Zoom dominates market share with 306 million daily meeting participants versus Webex's 70 million, but Webex offers superior enterprise security features and lower per-user costs for organizations with 500+ employees. Zoom excels in ease of use and consumer adoption, while Webex targets compliance-heavy industries.
Webex vs Zoom — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Zoom if you prioritize ease of use, market-leading stability, and broad consumer/SMB adoption—its 306 million daily users and intuitive interface make it the safer choice for organizations wanting maximum compatibility. Choose Webex if you require enterprise-grade security, end-to-end encryption on all plans, higher participant capacity (40,000 vs 10,000), and operate in regulated industries like healthcare or finance where data sovereignty and compliance certifications are non-negotiable.
Enterprise-grade video conferencing with advanced meeting controls, security, and scalability for large organizations.
Consumer and SMB-focused video conferencing platform with 306 million daily users and market-leading usability.
Structured comparison data for Webex vs Zoom with 142 attributes.
Enterprise Deployment Adoption (500+ seat orgs)
3-Year TCO Advantage for 1,000 Users with M365
Average Setup Time for New Recording/Meeting
AI Transcription Support (Standard Tier)
Auto-Generated Captions Languages Supported
Enterprise Plan Starting Price (Monthly)
Webex vs Zoom — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Webex vs Zoom.
Webex offers better default security with end-to-end encryption included in all paid tiers, while Zoom requires a Pro+ upgrade for this feature. Both hold SOC 2 Type II certification and HIPAA compliance options. For regulated industries, Webex's automatic encryption and advanced data residency controls provide stronger out-of-box protection. Zoom's security model requires users to actively enable premium features, creating potential compliance gaps in organizations with less technical oversight.
Is Zoom cheaper than Webex for enterprise deployments?
Zoom's entry-level Pro plan ($15.99/user/month) undercuts Webex Pro ($17.95/user/month) by 11%, but this gap narrows when comparing enterprise-grade tiers. At 500+ user organizations, Webex's volume discounts (up to 25% off) often match or beat Zoom's pricing. Additionally, Webex includes meeting transcription and advanced recording features at lower tiers, reducing hidden costs. Total cost depends heavily on organization size and required feature set.
Why does Zoom have so many more users than Webex?
Zoom's dominance (306M vs 70M daily users) stems from three factors: (1) superior ease of use with minimal setup friction, (2) aggressive early-stage pricing and freemium model, and (3) network effects—when most organizations use Zoom, others adopt it for compatibility. Zoom achieved critical mass by 2020 during pandemic-driven remote work surge and maintained leadership through consistent UX improvements. Webex, historically positioned as an enterprise-only solution, entered the mass-market race too late to dislodge Zoom's entrenched position.
No direct interoperability exists. Users cannot join a Zoom meeting from Webex or vice versa. Both platforms use proprietary protocols. However, both support standard video conferencing protocols (SIP/H.323) for limited third-party device integration. Organizations must use separate clients or tabs for each platform, creating friction. This lack of bridge technology is a deliberate competitive choice, though some enterprise environments use middleware solutions as workarounds.
Which platform is better for large webinars with 5,000+ attendees?
Webex is the clear choice, supporting up to 40,000 participants versus Zoom's 10,000-person cap. For webinars exceeding 10,000 attendees, Zoom requires the expensive Webinar license ($40.99/month minimum) with limited interactive features. Webex's standard plans accommodate massive audiences without tier restrictions. Healthcare and educational organizations frequently use Webex for this reason—town halls and mass presentations are built into base functionality rather than premium add-ons.