What is the difference between Zoom and Whereby?

Zoom is best for Teams that prioritize reliable, high-quality video calls, while Whereby is best for Teams wanting no-download video meetings. Zoom starts at $13.33/user/mo and Whereby starts at Free.

Is Zoom or Whereby cheaper?

Zoom starts at $13.33/user/mo with a free tier. Whereby starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Whereby?

Both Zoom and Whereby offer free tiers.

Zoom vs Whereby

Zoom is video conferencing platform for meetings, webinars, and virtual events, while Whereby is browser-based video meetings with no downloads required — share a link and people join instantly. The biggest difference up front: Whereby is free, while Zoom starts at $13.33/user/mo. Zoom is built for teams that prioritize reliable, high-quality video calls, whereas Whereby targets teams wanting no-download video meetings.

At a glance

	Zoom	Whereby
Best for	Teams that prioritize reliable, high-quality video calls	Teams wanting no-download video meetings
Starting price	$13.33/user/mo	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	—
Breakout Groups	—	✓
Breakout Rooms	✓	—
Embeddable	—	✓
No Downloads	—	✓
Recording	✓	✓
Screen Sharing	✓	—
Video Meetings	✓	—
Webinars	✓	—

Zoom

Strengths

Industry-leading video and audio quality
Reliable even on poor connections
Universal — everyone knows how to use Zoom
Strong webinar and events features

Weaknesses

Free tier limited to 40-minute group calls
Security concerns have been raised
Becoming bloated with features
Another standalone tool when alternatives are built into existing platforms

Try Zoom → Full review

Whereby

Strengths

Includes No Downloads as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows
Includes Embeddable as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows
1 free meeting room — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Established product with 13+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Call quality depends heavily on participants' internet connections
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Whereby → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Whereby is completely free (1 free meeting room), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Zoom starts at $13.33/user/mo, but Free 40-min group meetings. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Zoom offers Breakout Rooms, Screen Sharing and Video Meetings that Whereby lacks. Whereby brings Breakout Groups, Embeddable and No Downloads that Zoom does not have. Both share Recording.

Team fit: Zoom is geared toward any size teams, while Whereby is aimed at small teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Where each tool shines: Zoom's biggest strengths are: industry-leading video and audio quality. reliable even on poor connections. Whereby's biggest strengths are: includes no downloads as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows. includes embeddable as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows.

Watch out for: With Zoom, users commonly note that free tier limited to 40-minute group calls. With Whereby, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose Zoom if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams that prioritize reliable, high-quality video calls
You specifically need Breakout Rooms and Screen Sharing
You care about reliable even on poor connections
Your team size fits the any size profile Zoom is designed for
The free tier works for you: free 40-min group meetings

Choose Whereby if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams wanting no-download video meetings
Budget is a hard constraint — Whereby is free, Zoom is not
You specifically need Breakout Groups and Embeddable
You care about includes embeddable as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows
Your team size fits the small teams profile Whereby is designed for