HCL Sametime vs Zoom comparison

HCLSoftware and Zoom Video Communications are both solutions in the Virtual Meetings category. HCLSoftware is ranked #19 with an average rating of 8.0, while Zoom Video Communications is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.3. HCLSoftware holds a 0.4% mindshare in VM, compared to Zoom Video Communications’s 11.2% mindshare. Additionally, 75% of HCLSoftware users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Zoom Video Communications users who would recommend it.

HCL Sametime

Read 5 HCL Sametime reviews

86 Views
44 Comparison Views

75% willing to recommend

Zoom

Read 215 Zoom reviews

5,977 Views
1,083 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

HCL Sametime

Zoom

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 3, 2025

HCL Sametime and Zoom compete in communication and collaboration tools, with Zoom having the upper hand due to its comprehensive features and scalability, making it popular for video-heavy communication.

Features: HCL Sametime offers secure messaging, integration with enterprise systems, and flexible customization. Zoom provides robust video conferencing, high-definition video, and virtual backgrounds.

Room for Improvement: HCL Sametime could improve scalability, user interface, and video capabilities. Zoom could enhance security, integration with enterprise tools, and customization options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HCL Sametime requires tailored deployment due to its enterprise integration, offering a flexible approach. Zoom offers straightforward deployment, extensive online resources, and responsive support, enabling quick adoption.

Pricing and ROI: HCL Sametime may involve higher upfront costs but offers competitive ROI for secure and integrated solutions. Zoom's subscription-based pricing provides scalability and perceived higher ROI due to video capabilities and global reach, despite potentially higher ongoing costs.

To learn more, read our detailed HCL Sametime vs. Zoom Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

HCL Sametime vs. Zoom

April 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 850,028 peers since 2012

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

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Zoom

Ranking in Virtual Meetings

1st

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

215

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 Zoom is 11.2%, down from 13.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

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…

Read full review

Kallol Chaudhuri

Principal Consultant at Oracle

Helped us tremendously in collaborating with each other and getting our work done and offers the breakout rooms feature.

We are a team located across various locations. Not in the same geographic location. We are distributed. And it's not possible to physically travel and meet people. Sometimes it's simply not possible. But Zoom has helped us tremendously in collaborating with each other and getting our work done. Without Zoom, it would have been very, very difficult. The breakout rooms feature is also helpful. For example, I have a meeting attended by hundreds of people and want to create subgroups. I typically use it for different role-play scenarios during training if we are trying to conduct some training on presentation skills. So there's a large group, which is initially trained by an instructor. Then you get instructions that the room will be split into smaller breakout rooms. I'll give you a topic, and you'll practice in these smaller groups. That's one way I use it. So it's like a simulation of a real brainstorming session I'd have in a physical space.

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 interface is very intuitive. It's very easy to use."

"It allows for both support and communication at the same time."

"The screen-sharing capabilities are very good."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is its ease of use."

"Zoom is useful for virtual meetings."

"Zoom has become a straightforward solution and is valuable for various meeting types."

"The interface makes it simple to use."

"You don't need to be technical in order to use it."

More Zoom 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."

"They can make it easier to use and more intuitive. Ease of use is always a key for selling a product."

"While Zoom calls are great for talking and chatting, they often lack follow-up on action items and collaboration. Most of the time, it's just talking and listening without much progress. There's a missing piece in these tools. About 90 percent of those calls could be replaced by other tools that focus more on the deliverables that make a real impact rather than just being another wasted meeting. It doesn't improve collaboration."

"We use screen sharing, but sometimes it can be awkward because you might accidentally share the wrong screen, including personal ones. ......Similar to the integration between Google Calendar and Google Meet, having everything in one environment would be much more convenient for scheduling meetings."

"The stability has been good but it could still improve. However, I have not found a better solution."

"The chat functionality in Zoom could improve."

"The privacy settings need to be more apparent, otherwise anyone can wander into meeting rooms and disrupt them."

"If Zoom could be more secure, that would be better. Security is always a highly sensitive matter for everyone today."

"The virtual background could be more smoothly integrated with the rest of the software."

More Zoom cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The version I am using of Zoom is free."

"Zoom is free."

"We have an account but we are also using the free version."

"There is some basic functionality that's free but if you want to host longer meetings and have more participants, then there is a licensing fee."

"There is a licensing fee and although the price is fair, it can be a little cheaper."

"In the basic version, there is a 40-minute time limit on group meetings."

"Zoom has a less expensive subscription than other solutions such as Cisco Webex."

"We have subscribed to a package for Zoom and it is a monthly payment."

More Zoom pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Virtual Meetings solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

850,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Educational Organization

90%

University

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

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...

See all answers

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

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 ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Zoom?

The product is scalable.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zoom?

I find Zoom's pricing to be moderate, rating it a five on a scale of one to 10. While organizations might not have issues with the payment, Zoom could make its pricing more reasonable for individua...

See all answers

Comparisons

No data available

Webex vs Zoom

Compared 33% of the time

Skype for Business vs Zoom

Compared 32% of the time

TeamViewer vs Zoom

Compared 8% of the time

ON24 Platform vs Zoom

Compared 6% of the time

GoToMeeting vs Zoom

Compared 5% of the time

More Zoom Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Virtual Meetings

April 2025

Download HCL Sametime product report

Buyer's Guide

Zoom

April 2025

Download Zoom product report

Also Known As

Lotus Sametime, IBM Lotus Sametime

No data available

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

Zoom helps businesses and organizations bring their teams together in a frictionless environment to get more done. Our easy, reliable cloud platform for video, phone, content sharing, and chat runs across mobile devices, desktops, telephones, and room systems. Message me to learn more about how Zoom can help your business or organization Visit zoom.com and follow @zoom_us.

Zoom Video Communications

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

Buyer's Guide

HCL Sametime vs. Zoom

April 2025

Free Report: HCL Sametime vs. Zoom

Find out what your peers are saying about HCL Sametime vs. Zoom and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

850,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our HCL Sametime vs. Zoom report.

See our list of best Virtual Meetings vendors.

We monitor all Virtual Meetings reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.