Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued) vs. Skype (discontinued)

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
Cisco Meeting Server was a conferencing solution for allowing the user to setup a conference any time using a wide range of Cisco and Jabber devices, and third-party solutions (e.g. Skype for Business). The product has reached its end-of-life, and is discontinued.N/A
Skype (discontinued)
Score 7.1 out of 10
N/A
Skype (the personal edition or Skype free) was a web meeting, video conferencing, and VoIP software, now superseded by Microsoft Teams' free edition and unsupported from May 2025.
$2.99
per month
Pricing
Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)Skype (discontinued)
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
United States Subscription
$2.99
per month
North America Subscription
$6.99
per month
India Subscription
$7.99
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)Skype (discontinued)
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)Skype (discontinued)
Considered Both Products
Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)
Chose Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)
Apart from Cisco Meeting Server, only Poly offers full fledged on-premise meeting server. Their solution is called Polycom RealPresence Collaboration Server. But there solutions are mostly outdated. Even though they have recently changes to subscription via Poly Clarity but …
Chose Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)
I would say Cisco Meeting Server has some ways to go before coming 1st compared to Microsoft teams which is widely popular. Compared to other meeting servers, though, they are definitely better in the sense that they provide superior video quality, and integrate well with other …
Chose Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)
In the ecosystem of Microsoft-based operating systems and Microsoft Office products, the Microsoft team always proved better in many ways. Features like meeting details downloaded in an excel form, recording, and sharing content easily helped a great deal in day-to-day work …
Chose Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)
I have only used Cisco.
Chose Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)
Very similar tools and they all offer similar video/ conferencing experiences. Now Zoom has more applications connected, but I still feel Cisco is more stable when it comes to image quality with poor internet quality. GoTo Meeting has a bit better design, in my opinion, but we …
Chose Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)
Compared to other programs I used, Cisco Meeting Server is in the middle field, I personally like Microsoft Teams more in terms of UE but for example Zoom, I find worse than Cisco Meeting Server and Skype is on the same level as Cisco Meeting Server. This is just my personal …
Skype (discontinued)
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Selected Skype because it was the only platform that was available for such purposes for video conferencing or audio conferencing. Since Microsoft, the tech giant, backed it, it was assured that it would work great in terms of productivity, with utmost security measures for all …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
All of these other products have kept up with advancements in VoIP and communication technology and have expanded their portfolio of grouped services with their applications while Skype has been pretty stagnant
Chose Skype (discontinued)
We use Skype in combination with Grasshopper. While Grasshopper acts as a routing toll free number with extensions, if we are making calls directly, we do it through Skype.

Skype's desktop and mobile apps are easier to use, and provide unlimited local calls at a flat, …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Teams is more professional, Calendar integration with Outlook is possible so that is plus point as compared to Skype. Many people use Teams and are comfortable on it so it is good for us. But yes, Skype is the only business communication tool which enables calling on mobile …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype is great for one on one calls and easy catch ups. However, when it comes to talking in a more professional setting and in a group setting, we have gone with other communication services. Skype is great for video conferencing with one other person though and I would …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
As a whole business, we did not go with Skype. But for selected use cases we did. These scenarios were based upon what technology the other parties had access to. They were comfortable using Skype so we adapted to using it. We have used it to connect classes on site and off …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype is a great app for various purposes, such as texting, calling, video chatting, and even holding virtual meetings. Regardless of connection speed, it provides the best quality and user experience. Skype's user base, reliability, and ease of use are unrivaled, and because …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
As WhatsApp business is not useful as skype because there are certain features which were not as useful as those available on skype. Whatsapp has a file size limit while transferring data, it doesn't have screen sharing which is a big drawback, and cannot be used as a …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype is more user-friendly and has a better-suited option for us, plus its acceptability is unique and very much welcomed all over. Professionals are already adhered to interphase and using for their personal use and no such training costs were involved as in this region its a …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
It’s extremely user-friendly. Truthfully I use multiple different applications that serve similar purposes depending on what our partners are familiar working with. Skype has had pretty dependable connectivity compared to others I’ve used. Also very simple to set up and share …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
They are close but TEAMs had a wider adoption in the general community which led to us leaning on TEAMs a bit more.
