Zoom, A Brutally Honest Review
So, you are considering Zoom.
You’ll be wondering if it’s a good choice for you, if its feature set compares well to other options on the market, and if it is priced affordably enough for what you get.
This article will break all that down for you and more.
Plus, at the end of the article you’ll find links to alternatives to Zoom as well as our top picks for the options in this category.
Or, just go straight to Our top picks for Best Webinar Software.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
Zoom Features
Zoom offers a collaborative ecosystem for businesses and educational institutions to host meetings virtually and do video conferencing. It offers high-quality video and audio, enabling you to bring your team together and share ideas. With Zoom, you can create multiple conference rooms and set limits on invitations to restrict the uninvited members from joining.
Here are some exclusive features of Zoom:
Webinar Registration: With Zoom, you can promote your brand by customizing the registration page. It allows you to easily attract audiences with branded registration pages and event reminder emails. Moreover, you can build your business by monetizing the webinars through paid registration via PayPal.
Integrations: Many businesses already have an existing setup or workflow in place that’s essential for their professional work. Zoom connects with applications like HubSpot and Dropbox, letting you use existing workflows to enable more productive lead generation, payment automation, and data collection processes. Zoom APIs allow developers to request information from Zoom, including user details, meeting reports, dashboard data and action history.
Host Controls: Before the webinar, the host and panellists can go into a practice session to prepare for the webinar. It allows you to get familiar with host controls and do a practice run before attendees join in. As a webinar host, you’ll have specific controls only available to you. You can manage panellists and attendees during the live session or assign a co-host to help you manage the webinar.
Audience Engagement: Webinars don’t need to be boring and sleep-inducing. With Zoom, you can interact and engage with your audience across all levels. You can involve your webinar attendees by using interactive polling and Q&A with the ability to comment or upvote questions.
Live Streaming: Hosts can promote attendees to panellists and allow them to speak or share the video while in session. You can broadcast to an even larger audience by streaming your webinar to Facebook Live, YouTube or other custom streaming services. Additionally, you can make the webinars on-demand so attendees can watch them later.
Zoom Pricing
Zoom offers 4 Subscription plans for its all-in-one collaborative package Zoom One.
The “Basic” is priced at $0 and allows you to set up meetings of upto 40 minutes. Additionally, you can use 3 Whiteboards and invite 100 attendees.
The “Pro” plan is priced at $14.99/user/month and offers 5 GB of cloud storage per license. Additionally, you can use chats and channels for collaboration and file sharing.
The “Business” plan is priced: at $19.99/month, and you can invite upto 300 attendees. Additionally, it offers unlimited whiteboards and company branding.
The “Enterprise” plan offers on-request pricing and allows you to invite upto 1000 attendees. Additionally, you can use Zoom Phone features and set up single sign-on.
Zoom Discounts and Coupons
Zoom currently does not offer any discounts or coupons for its video conferencing platform. However, you can opt for annual billing to make sizable savings on the Zoom One subscription plans.
Zoom Free Trial
Zoom offers a free subscription plan for its Zoom One package. It comes with time limitations for meetings but is ideal for hosting lectures or getting acquainted with the platform.
Innovative Features of Zoom
Zoom has continually evolved its platform to meet the dynamic needs of modern communication and collaboration, introducing a range of innovative features that enhance user experience and streamline workflows. Here are some of the standout features that set Zoom apart:
1. Seamless Integration Across Devices
Zoom’s commitment to creating a cohesive user experience is evident in its ability to integrate seamlessly across multiple devices. Whether using a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, or dedicated Zoom for Home device, users can access their personalized Zoom environment. This integration ensures consistency in communication, allowing users to maintain their chat groups, call history, and settings regardless of the device they use.
2. Zoom Rooms for Enhanced Collaboration
Zoom Rooms take video conferencing to the next level by transforming shared spaces into fully equipped meeting environments. Designed to work on dedicated hardware, Zoom Rooms provide a consistent interface that minimizes user error in multi-user settings. The ability to deploy Zoom Rooms in various configurations—from huddle rooms to large boardrooms—ensures that organizations can tailor their collaboration spaces to fit any need.
3. Robust Security Features
Security is a top priority for Zoom, and the platform offers a suite of tools designed to protect user data and maintain meeting integrity. Features like Waiting Rooms, Passcodes, and Join by Domain provide layers of security before meetings even begin. Additionally, Zoom’s commitment to data privacy is reinforced by its comprehensive privacy and security measures, ensuring that users can collaborate confidently.
4. Interactive Whiteboarding and Digital Signage
Zoom Rooms can be equipped with interactive whiteboards, allowing for dynamic brainstorming and collaboration sessions. This feature enables teams to annotate, share, and visualize ideas in real-time, fostering creativity and engagement during meetings. Furthermore, the capability to utilize digital signage enhances corporate communications and branding, making Zoom Rooms a versatile tool for organizations.
5. Integrated Room Booking Solutions
The integration of room booking tools within Zoom Rooms simplifies the scheduling process. Users can easily book rooms directly from their calendars, ensuring that collaborative spaces are utilized efficiently. This feature reduces the chances of double bookings and provides clear visibility into room availability, streamlining operations for businesses.
Zoom, A short how-to guide
Once you visit the Zoom website, click “Join” and input the meeting ID to enter the meeting. You can login or signup to set up a new meeting. Click on “Host” and select between “With Video Off”, “With Video On”, and “Screen Share Only”.
Once done, you’ll enter the meeting and can share the invite code with all relevant participants or audiences through email. You can kick out a participant by right-clicking on the title name and selecting “Remove Participant”.
What Webinar Software would you recommend?
In short, It’s Zoom.us
Zoom revolutionizes virtual communication with its user-friendly video conferencing, webinar, and collaboration platform. Offering high-quality meetings, Zoom connects people globally, fostering collaboration, enhancing productivity, and enabling organizations to thrive in the digital age.
“🚀Try Zoom.us For Free, It’s my favorite webinar software to use and recommend.” -Scott Max
A leading video conferencing and collaboration platform that enables seamless virtual meetings, webinars, and remote communication. Trusted by businesses, educators, and individuals worldwide for its easy-to-use interface and versatile features, Zoom transforms online interactions into productive and engaging experiences.”
For more details, read our Zoom.us Review.