Zoom vs Bandwidth

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Our analysts compared Zoom vs Bandwidth based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Business Phone Systems, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Product Basics

Zoom is an online conferencing solution that provides HD-quality voice calls, video meetings and webinars. Available as a native app on Windows, iOS and Android devices, it enables intelligent call routing, auto-attendant, voicemail, call recording and call transcription. Call agents can elevate phone calls to a video conference call without needing to hang up, and engage customers through direct chat from within the call. Integrating with Salesforce, Microsoft Office and GSuite, it supports hardware from leading manufacturers to provide a traditional deskphone experience.

Organizations can choose to retain their existing phone service providers with easy number portability. It provides coverage across more than 40 countries through local number availability. Its advanced plans offer an intuitive admin portal to provision and manage accounts, track meetings and attendees and receive usage insights from a centralized hub.
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Bandwidth is a cloud-based API provider that enables two-way calling, text messaging and video conferencing for leading unified communications platforms. Deployable in the cloud, on-premise or as a hybrid, it enables enterprise-level call tracking and analytics. Leveraging its robust architecture, developers can create video and video conferencing apps through WebRTC technology. Businesses can automate existing processes and call flows through its support for a wide range of codecs including VP9, VP8 and H.264. Integrating with major toll-free carriers, it ensures carrier redundancy for uninterrupted business workflows.

It ensures call security through multi-factor authentication (MFA) and phone number verification. Besides enabling click-to-call for customers, it provides intelligent call routing through IVR and automated SMS surveys for sustained customer outreach. In addition to phone number management through a dashboard, it provides number porting of up to 20,000 numbers. Working in the background, it powers integrations with Zoom, LogMein, Google, RingCentral and Microsoft through its powerful APIs.
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$13.32/User, Monthly
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$0.01/Message, Usage-Based
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Product Assistance

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Videos
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24/7 Live Support
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Product Insights

