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Zoom Meeting and Webinar are comparable, but they do have their differences. By the end of this article, you will have a clear understanding of the similarities and differences of both of these Zoom software.
Furthermore, you will know exactly whether you want to use Zoom Meeting or Zoom Webinar, but either way you will need a computer or a laptop for Zoom. And if you are a frequent attendee or host, you probably want to know how to cast Zoom to your TV and enjoy the big screen experience.
Table of Contents
Zoom Meeting vs. Zoom Webinar Differences
When people talk about Zoom, they usually talk about “Zoom Meetings”. Zoom Meeting is designed for group collaboration where attendees can freely engage in two-way communication. They can share their screen, turn on their audio and video, and see who else is on the call. It’s pretty much a video conference call.
Zoom Webinar is used for large virtual events and online seminars. The participant list is visible only to the panelist. Only designated panelists can share their screen, video and audio.
| ZOOM MEETING | ZOOM WEBINAR |
|---|---|
| Participation limit: 300 people | Participation limit: 500 to 1000 |
| Best used for: Small meetings, Training sessions, Group collaboration, Job interview, Online learning | Best used for: Large internal and external events, customer conferences, virtual seminars |
| Participant roles: – Host and co-host – Participant | Participant roles: – Host and co-cost – Panelist – Attendee |
| Audio and Video: All participants | Audio and Video: Host and Co-host only |
| Participant roles: – Host and co-host – Panelist – Attendee | Q&A: Available |
| Practice Session: Not Available | Practice Session: Available |
| Breakout Rooms: Available | Breakout Rooms: Not Available |
| Polling: Available | Polling: Available |
| Participant Lists: Visible to all participants | Participant Lists: Visible to host and panelist |
| Waiting Room: Available | Waiting Room: Not Available |
| Pricing: Free of Charge | Pricing: Webinar Pricing Plan |
What Can You Do with Zoom Meetings – and When to Use It?
Zoom Meeting is a platform created for video conversations with your fellow employees, colleagues and even friends and family. It’s also a collaborative app where users can share their content and communicate via video or audio options. In a Zoom Meeting you can have a host, co–host and participants that can freely interact with one another.
What are Zoom Webinar Breakout Rooms? Breakout room is designed for a deeper conversation between smaller groups of people. You can also chat, or add emojis and drawings. File and Screen sharing options are bringing massive leverage to user experience.
You can also stream your content via social media (Facebook Live, YouTube etc.) and expand your ideas to different platforms.
When people talk about Zoom, they usually talk about “Zoom Meetings”
What Can You Do with Zoom Webinar – and When to Use It?
A Zoom Webinar platform was initially released in August 2014. The main function of the Zoom Webinar is the implementation of substantial video conference events – up to 100 or even 10,000 participants where the host/co-host manages the program and the attendees have a view-only option.
At Zoom Webinars you are presenting your content online, and large audiences around the world can have access to specific input – whether it is training session, lectures, classes or even concerts and religious events.
The registration process, url link creation and branding options are flexible; which means that you can create a unique style of emails, titles, landing pages, URL links, logos and banners – customization is very important because it gives that special feeling of exclusiveness.
You can also hold surveys and Q&A sessions in order to collect the valuable data. Access to various analytics options (reports on registrations, attendees and their engagement) is essential when you have to get all of the necessary information about the participants of the event.
Zoom Webinar can be integrated with a PayPal account and credit/debit card. Also, while the Zoom Meeting is free of charge, Webinar and accompanying Add–On plans have specific rates – depending on the plan you have previously selected.
As with the Zoom Meeting, you can also stream your content onto various social media platforms – Facebook Live, Youtube Live etc. thus reaching an even greater number of people.
Conclusion: From Boardrooms to Audiences
Let’s get back to that initial question – what kind of video conferencing tool do you need? While one is designed for the individuals to work and meet “face to face”, the other is suitable for broadcasting the message to a vast audience. Both of these platforms have changed our work environment and also shifted that environment online.
One can argue with the benefits and downsides of that type of communication. The fact is that we don’t need to shake our hands at the end of the meeting anymore; instead of that we can just shut down our devices and the meeting will be over – easy as that.
Digital revolution brought us many benefits and made things slightly easier in these uneasy times – let’s transform those benefits into OUR advantages; advantages that can be easily exploited and monetized.
