BigBlueButton vs Microsoft Lync

Struggling to choose between BigBlueButton and Microsoft Lync? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

BigBlueButton is a Remote Work & Education solution with tags like online-learning, audio, video, screen-sharing, recording.

It boasts features such as Audio/video conferencing, Screen sharing, Whiteboard, Breakout rooms, Polls, Chat, Recording and playback and pros including Open source and free, Scalable for large meetings, Good for online learning and teaching, Many collaboration features, Customizable and integrates with LMS.

On the other hand, Microsoft Lync is a Social & Communications product tagged with messaging, video-conferencing, voice-calls, screen-sharing.

Its standout features include Instant messaging, Presence detection, Voice over IP (VoIP) telephony, Video conferencing, Desktop and application sharing, Whiteboarding, File transfers, Call control and delegation, Call forwarding, Call transfer, Call parking, Remote desktop control, Integrations with Microsoft Office apps, and it shines with pros like Unified communications, Cross-platform availability, Integration with other Microsoft products, Scalability, Security features, Mobile apps available, Easy to use interface.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

BigBlueButton

BigBlueButton

BigBlueButton is an open source web conferencing system for online learning. It allows real-time sharing of audio, video, slides, chat, and screen. BigBlueButton supports recording and playback of sessions.

Categories:
online-learning audio video screen-sharing recording

BigBlueButton Features

  1. Audio/video conferencing
  2. Screen sharing
  3. Whiteboard
  4. Breakout rooms
  5. Polls
  6. Chat
  7. Recording and playback

Pricing

  • Open Source
  • Free
  • Custom Pricing

Pros

Open source and free

Scalable for large meetings

Good for online learning and teaching

Many collaboration features

Customizable and integrates with LMS

Cons

Can be complex to set up and manage

Mobile app lacks some features

Audio/video quality depends on internet connection

Limited custom branding options


Microsoft Lync

Microsoft Lync

Microsoft Lync is a unified communications platform that combines IM, voice, video, and web conferencing into one interface. It allows for seamless communication and collaboration across devices.

Categories:
messaging video-conferencing voice-calls screen-sharing

Microsoft Lync Features

  1. Instant messaging
  2. Presence detection
  3. Voice over IP (VoIP) telephony
  4. Video conferencing
  5. Desktop and application sharing
  6. Whiteboarding
  7. File transfers
  8. Call control and delegation
  9. Call forwarding
  10. Call transfer
  11. Call parking
  12. Remote desktop control
  13. Integrations with Microsoft Office apps

Pricing

  • Subscription-Based

Pros

Unified communications

Cross-platform availability

Integration with other Microsoft products

Scalability

Security features

Mobile apps available

Easy to use interface

Cons

Can be expensive for large deployments

Setup and configuration can be complex

Requires training for some advanced features

Limited customization options

Dependency on Microsoft infrastructure