Both free plans cap meetings at 40 minutes with up to 100 people, so the choice comes down to extras. Webex Free adds unlimited whiteboards, local recording and noise cancellation, and Webex Meet stretches meetings to 24 hours for 200 attendees. Zoom suits teams who want AI on the free plan, with summaries for 3 meetings a month, and guests can join without a Zoom account.
You'll often join whichever link a client sends, so the real question is which one to host on yourself. I read Webex's plans page and FAQ and Zoom's plans page, and everything below is from those pages.
Webex and Zoom free plans side by side
| Webex | Zoom | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, Webex Free | Yes, Zoom Workplace Basic |
| Meeting length on free | Up to 40 minutes | 40 minutes |
| People per meeting on free | Up to 100 attendees | Up to 100 participants |
| Whiteboards on free | Unlimited | 3 editable whiteboards |
| Recording on free | Local recording | Not stated in the free plan highlights |
| AI on free | Not listed for Webex Free | Summaries for 3 hosted meetings a month, 20 AI queries |
| Next plan up | Webex Meet: 24 hours, 200 attendees | Pro: 30 hours, 100 participants |
| Messaging | Unlimited messaging and Vidcast videos | Chat, VoIP calling and 5 two-minute clips |
Webex: generous on the basics
Webex Free gives unlimited meetings of up to 40 minutes with up to 100 attendees, screen sharing with annotation, unlimited whiteboards, local recording, calendar integration, advanced noise cancellation and unlimited messaging. You can also record and share short videos with Vidcast.
Webex Meet adds the AI Assistant, meetings of up to 24 hours, up to 200 attendees, 10 GB of AI-powered cloud recording, Slido polls and Q&A and closed captions. Webex Suite then adds a business phone number, calls to any telephone number and visual voicemail.
Zoom: AI help from the free plan
Zoom Workplace Basic is free and gives 40-minute meetings for up to 100 participants. The AI starts early: meeting summaries for 3 hosted meetings a month, 20 AI queries, AI note-taking 3 times a month and 3 AI-written docs, alongside chat, VoIP calling, Gmail or Outlook in Zoom, calendar sync and tasks.
Pro runs meetings for 30 hours, gives unlimited meeting summaries and notes, and adds 10 GB of cloud storage per user and live chat support. Business raises meetings to 300 participants and adds company branding and a scheduler.
Two lines from the FAQs worth knowing
Webex's FAQ says you don't need a card to sign up for a free account, and that it will always be free. That's a useful promise if you're setting up a team and don't want surprise renewals.
Zoom's page notes that participants don't need a Zoom account to join a meeting, which matters when you're inviting clients who've never used it. The trade-off on Zoom Free is whiteboards: 3 editable ones, against unlimited on Webex Free.
Look closely at what each free plan leaves out, too. Webex Free doesn't list any AI features, while Zoom Basic doesn't mention recording in its free plan highlights. If you need a record of every call, Webex's local recording or Zoom's AI summaries may decide it for you before anything else does.
Which business each one suits
Webex suits teams that run workshops and long sessions and want whiteboards and recording without AI extras. Zoom suits consultants and small teams who want meeting summaries and notes from the start. If you run larger online events, read how webinars work, and for accessibility, here's how to turn on captions in Zoom.
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My advice for hosting your own calls
If your meetings regularly run past 40 minutes, neither free plan will do, so look at Webex Meet or Zoom Pro. If they're short check-ins, pick by extras: Zoom for AI summaries of your client calls, Webex for whiteboards and recording. Host a few meetings on each and see which one your clients join without a fuss.
Do you make video meeting or webinar software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
Frequently asked questions
Is Webex free?
Yes. Webex Free gives unlimited meetings of up to 40 minutes with up to 100 attendees, and Webex says it will always be free.
How long can a free Zoom meeting last?
Zoom's plans page lists 40 minutes per meeting on the free Basic plan, with up to 100 participants.
Does Zoom's free plan include AI?
Yes. Zoom Basic lists meeting summaries for 3 hosted meetings a month, 20 AI queries and AI note-taking 3 times a month.
Do guests need a Zoom account?
No. Zoom says participants don't need a Zoom account to join a meeting.
How long can Webex Meet meetings run?
Webex Meet allows meetings of up to 24 hours with up to 200 attendees.
