HCL Sametime vs Zoom comparison

HCLSoftware and Zoom Video Communications are both solutions in the Virtual Meetings category. HCLSoftware is ranked #19 with an average rating of 8.0, while Zoom Video Communications is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.3. HCLSoftware holds a 0.3% mindshare in VM, compared to Zoom Video Communications’s 11.1% mindshare. Additionally, 75% of HCLSoftware users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Zoom Video Communications users who would recommend it.

HCL Sametime

Read 5 HCL Sametime reviews

86 Views
44 Comparison Views

75% willing to recommend

Zoom

Read 209 Zoom reviews

5,977 Views
1,083 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

HCL Sametime

Zoom

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 3, 2025

HCL Sametime and Zoom compete in communication and collaboration tools, with Zoom having the upper hand due to its comprehensive features and scalability, making it popular for video-heavy communication.

Features: HCL Sametime offers secure messaging, integration with enterprise systems, and flexible customization. Zoom provides robust video conferencing, high-definition video, and virtual backgrounds.

Room for Improvement: HCL Sametime could improve scalability, user interface, and video capabilities. Zoom could enhance security, integration with enterprise tools, and customization options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HCL Sametime requires tailored deployment due to its enterprise integration, offering a flexible approach. Zoom offers straightforward deployment, extensive online resources, and responsive support, enabling quick adoption.

Pricing and ROI: HCL Sametime may involve higher upfront costs but offers competitive ROI for secure and integrated solutions. Zoom's subscription-based pricing provides scalability and perceived higher ROI due to video capabilities and global reach, despite potentially higher ongoing costs.

To learn more, read our detailed HCL Sametime vs. Zoom Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

HCL Sametime vs. Zoom

March 2025

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Helped 845,406 peers since 2012

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

HCL Sametime

Ranking in Virtual Meetings

19th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Zoom

Ranking in Virtual Meetings

1st

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

209

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Virtual Meetings category, the mindshare of HCL Sametime is 0.3%, down from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zoom is 11.1%, down from 14.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Virtual Meetings

Featured Reviews

Bogdan Chechlowski

Kierownik Biura Informatyki at EIB SA

Stable product, communicate very fast and allows to see who's online in the office or work environment

It was used for communication through text messages, primarily Being able to see who was online and communicate very fast was a good feature. The security was quite good. However, when we tried to implement it for email at a high level, we had to use another solution, FortiMail Gateway. I view…

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Kallol Chaudhuri

Principal Consultant at Oracle

Helped us tremendously in collaborating with each other and getting our work done and offers the breakout rooms feature.

We are a team located across various locations. Not in the same geographic location. We are distributed. And it's not possible to physically travel and meet people. Sometimes it's simply not possible. But Zoom has helped us tremendously in collaborating with each other and getting our work done. Without Zoom, it would have been very, very difficult. The breakout rooms feature is also helpful. For example, I have a meeting attended by hundreds of people and want to create subgroups. I typically use it for different role-play scenarios during training if we are trying to conduct some training on presentation skills. So there's a large group, which is initially trained by an instructor. Then you get instructions that the room will be split into smaller breakout rooms. I'll give you a topic, and you'll practice in these smaller groups. That's one way I use it. So it's like a simulation of a real brainstorming session I'd have in a physical space.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"I can view the status and availability of colleagues or team members, which makes it easy to approach them when they are available."

"The security was quite good."

"Zoom has facilitated our remote and hybrid meetings, particularly in the context of our agile processes such as scrum. In the past, estimating story points required physical presence in a room, where we would use visual cues or hand gestures. We can create polls with Zoom and share them with team members for direct input. The recording feature is also good. Additionally, features like whiteboarding allow for specific collaboration sessions tailored to different team members' needs. Auto-scheduling meetings and integration with Microsoft Outlook make organizing and attending meetings effortless. Overall, the product is good and convenient."

"The most valuable feature is the remote desktop because sometimes we have to intervene and control the client's infrastructure."

"As a technical support guy, I think it's crucial to be able to connect with people remotely. Zoom is simple to use because they can share the screen and talk. The user can walk me through the issue they are facing."

"There is no installation, you can give someone a link to the chat and they can access the chat through the link."

"The platform has a solid feature for scheduling short meetings worth 30 minutes."

"The most valuable features of Zoom are the very stable video and audio, the quality of the voice is good, and it is very easy to connect to the sessions. This is also the reason why we use Zoom."

"The product quality is very good."

"Zoom helps us because it provides a whiteboard during the meeting. This is a very good feature."

