Which Video Conferencing or Webinar Tool Should I Use? (Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, Zoom)

There is a number of web conferencing tools available to UW-Madison faculty, staff, and students. This document compares the major features of four web conferencing tools: Google Meet, Webex Meetings, Webex Webinars, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom.

IMPORTANT: If possible, password-protect your meetings and only share the URL as needed. At this time of remote meeting and learning, we are finding that uninvited guests are joining some public events and sharing content without permission. If you must host an open event, be sure to verify who can present during the meeting and restrict access as much as possible. Also - Many if not most web conferencing technologies will experience issues with users in China. See the following news item for further details: Web Conferencing and China.

Please also look over the following policy regarding collaboration technologies and recordings as they relate to students in particular: Online Collaboration Recording Policy. If the technology you want to use is not listed in this policy, do not use it for instructional purposes.

Non-UW-Madison tools: Due to FERPA, HIPAA, and other data privacy considerations, campus policy prohibits the use of other non-sanctioned web conferencing software (such as Skype) for any University-related academic or business purposes.

Google Meet

Google Meet is available to faculty, staff, and students through the UW-Madison Google Workspace for Education. You must activate a UW Google+ account to use Meet. For details about Meet, see the following article: UW-Madison Google Workspace - Getting Started with Google Meet.

Google Meet does offer the following features:

Accessibility and usability: Google Meet Accessibility and Usability Information
Allowance of FERPA data
Allows external participants (that are not UW-Madison users)
Application integration: Google Workspace for Education (Docs, Sheets, Drive, and more)
Bandwidth requirements: Prepare Your Network for Google Meet Meetings and Live Streams
Browser-based (no download required)
Captions
Chat feature
Cost: Free to UW
Dial-in option
Dial-out option
File-sharing: While Google Meet itself has no native file-sharing feature, files can be shared through Google Drive
Maximum number of participants: 100
Maximum number of simultaneous audios: 100
- This refers to the maximum amount of participants able to stream audio at the same time
Maximum number of simultaneous videos (number of videos visible at a time is in parentheses): 100 (16)
- This refers to the maximum amount of participants able to stream video at the same time
Platforms²: Web and mobile (iOS and Android)
Screen-sharing
Security information: Meet Hardware Security Measures
Student ability to create sessions
Training: Google Meet Training and Help

Google Meet does not offer the following features:

Allowance of HIPAA data
Blur background
Breakout rooms
Live/closed captioning integration for captioners (e.g., CART)
Livestreaming
Integration with Canvas
Record meetings
Remembers content
Retention of Cloud recordings

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams offers chat, calls, and meetings and is available to faculty, staff, and students through the University's Microsoft 365 license. For more in information, see the following article: Microsoft 365 - Getting Started with Teams.

Microsoft Teams does offer the following features:

Accessibility and usability: Microsoft Teams Accessibility and Usability Information
Allowance of FERPA data
Allowance of HIPAA data¹
Allows external participants (that are not UW-Madison users)
Application integration: Microsoft Suite (Email, OneDrive, and more)
Bandwidth requirements: Prepare Your Organization's Network for Microsoft Teams
Blur background (Mac OS and Windows desktop clients)
Breakout rooms (maximum of 50 rooms)
Browser-based (no download required)
Captions
Chat feature
Cost: Free to UW
File-sharing
Livestreaming (for live events)
Maximum number of participants: 10,000 (several live event settings must be configured first)
Maximum number of simultaneous audios: 250
- This refers to the maximum amount of participants able to stream audio at the same time
Maximum number of simultaneous videos (number of videos visible at a time is in parentheses): 250 (16)
- This refers to the maximum amount of participants able to stream video at the same time
Platforms²: Web and mobile (iOS and Android)
Record meetings: Start, Stop, and Find Meeting Recordings in Microsoft Teams
Remembers content
Screen-sharing
Security information: Security and Compliance in Microsoft Teams
Student ability to create sessions
Training: Microsoft 365 Video Training

Microsoft Teams does not offer the following features:

Dial-in option
Dial-out option
Live/closed captioning integration for captioners (e.g., CART)
Integration with Canvas
Retention of Cloud recordings

Webex Meetings

Cisco Webex (Meetings/Webinars) is available to faculty, staff, and students. This software can be installed on all UW-Madison computers and is accessible for download either via the Campus Software Library or via the UW-Madison Webex portal. For more information regarding Webex, see the following: Web Conferencing (Cisco Webex).

