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Skype for Business 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

Skype for Business
Ranking in Virtual Meetings
3rd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
62
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
124
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Virtual Meetings category, the mindshare of Skype for Business is 13.4%, up from 8.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Webex is 18.4%, up from 15.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Virtual Meetings
 

Featured Reviews

Magdalena Teodorczuk - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers great audio and video quality for virtual meetings
I like the instant messaging feature in the product since I prefer to use the chat functionalities provided by the solution. It is easy to integrate the product with some of the other solutions in the market. I rate the integration capabilities of the product a ten out of ten. The product's user interface is user-friendly. I use the product at a personal level, so I can't speak about the support it provides for the maintenance part. I rate the overall tool a ten out of ten.
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 simplicity and ease of use are the most valuable features. It's so much easier and quicker than writing an email to someone and waiting for them to read it."
"The solution is easy to use and includes the ability to text message, video and voice chat, and transfer files."
"I like the seamless integration to local telecommunications."
"The integration with Microsoft Outlook for creating and scheduling meetings is nice."
"One of the best features of Skype for Business is that you can set it up on mobile phones, and you can set it up on laptops. You can connect to the tool from anywhere."
"The most valuable features are the history tracking which allows us to see who participated and who didn't in the meetings as well as the integration with Outlook."
"A good option for virtual meetings."
"I rate the solution's stability a nine on a scale where one is not stable and ten is very stable...I rate the solution's initial setup a nine on a scale where one is difficult, and ten is easy."
"Screen share is the most valuable feature."
"The most valuable feature of Webex is ease to use."
"What we like about Webex is that it is a hosted solution, so there is no demand for us to invest in hardware, skill, or manpower to maintain our cloud meeting capability."
"Great quality of sound, quality of pics and video."
"I never had any issues with the stability of the product. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"It allows me to conduct meetings, share files, record events, chat, and have presentations with co-workers."
"The product's initial setup phase was straightforward."
"The important feature is breakout sessions. We can create a breakout session if you want to hold a conference and make a room only for some people at the meeting."
 

Cons

"Skype for Business is not stable."
"Sometimes the connection crashes, which is understandable if you are traveling. But, it would be nice if this could be stabilized somehow."
"The solution's functionality needs to be moved to Microsoft Teams. Its technology is outdated."
"The challenge we had with Skype for Business was with the signing in when a user signed out and when signing in back in again, there was a bit of a problem. We switched from Skype for Business to Teams, and Teams never had that sign-in problem once we did the switch."
"We would like to better customize our instructions within the Outlook plugin/invite, but we are unable to do so."
"The tool needs to have a dynamic file updating feature, so people you share a file with could update the file dynamically, all at once, all at the same time."
"I believe optimizing the solution for lighter endpoints, particularly for embedded endpoints on mobile devices, would be valuable."
"The solution should improve the chat and add more flexibility to make a call."
"The product's user interface is an area with shortcomings, making it an area where improvements are required."
"Zoom entered into the commercial space for end-users. It's more of a solution for single users for training classes or music centers and all that. Cisco is not in that space."
"I think Webex could be improved by simplifying the process. For instance, they could make it easier to join meetings by providing a direct meeting link without requiring sign-ups or logins. While security is important, finding a balance with user-friendliness is key."
"I'd like to see a modernized user interface, something a bit more colorful."
"The solution could improve by having better integration with other platforms."
"No private chat option."
"The performance is not always good and could be improved."
"The initial implementation was a bit difficult. If they could simplify that aspect of the solution, it would be helpful for future users."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We are using the subscription-based version of Skype for Business. There is a free version of the solution."
"It may be slightly costly, but the features are awesome."
"We negotiated a fair price with Microsoft. It is definitely worthwhile to negotiate with them for the best price for your solution."
"The cost of Skype for Business is incorporated into our Office 365 licenses."
"The solution is priced fairly."
"Previously, I did not use another solution."
"I use the product's open-source version."
"I am using a corporate account for which I have not made any payments."
"Licensing is subscription-based and the cost varies depending on how many minutes are included in the plan."
"There is a subscription needed to use this solution and we pay approximately $5,000 per year."
"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."
"Features matter more than the price for us. As long as we get all the features we want and it fits our budget, then the price doesn't matter. I can't speak for other companies. We have tried other applications, and we run into some problems that we don't see in Webex."
"I use the free version, not the enterprise version. The only compelling reason to go for paid WebEx pay is if you're hosting large meetings."
"We paid for our Webex license as a bundle."
"My organization took care of the licensing. I'm guessing they did some subscription cycle, but I used the free version."
"I use the solution for free because I don't use the solution's enterprise version."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
93%
Financial Services Firm
1%
Computer Software Company
1%
Government
1%
Educational Organization
81%
Computer Software Company
4%
Government
3%
Financial Services Firm
3%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Skype for Business?
Skype for Business is affordable and has decent pricing. The video quality is a bit lower than Teams or Zoom, but it remains a good solution overall.
What needs improvement with Skype for Business?
The video quality could be improved, possibly due to internet connection issues. However, there is no significant weakness in Skype for Business.
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

 

Also Known As

Skype for Business Plan 1, Skype for Business Plan 2, Lync Server
Cisco Spark
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services,LA Fitness, MedcoEnergi International, Tampa General Hospital, and HopewellHoldings Limited.
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 Skype for Business vs. Webex and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,485 professionals have used our research since 2012.