
What do you like most about Webex?
Webex improved our overall team collaboration.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Webex?
The tool is expensive. It costs approximately $6000 per year. The vendor must work on the pricing. $3500 to $4500 would be more reasonable. Webex is much more expensive than the other brands.
What needs improvement with Webex?
The solution's initial setup process is lengthy. The tool takes a bit of time to download. When you are at the tail end of starting up a meeting, installing Webex will delay you.
 

Comparisons

No data available
 

Also Known As

Lotus Sametime, IBM Lotus Sametime
Cisco Spark
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Connect2Cloud, Superior Group, Daifuku Co. Ltd., Seaward, The City of Fort Worth, Christian Brothers Services, Berlitz, Deutsche Notes User Group, Danske Fysioterapeuter, Slumberland, La Vacanza, Rheinmetall AG
Seagate Technology, Kohn Pedersen Fox, World Vision International, Glen Raven, University of Notre Dame, CEV Multimedia, The Food Group, LUMEDX, California Baptist University, and Georgetown University Law Center.
Find out what your peers are saying about HCL Sametime vs. Webex and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.