Is a web conference a type of video conference, or vice versa? For many, video conferencing and web conferencing are pretty much the same – they both involve remote video calls, after all. But that’s not entirely the case; in fact, they’re quite distinct.
Video conferencing focuses on using live video for distant communication. This was the kind of conferencing most commonly used before technological advancements made web conferencing far more appealing. Video conferencing generally offers great video, but with very few of the extra features you see with web conferencing.
In the early days of web conferencing, online video quality didn’t compare with that of regular video conferencing due to slower connections. This often meant out-of-sync and unreliable calls. However now web conferencing connects people all over the world at high resolutions with ease, and there are a lot of extra advantages to web conferencing too. Unlike video conferencing, web conferencing adds many more features allowing for interaction, including file sharing, screen sharing, camera swapping, and live chats.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the two is the equipment needed. Video conferencing requires specific hardware for hosting a conference. For web conferencing all you need is a compatible device (desktop, tablet, mobile) and a connection to the internet and you’re ready to go.