Zoom vs FaceTime - How to decide which is right for you?‍

Written by: Hrishikesh Pardeshi, Founder at Flexiple, buildd & Remote Tools.
Last updated: Sep 03, 2024

While working from home, staying in touch with your team/ students/ groups could often get difficult. Of course, Video conferencing apps make it easier, but with a large number of such apps available, selecting the right one can itself get cumbersome. Zoom and FaceTime are two of the most popular video conferencing apps out there, but which one is better? We've put together arguments on Zoom vs FaceTime to help you decide.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Zoom vs FaceTime - Overview

If you are an iPhone user, you probably use FaceTime to get on video calls with your family or friends. FaceTime has a very easy-to-use interface, so much so that even your grandparents could do it easily!

But the app reaches its limits when you want to use it for more professional purposes, such as teaching an online class, interacting with students, or having discussions with your team.

Zoom is hence a better choice for video conferencing, as it enables you to interact with a large number of fellow users.

Nevertheless, it is important to understand here that Zoom and FaceTime cannot be compared on all fronts. While FaceTime is great for adding video to phone calls, Zoom is a product specifically meant for video calling.

Zoom vs FaceTime - Device compatibility

When it comes to device compatibility, Zoom has the upper hand. This is because FaceTime is an app exclusive to Apple devices, while Zoom works across platforms. You can download the Zoom app on Android, iOS, MacOS and Windows.

FaceTime lets you easily dial a contact using their phone number or Apple ID, while for Zoom you have to invite people by sharing a link to the call. This makes FaceTime a better choice if you want to get on a call fast with zero time waste. If you want to have a more formal meeting where everything is pre-planned, Zoom may be better for you.

If you do not wish to download a standalone app, Zoom has you covered - it has a web app that is supported by all modern browsers. Further, Zoom offers integration with a wide range of apps via plugins, extensions and add-ons.

Zoom vs FaceTime - Features

1. Zoom

Whiteboarding, annotation, breakout rooms and chat for easy collaboration
Screen sharing, application sharing
Dynamic voice detection ability
Call scheduling (also provides client, browser and plugin scheduling options)
Record your meeting to the device or cloud
Allows up to 1000 participants with the 'Large meetings' add-on
The free plan imposes a 40 min time limit on meetings with more than 2 participants

2. FaceTime

Free to use (only for Apple users)
Allows Group FaceTime with up to 32 people
Use Siri to easily activate FaceTime
You can use this on Apple TV, too, giving a better video call experience
Has parental control, which enables parents to set the time limit of a FaceTime call
Allows easy capturing of photos during the call, transferring calls, etc.
FaceTime works over Wi-Fi (iPhone 4 or later) and cellular (iPhone 4s or later).
Calls are integrated with recent calls you make in the Phone app

Zoom vs FaceTime - Pricing

Zoom pricing: Zoom offers a range of plans and pricing to suit your specific needs. The number of participants per meeting will be the primary deciding factor for the price you pay, while you also get additional perks with more premium plans.

FaceTime pricing: FaceTime is free of cost for all Apple users.

When to use Zoom & when to use FaceTime

1. When to use Facetime

As mentioned above, FaceTime is only accessible to Apple users. If you are an Apple user and need a video conferencing app to just keep in touch with family and friends who are also Apple users, then FaceTime is for you. It is extremely easy to use, and is ideal for casual communication and one-on-one meetings that don’t need any complex functionalities.

2. When to use Zoom

Zoom is more suitable for a professional setting with an organised set of participants. Its features such as screen sharing make it ideal for teaching, business meetings and all sorts of formal video calls. Further, members can take the call from almost any device that supports a browser, which makes Zoom a good fit for casual catch ups with a wide set of people.