For UK businesses evaluating communication platforms, choosing between GoTo Connect and Zoom can be challenging. Both offer powerful cloud-based communication solutions, but there are key differences in their features, pricing, and overall value proposition. This comparison provides a detailed analysis to help you make the right decision for GoTo Connect vs Zoom, based on your business needs.
GoTo Connect vs Zoom
| Category | GoTo Connect | Zoom |
|---|---|---|
| Core focus | VoIP phone systems and unified communications | Video conferencing with unified communications |
| Video conferencing | Up to 250 participants | Up to 1,000 participants (on premium plans) |
| VoIP phone systems | Advanced features including call routing, auto-attendant, and voicemail | Zoom Phone with similar features, but still developing |
| Messaging | Basic chat and file sharing | Full-featured team messaging and collaboration tools |
| Webinars | Limited functionality | Extensive capabilities for webinars and virtual events |
| Breakout rooms | Not a primary feature | Fully developed with multiple breakout rooms |
| Meeting duration | Unlimited for paid users | Free plan has a 40-minute limit; paid plans offer unlimited duration |
| Call routing & auto-attendant | Included in all plans | Included with Zoom Phone plans |
| Call analytics | Advanced call analytics included | Available in Zoom Phone plans |
| Integrations | Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, Salesforce, others | Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, Slack, Salesforce, others |
| Recording and transcriptions | Meeting recording available in all plans | Recording available; live transcription in premium plans |
| Mobile app | Fully featured for VoIP and video conferencing | Full functionality for video, messaging, and VoIP |
| Customisation & branding | Customisable call handling options | Branding features available in higher plans (Business/Enterprise) |
| Customer support | 24/7 phone, chat, and email support | 24/7 chat and phone support on premium plans |
| Security features | End-to-end encryption for calls and meetings | End-to-end encryption for meetings and data compliance certifications |
| Scalability | Best for small to medium-sized businesses | Suitable for small to large enterprises |
| Pricing (UK) | – Basic: £20/user/month – Standard: £25/user/month – Premium: £35/user/month | – Free plan (40-min limit) – Pro: £11.99/user/month – Business: £15.99/user/month – Enterprise: £19.99/user/month – Zoom Phone: from £8/user/month |
Overview of GoTo Connect
GoTo Connect is a unified communications platform offering VoIP phone systems, video conferencing, and team messaging in one comprehensive solution. It’s part of GoTo (formerly LogMeIn), a well-established provider of remote work tools. With GoTo Connect, businesses can manage calls, meetings, and collaboration from a single platform.
Key features of GoTo Connect include:
- VoIP phone systems with features like call routing, auto-attendant, voicemail, and advanced call analytics.
- HD video conferencing with up to 250 participants, screen sharing, and meeting recording.
- Messaging and chat capabilities, allowing teams to collaborate in real time.
- Integrations with major business applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Google Workspace, Salesforce, and Slack.
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android to stay connected on the go.
Overview of Zoom
Zoom is widely known for its video conferencing capabilities but has expanded its offering to include a complete unified communications platform. Zoom offers video conferencing, phone systems, messaging, webinars, and collaboration tools, all within its ecosystem.
Key features of Zoom include:
- HD video conferencing with features such as breakout rooms, virtual backgrounds, and live transcriptions.
- Zoom Phone as a VoIP system with call routing, voicemail, call recording, and call analytics.
- Team messaging with file sharing, group chats, and integrated calendar functionalities.
- Webinars and virtual events capabilities with features for large-scale meetings and events.
- Extensive integrations with Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, Slack, and many other business tools.
- Mobile and desktop apps for cross-device functionality.
Feature comparison – GoTo Connect vs Zoom
When it comes to features, both GoTo Connect and Zoom provide comprehensive tools for business communications, but they cater to slightly different needs. Understanding the core differences will help you determine which platform aligns better with your organisation’s requirements.
Video conferencing
Both GoTo Connect and Zoom offer robust video conferencing capabilities, but Zoom takes the lead in this area, particularly for larger meetings. With GoTo Connect, you can host video meetings with up to 250 participants, which is more than sufficient for many small to medium-sized businesses. It provides features such as screen sharing, meeting recording, and high-definition (HD) video quality. However, Zoom caters to businesses that require large-scale meetings, offering support for up to 1,000 participants on its premium plans. In addition, Zoom’s breakout room feature is highly developed, allowing participants to split into smaller discussion groups within a larger meeting, making it ideal for workshops, training sessions, and collaborative events. GoTo Connect does not offer a similar feature at this level of sophistication.
VoIP phone systems
GoTo Connect excels in VoIP phone systems, providing a fully-featured solution designed to handle business telephony needs. Features such as call routing, auto-attendant, voicemail, and advanced call analytics are standard across all GoTo Connect plans. This makes it a strong contender for businesses that rely heavily on phone systems for customer service, sales, or internal communications.
