Comparing prices for small & large businesses
Web conferencing used to be a luxury that only large companies with big budgets could afford. That’s no longer the case. A web conferencing provider can offer solutions for small companies that want basic applications at low prices, and large companies that need to accommodate sizeable audiences more frequently.
Small business web conferencing
Let’s start with the least expensive service – ASP solutions. This is best for small companies, businesses with limited use for web conferencing, or any company that just wants to test the technology. With no up-front costs and only optional contracts, you simply pay each time you need to use the service. The fees are typically broken up into two parts:
- Web – You’ll pay $0.06 to $0.45 per minute for each participant
- Audio – Expect to add an additional $0.06 to $0.25 per minute for each participant
Depending on the number of attendees you’ll invite to your web conference, you could qualify for a lower per minute rate. Other vendors may have a discounted “blended rate” that combines the fees for the web and audio portions of the technology.
You may be able to save money with a fixed package that allows you to use an allotted number of “seats” for a fixed period of time for a monthly fee ranging from $50 to $200 per participant. There are also additional charges for excess minutes used, additional seats needed, and added features. Fixed pricing may require a set up charge of up to $500 although some vendors may waive the fee.
Large business web conferencing
If you plan to use web conferencing frequently, or will hold conferences with large audiences, you have two options:
- Subscription-based web conferencing – This affords you unlimited conferencing each month so you can hold as many meetings as you want for as long as you want. You simply have to pay for the software and each participant’s seat. These costs can vary greatly from $100 per month to more than $3,000 per month, depending on the number of applications and level of customization you need.
- In-house software – If you want to forgo all costs for web conferencing minutes or number of seats, it’s best to purchase a license for hosted software. Expect to pay $5,000 to $20,000 for an in-house solution. You may also be responsible for additional costs to cover dedicated servers, annual maintenance, and your IT staff.
Additional pricing considerations
Other costs that businesses of all sizes need to keep in mind:
- Web cameras - $50 to $300 depending on the level of quality
- Operator-assistance – $1,000 to $5,000 per conference to have access to a personal assistant that will manage the presentation from start to finish
- Recording capabilities - $50 to $250 per session
- Branding - $300 to $1,000 for custom design work or vividly displayed company logos