Zoom vs. WebinarJam – What Is the Best Webinar Solution for You?

If you run a business, chances are you're continually looking for ways to communicate more effectively and efficiently to your customers.

Webinars and video meetings are some of the most popular options to do so.

Thanks to technology, there are several webinar apps and platforms out there. WebinarJam and Zoom are two of these apps.

This article compares and contrasts these two options. It also provides relevant information to guide your choice between this pair of software.

Introduction – Zoom vs. WebinarJam

What is Zoom?

Zoom is a web conferencing and webinar software that offers users several important and efficient functionalities.

Designed by Zoom Video Communications, this video conferencing software comes handy in various situations: online training, online demos, and virtual collaborations.

When it comes to meetings, Zoom handles both ad hoc and scheduled meetings. Therefore, it is ideal for businesses of all sizes to prepare and execute large online events.

What is WebinarJam?

WebinarJam is a feature-rich webinar hosting software created by Genesis Digital. It is designed to help businesses to create and run webinar sessions.

It is a cloud-based solution; users can live stream broadcasts to thousands of attendees from around the world.

It allows live stream events for both solo or multiple presenters, who can share their computer screens with attendees.

Talking Points – Zoom and WebinarJam

Interestingly, both Zoom and WebinarJam are feature-rich. However, there are some specific feature-based differences between the two apps, as shown in the overviews below.

Overview of Features – Zoom

Here are the key features of Zoom:

• Video Webinar
• Webcam and Screen sharing
• On-demand webinars
• Live Chat, Q&A, Multi hosts, and moderation
• Registration Page
• Multi-languages compatible
• Local and Cloud Recording
• Activity Dashboard
• Group Collaborations
• Integrated Scheduling
• Customizable Branding
• Screen Sharing and
• Polls and Voting
• Attendance Management
• Automatic Notifications

Zoom's biggest strength is its video conferencing functionality. It offers HD video and HD voice, in addition to a dynamic screen-sharing feature. It is great for content sharing, especially sharing of organizational, corporate, and educational broadcasts and discussions. Users can also record meetings for future references, either locally or to the cloud.

ZoomRooms is a Software-Defined Video Conferencing system (SDVC) that allows attendees of video conferences to share data across their devices, including computers, tablets, or smartphones in real-time. A host on any Zoom webinar can assign up to 25 interactive panelists for presentations and screen-sharing, irrespective of the numbers of attendees. It is also possible to run polls and answer questions from attendees in real-time.

When it comes to safety, Zoom relies on the duo of Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption and AES 256-bit encryption to protect the personal details of users. There are also many administrative feature controls and role-based access controls. Supported languages include Chinese (Simplified), English, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

The desktop app can be downloaded on macOS and Windows systems. Likewise, the feature-rich mobile app is compatible with devices running iOS and Android. Users can either join a meeting without necessarily signing in on these apps. However, a sign-in is required to do other tasks like starting a meeting, inviting others, or sharing the screen.

Overview of Features – WebinarJam

Here are the features of WebinarJam:

• Video Webinar
• Cloud-based, no download
• Webcam and Screen sharing
• On-demand webinars
• Live Chat, Q and A, Multi hosts, and moderation
• Alerts and notifications
• Reporting/Analytics
• Live Chat, Q and A, Multi hosts
• Campaign Management
• Social Media Promotion
• Event Management
• Polls and Voting
• On-Demand Webinars
• Video Engine

WebinarJam allows presenters to present ideas in multiple ways. Users can also introduce offers to attendees, who can accept or decline in an instant. One-click registration for webinars is another great feature in WebinarJam. Plus, users can keep up with registrants and attendees even after the meetings.

There is a dedicated WebinarJam JamCast broadcaster that allows users to stream to YouTube Live, Facebook Live, or the software's private network. The webinar rooms are password-protected, plus they enable users to hold effective collaborations and communications. Brand consistency can be achieved with the registration pages by using the WYSIWYG visual editor.

Actionable insights from attendees can be gathered via the advanced analytics, while user engagement is handled via an interactive whiteboard, as well as surveys and polls. The platform is accessible either on phones or via the internet and is supported on web-based, iOS, and Android devices.

WebinarJam is available in several languages, including Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, and German. Others are Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish.

Webinar Attendance

Zoom requires attendees to download and install the software on their devices. This somewhat cumbersome process has many steps. It could be challenging for a first-time user.

WebinarJam attendees can join webinars and meetings directly by accessing the dedicated webinar link on their browser.

Analytics and Reporting

WebinarJam is the better tool when it comes to analytics and reporting of meetings and webinars. The software has a unique dashboard that allows users to see the number of registration page views, registrants, attendees, and attendees' check-in and check-out times.

You may not get similar comprehensive details on Zoom. Hence, analytics and reporting will be slightly challenging.

Integrations

Every user prefers webinar software that can sync with other software and platforms. Both WebinarJam and Zoom allows inbuilt integrations. However, Zoom is more particular about enterprise-level integrations.

The comprehensive list of apps that integrate with Zoom is available on their dedicated app marketplace. Some popular Zoom app or platform integrations include Zapier, Marketo, Facebook Centrify, Skype, Firefox, Microsoft One Drive, Google, RSA, Salesforce, Hubspot, and others.

WebinarJam allows users to integrate it with premier third-party CRM, shopping cart, and email applications. These include Zapier, GetResponse, CoverKit, iContact, MailChimp, AWeber, Karta, ActiveCampaign, InfusionSoft, and Drip, among others. It is important to note that it does not integrate with Google-based apps and popular apps like Zendesk, Zoho, or WordPress.

Pricing

Zoom Plans and Pricing

There is a free plan on Zoom that allows users to have unlimited one-to-one meetings or host up to a hundred participants. Available plans on Zoom are described below:

• The Zoom Pro Plan at $14.99/mo per host, which is ideal for small teams of not more than 100 participants.
• The Zoom Business Plan at $19.99/mo per host, starting at ten hosts for $199.90 per month. This plan is ideal for small and medium businesses.
• The Zoom Enterprise Plan at $19.99/mo per host, starting at 100 hosts for $1,999 per month. It is ideal for large enterprises. The minimum number of hosts is 100 but allows up to 500 or 1000 participants (for Enterprise Plus).

WebinarJam Plans and Pricing

WebinarJam offers three pricing options; none is free.

• The Basic Plan at $499 per year. It allows two presenters, 500 attendees, and a maximum of two hours per webinar.
• The Pro Plan at $699 per year. It allows four presenters, 2000 attendees, and a maximum of three hours per webinar.
• The Enterprise Plan at $999 per year. It allows six presenters, 5000 attendees, and a maximum of four hours per webinar. There are advanced features like the Live Room, Control Center, and the Panic Button.

Customer Support

The WebinarJam customer support is only reachable via live chat. However, there are dedicated video tutorials to help users navigate the software. Customer support is only reachable during business hours.

Zoom offers a more robust customer support service that is reachable via phone and live chat at any time of the day. Likewise, there are video tutorials and knowledge base.

Which is better – Zoom or WebinarJam?

Zoom is also simpler to use, retaining only the basic features. It is perfect for fans of simplicity. However, WebinarJam offers a balance between features and budget. Hence, it is the better choice here.

WebinarJam, as a webinar solution, offers more essential marketing features. It is the go-to webinar solution for most businesses and enterprises. Zoom tops WebinarJam in the aspects of video and audio quality, although it costs slightly more.