Skype vs Zoom: Which App Is Better Suited To Working From Home?

Zoom has gained popularity as a video-calling app, threatening Skype’s dominance in the space. Here’s why.

Which video calling app should you use while working from home?

Photo: The Quint

There has been unprecedented growth in the video conferencing market. Estimates predict that globally, the market is set to exceed $20 billion by 2024.

The market was previously dominated by Skype, which at one point had over 300 million monthly active users as of August 2015. However, some notable competitors have emerged in recent times, especially Zoom.

With the recent coronavirus outbreak, more people are working remotely and boardroom meetings have moved online. This has resulted in a surge in demand for video-conferencing apps.

Zoom has probably seen the highest growth and is replacing Skype in various organisations. Skype, which was synonymous with video calling a few years ago, is now facing an uphill battle to maintain its stronghold.

Does Zoom have what it takes to bring down the Goliath of video conferencing? Find out in our comparison below.

Cost: Skype is a Better Deal

The most important aspect for businesses and organisations is financial constraints.

Zoom offers 4 monthly plans: Zoom Basic Plan for free, Zoom Pro Plan for $14.99, Zoom Business Plan for $19.99 and Zoom Enterprise Plan for $19.99.

Zoom offers four pricing plans, including a free one for users.Photo: Zoom

Skype, on the other hand, is free to use. It does have an enterprise version called Skype for Business, which has now been replaced by Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams has four plans too, with the free version supporting online video and audio calling.

Skype is free, and Microsoft Teams offers four pricing plans.Photo: Microsoft Teams

Each plan has its own advantages. With all paid plans, you can get access to meetings for up to 250 people and online events for up to 10,000 people. Another benefit of buying a subscription is that you get access to the full Office 365 suite of apps.

While both apps have a free-to-use plan, Zoom has a 40-minute limit on your meetings whereas Skype/Teams has no such limit. Zoom has temporarily removed that limit owing to people increasingly working from home during the pandemic. 

Features and Usability: Zoom Beats Skype

Using both platforms is an easy task. You can navigate through menus and options easily and can configure your account settings without a hitch.

Both Skype and Zoom offer features like group video calling for meetings. With the free plans, you can have up to 100 participants in a single Zoom meeting whereas Skype has a limit of 50 participants.

Skype offers users a nifty feature which lets them blur their backgrounds in a video call. Zoom also offers a similar thing where users have the option to use a virtual background if they have a green screen behind them.

While Skype tries to offer a more versatile communication software, Zoom is more customisable and aims for you to have a more complete experience.

It tries to distinguish itself by different features like virtual hand-raising. This means that if the host has muted someone, the user can “raise their hand” and alert the host that they have a question.

Zoom essentially offers hosts to have more interaction between them and the participants as compared to Skype.

The host also has more control of the overall call in a Zoom meeting. They can mute all microphones, control presentation access for all, and more.

Integrations: Zoom Wins Again

Both Zoom and Skype support a plethora of integrations.

Zoom can be integrated with Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, Box, Slack, Outlook, Google (Calender and Chrome), and even Skype. Zoom can also be integrated with Adobe’s Marketo to generate leads from participants in a meeting and push information to a webinar.

Because it is a Microsoft product, Skype can be integrated with the entire Microsoft Office. It also has browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox, which lets users insert a Skype call link right from within Gmail, Google Inbox, Google Calendar, Outlook.com and Twitter with just one single click.

Supported Devices: It’s a Tie

Skype and Zoom are available on all Windows versions. Both software also have dedicated applications for Android as well as iOS. Both also can be run on MacOS.

Which App is Better For You?

Skype and Zoom are clear frontrunners in the video conferencing race. Both platforms offer premium solutions to enhance your business communication. While Skype offers a better deal price-wise, Zoom is more feature-rich and ticks a lot of other boxes, giving it an edge over Skype.