The popularity of using digital platforms for communication has surged significantly due to the Covid-19 pandemic that had led to the closure of everything from schools, retail stores, workspaces, factories, airports, and restaurants. People were asked to stay at home, practice social distancing, and find ways to work remotely.
The Coronavirus restrictions are slowly lifting, and people are returning to normalcy, but the pandemic is ongoing, and many people are still working from home and practicing social distancing. The two popular applications people are using to communicate are ‘Skype’ and ‘Zoom’.
The video communication market is said to be worth $50 billion by 2026, which shows how people now want to connect and have face-to-face interaction. The novel Coronavirus has led family, friends, and coworkers to stay connected through video chat applications. But one trend these days among people is the debate of ‘Zoom vs Skype’.
The Fine Aspects of both Platforms in ‘Skype vs Zoom Comparison’
Today, nearly everyone knows about ‘Zoom’ from parents, kids, grandparents, employees, teachers, and business managers. Zoom is a digital application that provides video telephony and online chat services. Zoom is a cloud-based peer-to-peer software that allows people to interact, whether distance education, telecommuting or teleconferencing.
The main reason for Zoom’s massive popularity since last year is offering free communication options among many users. Zoom offers 40-minute free conference calls that can have up to 100 attendees.
When it comes to easy communication in businesses, one name famous throughout the world is ‘Skype’ released in 2003, and it is known for providing easy video calls and chat messaging service. Over the years, the importance of Skype has grown tremendously, and many new features have been added; now, people can not only do instant messaging but send text, image, audio, and video files.
Skype and Zoom are the first choices of everyone these days, from parents wanting their kids to attend online classes to business companies asking their employees to work from home and participate in online meetings.
Both Zoom and Skype are fantastic communication apps that allow people to perform video calls, chat easily, host meetings, and even webinars. There is not much difference between the two, but a comprehensive zoom vs skype review can help you choose between them.
Both Zoom and Skype are available on nearly all platforms, such as Windows for desktops and laptops and Android phones and iPhones. Both platforms are also designed for diverse use, from small businesses to large enterprises. Skype may be more preferred by freelancers.
Does Zoom work better than Skype?
Since last year, Zoom has been trending everywhere because of its unique features and one of the best applications when multiple people need to communicate online simultaneously. The many advantages of Zoom include
– Conduct easy live video chat
– Easy to share the screen with participants of the chat
– Recording option to record the online sessions
– Interactive support such as help articles, FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), online chat, and video tutorials
– On-screen whiteboard feature to share ideas and discuss them
– The free plan allows you to host a video chat with 100 participants, and the paid version can include up to 1000 participants
– Schedule and invite attendees and run a webinar
– Best to hold a meeting every day with your team
Although Zoom is a fantastic communication application, there are few things that one has to consider, such as
– The video chat sessions can be expensive if you have large teams as you need to pay Zoom for the host
– The free plan gives the option of unlimited meetings, but the calls are restricted to 40 minutes and cannot be extended.
– The paid options offer more options and include Pro, Business, and Enterprise. The Pro plan costs $11.99, Business $15.99, and Enterprise $11.99, and the Enterprise also costs $15.99 but suitable for a company with over 1000 employees.
– The audio and video quality is sometimes not stable throughout the session and can change frequently. Also, whiteboard and remote control features are impressive but difficult to use.
Which is Safer Zoom or Skype?
Both Zoom and Skype provide safe end to end encryption, but lately, Zoom has been under the spotlight for privacy concerns from many users. The one issue that became viral was ‘Zoombombing’ that refers to the unwanted, unauthorized, and disruption caused by an uninvited person in a video chat between two parties.
Zoom responded to the security and privacy concerns, added a password protection option for all meetings, and allowed users to form waiting rooms to prevent Zoombombing.
By comparison, Skype provides end to end encryption if you interact with other people through chat messaging, Skype audio or video calls. All the communication is encrypted with 256 Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). Both Skype and Zoom allow you to create a meeting link just before inviting users, but on Skype, you do not get a password to protect the meeting link.
Does Skype replace Zoom?
When we talk about Skype vs Zoom, Skype has been a clear winner for a decade or so as it easily connects family, friends, co-workers, and business clients worldwide. The numerous advantages of Skype are
– Easily make an account and communicate by texting, audio, or video calls.
– One can easily make local, domestic, and international calls
– Easy to share screen and also share documents such as images, video, and data files
– Groups can be made, and live sessions can be conducted
Skype has been in business for nearly two decades, so it has been able to address user concerns and improve its services considerably over the years. The free version of Skype is best for personal or business use. However, some of the issues with Skype are
– Skype provides a more stable audio and video quality, but sometimes the application freezes up.
– Users find it difficult to get proper help and support when faced with a problem
– The free version only limits up to 50 participants
– Some of the new users also find it time taking to get a full understanding of the options they can use due to UX (User Experience) design features
How is Zoom different from Skype?
You can install and use both Zoom and Skype if you want to chat for a different purpose. For example, Zoom is best for frequent video chats and meetings, such as online teaching classes for kids. On the other hand, Skype provides a more holistic solution and fulfills different business and personal communication needs.
In Zoom, the organizer runs and controls the sessions and has the option to mute microphones, and determines which of the attendee has access to the session or not. The Zoom Rooms and Zoom Meetings provide a more open and interactive setting as a person can directly communicate with the organizer and other attendees present in the online session.
If you are looking to share files, instant messages, and share screens easily, Skype is the ideal tool. People can also quickly make informal or formal video or audio calls without much hassle.
Final Word
Deciding between Skype vs Zoom is a tricky one and similar to Mercedes or BMW as both are equally balanced in the competition.
Zoom was purposefully designed to support online video chat meetings with many participants and the go-to application when talking about web conferences, online classes, and webinar training. On the contrary, Skype can be used for personal and business purposes with many texts, audio, and video tools.
However, Zoom’s value-added options and enhancements give it a slight edge when talking about improving business communication. Zoom also offers unique features such as breakout sessions, webinar training, virtual hand raising, individual meeting URLs, and a set of analytics and meeting tools. Skype is a more consumer application and more user-friendly when people use it for personal purposes. With Skype, one can integrate easily with other Microsoft applications such as Word, Outlook, and OneDrive and also other applications Slack and WordPress. With Zoom, you can integrate with a variety of applications such as Google Drive, LinkedIn, Slack, and other third-party applications in marketing, finance, and healthcare categories.
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