Top 9 alternatives to Webex for business meetings and conferencing

Video and audio conferencing are increasingly important in the modern workplace, but what happens when the video conferencing software you’re using simply isn’t right for you anymore?

Don’t worry, because you’re not alone in your predicament. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best Webex alternatives for you to try.

We’re going to break down why you might need alternatives to Webex, which ones to consider, and what makes these options appealing.

What is Webex?

Cisco Webex, or Webex for short, is a video conferencing tool that helps facilitate team collaboration. That’s because anyone can connect to it online, making it a simple matter for teammates to work together regardless of their physical location.

Webex offers both a mobile and a desktop app. Alongside its video calling feature, you can also use these for voice calls and webinars. The software gives users access to most of the basic functionalities they need for virtual meetings, including digital whiteboards, a channel for sending written chat messages, and a screen-sharing feature.

These functionalities have helped make Webex popular among both small businesses and enterprises. However, it’s not always the best option. And here’s why.

Why would you want to look for Webex alternatives?

Despite the basic features it offers, Webex isn’t the best fit for every business. This is particularly true for those with more complex needs. Below are some of the major indicators that it might be time to search for a new video conferencing solution:

You need more integrations with popular tools

Every business’ needs are unique, and every business has its preferred productivity, workflow, and collaboration tools. If you require access to a wide variety of integrations, you’ll need to upgrade from using Webex.

While Webex does offer some integrations, it doesn’t have the same wealth of these that solutions like Dialpad do, and the options it offers are too limited to give it the customisability required to ensure a perfect fit for every user.

You want advanced features with flexible pricing

A feature-rich cloud phone system, with options for things like group chats, virtual meeting rooms, high-quality video and meeting recordings, shouldn’t cost a fortune. In fact, flexible pricing options ought to give you access to everything you need without paying for what you don’t. This isn’t something you get with Webex.

The ideal web conferencing solution should let you select which features you actually want—as Dialpad does—allowing you to choose the right package without charging you the earth for doing so.

You need easier deployment for your growing remote workforce

It’s no secret that remote working is growing in popularity. That means businesses need to be prepared to support their remote workforces. Traditional hardware-based phone systems and video calling tools simply don’t work in this context—and nor will Webex.

What you need is a solution designed with remote workers in mind. An all-inclusive VoIP phone system with video chat, instant messaging, and email functionalities, for example. Webex just doesn’t tick those boxes.

That's why solutions that are specifically geared toward remote workers are so important. Unlike Webex, these have been created with remote deployment in mind, meaning they have simple installation and setup processes and provide full access to remote workspaces.

Factors used to evaluate these Webex alternatives

Now we’ve explained why Webex won’t suit every company’s needs, it’s time to consider what sort of solutions do. Before we delve into the details, we’ll outline the criteria we used to choose these.

The following factors were vital for a Webex alternative to make it onto our list. That said, some perform better than others in particular areas (we’ll cover that later). First, though, let’s consider these factors in isolation:

Ease of use

Whether you’re looking to use your Webex alternative to keep your small team connected, as a virtual call centre platform, or as anything in between, it needs to be simple and easy to navigate. A steep learning curve makes it harder to use a solution to its full potential.

The ideal Webex alternative should have, among other things, a straightforward layout. It should also take a minimal amount of time to work out how to use it.

For example, Dialpad's intuitive user interface makes it incredibly easy to use and customise. As a result, you can start doing everything you need with the click of a button, from messaging to calling, video chatting, and beyond:

Customer support

Things can go wrong sometimes, even with the best solutions on the market. Unfortunately, this is something we can’t avoid altogether. It’s also why it’s vital to choose Webex alternatives with top-tier customer support.

Consider it from this angle; in the event of something going amiss, you’ll need to speak to the customer support team of the provider you choose. You’ve got to make sure you can trust them to be quick, professional, and efficient while resolving your issue.

If a solution is otherwise fantastic but has a bad reputation for customer support, we won’t rank it as highly as we would with even passing customer service. That’s because customer support is the team most likely to liaise with you, so they can easily make or break your experience of a company.

Cost-efficiency

This isn’t necessarily synonymous with “cheapness”. A cheap solution can be great, but the key factor we’re evaluating is value for money.

If a solution is a little more expensive than its competitors but offers a lot more functionalities for the increased price, it’s still more cost-efficient—you get more value out of every penny you spend on it.

We’ve also factored in how much it costs to customise solutions. For example, if you can add features easily for a low cost, this solution will likely rank higher than others for cost-efficiency.

Features

This comes down to one key question; how much can you do with each solution? For instance, is the tool limited to a simple phone system, or does it come with a lot of supportive features and additional functionalities?