Chose Skype (discontinued)
As a business messaging solution, Skype for Business has been replaced by Microsoft Teams which has been a significant upgrade. But the normal Skype hasn't really changed or developed much over the years leading to a steady decline in its customer base as well. A few years back …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype is inexpensive and easy to use, and all of us may access it through the internet. Because of concerns about privacy and security, I value Skype's longevity much. With this system, we can deal with people in distant locations since it is more dependable regularly. The …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
For security and privacy reasons, Skype's existence for the past 15 years is incredibly important to me
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Microsoft Teams is more suitable for teams who share information in Channels. It also allows simple management of tasks and projects through the integrated Kanban Board. Zoom and Webex Meetings are more suitable for holding Webinars. Zoom is easy to use for holding meetings …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype was used literally only cause it was included in the Microsoft Suite and we did not need to pay for another service. However, after using it for some time and constantly running into audio/video issues (especially during client presentations when sharing powerpoint, …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype overall is easier to use than a lot of comparable collaboration tools on the market. It really doesn't require formal training to use, and most users get used to all the features of the platform pretty quick overall. Some other collaboration tools may offer more …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Lee's functionality than Zoom, more glitches and log in complications than Google, but affordable and familiar for most of our clients and staff, which makes it an easy tool for a nonprofit. In general, we use Zoom and Google more but Skype is still a useful tool.
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype works better than Google Hangouts simply because everyone in the organization has a skype address that comes from being an employee here. Not everyone has a google account, so it's hard to meet or use Google tools.
The university has also worked with Zoom so that we can …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype is more user-friendly than these other products. Skype has a simple, easy-to-understand user interface that even newcomers to audio/video conferencing can understand intuitively. While Skype and Zoom offer similar features, they are loaded down with extras: more buttons …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Team meetings are easy with Skype. Demo presentations are another thing where it stands out from the rest of its competitors. Reminders are another thing done here. Video conferencing and screen sharing is very much improved through Skype and Skype for Business desktop and …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
When trying to video chat using other apps, and the call is breaking, after switching to Skype, usually the call/video quality is better.
In comparison to UnerConference, uberconference has web client (no need to install software). Also has conference rooms, where you can log …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
We have Cisco Jabber, Zoom and Rocket. Chat rolled out across organizations but they all lack the flexibility and attractiveness of Skype when it's coming to day-to-day work and solving business needs, even though they possess some important features and characteristics that …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
I'm not a fan of Zoom. It tries to steer you towards downloading an app even though you can simply log into a meeting via your browser (though it hides the latter functionality as hard as it can). I was an invitee to a reoccurring Zoom meeting and lost the invite link after a …
Features
Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)Skype (discontinued)
Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software
Comparison of Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software features of Product A and Product B
Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)
8.0
Ratings
1% above category average
Skype (discontinued)
9.4
Ratings
17% above category average
High quality audio8.60 Ratings9.70 Ratings
High quality video8.20 Ratings9.50 Ratings
Low bandwidth requirements8.30 Ratings9.30 Ratings
Mobile support7.10 Ratings9.30 Ratings
Screen Sharing
Comparison of Screen Sharing features of Product A and Product B
Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)
7.4
Ratings
7% below category average
Skype (discontinued)
9.2
Ratings
15% above category average
Desktop sharing8.30 Ratings9.40 Ratings
Whiteboards6.50 Ratings9.10 Ratings
Online Meetings / Events
Comparison of Online Meetings / Events features of Product A and Product B
Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)
7.4
Ratings
11% below category average
Skype (discontinued)
9.5
Ratings
14% above category average
Calendar integration7.90 Ratings9.30 Ratings
Meeting initiation8.70 Ratings9.60 Ratings
Integrates with social media5.50 Ratings9.30 Ratings
Record meetings / events6.70 Ratings9.30 Ratings
Slideshows8.40 Ratings9.80 Ratings
Online Events Collaboration
Comparison of Online Events Collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)
7.5
Ratings
9% below category average
Skype (discontinued)
9.6
Ratings
16% above category average
Live chat7.90 Ratings9.70 Ratings
Audience polling7.30 Ratings9.80 Ratings
Q&A7.40 Ratings9.40 Ratings
Online Events Security
Comparison of Online Events Security features of Product A and Product B
Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)
8.2
Ratings
1% above category average
Skype (discontinued)
9.6
Ratings
17% above category average
User authentication8.70 Ratings9.60 Ratings
Participant roles & permissions8.20 Ratings9.40 Ratings
Confidential attendee list7.70 Ratings9.80 Ratings
VoIP system collaboration
Comparison of VoIP system collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
9.2
Ratings
15% above category average
Video conferencing00 Ratings9.60 Ratings
Audio conferencing00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Video screen sharing00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Instant messaging00 Ratings9.20 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)Skype (discontinued)
Small Businesses
Whereby
Whereby
Score 9.9 out of 10
Whereby
Whereby
Score 9.9 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
JioMeet
JioMeet
Score 10.0 out of 10
JioMeet
JioMeet
Score 10.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Webex Meetings
Webex Meetings
Score 8.4 out of 10
Webex Meetings
Webex Meetings
Score 8.4 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)Skype (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
7.9
(0 ratings)
8.8
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
5.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cisco Meeting Server (discontinued)Skype (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
Cisco meeting Server can be used to host meeting for a small group 2 people and also can host meeting for hundreds of people. Even if the scalability increases no compromise in the call and consistent performance can be observed. The video quality is clear and there is no noticeable latency between audio and video. The recording feature is well placed and it helps a lot in rectifying and processing the important points that might have been left out during the meeting.