More Zoom pros

Cons

"It lacks some features compared to modern solutions. For example, it doesn't allow sending screenshots or other files."

"The webinar should be integrated into Sametime for a larger number of participants."

"You can use Teams more to collaborate with your coworkers. I think Zoom could add some of these features in addition to simple video conferencing."

"Occasional system overload that requires a restart."

"One thing I do wish was that there was more visibility. Sometimes I have to click into a reply-all to find out who is in the meeting and whether they've accepted or not."

"The solution can improve by having the option to be able to lock the primary speaker on high definition the entire time. Additionally, it would be a benefit to have easy Zoom room-like features for individuals using lightboards. There should be quick invitations and integration with Slack and Outlook."

"They can make it easier to use and more intuitive. Ease of use is always a key for selling a product."

"Sometimes can get confused about which password setting or parameter setting to use. For example, if I want to issue a Zoom meeting to my team members or perhaps sometimes I want them to issue a Zoom directly when I receive the Zoom accounts from our IT department, I don't know how to enable or disable these features in the Zoom. I think it's a personal issue I have."

"When you join a meeting in Zoom, you may feel it is difficult to find some windows until you click a few buttons to help you eventually get to the window you want to see."

"Compared to Skype and Teams, Zoom is missing one feature, and that's the ability to call people. In Teams, I can call anyone I want. It's like a telephone. I can do the same on Skype, but I have to send a link in Zoom."

More Zoom cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"I use the tool's free version."

"Zoom is free."

"We pay a yearly licensing fee."

"We do not incur any licensing costs, as we use the free version."

"Zoom is available with an open license that can support meetings of up to 40 minutes."

"It is reasonable. It has a monthly license."

"We pay a yearly licensing fee for Zoom, which is expensive in our part of the world."

"The exact costs are handled on a corporate level, however, I understand that if you just want to own a license for your small business or something like that, it's around $300 a year, which is very reasonable."

More Zoom pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Educational Organization

92%

University

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with HCL Sametime?

I view it as part of HCL Notes and Domino, and my opinion is similar to those products. It lacks some features compared to modern solutions. For example, it doesn't allow sending screenshots or oth...

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What is your primary use case for HCL Sametime?

It was used for communication through text messages, primarily.

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What advice do you have for others considering HCL Sametime?

Overall, it was quite good. I would rate it an eight out of ten. It's a better product than some others from HCL, but overall, I wouldn't recommend it, given the availability of superior alternatives.

See all answers

LucidChart vs LucidSpark for brainstorming sessions over Zoom

Hi @Krista Thompson - Yes, LucidSpark is a much more nimble and, in some ways, user-friendly tool than LucidChart. LucidSpark is designed to do a better job managing multiple users participating ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Zoom?

The product is scalable.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zoom?

There is a concern about the free version's forty-five-minute limit. For education use, having more affordable access through institutions would be beneficial.

See all answers

Comparisons

No data available

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Compared 8% of the time

ON24 Platform vs Zoom

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Virtual Meetings

March 2025

Download HCL Sametime product report

Buyer's Guide

Zoom

March 2025

Download Zoom product report

Also Known As

Lotus Sametime, IBM Lotus Sametime

No data available

Overview

HCL Sametime. Secure Conversations Across Any Device

Your company can’t afford to take any data risks, but your teams still need to be able to interact and react quickly, wherever they are working. Sametime offers modern instant messaging, file-sharing, and online meetings with the proven security your business can trust.

HCLSoftware

Zoom helps businesses and organizations bring their teams together in a frictionless environment to get more done. Our easy, reliable cloud platform for video, phone, content sharing, and chat runs across mobile devices, desktops, telephones, and room systems. Message me to learn more about how Zoom can help your business or organization Visit zoom.com and follow @zoom_us.

Zoom Video Communications

Sample Customers

Connect2Cloud, Superior Group, Daifuku Co. Ltd., Seaward, The City of Fort Worth, Christian Brothers Services, Berlitz, Deutsche Notes User Group, Danske Fysioterapeuter, Slumberland, La Vacanza, Rheinmetall AG

Fortinet, Veeva, Proofpoint, Box, Ticketmaster, Trend Micro, Caesars Entertainment, Santa Clara University, Pandora, Stanford Continuing Studies

Buyer's Guide

HCL Sametime vs. Zoom

March 2025

Free Report: HCL Sametime vs. Zoom

Find out what your peers are saying about HCL Sametime vs. Zoom and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.

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