  • Build the Brand: Maximize ROI by building lasting customer relationships. Promote the brand through webinars and video conferences with thousands of attendees and design outreach strategies based on meeting data. 
  • Provide Customer Support: Attend customer queries and resolve issues by connecting to customers virtually, irrespective of the time zone. Never miss a customer call by configuring call forwarding. Monitor call quality via call recordings and transcriptions and share them with the team for training. 
  • Stay Connected: Never miss a business meeting while out of the office. Create and join meetings from anywhere on any device, including Android and iOS mobile phones. 
  • Establish Global Presence: Make the brand’s visible presence through localization. Port existing phone numbers to a local service provider, or get local phone numbers for seamless customer outreach and accessibility. 
  • Collaborate: Work in tandem with other team members through screen sharing and whiteboarding. Share and discuss insights via shared comments and annotations. Chat with co-workers in-meeting or create and join breakout rooms for focused discussions. 
  • Connect Within Business Apps: Build applications to get customer and team metrics within the host application. Manage user accounts and view meeting usage metrics by connecting to dashboards. 
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  • Cost Efficiency: Bandwidth helps businesses save on communication costs by offering scalable solutions that adapt to their needs, eliminating the need for expensive traditional phone systems.
  • Flexibility: Users can manage calls, messages, and video conferences from anywhere, using any device, providing the flexibility needed in today's mobile and dynamic work environments.
  • Improved Customer Experience: Features like automated attendants, call routing, and analytics ensure that customer calls are handled efficiently, leading to improved satisfaction and loyalty.
  • Scalability: As businesses grow, Bandwidth easily scales to accommodate increased call volumes and additional features without requiring significant infrastructure changes.
  • Reliability: With robust infrastructure and redundancy protocols, Bandwidth ensures high availability and minimal downtime, so businesses stay connected with their customers and teams.
  • Enhanced Communication: Integrated voice, video, and messaging capabilities foster better collaboration among team members and more engaging interactions with customers.
  • Compliance and Security: Bandwidth adheres to industry standards and regulations, providing secure communication channels that protect sensitive information.
  • Insightful Analytics: Access to detailed call analytics helps businesses make informed decisions, optimize communication strategies, and improve overall efficiency.
  • Customization: The platform offers extensive customization options, allowing businesses to tailor the system to their specific operational needs and customer service goals.
  • Professional Image: Advanced features like custom greetings, on-hold music, and professional voicemail options enhance a company's image and customer perception.
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  • Business Calling: Make and attend 1:1 and conference phone calls, participate in video meetings and send chat messages. Switch from phone calls to video meetings with one click — no need for a separate conference bridge. 
    • Call Management: Ensure every call is answered with auto-attendants and skills-based intelligent call routing. Listen to recorded phone calls or view text transcriptions through a PC, desk phone or mobile device. 
    • Administration Portal: Provision and manage users, and view call quality and usage reports from its central admin portal. 
    • Global Availability: Provides local telephone service across more than 40 countries. Seamlessly port current business numbers and use existing cell phone service providers in any country. 
  • Video Conferencing: Schedule and attend webinars and 1:1 or group meetings, internally or with clients, with Google, iCal and Microsoft calendar syncing. Join meetings across other conferencing room providers with compatible hardware that includes speakers, headphones, cameras, microphones and monitors. 
    • Collaboration: Start and/or schedule a meeting with a personal meeting ID that stays the same always. Co-annotate on shared screens and whiteboards, share files in-meeting, message others, and create and join breakout rooms for focused collaboration. 
    • Meeting Recordings: Record and store meetings locally, and share these recordings with others through Google Drive, Dropbox and other file storage services. Allow or restrict access to recordings by participants through in-meeting admin controls. Direct recordings to the cloud are available with paid plans. 
    • Permissions: Set up role-based and in-meeting permissions, such as enable/disable screen sharing by participants, using chat and mute/unmute settings. 
  • Dashboards: Monitor data on overall usage for meetings, Zoom Rooms, webinars, instant messaging and Zoom Phone, all from a single, unified interface. 
    • Meetings: Get a bird’s-eye view of meeting metrics, such as top locations of participants, year-to-date trends and devices used, in the form of bar charts, pie charts, line graphs and more. View information for meetings and Zoom Rooms, live and past, to a high level of granularity. 
    • Zoom Phones: Get metrics on Mean Opinion Score (MOS) scores and view call logs, voice codecs, ISP and network details, all on one screen. Monitor call health with hardware and OS versions listed for each call in a tabular format. 
  • Reporting: Get reports on registrations, attendees, Q&A, performance and participation details for meetings and webinars. Administrators can view more detailed usage and user activity reports. 
