Gather Town vs. Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Gather
Score 9.2 out of 10
N/A
Gather is a web-based video call platform, building virtual spaces for people to live and interact more effectively online. They combine video-calling with a 2D map, letting you walk around and talk to the other people right next to you. Their creation tools allow you to make custom, interactive spaces.N/A
Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Score 8.5 out of 10
N/A
Skype for Business was an online messaging and conferencing tool, now superseded by Microsoft Teams.N/A
Pricing
Gather TownSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
GatherSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Gather TownSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Features
Gather TownSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software
Comparison of Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software features of Product A and Product B
Gather Town
8.3
Ratings
4% above category average
Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
8.0
Ratings
1% above category average
High quality audio9.00 Ratings9.10 Ratings
High quality video9.00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Low bandwidth requirements7.00 Ratings5.00 Ratings
Mobile support8.00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Screen Sharing
Comparison of Screen Sharing features of Product A and Product B
Gather Town
7.0
Ratings
12% below category average
Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
7.0
Ratings
12% below category average
Desktop sharing8.00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Whiteboards6.00 Ratings5.00 Ratings
Online Meetings / Events
Comparison of Online Meetings / Events features of Product A and Product B
Gather Town
7.2
Ratings
14% below category average
Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
9.3
Ratings
12% above category average
Calendar integration7.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Meeting initiation10.00 Ratings9.50 Ratings
Integrates with social media6.00 Ratings8.10 Ratings
Record meetings / events8.00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Slideshows5.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Online Events Collaboration
Comparison of Online Events Collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Gather Town
8.0
Ratings
2% below category average
Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
7.5
Ratings
9% below category average
Live chat8.00 Ratings8.50 Ratings
Audience polling8.00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Q&A8.00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Online Events Security
Comparison of Online Events Security features of Product A and Product B
Gather Town
6.3
Ratings
25% below category average
Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
6.8
Ratings
18% below category average
User authentication7.00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Participant roles & permissions6.00 Ratings8.50 Ratings
Confidential attendee list6.00 Ratings3.00 Ratings
VoIP system collaboration
Comparison of VoIP system collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Gather Town
9.0
Ratings
13% above category average
Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
7.8
Ratings
1% below category average
Video conferencing8.00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Audio conferencing8.00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Video screen sharing10.00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Instant messaging10.00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
User Ratings
Gather TownSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(0 ratings)
8.4
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.5
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Gather TownSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
i personally use the web page so it's 100% more comfortable because i don't need to have so much applications open, plus i can rapidly silence the page if i need.I can share screen, documents, have a video call very easily with any people if i want because if the space is free i can only share a URL and that person can access to the world in Gather Town
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Skype is useful for collaborations across distances, including work from home, as well as a more convenient way to communicate with a large group of people. Skype is also useful to communicate with specific parties quickly, rather than relying on cellular service in areas where not as available. Skype is less useful if the team does not use computers , tablets, smartphones, etc in daily workflow as it would rarely be used.
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Pros
  • alert for messages
  • Being able to have several spaces for communication for free
  • constant updates
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  • Group Chat option allows multiple people to have a conversation away from the main presentation
  • Integration with Microsoft Office allows easy usage of excel, PowerPoint and other MS programs
  • Easy calendar integration for Microsoft Outlook
  • Mobile interface is very easy and intuitive
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Cons
  • The chat history sometimes erase itself
  • sometimes the application become laggy randomly
  • the output lag when one member start to sharing the screen
  • The integration with google calendar doesn't detect all the meets even when refresh it or re-link the service
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  • Probably the biggest area is the video element as it has historically struggled in this area.
  • The need to be forced to federate with another organisation by providing yours and enabling the other organisation settings is a bit tedious but once done, allows for simple collaboration between third-parties.
  • Functionality wise, as it's an older product and being superseded by MS Teams, it feels as if it's run its course but was very good for what it does/did at the time.
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Likelihood to Renew
No answers on this topic
I honestly feel that with most people using iPhone nowadays, it's easy to just call or use FaceTime if you need to be in touch with a client. Unless you need to have a conference call, there are plenty of ways to get in touch with a client otherwise besides using a somewhat inefficient program.
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Usability
No answers on this topic
Very easy to use. Even though Microsoft Teams has a lot of features and integrations, as a user I feel completely comfortable on finding what I need, getting information about the app extensions and using them. It's a very comprehensive tool, intuitive design and does not make me feel tired to be using it. I am glad with the current experience.
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Support Rating
No answers on this topic
I have only had to reach out to the Support team at Skype for Business once with an issue, and I was pleasantly surprised and encouraged by the quickness and thoroughness of their response. The wait time was short and my question was dealt with politely and clearly, so I would say the support team has it together.
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Implementation Rating
No answers on this topic
Skpe for business is utilized company wide in regards to my company. Everyone not only uses it, but uses it often. It is an effective way of communicating. It also integrates very nicely with outlook and all conversation history is pushed to a folder within the outlook system. We also have it so that if someone misses a message, they are sent an email reminder saying that there is a message that went unread.
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Alternatives Considered
- Free tier option
- Although all meet applications share the same functionalities, I can use gather quickly and easily. Only from a browser tab and anyone with that link can access my space.
- If security is required, you can count on blocking spaces so that unauthorized people do not enter.
- There is a conversation history and any documents can be sent in that chat
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Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams is just better for us since we were already a Microsoft productivity suite (Office) user. No additional cost when we went from traditional product license model to SaaS. Continuous integration and upgrades with MS 365 make it even easier to use and therefore stickier.
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Return on Investment
  • Considerable money savings since it has a free tier option
  • When required, a space for more than 100 people is contracted and we can canceled immediately.
  • social events have been carried out virtually thanks to this tool
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  • In the move to WFH for the over 90000 employees of the firm in 13 different timezones, Skype for [Business], as the primary communication tool has been the most critical factor in ensuring there's not a communication breakdown.
  • An average of 7 calls a day and around 50-60 text messages are sent via Skype for [Business]. These communications are critical for [the] continued delivery of our services.
  • Video/voice calling and screen sharing features of Skype have played a great role in simulating a shared workspace scenario in the virtual mode as best as possible.
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ScreenShots