Webex Meetings Review 2024: Features, Pros & Cons

Webex Meetings is Cisco’s video conferencing software. The product came under the Cisco umbrella shortly after the company acquired Webex in 2007. The tool lets businesses and their collaborators:

• Host video or audio meetings
• Hold sessions with up to 1,000 attendees
• Share screens
• Use a whiteboard
• Record meetings
• Poll attendees live using Slido

Because Webex Meetings is free, it’s possible to begin using its conferencing software without committing to a premium plan. However, the larger your organization and the more people necessary to be present in meetings, the more likely you’ll wish to upgrade to a higher tier. Webex Meetings is a serviceable choice for businesses of all sizes seeking a stand-alone video meeting tool.

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As Webex Meetings is part of Cisco’s cloud-based communication service, you would generally need an adequately reliable internet connection to launch or join a meeting; the exception comes if you buy the paid add-on that lets you participate by phone or provide a phone number that attendees can use to dial in to a session.

During meetings, you can select options to record meetings, share screens, engage through emojis and more.

Webex Meetings is a reliable video meeting platform that works well for businesses of all sizes, but there may be drawbacks that make it a poor choice for some companies.

Webex Meetings Is Best For:

• International calls: Because of its real-time captioning and ability to call in worldwide, Webex Meetings is an excellent option for collaborating globally.
• Teams with deaf and hearing-impaired: Through closed-captioning and chat features, Webex may be beneficial to groups wishing to make collaboration more accessible for those who are deaf or or hard of hearing.
• Individuals on a tight budget: While Webex Meetings can work for small to enterprise-level business teams, the service will likely be more cost-effective for individual professionals wanting a simple solution for one-on-one meetings or short sessions that don’t include more than 100 people.

Webex Meetings does have features that could make it work well for specific groups, such as internationally operating companies or non-English speakers. If you are seeking an inclusive collaboration solution, Webex Meetings could be a great choice.

Webex Meetings Is Not Recommended For:

• Getting good value for the money: Though Webex Meetings is an adequate video conferencing product, better options are available with lower starting costs.
• Group engagement tools: It has very few emojis, and its virtual backgrounds leave much to be desired.

While there are a few things Webex Meetings does well, it doesn’t feel as engaging or intuitive as Google Meet or Zoom, two of the more popular and better-known video conferencing apps. You can enjoy more features and a more straightforward experience with these tools for lower prices, making Webex Meetings fall behind as an obvious choice for video meetings.

One feature that sets Webex Meetings apart from other video conferencing options is providing real-time translations and closed captions for recordings. These items enable non-English speakers and those with a hearing impairment to participate with relative ease. With an ever-growing emphasis on diversity, these tools are helpful for organizations wishing to be as inclusive as possible.

Additionally, Webex Meetings provides an add-on license that lets you call in to a meeting from anywhere in the world. Alongside its real-time translations, this tool demonstrates strong consideration for businesses with employees located worldwide.

As a video conferencing tool, Webex Meetings provides many necessary features for getting the most out of your call sessions.

Hardware

Cisco provides a range of hardware for communications, including headsets, cameras and phones. It also provides equipment that works best when paired with Webex Meetings. Such items include its Desk series, which is desk-based, and on-the-go displays that make it easier to collaborate in the office or while working remotely.

Desk series hardware starts at $1,995. Cisco also offers smart boards and room kits, making it easier for entire teams to engage with partners or peers located elsewhere.

Software

Webex Meetings’ software is available for download to desktop or laptop computers and iOS and Android devices; for non-compatible operating systems, such as Linux or Chrome OS, you can start a meeting through the web app. Webex Meetings works for video conferencing or, when cameras aren’t available, it is a substitute for voice calling.

Record Meetings

Beginning with the free service plan, you can start recording meetings locally. To store sessions in the cloud, you must upgrade to at least the Webex Meet plan. You can hold up to 10GB of recorded data in the cloud, with storage provisioned to each user among shared team sites.

