HCL Sametime vs Webex comparison

HCLSoftware and Cisco are both solutions in the Virtual Meetings category. HCLSoftware is ranked #15 with an average rating of 8.0, while Cisco is ranked #2 with an average rating of 7.9. HCLSoftware holds a 1.4% mindshare in VM, compared to Cisco’s 6.5% mindshare. Additionally, 75% of HCLSoftware users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 87% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

HCL Sametime

Read 5 HCL Sametime reviews

451 Views
383 Comparison Views

75% willing to recommend

Webex

Read 128 Webex reviews

3,354 Views
3,253 Comparison Views

87% willing to recommend

HCL Sametime

Webex

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 3, 2025

Webex and HCL Sametime both compete in the communication and collaboration space. While Webex is seen as more advantageous in pricing and support, HCL Sametime offers superior features, making it a worthwhile investment.

Features: Webex provides robust video conferencing, cross-platform integration, and real-time collaboration tools. HCL Sametime excels in messaging capabilities, presence awareness, and offers extensive customization options.

Room for Improvement: Webex could enhance its real-time messaging features, improve customization options, and refine user interface for easier navigation. HCL Sametime needs to improve its video conferencing quality, integration capabilities with external platforms, and simplify initial setup procedures.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Webex offers easy cloud-based deployment and has dedicated support services, making setup straightforward. HCL Sametime provides both cloud and on-premises deployment, offering flexibility but requires a more involved setup process, which may appeal to those who need in-depth customization.

Pricing and ROI: Webex offers lower upfront costs with a subscription model that is seen as cost-effective for immediate needs. HCL Sametime might require larger initial investments but promises a good return on investment in the long run through its customizable solutions.

To learn more, read our detailed HCL Sametime vs. Webex Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

HCL Sametime vs. Webex

March 2026

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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

15th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Webex

Ranking in Virtual Meetings

2nd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.3

Number of Reviews

128

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Virtual Meetings category, the mindshare of HCL Sametime is 1.4%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Webex is 6.5%, down from 17.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Virtual Meetings Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Webex	6.5%
HCL Sametime	1.4%
Other	92.1%

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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Akhil Viswam

Senior Consultant at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees

Collaborating in hybrid incident calls has become faster while the meeting interface still needs fixes

The best features are the ability to schedule meetings and launch ad hoc meetings. Additionally, we can create breakout rooms within the meeting itself, which is another excellent feature. Whenever we have production issues, many teams join a single Webex call. Sometimes we need to group together as separate smaller groups and work in parallel to identify the production issues. In those cases, we create Webex breakout rooms and each member joins the corresponding breakout session to progress on their task. Webex helps significantly in the hybrid environment. When we are working from home, it is very easy for us to meet with other team members and the management to get in touch and progress. Webex improves communication because even if we are working from home, we can connect with people and talk to them on a video call. It has improved the incident resolution time by getting into a call in Webex rooms and remediating the issues together as soon as possible. Audio and video quality is excellent for Webex. It has saved considerable time in terms of incident remediation. Whenever we have issues, we jump on a call and work together in parallel. This approach saves time and improves efficiency.

Read full review

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 most valuable feature is Webex's user-friendly video conferencing."

"Great quality of sound, quality of pics and video."

"Lag-free video communication and virtual meeting software which runs smoothly."

"The most valuable feature is that you can host presentations with a lot of attendees."

"It is user-friendly."

"The important feature is breakout sessions. We can create a breakout session if you want to hold a conference and make a room only for some people at the meeting."

"The product's initial setup phase was straightforward."

"It is a valuable solution for virtual meetings."

More Webex pros

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."

"Everybody these days uses virtual meeting solutions because we're all remote working. It would be a benefit if there were permanent collaboration spaces for projects. For example, the way Teams has its teams folders and shared locations. Webex is missing that feature, or maybe it has it and I'm not aware of it. However, it needs a permanent sharing location for when projects can get stored and can be a collaboration space as opposed to only a meeting space."

"Webex is a very demanding application, so it requires a very heavy bandwidth."

"The product's price could be better."

"Usability needs improvement. Webex is more complex compared to Zoom."

"The product needs to improve its integration. I'm not sure how difficult it is for the IT team to set up the integration. Once set up, it's easy but still not as straightforward as other platforms, like Microsoft Teams, where everything is within the same technical environment. To ensure further security, face authentication should also be added for all internal corporate users logged into the platform."

"Webex's translation feature could work more accurately."

"Sometimes we've had issues with the connection."

"I would like to see the addition of new features that will add value to the product."

More Webex cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The price of the license for the solution could be less expensive."

"There are no licensing fees."

"This is an expensive product compared to Teams and it should be cheaper."

"The tool's licensing is expensive, but it should be cheaper."

"The price of Webex is in the middle range compared to the market."

"My organization took care of the licensing. I'm guessing they did some subscription cycle, but I used the free version."

"I have recently switched to a different solution. WebEx is more costly. There are equivalent solutions at a lower cost."

"I am not aware of the pricing details."

More Webex pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Marketing Services Firm

16%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

Performing Arts

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	40
Midsize Enterprise	25
Large Enterprise	62

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.

See all answers

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

What do you like most about Webex?

Webex improved our overall team collaboration.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Webex?

From when I last implemented it, I found the price to be expensive. The licensing model doesn't work because if I want to implement it for an organization, I need to pay a per-user license, which m...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Webex?

Webex can be simplified in terms of user interface, where many features should be displayed in a compact view, with similar features grouped together and a minimalistic design helping users underst...

See all answers

Comparisons

No data available

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Virtual Meetings

February 2026

Download HCL Sametime product report

Buyer's Guide

Webex

February 2026

Download Webex product report

Also Known As

Lotus Sametime, IBM Lotus Sametime

Cisco Spark

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

Webex is designed to help companies improve communication and increase productivity with unlimited HD video meetings in shared meeting spaces.

Companies can use Webex, a Cisco product, to collaborate with peers, share documents and other information, create high-impact webinars and online events, and present dynamic online courses. It can be tailored to your exact company needs and can be fully integrated with mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, and BlackBerry.

Cisco

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.

Buyer's Guide

HCL Sametime vs. Webex

March 2026

Free Report: HCL Sametime vs. Webex

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