  • Integrations: Ensure seamless workflows from within proprietary applications through its integrations with Microsoft Office 365, Google Suite, Salesforce and Slack. 
  • Mobile App: Join meetings from anywhere with its native mobile app for Android and iOS, with a live screen sharing option. Attend conference calls and video meetings while on the move through its Safe Driving Mode, compatible with Apple CarPlay. 
  • APIs: Host new meetings, add and remove users, view dashboards and reports on usage through its wide range of REST-based APIs. Seamlessly handles large API response payloads through pagination. Test API endpoints with testing tool widgets from within the API Reference Docs. 
  • App Marketplace: Build chatbots and apps to connect to dashboards for meeting metrics, conduct webinars and manage connected user accounts from within proprietary applications. 
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  • Voice API: Build a custom voice calling solution for clients. Embed programmable voice directly into the application, network or product, without possessing a telecom infrastructure. Pay only for the time used and get access to pricing. Identify and address problems related to the quality and reliability of voice calls.
  • SMS API: Attain control, flexibility and insight and efficiently send messages to the tier 1 network. Get insights into which messages are getting delivered. Access real human support and eliminate the hassles attached to having a middleman.
  • MMS API: Send powerful and engaging text messages using images, videos, audio and GIFs even on toll-free and local numbers. Get charged the same price for an MMS irrespective of the number of characters.
  • Toll-Free SMS: Easily graduate from text messages to calls on the same number. Send high-volume messages using a single number, eliminating possible confusion amongst customers. Use it as an alternative to short code and connect with customers faster.
  • Group Messaging: Enable all the clients to be in the loop and quickly initiate group discussions without installing the app or possessing a smartphone. Connect to any network in the U.S. and Canada. Activate message-ready phone numbers.
  • Emergency Calling API: Provide accurate and reliable access to public safety without investing in expensive infrastructure. Connect users when required and automatically provide location information to the best-suited public safety agency.
  • Video API: Upgrade any web-based chat or call to video and create video applications powered by WebRTC. Enhance the customer engagement experience and facilitate personal interactions and connections. Use screen sharing and live video engagement. Access an easy-to-understand billing system, eliminating confusion. Attain Inbound and Outbound PSTN calling and support audio codecs, including VP9, VP8 and H.264.
  • Authentication API: Balance security with customized authentication messages and set a code expiration timeframe. Pay only for successful authentication. Safeguard brand equity by receiving one-time passcodes on existing numbers, eliminating the risk of sharing numbers with other businesses.
  • SIP Trunking: Enable high-quality calls using the cloud-based carrier network. Manage ports, order phone numbers and gain insights into telecom cost centers. Maintain compliance with 911 regulations. Access calling and billing details record (BDR). Get easy support from the 24/7 Network Operations Center (NOC).
  • Duet: Enable companies to migrate their telecom to Teams-leverage dynamic location capabilities within Teams to identify the location. Route 911 calls across the secure and highly reliable network, ensuring user safety. Acquire advantages such as fail-over control, call forwarding and real-time re-routes.
  • VoIP Origination: Access a wide-ranging coverage with direct peering connections, facilitating quality calls. Enjoy a powerful phone number solution with number ordering, porting and management tools. Support required line features and instant 911 address provisioning.
  • VoIP Termination: Eliminate the hassle of jumping on and off PSTN, allowing a reliable calling experience. Employ the geo-redundant core network with priority Tier 1 peering relationships to achieve better quality calls and fewer hops. Enable interconnections using peering agreements with major carriers across the U.S., Canada and internationally, ensuring quicker, hassle-free calls.
  • SMS Gateway: Remain up-to-date and well-versed with current messaging rules and regulations with the help of experts. Send an SMS to customers who only provide a phone number and without the aid of a cell phone. Ensure reliable delivery and connections to all major carriers.
  • Phone Number Lookup API: Attain knowledge regarding the carrier mix before sending messages, enabling the prediction of costs and message and deliverability rates. Quickly sort phone numbers, ensuring that messages are sent only to those numbers that can receive them. Use the correct type of multi-factor authentication.
  • Local Phone Numbers: Carry out business more innovatively by giving customers a personal and local touch. Add brand personality, context and privacy along with number ordering and provisioning. Assure customers that they can secure better help and understanding by talking to a real person who understands the business. Access the Bandwidth Phone Number Dashboard to track which numbers are getting more usage.
  • CNAM: Enable the lookup to pick from a database full of caller ID information displayed when someone calls. Easily add, update or delete entries using the portal or API. Add a personal touch to sales calls, employ CNAM to look up any number and help minimize missed calls and spam calls.
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Product Ranking

