Remote work has become the norm. However, the need for meetings and discussions of working issues has not disappeared. Therefore, an important question arose: which program is better?
For many years, the leaders were Skype and Zoom. We compared them by key features and found plenty of useful insights. By the way, the videoconferencing market has been steadily growing, and according to studies, its volume was expected to exceed $20 billion by 2024.
Looking back, it’s worth noting that each tool was more suitable for specific needs. Freelancers often leaned toward Skype, while businesses found Zoom to be the ideal environment. Let’s recall why.
About the applications
Skype was a multifunctional messenger that first appeared in 2003. It was designed to make calls, send messages, and share files, videos, and photos. For years, it worked across PCs, smartphones, tablets, and even Xbox.
Benefits:
- Fame;
- Integration with Microsoft Office 365;
- Free communication with users of the application;
- Voice calls and SMS to phone numbers;
- Lack of restrictions on the duration of the group conference;
- Demonstration of the screen of mobile devices.
Zoom is a cloud platform for holding online meetings and webinars, collaboration and communication. It works on PCs, smartphones and mobile devices. The platform was launched in 2011. Over the past few years it’s really flourished, going from 10 million users to 200 million during the pandemic.
Benefits:
- Stable connection;
- Screen demonstration with sound;
- Audio and video communication with each participant in the video call;
- An integrated interactive whiteboard on which you can write and draw;
- The ability to record a meeting on a device or cloud storage;
- The appointment of a co-organizer with the same capabilities as the creator of the meeting (can turn on / off the microphone for individual participants);
- Division of participants into rooms.
Participant Limits
It depends on which version of the program you’re using. On Skype, free users could add up to 50 users to a conference call. Paid business plans allowed up to 250 participants – a strong option for small and medium-sized businesses at the time.
The free version of Zoom lets you create a meeting with up to 100 participants. You can get business packages with up to 1000 seats.
Video Conferencing Availability
Initially, this criterion was one of the key benefits of using Zoom. You don’t have to install the program to join the chat. All you need is the invitation link. You can even join the meeting through your browser.
A similar function was once available on Skype. It was called Meet Now. This feature eliminated the need to install the program or register an account. The software generated a link to a specific meeting that could be sent to any person.
Users could also set a password for access. Even if someone wasn’t registered or didn’t have the program installed, they were still able to access the full range of functions. It was a handy option, especially for teams with more reluctant participants.
Confidentiality
Zoom is a platform for video calls that have gained tremendous popularity since the beginning of quarantine. Before this, the number of daily users was 10 million. The number reached 200 million in March. The developers did not count on such events, so they rushed to improve the app.
Back when Skype was active, it also provided communication security through end-to-end encryption. For many years, it was considered a reliable tool for personal and business calls.
Zoom, however, faced unique challenges as its user base exploded. A surge in so-called “Zoombombing” occurred, when attackers misused the platform’s sharing features to disrupt meetings with offensive content. These vulnerabilities were later fixed.
To strengthen protection, Zoom introduced the Waiting Room feature, allowing hosts to control who joins a meeting. Additional password requirements were also added, making it harder for uninvited participants to access calls.
Integration with third-party services
If the software is used for work, then this function is important. It is desirable that it would be as thought out as possible. Indeed, the ability to provide access to a specific file directly during a conversation will save you time and nerves. And in principle, all the necessary data will be provided at the appropriate time.
Skype once offered a solid set of integrations. It worked especially well with Microsoft products such as OneDrive, Outlook, and Word. There were also connections with other platforms, like the WordPress content management system and the Slack messenger.
Zoom, on the other hand, continues to expand its capabilities through the App Marketplace. In 2024, it added new productivity tools such as Zoom Docs, Whiteboard, and Scheduler. That same year, Zoom also launched an AI Companion designed to streamline workflows and improve collaboration.
Users can also link Zoom to the social network LinkedIn and Google Drive cloud storage. Various programs are available in the app store. They can be classified by direction. Users are offered integrated software for marketing, healthcare, sales, finance, and more.
When you take part in a videoconference, do not forget to write your messages and presentations in a literate way. To check the text for errors, use one of the integrations or Grammarly tools. You can also proofread by contacting companies that provide coursework writing services. This will help to avoid spelling and grammar errors and look competent in the eyes of colleagues.