Zoom, traditionally known for its video conferencing, has only recently expanded into the VoIP space with Zoom Phone. While Zoom Phone includes similar features like call routing, voicemail, and call recording, it’s still developing and may not yet offer the depth and flexibility of GoTo Connect in terms of advanced call management and analytics. However, Zoom Phone’s tight integration with the broader Zoom platform means that businesses already using Zoom for meetings can easily add telephony to their setup.
Messaging and collaboration
Both platforms offer team messaging functionality, but Zoom provides a more feature-rich experience in this regard. Zoom’s messaging platform allows for real-time collaboration through group chats, direct messaging, file sharing, and even integrated calendar functionality. These features allow teams to stay connected and collaborate seamlessly in between video meetings.
GoTo Connect also includes basic chat functionality, allowing team members to send messages and share files. However, its messaging features are not as robust as Zoom’s, with less focus on collaboration outside of voice and video calls. For businesses seeking a full suite of messaging and collaboration tools, Zoom is likely the better choice.
Webinars and virtual events
One of the areas where Zoom significantly outperforms GoTo Connect is in webinars and virtual events. Zoom offers dedicated webinar plans, allowing businesses to host large-scale, interactive events with features like Q&A, polls, and attendee registration. These tools are particularly useful for marketing teams, online trainers, and organisations that need to run professional virtual events.
GoTo Connect, while strong in video meetings, has limited capabilities when it comes to webinars. If your business regularly hosts webinars or needs a platform that can handle large-scale virtual events, Zoom would be the more appropriate choice.
Meeting duration limits
GoTo Connect offers unlimited meeting duration for all paid users, ensuring that businesses can run meetings for as long as necessary without interruptions. In contrast, Zoom’s free plan imposes a 40-minute limit on meetings, which can be restrictive for businesses with longer conferencing needs. However, upgrading to one of Zoom’s paid plans removes this limitation, providing unlimited meeting time.
Integrations
Both GoTo Connect and Zoom offer extensive integrations with popular business applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Google Workspace, Salesforce, and Slack. This allows users to streamline workflows, ensuring that meetings, calls, and messaging are fully embedded into their daily operations. Neither platform holds a significant advantage in this area, as both provide the necessary integrations to fit into most businesses’ existing tech stacks.
Recording and transcription
When it comes to recording meetings, both platforms provide this feature, but Zoom goes a step further with live transcriptions on its premium plans. This feature can be particularly useful for businesses that require accurate meeting records for compliance, training, or accessibility purposes. GoTo Connect offers meeting recording but does not have live transcription capabilities built-in. This may be an important consideration for businesses that need more comprehensive meeting documentation.
Mobile app functionality
Both platforms offer mobile apps for iOS and Android devices, ensuring that users can join meetings, make calls, and send messages from anywhere. GoTo Connect’s mobile app provides call management, video conferencing, and messaging capabilities, ensuring that remote or mobile workers can stay connected with their teams. Zoom’s mobile app offers similar functionality, but with the added benefit of its advanced video conferencing tools and ease of use across multiple devices.
Security
In terms of security, both GoTo Connect and Zoom offer end-to-end encryption for calls and meetings, ensuring data privacy and protection for businesses. Both platforms also comply with global standards for data security, such as GDPR, making them suitable for organisations with strict data protection requirements.
Costs – GoTo Connect vs Zoom
Pricing structures for both GoTo Connect and Zoom are tiered, allowing businesses to choose based on their specific needs. Here’s a breakdown of their pricing models for UK businesses.
GoTo Connect pricing
GoTo Connect offers three primary pricing plans, with custom solutions available for enterprises:
- Basic: £20 per user per month, includes VoIP phone systems, basic video conferencing (up to 4 participants), and messaging.
- Standard: £25 per user per month, includes VoIP phone systems, advanced video conferencing (up to 150 participants), and additional integrations.
- Premium: £35 per user per month, offers all Standard features with larger video conferences (up to 250 participants) and advanced call centre functionalities.
GoTo Connect also offers volume discounts for businesses with more users.
Zoom pricing
Zoom’s pricing can be segmented between its core video conferencing service and Zoom Phone. For businesses looking for a unified communications package, the plans vary accordingly:
- Basic (free): Free video conferencing with a 40-minute time limit for meetings and up to 100 participants.
- Pro: £11.99 per user per month, offers unlimited meeting duration, cloud recording, and up to 100 participants.
- Business: £15.99 per user per month, increases participant limit to 300, adds branding features, and offers transcripts.
- Enterprise: £19.99 per user per month, expands to 500-1,000 participants and adds advanced analytics and customisation options.
- Zoom Phone Pro: £8 per user per month for a standalone VoIP solution. When combined with video conferencing plans, pricing starts from £15.99 per user per month.