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Skype is an excellent choice for phone calls, both local and international, and is also one of the most affordable solutions for business office line. It is simple to use and get started with and provides a call experience on mobile that is similar to a regular phone call. It is not the ideal tool for team chat. For text-based team communication, a separate dedicated tool is still ideal
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Pros
  • Picture and sound quality are excellent.
  • Connection is strong and reliable.
  • It allows people at home to feel apart of the meeting on site.
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  • Perfect for chatting via text. Has emojis, file sharing, audio sharing, and even video sharing capabilities.
  • Good for video chats. You can do 1 on 1 sessions with a good quality video.
  • Privacy is also another important function they have. They allow for private conversations between users.
  • Ability to delete conversations with sensitive information you may not want seen by users not authorized. Can share confidential information via Skype.
  • Customizable profiles to fit your company culture.
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Cons
  • Add some of the features which are currently only accessible by API, this will reduce intervention of support team and downtime.
  • Bring some features to foreground. Some users find it difficult to navigate to certain buttons which are embedded in menus.
  • Allow easy access to some of the controls.
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  • Skype is a RESOURCE hog. People who have limited bandwidth will have poor call quality.
  • It is hard to figure out how to use emojis and upload images in the chat.
  • The background images do not fool anybody....it is clearly not your real background.
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Likelihood to Renew
because we're satisfied of the product
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I have given this rating as this need to give more than that as it's very helpful for us and makes our work more efficient and fast.
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Usability
very easy to use and quick to learn
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Skype is not as good as Facetime in terms of ease to glance at it and figure out how it works. I think that's a result of Skype trying to be too many things at once. A lot of the menu and UI could be streamlined, and I would jettison some of the additional functions that have been tacked on over the years to simplify. That being said, while some options are slightly hard to find, they all work flawlessly once found.
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Support Rating
I never used Support
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I am not aware of the current support level for Skype for business, as I have never used even though I have the product. However, the support for Skype's personal paid users is not where it could be. Users who pay for Skype features do not have a clear path to reach out to support. So, rating 6, can be better as soon as I need to use Skype for business support and get a good experience. I will say that I will renew Skype for Business subscription, which is a significant inconsistency on my end. The explanation is that Skype for Business comes bundled with Office for Business, with no additional cost, so why not.
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Implementation Rating
No answers on this topic
It can be used on the phone via mobile application as well as on the desktop by logging in to the website. Easily installed and ready to use.
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Alternatives Considered
Apart from Cisco Meeting Server, only Poly offers full fledged on-premise meeting server. Their solution is called Polycom RealPresence
Collaboration Server. But there solutions are mostly outdated. Even though they have recently changes to subscription via Poly Clarity but servers are still very old. Whereas Cisco Meeting Server was recently updated and integrates well with WebEx and Cisco's other products.
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Selected Skype because it was the only platform that was available for such purposes for video conferencing or audio conferencing. Since Microsoft, the tech giant, backed it, it was assured that it would work great in terms of productivity, with utmost security measures for all data, conversations, work materials, and personal information.
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Return on Investment
  • Definitely cost effective if you use most of the services and are a partner
  • They are very supportive with any issues the business faces and offers great solutions
  • I would like to see a more user-friendly website
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  • Skype has contributed to increased efficiency for remote collaboration, especially now due to the ways things are and having so many remote employees. Without this tool, or any collaboration tool, business could not move forward.
  • I think Skype is the cost effective solution also between it and the other competitors out there. I'm not privy to the exact costs, but it strikes me as the cheaper option.
  • The only negative impact I would say is its lack of functionality and customization for larger organizations or groups that have employees spread out or require inter-departmental collaboration.
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ScreenShots