A tool that provides access to lots of useful features, making it easier for your teams to work effectively, is going to rank more highly than one that only gives you bare-bones options. For example, useful extras like file sharing, in-app messaging, and polling will help a Webex alternative to shine.

Integrations

The best way to customise a communication solution is to use integrations. These let you add popular features and functionalities, as well as productivity tools, directly into your app.

The 9 best Webex alternatives on the market

We’ve now established how these Webex alternatives earned their rankings, so it’s time to look at each of them in detail, considering what makes the software a good choice and providing information on pricing plans and more.

1. Dialpad: A truly unified communications platform with built-in AI

The top spot on this list goes to Dialpad, and though we might be a bit biased, we’re going to explain why.

Dialpad is more than a virtual phone system (though it does offer excellent phone system features). As a UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) platform, it provides top-quality communication options across all channels, from HD video calls to user-friendly messaging.

In a word, Dialpad is a holistic solution. Here’s why that matters.

What makes Dialpad a great alternative to Webex?

With Webex, you get a communication tool that lets you host video conferences and calls… and that’s about it. With Dialpad, you get so much more than that.

Alongside being a powerful and flexible tool to help host your online meetings, Dialpad gives you access to its on-platform contact centre software (which comes with contact centre AI to make just about everything easier). That means you can use one unified solution for all your company’s communication needs, with no exceptions.

Real-time transcription

Say goodbye to trying to take notes while participating in conference calls, group chats, or one-on-one conversations. Dialpad offers a highly accurate, real-time transcription service that comes built into the software, so you don’t have to do any extra work to install it.

Dialpad’s transcription service writes out exactly what’s being said as it’s being said. You don’t have to sit and wait for the software to process speakers’ voices, and the transcript is fully searchable too:

Call analytics

Are you worried about tracking KPIs, measuring metrics, or manually analysing your calls? There’s no need to be—Dialpad comes with built-in call analytics to take care of all of this for you.

Like all the other features, call analytics are available whether you're using the desktop app or your web browser. Regardless of how you access your Dialpad account, you can easily pull up essential analytics, even when you’re on the go.

Sales dialler

This is one of the most useful features for a cloud contact centre platform to have. Dialpad’s sales dialler helps reps make as many outgoing calls per hour as the team can handle. This saves your sales representatives time and effort and helps them work more productively.

With a good sales dialler, you can use automation to remove manual dialling work for reps making outgoing sales calls.

Visual voicemail

You don’t always have time to sit and listen to voicemail messages. That’s why Dialpad has a visual voicemail feature that transcribes incoming voicemails as they’re recorded. The recipient(s) can then choose whether they want to read or listen to each voicemail message, giving them complete flexibility:

This feature works across various devices and systems, so whether you’re using an Android or iOS mobile device, have a Mac, Windows, or Chrome OS-based laptop, you can take advantage.

Versatile call routing

When customers call, you need to have full control over which calls are directed where. Dialpad's versatile and fully customisable call routing feature feature lets you adjust your call routing settings, right from your online dashboard in a few clicks.

Pricing

So, how much does it cost? Dialpad offers a few flexible pricing plans. The Standard plan costs just £12 per month, per user and includes all the features you need to start using the platform as your chosen UCaaS solution. The more expansive Dialpad Pro costs £20 per user, per month, or enterprises can get in touch for a custom quote.

2. RingCentral MVP

As a cloud-based communication tool, RingCentral is a widely used alternative to Cisco Webex, and it comes with a number of useful features.

What makes RingCentral MVP a good alternative to Webex?

RingCentral is a relatively robust solution that targets enterprise companies. It’s similar to Webex in this regard, so if you’re a large company that essentially wants to stick with something similar to Webex, it may be worth considering.

The free version of RingCentral MVP is also useful—provided you don’t want to make video calls.

Pricing

While its Essentials plan only costs £7.99 per user per month, RingCentral’s most basic iteration doesn’t include vital components like video meetings or unlimited audio calls. The next tier costs £14.99. This is followed by a £19.99 package, and finally, a plan costed at £24.99.¹

3. 8x8

8x8 is another well-established provider, which is easy to use and offers a basic free plan that includes video conferencing.

What makes 8x8 a good alternative to Webex?

Unlike Webex, 8x8 comes with built-in artificial intelligence that offers some handy functionalities that can streamline workflows, earning it a solid third place on this list.