Security

Webex Meetings employs multiple layers of security to keep your conference calls and shared data safe. Steps include end-to-end encryption, infrastructure and platform security and the use of SOC2 and ISO-compliant data centers. Cisco also uses video surveillance for its physical locations and enforces two-factor identification for those who wish to enter.

Third-Party Integrations

There are dozens of third-party integrations available for use with Meetings. You may access options through the app hub. Though there are a variety of integrations to help you get the most out of Meetings, we noted that compared to specific alternatives, Meetings lacked direct integrations with some of the better-known services. Even so, if you are seeking collaboration tools to assist with brainstorming, scheduling and more, there are many options.

Webex Meetings is a relatively easy-to-use video conferencing platform. You can start a meeting within the web browser, or from your desktop app, or a mobile device. Before going into a meeting, you get shown options that allow you to turn a camera on or off or ensure you connect to the computer audio, which helps you prepare before you start or join a meeting. As long as you have a basic idea of using similar video conferencing software, you should have no issue using Webex Meetings.

We found that the audio quality of the conference call was clear, easy to hear and understand. The video quality was okay, though not as high definition as we would have liked. We did note that if the devices used for calling were too close, there could be echoes or clicking noises.

Webex Free

With Webex’s free plan, you can host or join video conferences. Meetings are limited to 40 minutes and a maximum of 100 attendees. Without upgrading to premium service, you get:

• Interactive whiteboards
• Meeting recording capability to store recordings locally
• The ability to move meetings from laptop to mobile
• Video pinning capability
• Co-host assigning
• Virtual backgrounds
• Emoji reactions and “raise hand” tool
• Integrations with Apple car software
• Public/private chat and breakout rooms

In addition to these features, you get end-to-end encryption and can secure your lobby to prevent unauthorized persons from joining sessions. You can also send and receive calls from anyone with a Webex account.

This tier works best for individual professionals and small businesses that want to host remote meetings without worrying about an associated budget. It’s great for one-on-ones and team meetings that typically don’t run longer than 45 minutes; the limitation will force hosts and attendees to be mindful of the time, which could be advantageous to ensuring the most important topics get discussed.

Still, the lack of wiggle room for very long meetings and limiting conference calls to 100 participants means this plan probably won’t work for midsize to large organizations or anyone preferring sessions that last at least an hour.

Webex Meet

Webex Meet has everything in the free plan while adding features, such as:

• 24-hour-long meetings
• 10GB of cloud storage for recorded meetings
• English, French, German and Spanish closed captions for meetings
• Live polling
• Recording encryption
• Transfer files during a meeting
• Ability to join multiple sessions at once
• Dial in to meetings
• Add or remove users in any space
• Voice commands and keywords
• Contact support by chat or phone and submit case forms

The Meet plan also doubles your maximum session participation from 100 attendees to 200 attendees. As such, it is an excellent fit for small business teams.

Webex Suite

With Suite, you get all the features of the Free and Meet plans plus VoIP calling features. That includes:

• Unlimited domestic and long-distance calls
• Call numbers via the Webex app and IP phones
• Call waiting
• Auto attendants
• Hold and transfer
• Call forwarding
• Visual voice mail
• International calling
• Contact list
• Extensions

In addition to these features, you also get the ability to make six-way conference calls, helpful for meetings for a few people where hopping into a video meeting doesn’t feel necessary.

Because Suite doesn’t increase video and audio meeting tools but adds VoIP capabilities, it is probably best for small to medium teams that want to combine their collaboration capabilities with voice communication, making Webex function as an all-in-one hub.

Webex Enterprise

At the Enterprise level, you get everything in the lower plans but with some notable upgrades, which include:

• Call barging, call queuing, group paging and voice mail-to-email
• Call recording
• Custom retention policies for files and messages through Pro Pack
• Dedicated customer support

This tier also includes FedRAMP authorization for government/federal bodies and contractors needing enhanced security during meetings. The number of meeting attendees increases substantially, from 200 to 1,000 participants. There are no public prices for this plan, so you need to contact the sales team for pricing.

This service plan is best for medium to large companies and those working in or with government agencies who would appreciate a higher security level.