#1

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Business Phone Systems

#14

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Business Phone Systems

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Analyst Rating Summary

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Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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Call Coverage Calling Features Collaboration Mobile Features Phone Numbers Phone System Voice Intelligence & Analytics Voicemail & Messaging 72 88 100 100 100 95 88 100 0 25 50 75 100
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User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 41293 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 427 reviews
90%
of users recommend this product

Zoom has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 90% when considering 41293 user reviews from 6 recognized software review sites.

92%
of users recommend this product

Bandwidth has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 92% when considering 427 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

5.0 (12)
n/a
4.5 (33431)
4.6 (180)
4.37 (54)
4.6 (124)
4.6 (6279)
4.6 (110)
4.5 (533)
4.4 (9)
4.4 (984)
4.9 (4)

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Zoom and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Collaboration. Zoom stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award
Collaboration Award

Bandwidth stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Ease of use: Approximately 79% of the users who mention ease of using the platform say it’s intuitive and user-friendly.
Functionality: Around 64% of the users who review functionality say the platform has a rich feature set to enable seamless video conferences and meetings.
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Scalability: Bandwidth's platform is designed to grow with your business, allowing you to easily add new phone lines and features as needed. This scalability ensures that your phone system can adapt to your evolving communication requirements.
Cost-Effectiveness: Bandwidth offers competitive pricing plans, making it a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes. Their transparent pricing structure helps you understand your costs upfront, avoiding any surprises on your phone bill.
Reliability: Bandwidth has a strong reputation for reliability, ensuring that your phone system is always available when you need it. Their robust infrastructure and network redundancy minimize downtime and service interruptions.
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Pricing: Around 73% of the users who review its cost say it can be expensive for small organizations.
Security: Reviewing security, approximately 67% of users say the vendor should offer better safety and privacy features.
Performance: About 64% of the users who mention the software’s performance say it’s resource-intensive.
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Call Quality Issues: Bandwidth's call quality has been reported as inconsistent, with users experiencing dropped calls, choppy audio, and latency issues, particularly in areas with weaker internet connections. This can be disruptive and unprofessional for businesses that rely on clear and reliable communication.
Customer Support Challenges: Bandwidth's customer support has received mixed reviews, with some users finding it difficult to get timely and effective assistance. Long wait times and unhelpful responses can be frustrating for businesses that need prompt resolution to technical issues.
Limited Features: Compared to some competitors, Bandwidth's feature set may be perceived as lacking, particularly for businesses with advanced communication needs. Features such as call recording, voicemail transcription, and integrations with CRM systems may be limited or require additional fees.
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Zoom is a popular web conferencing tool for online learning, training and collaboration at educational institutions, enterprises and government agencies. About 79% of the users who review the platform say it’s user-friendly, and novices can use it with minimal effort. Around 66% of the users who mention functionality appreciate the in-meeting audio and video quality. Team members can interact via whiteboarding, screen-sharing, annotation and commenting, though some users feel the chat interface can be improved. Local recording is available with both the free and paid versions, though quite a few users say recordings are storage-intensive, and the vendor doesn’t offer compression. On the flip side, around 73% of the users who mention pricing say it can be cost-prohibitive for smaller organizations, especially since webinars are available only for Pro and above accounts. Though the vendor offers unlimited meetings, approximately 36.6% of these users feel the 40-minute meeting time limit with the free version is restrictive. Of the users who review its performance, 57% say it lags on low bandwidth, with poor audio and video quality. Around 67% of the users who mention security say the vendor should provide additional safeguards to ensure secure meetings. To summarize, Zoom is a popular software for enterprises and education providers to connect remotely distributed teams, co-workers and clients. Though only paid subscriptions provide the high-end features, its free version can adequately support smaller organizations, with a user limit of 100 persons.

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Is your business phone system stuck in the dark ages? Need to expand your communications bandwidth? Bandwidth might be the solution you're looking for. User reviews from the past year highlight its strengths in call quality, reliability, and scalability, making it a top choice for businesses of all sizes. The platform's user-friendly interface and robust API integrations allow for seamless communication management, whether you're a small startup or a large enterprise. Users particularly appreciate the flexibility to port existing numbers and integrate with popular CRM systems like Salesforce, streamlining workflows and boosting productivity. Bandwidth's competitive pricing and pay-as-you-go model also make it a cost-effective solution for businesses with fluctuating communication needs. However, some users have noted that customer support can be slow at times, and the initial setup process may require some technical expertise. Additionally, while Bandwidth offers a wide range of features, some advanced functionalities may require additional fees. Despite these minor drawbacks, Bandwidth remains a popular choice for businesses seeking a reliable and scalable communication solution. Its ease of use, extensive features, and competitive pricing make it ideal for businesses looking to streamline their communication processes and enhance overall productivity. If you're ready to ditch your outdated phone system and embrace the future of business communication, Bandwidth is definitely worth considering.

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