Scalability and suitability for businesses
GoTo Connect
GoTo Connect is ideal for businesses that prioritise VoIP telephony systems and need a reliable phone solution with integrated video conferencing. It’s particularly suited for organisations with small to medium-sized teams looking for an affordable yet powerful unified communication system. The platform offers flexibility in scaling and integrates well with existing workflows. The advanced call centre features in higher plans may also appeal to businesses with larger customer service teams.
Zoom
Zoom excels in video conferencing and is suitable for businesses that frequently host large meetings, webinars, or virtual events. The Zoom Phone solution has made it more attractive as an all-in-one platform, but its pricing can quickly escalate when adding more features. Zoom is perfect for businesses that need a highly reliable video conferencing tool but are looking for scalability to accommodate larger teams or events. It’s also better suited for organisations with a strong need for webinars and online training.
Pros and cons
GoTo Connect Pros:
- Comprehensive VoIP and video integration.
- Affordable for small to medium-sized businesses.
- Good customer support and ease of use.
- Strong call centre features at higher tiers.
GoTo Connect Cons:
- Webinar capabilities are limited.
- Video conferencing features are not as developed for very large meetings.
Zoom Pros:
- Industry-leading video conferencing with excellent features.
- Great for large meetings and events.
- Excellent mobile app functionality.
- Highly scalable with robust integration options.
Zoom Cons:
- Pricing can increase rapidly with added features.
- VoIP phone system is relatively new, with some advanced features still in development.
- Free plan has strict limitations.
Conclusion – Which one should you choose?
The choice between GoTo Connect vs Zoom depends on the primary communication needs of your business.
If your business relies heavily on VoIP phone systems and needs a cost-effective solution that integrates phone and video communications, GoTo Connect is the better option. It offers a well-rounded package with strong telephony features, making it ideal for businesses with smaller video conferencing requirements but a higher focus on call management.
On the other hand, if your business hosts frequent large video meetings, webinars, or virtual events, Zoom stands out with its superior video conferencing capabilities and flexibility to scale for larger audiences. While the VoIP aspect may not be as developed as GoTo Connect, Zoom’s core video services make it an attractive choice for businesses focused on digital meetings and remote collaboration.
In summary, GoTo Connect is better for businesses prioritising telephony, while Zoom is a top contender for businesses that need advanced video conferencing and large-scale meetings. Both platforms offer excellent integrations, so the decision should hinge on your primary communication focus—voice or video.
FAQ
Zoom is better for large meetings, supporting up to 1,000 participants on premium plans. GoTo Connect is limited to 250 participants, making it suitable for smaller meetings. If hosting webinars or virtual events is a priority, Zoom’s large-scale features provide more flexibility.
GoTo Connect excels in VoIP with robust features like call routing, auto-attendant, and call analytics. Zoom offers VoIP through Zoom Phone, but it’s still developing. GoTo Connect is ideal for businesses focused on telephony, while Zoom integrates VoIP primarily for those already using its video platform.
Zoom offers a dedicated webinar solution with features like Q&A, polls, and attendee registration, making it ideal for large events. GoTo Connect has limited webinar capabilities, focusing more on video conferencing. If webinars are key for your business, Zoom is the better choice.
Zoom has a lower starting cost for video conferencing, with a free plan that supports 40-minute meetings. However, adding features like Zoom Phone increases costs. GoTo Connect has higher entry-level pricing but includes VoIP, making it cost-effective for businesses needing telephony and conferencing together.
Zoom offers richer team messaging with integrated calendar functions, file sharing, and real-time collaboration, making it better for seamless team communication. GoTo Connect provides basic messaging features but lacks Zoom’s advanced collaboration tools, making it less suitable for businesses with high messaging needs.
Yes, both GoTo Connect and Zoom offer call and meeting recording. However, Zoom also provides live transcription on premium plans, a feature not available with GoTo Connect. Businesses that need accurate meeting records or enhanced accessibility may prefer Zoom for this added functionality.
Both GoTo Connect and Zoom offer extensive integrations with popular business tools like Microsoft Outlook, Google Workspace, Slack, and Salesforce. There’s little difference in this area, as both platforms fit seamlessly into most business tech environments, supporting a wide range of third-party apps.
GoTo Connect offers unlimited meeting duration on all paid plans. In contrast, Zoom limits free plan meetings to 40 minutes, but upgrading to a paid plan removes this restriction, offering unlimited meeting time. If long, uninterrupted meetings are essential, both platforms can meet this need with paid plans.
Both GoTo Connect and Zoom offer full-featured mobile apps, allowing users to manage calls, join meetings, and collaborate from anywhere. Zoom’s mobile app is particularly strong for video conferencing, while GoTo Connect provides excellent mobile VoIP management, making both platforms versatile for remote work.
Both GoTo Connect and Zoom offer end-to-end encryption for meetings and calls, complying with global data protection standards like GDPR. Both platforms are secure, ensuring that your business communications remain private and protected, making them suitable for businesses with high security requirements.