Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

HCL Sametime vs Webex comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 3, 2025

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
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Webex
Ranking in Virtual Meetings
2nd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
124
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Virtual Meetings category, the mindshare of HCL Sametime is 0.4%, down from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Webex is 17.1%, up from 15.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Virtual Meetings
 

Featured Reviews

Bogdan Chechlowski - PeerSpot reviewer
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…
AlexandruCioruta - PeerSpot reviewer
Used to conduct online third-party client meetings or third-party vendor meetings
The solution's video conferencing quality is good, and I rate it a nine out of ten. The solution's security features are end-to-end encrypted, and I rate them ten out of ten. The version we're using requires no technical team for deployment and maintenance. The solution has an enterprise version, but we're not currently using it. I would recommend the solution to other users because it has good video conference quality. I mostly leverage the solution for third-party client meetings or third-party vendor meetings. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

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."
"Webex is a collaboration tool that helps you with remote support and collaboration."
"Its features are easy to navigate and easy to share, and easy to conduct a meeting."
"The best feature is to be able to share the screen or just some application we want, even a video or audio, then request the remote control of the device with which they have connected."
"I like Webex because it is easy to work with."
"The solution is perfectly stable, it normally performs very well."
"The solution is useful for communication."
"We use Webex for virtual meetings."
"Webex offers a wide range of useful features."
 

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."
"The solution could improve by adding a survey or form feature to show for the users to be able to vote or answer any questions."
"I was in a meeting on the free version where there were no controls. You couldn't mute somebody or put it in dedicated speaker mode. It was an important meeting, and because of the lack of an ability to control who the speakers were, we got a version of a heckler. Well, it wasn't really a heckler per se. It was just somebody who thinks they know everything."
"Webex's Bluetooth functionality could be better. For example, I use Webex on my Android mobile phone and connect with Bluetooth. It connects, but I cannot speak through the Bluetooth microphone and earphones with Webex. It's always disabled. I don't know why."
"The WebEx interface is not as user-friendly as Zoom's. There is room for improvement there."
"The solution could improve by having better integration with other platforms."
"We have had issues where some of the invited participants are not able to join the meeting."
"One area that could use improvement in Webex is the connection speed."
"Webex could be improved by having a password-protected system. I don't remember there being any passwords for the meetings, but, presently, Zoom has meeting protection."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"There is a subscription needed to use this solution and we pay approximately $5,000 per year."
"The tool's licensing is expensive, but it should be cheaper."
"I have recently switched to a different solution. WebEx is more costly. There are equivalent solutions at a lower cost."
"I use the free version, not the enterprise version. The only compelling reason to go for paid WebEx pay is if you're hosting large meetings."
"The tool is expensive."
"The solution is low-cost for a hybrid model."
"I rate the platform's pricing a six out of ten."
"My organization took care of the licensing. I'm guessing they did some subscription cycle, but I used the free version."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Virtual Meetings solutions are best for your needs.
849,686 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Educational Organization
68%
Computer Software Company
7%
Government
5%
Financial Services Firm
5%
 

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...
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.
What do you like most about Webex?
Webex improved our overall team collaboration.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Webex?
Webex is expensive. If it weren't that expensive, we would probably use it for all our telecommunication needs, not just for telemedicine.
What needs improvement with Webex?
Usability needs improvement. Webex is more complex compared to Zoom ( /products/zoom-reviews ). Zoom ( /products/zoom-reviews ) has a big advantage in simplicity, especially for the other side to c...
 

Comparisons

No data available
 

Also Known As

Lotus Sametime, IBM Lotus Sametime
Cisco Spark
 

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
Seagate Technology, Kohn Pedersen Fox, World Vision International, Glen Raven, University of Notre Dame, CEV Multimedia, The Food Group, LUMEDX, California Baptist University, and Georgetown University Law Center.
Find out what your peers are saying about HCL Sametime vs. Webex and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
849,686 professionals have used our research since 2012.