Pricing

8x8 Express, aka 8x8’s cheapest pricing plan, costs £10 per user, per month (though this is restricted to five users maximum). The next plan costs £19 and offers some integrations with tools like Microsoft Teams to make project management easier. The most expensive plan costs £36 per month.²

4. GoTo Meeting

This well-known Webex alternative offers plugins and add-ons for tools like Google Calendar, allowing you to plan virtual meetings, meetups, and hangouts.

What makes GoTo Meeting a good alternative to Webex?

Getting started is quick and simple, and it doesn’t require you to create an account beforehand. Since it’s convenient and easy to access meetings from the browser, GoTo Meeting is a solid alternative to Webex.

Pricing

GoTo Meeting Professional, the cheapest plan, comes in at £9.50 per month. It’s rather basic, though, and won’t give you all the features of a solution like Dialpad. For £12.67, you can get the Business plan, which includes more participants. Extra features will cost you more accordingly.³

5. Nuacom

Advertising itself as a VoIP phone system, Nuacom is a more recent addition to the market than several of the names on this list.

What makes Nuacom a good alternative to Webex?

Nuacom is a phone system that also offers a call centre solution. Setup is quick and easy (however, that’s partly because Nuacom isn’t the most feature-rich option). It’s a customisable solution that lets you choose from a wide variety of add-ons.

Pricing

Irish-based Nuacom lists its pricing in Euros. It charges €24.99 per month for its “Unlimited” plan, and also offers a “Call Center” plan for €34.99. It should be noted that these prices are for small and medium-sized businesses (enterprises get custom quotes).⁴

6. Bitrix24

This lesser-known SaaS solution markets itself as a collaborative tool that gives you access to virtual workspaces from anywhere.

What makes Bitrix24 a good alternative to Webex?

Bitrix24 offers a basic package for free that covers the needs of businesses with no complex requirements. This lets you make voice and video calls, as well as send messages. It’s worth bearing in mind that the kinds of advanced features you need to take your business to the next level aren’t available free of charge (though they can be accessed for a price).

Pricing

Bitrix24 is actually one of the more expensive options on this list. With its Basic plan costing £34 per person, per month for a maximum of five users, it’s less cost-effective than a flexibly priced option like one of the higher ranked alternatives to Webex here. The enterprise plan costs £244 per person, per month.⁵

7. Vonage

Vonage offers both a communication tool and a contact centre in one.

What makes Vonage a good alternative to Webex?

If you’re looking for a VoIP phone solution that lets you take a buffet-style approach to picking features, Vonage may be for you. They let you choose each individual functionality you desire and add them to your plan one by one for a small price per item. This makes Vonage a much more flexible option than Webex.

Pricing

As mentioned, Vonage’s pricing plans are heavily customisable, so what you pay will depend on the options you choose.⁶

8. Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is an industry staple that many professionals will be familiar with.

What makes Microsoft Teams a good alternative to Webex?

Aside from having a basic free version readily available, Microsoft Teams is widely used, meaning employees are likely to be familiar with it already. It also offers some useful features, like screen sharing and virtual event support.

Pricing

If the free version of Microsoft Teams isn’t right for you, the Essentials plan costs as little as £3 per person, per month. The Business Standard price is £9.40 (this is the only pricing tier that gives users access to things like webinar hosting and reporting tools).⁷

9. Lily Comms

As a digital transformation company, Lily Comms offers several different solutions focused around digitising your business.

What makes Lily Comms a good alternative to Webex?

Unlike Webex, Lily Comms comes with a lot of variables that you can add and take away as you see fit. Also, since it partners with plenty of major tech brands, it’s got the necessary expertise to provide quality integrations.

Pricing

Lily Comms’ pricing plans are bespoke, meaning you have to get in touch with them to get a feel for the prices you’ll be facing.⁸

What's the best Webex alternative for your business?

The best way to find the best option for your specific team or business out of these Webex alternatives is to try them out!

Sign up for a few of the free trials, get a demo with the Sales team, and get a hands-on feel for these tools. Every UCaaS platform is different.

If you're interested in something that has fully integrated contact centre software built-in, powerful artificial intelligence, flexible pricing, native analytics, and more (all while providing crystal-clear audio and video quality), why not give Dialpad a try?

¹ringcentral.com/gb/en/office/plansandpricing.html#office

²8x8.com/products/plans-and-pricing?locale=uk

³goto.com/pricing/meeting

⁴nuacom.ie/prices/

⁵bitrix24.uk/prices/

⁶vonage.co.uk/unified-communications/pricing/?icmp=megamenu|mainnav_products_gototheunifiedcommunicationspage_quicklinks_plansandpricing

⁷microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-teams/compare-microsoft-teams-options?activetab=pivot:primaryr1

⁸lilycomms.co.uk/hosted-voIp-phone-systems.html