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HCL Sametime vs Zoom Workplace Business comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 8, 2026

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
17th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Zoom Workplace Business
Ranking in Virtual Meetings
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
233
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Virtual Meetings category, the mindshare of HCL Sametime is 1.5%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zoom Workplace Business is 8.6%, down from 11.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Virtual Meetings Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Zoom Workplace Business8.6%
HCL Sametime1.5%
Other89.9%
Virtual Meetings
 

Featured Reviews

Bogdan Chechlowski - PeerSpot reviewer
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…
Yifate Yusuf - PeerSpot reviewer
Team Lead at GE
Unified communication has transformed our collaboration and consistently boosts project delivery
The best features Zoom Workplace Business offers include screen sharing, clear video and audio, online meetings, large-scale events, call management, mobile apps, unified communication platform, and collaboration. The feature I find myself using the most is an AI-powered collaboration platform that is used to streamline communication, increase employee engagement, optimize in-person time, and improve productivity. The screen sharing is very effective and a helpful tool where we are able to screen share with our colleagues and discuss different tasks and project management ideas. Collaboration has become very efficient, and remote working has also become efficient and prevalent in my organization. We have been able to save a lot of time using Zoom Workplace Business. It has been a game-changer. Zoom Workplace Business elevates the experience with Zoom AI Companion included at no additional cost. It is designed to help employees be more productive, collaborate better, enhance their skills, and unlock time savings.

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."
"The solution is easy to use with an easy user interface."
"The most valuable feature of Zoom is user-friendliness."
"It is a game-changer for virtual communication, and it is incredibly user-friendly, making it a go-to choice for remote meetings, webinars, and online collaboration."
"The solution is stable."
"The solution is stable and reliable."
"I would recommend Zoom to others because everyone knows and uses it."
"The video stream is very cool, and it's an efficient solution."
"Zoom Workplace Business has positively impacted the organization because by using the same solution, you always know that it is going to work."
 

Cons

"The webinar should be integrated into Sametime for a larger number of participants."
"It lacks some features compared to modern solutions. For example, it doesn't allow sending screenshots or other files."
"Yesterday, we had a call, but Zoom closed after 20 or 25 minutes, and we didn't get any alerts. That could be because there was a time limit set. There should be an option, like a button, that allows us to increase or reduce the meeting time."
"The only thing that I can't get to work well is putting one of those little fancy wallpaper picture screens behind me during meetings so that I don't show my house or the room I'm attending from. Everyone is basically working remotely at this point. It would help to just have a neutral professional background for meetings that's easy to add."
"Zoom's stability is an area with certain shortcomings that need improvement."
"There was a situation not long ago when there were some security fears. Some users had somebody else take control of their calls. They might have addressed these issues now, but the security needs to continue to be upgraded."
"It would be great if there was a bit more camera control. For example, cropping the image, and improving the background remover features, which can be buggy right now."
"Zoom could be more secure."
"Nothing is 100% perfect. If I appreciate a product, I typically rate it eight or nine out of ten."
"Excessive software updates can sometimes disrupt my experience."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"I use Zoom's free version."
"Zoom is free."
"The cost of Zoom is approximately $150 USD annually."
"We have subscribed to a package for Zoom and it is a monthly payment."
"I am using the free version of the solution. However, it has a time limit of 45 minutes for meetings. We do not have meetings longer than 45 minutes, it is fine for us."
"Zoom is free to use."
"The tool's paid version is not that expensive. You need to pay 150 USD per year."
"The personal version is free. However, there are fees required to use the solution for business."
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Virtual Meetings solutions are best for your needs.
881,733 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Performing Arts
14%
Marketing Services Firm
10%
University
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business99
Midsize Enterprise33
Large Enterprise105
 

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...
What is your primary use case for HCL Sametime?
It was used for communication through text messages, primarily.
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.
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 ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zoom?
The pricing, setup cost, and licensing were not negotiated, so those details are uncertain.
 

Also Known As

Lotus Sametime, IBM Lotus Sametime
No data available
 

Overview

 

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
Find out what your peers are saying about HCL Sametime vs. Zoom Workplace Business and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.
881,733 professionals have used our research since 2012.