Because we tested the freeware version of Webex Meetings, we didn’t have access to the wide variety of customer service tools that become available as you upgrade. We were able to open an AI chat but weren’t able to get the bot to directly answer our questions, after which we connected with a live chat agent.

The person was very professional and insisted on collecting accurate information to avoid giving us anything that wasn’t factual or confirmed.

Webex offers add-ons worth considering, as they can enhance the quality of the meeting or make it easier for people to join internationally.

Call Me Add-On: This feature lets you automatically call in to a meeting with no unique numbers or ID requirements. Domestic licenses cost $4 per month, and international licenses are $35.75 monthly (billed annually).

Real-Time Translation: When meeting with attendees worldwide, this option makes it easier to overcome language barriers by providing real-time meeting translations in over 100 languages. The add-on costs $25 per month per license (billed annually), but you can test it risk free with a 15-day trial.

	Webex Meetings	GoTo Meeting	Zoom	Microsoft Teams
Rating
Starting Price	$0 per month	$0 per month	$0 per month	$0 per month
Contract Length	Monthly/annually	Monthly/annually	Monthly/annually	Annually
Meeting Participants(Maximum)	1,000	250	1,000	300
Screen, App and Document Sharing	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Whiteboards	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Record Meetings	Yes (store locally, upgrade for cloud storage)	Yes, with upgrade	Yes (store locally, upgrade for cloud storage)	Yes
Virtual Backgrounds	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Meeting Transcription	Yes, upgrade	Yes	Yes, upgrade	Yes
Integrations	64	28	2,000-plus	300-plus
Breakout Chat Rooms	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Polls	Yes, with upgrade	No	Yes, with upgrade	Yes
Pin/Spotlight Certain Participants	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Raise Hand	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Customer Support	Knowledge base/help center; chat, call, case form, dedicated representatives available through upgrades	Knowledge base, AI chatbot, support ticket, phone (with custom case number)	Knowledge base/help center; upgrades for chat, support ticket, phone	Knowledge base, support ticket, phone
Read More	--	GoTo Meeting Review	Read Zoom Review	--

Webex Meetings vs. GoTo Meeting

Webex and GoTo provide a free version of their service, though GoTo also offers a 14-day trial for its premium conferencing software. The features for both products are similar, though Webex scales better as GoTo allows for a maximum of 250 meeting attendees, even with the Enterprise plan. Webex also manages to bundle in VoIP and call center plans, making it a better fit for medium to large organizations wanting to communicate across multiple channels.

GoTo is more likely to suit individuals and small companies, while Webex is better suited to growth-oriented companies that anticipate needing meetings for hundreds of people.

Webex Meetings vs. Zoom

While each service has freeware and can support a maximum of 1,000 people in a meeting, Zoom is far and away the better video conferencing platform. Its video and audio quality is superior, and it offers more options for engagement. Zoom’s video setup is also more intuitive, with everything you need for the meeting either out in the open or easily accessible. Webex, by comparison, might feel a bit more confusing for those newer to conferencing.

While Zoom is the better option strictly for conferencing, if you want the ability to bring in a greater range of VoIP options, Webex is the best choice.

Learn more: Webex Vs. Zoom

Webex Meetings vs. Microsoft Teams

Webex Meetings holds an advantage over Microsoft Teams in that it lets you host far more people in video conferencing sessions. Still, with Teams, you get a superior call and audio experience and an interface that feels more intuitive and less confusing. Meetings and Teams each offer captions, though Teams has far more language options than Meetings. Meetings boasts the option to include domestic, long-distance and international calling.

If you want to include voice calls and call center support, Webex Meetings is best. However, for strictly video conferencing, Microsoft Teams is a better option.

We tested Webex Meetings and found that while the audio quality was pristine, the video quality was decent but not as high-definition as other competing software. When in a meeting, we discovered that some features that might be important weren’t necessarily easy to find. For instance, we initially had difficulty locating the option to pin videos.

We imagine someone with little experience with video conferencing software might need help with Webex Meetings. Even for experienced individuals, using Meetings might take some work. Though Meetings is a free app, other no-cost options might prove a better starting place for professionals seeking a remote-friendly collaboration tool.