Productivity
While Skype was widely used, it consumed a lot of PC resources. On weaker devices, the program often froze, especially during video and audio streaming. These performance issues were a common drawback.
In this regard, Zoom is a great alternative. The program is exceptionally lightweight and uses significantly less RAM on a personal computer. It works fast. Especially because using Zoom consumes less traffic, these features provide the main advantage of the program – a stable connection. In 2024, Zoom launched AI Companion and Zoom Docs to improve productivity.
AI Companion provides real-time meeting assistance, automated summaries, and notes, reducing the need for manual documentation. Meanwhile, Zoom Docs enables teams to turn meeting content into project plans and actionable notes on the fly. So, Zoom is uniquely suited to team productivity and remote collaboration.
Demo features
Skype allows you to broadcast the screen of your PC and mobile devices, but with limitations. You can share your entire device’s screen, but there is no functionality to demonstrate individual applications or select specific windows. While useful for simple presentations or meetings, Skype falls short when you need to share particular applications without exposing everything on your device.
On the other hand, Zoom provides a far more flexible and feature-rich screen-sharing experience. Users can choose to display their entire screen or opt to share just a specific program or window, which is especially useful for business presentations or focused work discussions. Zoom even offers multiple viewing modes, allowing users to showcase content exactly how they want, whether it’s a screen, a specific program, or just a particular part of their screen. Additionally, Zoom enables multi-tasking, so you can work in another program while still sharing your screen, without interrupting the flow of the meeting.
Another primary advantage of Zoom is that it can display up to 49 participants at once in a gallery view, making it easier for teams to hold large meetings. Zoom’s free plan, however, imposes a 40-minute time limit on group meetings, so you’ll need to reconnect if you exceed the time limit. This restriction is removed in Zoom’s paid plans, offering longer, uninterrupted meetings, which is a critical feature for businesses and teams who need to collaborate without time pressure.
These recent updates make Zoom a more viable option for business users with an easy and flexible screen-sharing feature, while Skype is limited in its functions. This, along with its flexible participant support, is one of the reasons for the growth in popularity of Zoom, especially for corporate conferences and webinars where screen sharing and communication with multiple participants are critical.
Pricing policy
Zoom offers 3 paid packages. They cost from $13,32 to $18,32. Depending on the plan, you can make video calls with 300, 500, or 1000 participants. Each plan removes restrictions on the duration of calls. The following features may be available to users depending on their tariff:
- management of meeting participants;
- assign a unique meeting identifier
- branding;
- single sign-on;
- managed domains
- LTI integration
- cloud storage;
- Hangout reports
Skype offered free communication between users of the application. Skype-to-Skype calls were free.
Calls to mobile or landline phones were possible through a subscription or Skype Credit.
Skype for Business was discontinued in July 2021 and integrated into Microsoft 365, and the consumer version of Skype was fully discontinued in 2025.
Conclusion
Skype, once one of the most widely used virtual communication platforms, has now been discontinued, marking the end of an era in online calling and messaging. For many freelancers and casual users, it was valued for its simplicity and cross-device accessibility.
Today, Zoom has firmly taken the lead in professional virtual communication. With features like AI-powered meeting summaries and participant insights, it caters especially well to business users who need reliability and advanced collaboration tools.
While Skype lives on in memory as a pioneer of digital communication, Zoom continues to define the standard for professional online meetings.
Why choose Chanty as your alternative for both?
If you’re looking for a streamlined, all-in-one communication tool, Chanty offers features that go beyond what Skype and Zoom provide. With real-time messaging, high-quality video calls, and mobile and landline calling, you can stay connected with your team in a more efficient and affordable way.
Chanty also integrates seamlessly with business tools like Google Drive, GitHub, and MailChimp, bringing all your work into one place. Additionally, its task management feature makes it easy to track projects, assign tasks, and collaborate – all within your chat, without needing extra apps.
Chanty is a user-friendly, cost-effective solution for teams that want to simplify communication while boosting productivity. Whether you’re working remotely or in the office, Chanty makes it easy to manage projects and stay connected with your team. Start a free demo today and see how Chanty can enhance your team’s communication and workflow.
This article was initially written in Nov, 2021.