Webex Meetings does offer the following features:

Accessibility and usability: Webex Accessibility and Usability Information
Allowance of FERPA data
Allowance of HIPAA data¹
Allows external participants (that are not UW-Madison users)
Application integration: Microsoft Outlook, Cisco Jabber, Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, IBM Cloud, and Microsoft OneDrive
Bandwidth requirements: Minimum Bandwidth Requirements
Blur background
Breakout rooms (maximum of 100 rooms)
Browser-based (no download required)
Captions
Chat feature
Cost: Free to UW
Dial-in option
File-sharing
Live/closed captioning integration for captioners (e.g., CART)
Livestreaming
Maximum number of participants: 1,000
Maximum number of simultaneous audios: 1,000
- This refers to the maximum amount of participants able to stream audio at the same time
Maximum number of simultaneous videos (number of videos visible at a time is in parentheses): 1,000 (25)
- This refers to the maximum amount of participants able to stream video at the same time
Platforms²: Webex Teams, Webex Desktop, web, and mobile (iOS and Android)
Record meetings: Record a Meeting or Webinar
Remembers content (limited depending on content type)
Retention of Cloud recordings
Screen-sharing
Security information: Webex Security and Privacy
Student ability to create sessions
Training: Getting Started with Webex Meetings

Webex Meetings does not offer the following features:

Dial-out option
Integration with Canvas

Webex Webinars

Webex Webinars does offer the following features:

Accessibility and usability: Webex Accessibility and Usability Information
Allowance of FERPA data
Allowance of HIPAA data¹
Allows external participants (that are not UW-Madison users)
Application integration: Microsoft Outlook and Cisco Jabber
Bandwidth requirements: What Are the Minimum Bandwidth Requirements?
Blur background
Breakout rooms (maximum of 100 rooms)
Browser-based (no download required)
Captions
Chat feature
Cost: Free to UW
Dial-in option
File-sharing
Live/closed captioning integration for captioners (e.g., CART)
Livestreaming
Maximum number of participants: 1,000
Maximum number of simultaneous audios: 1,000
- This refers to the maximum amount of participants able to stream audio at the same time
Maximum number of simultaneous videos (number of videos visible at a time is in parentheses): 1,000 (25)
- This refers to the maximum amount of participants able to stream video at the same time
Platforms²: Webex Desktop, web, and mobile (iOS and Android)
Record meetings: Webex - How to Record, Share and Recover your Recorded Webex Sessions
Remembers content (limited depending on content type)
Retention of Cloud recordings: Webex - How to Record, Share and Recover your Recorded Webex Sessions
Screen-sharing
Security information: Webex Security and Privacy
Student ability to create sessions
Training: Webex Webinars Help Center

Webex Webinars does not offer the following features:

Dial-out option
Integration with Canvas

Zoom

Zoom is available at UW-Madison. For more information, see the following article: UW-Madison Zoom Workplace - Getting started.

Zoom does offer the following features:

Accessibility and usability: Zoom Accessibility and Usability Information
Allowance of FERPA data
Allowance of HIPAA data¹: UW-Madison Zoom Workplace - Secure Zoom Overview
Allows external participants (that are not UW-Madison users)
Application integration: UW-Madison Zoom Workplace - Getting started with Marketplace
Bandwidth requirements: Zoom Rooms System Requirements
Blur background (iPhone only)
Breakout rooms (maximum of 50 rooms)
Browser-based (no download required)
Captions
Chat feature
Cost: Free to UW
Dial-in option
Dial-out option
File-sharing
Integration with Canvas
Live/closed captioning integration for captioners (e.g., CART)
Livestreaming
Maximum number of participants: 1,000
Maximum number of simultaneous audios: 300
- This refers to the maximum amount of participants able to stream video at the same time
Maximum number of simultaneous videos (number of videos visible at a time is in parentheses): 300 (49)
- This refers to the maximum amount of participants able to stream video at the same time
Platforms²: Web and mobile (iOS and Android)
Record meetings
Remembers content (limited depending on content type)
Retention of Cloud recordings: UW-Madison Zoom Workplace - Recording Availability
Screen-sharing
Security information: Changing Security Settings in a Zoom Meeting
Student ability to create sessions
Training: Zoom Tutorials

¹ HIPAA regulations apply to businesses and individuals in the healthcare industry (e.g., health plans and healthcare providers). These are called covered entities, meaning they are covered by HIPAA. UW-Madison is a hybrid entity because it includes units that both do and do not perform HIPAA-covered functions (such as providing healthcare). As a hybrid entity, UW-Madison has designated units that perform covered function and individuals or units that perform support functions on behalf of those designated units as their Health Care Component.

² Each of these tools has a desktop, browser, and mobile version. Attendees can choose to join via any option. Note: Setting up the room and accessing the full functionality of the product requires the desktop version.