Loom vs Vidyard

A brief introduction to Loom and Vidyard

Loom and Vidyard are two of the most popular video messaging platforms. In recent years, video has blazed a trail and opened doors for marketers, business owners, employers and employees looking to benefit from seamless internal and external communications. For more and more businesses, video messaging is the communication form du jour, and its popularity looks set to grow. By sending video messages, you can talk to a single person, a team or a large group, promoting seamless conversation and replacing more time-consuming emails, meetings and texts.

Loom was founded in 2015, and it currently has over 4 million users, providing services for over 90,000 companies. Vidyard launched in 2010, and it is used in 100 different countries. With both of these interactive messaging services, you can record and send video clips, enjoying a raft of features and perks along the way. In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at both platforms, discuss the pros and cons and help you decide which option is better for you.

Why you should consider using video messaging platforms

Whether you choose to try Loom or Vidyard, or you’re considering alternative platforms, it’s incredibly beneficial to incorporate video messaging into your marketing strategy and your day-to-day operations, in general. Video messaging offers a means of building personal relationships and providing more interactive, captivating content, without relying on face-to-face communications. This is a trend that is gathering steam, and it looks set to dominate in the years ahead. People respond positively to visual content. They retain more information from videos than from text, and it’s so much easier to offer explanations, to showcase products or to respond to questions or concerns in a short clip than through a stream of never-ending emails. Statistics show that people who watch videos retain 95% of the information in the clip, as compared to 10% who read text. With video messaging, you can illustrate what you’re saying and provide a personalized experience, while embracing flexible working and offering employees or clients the chance to benefit from an asynchronous communications policy. In this scenario, you can use video to make your point, provide updates and check-in with colleagues or clients, and they can get back to you as and when they are able to do so.

What started out as a foray into video messaging to jazz up marketing emails became a new way of working for DarkRoast. As well as using video messaging for emails, we also now use it for internal and external communications, training, support for customers and clients and sales. With Vidyard, you have a more comprehensive service at your fingertips, and it’s possible to utilize the technology for a whole host of purposes.

Loom and Vidyard: Our experiences and evolution

Loom

Loom provides a brilliant introduction to the world of video messaging, and it is a free service. This platform is designed to be user-friendly and easy-to-use for those who don’t necessarily need or want all the bells and whistles. For a fast, simple, affordable means of sending and sharing videos, Loom is probably the better bet.

Vidyard

Vidyard is a more complex and advanced messaging platform than Loom, and it is packed with features that will appeal to large-scale businesses and firms that want to get a little more out of video messaging in terms of applications and opportunities to customize and elevate content.

Loom vs. Vidyard: Main comparison points

When looking into video messaging platforms and trying to determine which options are best, it’s useful to consider key points. Every user will have individual objectives, but many people and businesses will be concerned with four main factors:

1. Ease of use
2. Price
3. Features
4. Support

Ease of use – Winner: LOOM

If you are new to video messaging, then you probably want to start with Loom. Not everyone will be familiar with the ins and outs of creating and sharing videos via a messaging platform when they first start using one, so ease of use is crucial. Loom is incredibly straightforward, and you can get started immediately. In contrast, Vidyard is more complicated because there are more features and price points, and there is a lot more in terms of customization options. For those looking to record and send a message in a matter of seconds, Loom delivers.

*It is worth noting, as we’ll discuss later, that Vidyard does offer brilliant support for new users, which is beneficial for those jumping straight into a more sophisticated platform.

Price – Winner: LOOM

For most businesses, budgeting is critical. If you’re considering Loom, or you’re looking for Vidyard alternatives, it’s worth spending some time comparing prices and researching what you get for your money. The Loom pricing strategy is relatively simple. You can choose from a basic, free service or a paid option, which offers access to more features. In addition to the free basic plan, Loom users can sign up to a Pro plan for $10/month or a Business plan for $15/month. There is also an enterprise option for larger corporations. Vidyard is more expensive, and the pricing is more convoluted. Although there is a free version, the advanced options are likely to appeal to businesses looking for more features. Costs range from $15/month to $1,250/month, depending upon your requirements. From our experience, it can be difficult to establish prices once you get past the more basic options.

Features – Winner: VIDYARD

In terms of features, there is a clear winner when comparing Loom to Vidyard. Vidyard offers a more diverse range of features, particularly if you sign up for the Teams or Enterprise packages. With Vidyard’s features, it’s possible to develop more complex, targeted video marketing and sales strategies, in order to benefit from customizable options and to implement HR solutions. You can record, send and share videos; host and live-stream content; and offer a personalized experience with Vidyard, as well as access analytics and choose from multiple thumbnail options. With Loom, the features are more basic, but that doesn’t mean that it cannot provide an effective solution for a wide range of users. Loom will check off most of the boxes, unless you’re looking for the most advanced features. Loom doesn’t have the same thumbnail options, but it is possible to add a custom thumbnail. You can find instructions here.

Support – Winner: VIDYARD

Vidyard is excellent when it comes to providing support for customers. There’s an array of contact methods available, and users can also benefit from useful nuggets of advice and helpful tips to get the best out of the platform. In contrast, Loom’s support is basic, and it can be difficult to find answers if you have questions. As a customer of both platforms, DarkRoast has experience in dealing with both support systems, and there are very clear differences. With Loom, if you have a basic package, there is very little in the way of service, which you might expect from a free option. However, with Vidyard, we continue to be hugely impressed with the available support. As a new user, you can access advice to help you get started and make the best of the version you pay for. If you’re already up and running, you can troubleshoot online, you can chat to advisers in real-time and you can access the community to see if any other users might help you out or offer tips.

Which video messaging platform is better for me?

There are pros and cons to both Loom and Vidyard, as well as to alternatives to these platforms. The answer to this question lies in your individual requirements. One user might have totally different needs or preferences to another and, in many cases, one of these two platforms will provide a better option than the other. Loom is ideally suited to beginners and those who are looking for a simple, affordable, hassle-free means of making and sending video messages. With Vidyard, there is more scope to utilize features to personalize content and benefit from solutions that seem as though they have been tailored to your business.

Conclusion

As with everything in life, there are pros and cons to both Loom and Vidyard, but the most important note to make is that implementing video messaging is beneficial, no matter your choice. Loom is an excellent entry-level option, which is renowned for its simplicity, ease of use and affordability, while Vidyard is more complex and advanced. If you’re looking for something inexpensive and accessible, Loom is your better bet. For more features and capabilities, customization options and great support options, it’s hard to beat Vidyard.