Lifesize video conferencing review

Lifesize is a premium video conferencing solution for businesses at an affordable cost. The platform is feature rich and offers unmatched compatibility with 4K video resolution devices.  Although Lifesize is not as secure as some of its competitors and does not manage its own data centers, it is a solid choice for medium and large-sized companies.

In our Lifesize review, we look at both the platform’s strengths and weaknesses and compare it against its closest competitors, Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex Meetings. If Lifesize has any chance of assuming the title of best video conferencing software, it will need to outperform these more established competitors.

Features and utilities

Lifesize offers as standard all the features expected in a video conferencing platform. Call recording, screen sharing, calendar integration, one-click meetings, and many others are included in all Lifesize subscriptions.

However, Lifesize’s flagship feature is 4K video conferencing. Support for 4K resolution video streaming makes the platform one of the strongest choices for businesses that regularly conduct important video meetings.

Another of our favorite features is the Lifesize Admin Console. This platform enables administrators to control everything related to your business’ Lifesize account, including user and device management, real-time analytics, and account customization.

Like many of its competitors, Lifesize enables integration with numerous teleconferencing devices and 3rd-party software. Devices such as the Lifesize Icon 700 enable businesses to make the most of Lifesize’s 4K video compatibility. For companies that can justify the price tag, the Icon 700 enables best-in-class video conferencing resolution.

Likewise, integration with Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Skype makes Lifesize one of the most versatile video conferencing providers available.

Setup

The Lifesize app is free on both mobile and desktop devices. It is easy to download the application, and once you’ve created a Lifesize account, you can log in and begin hosting or joining calls.

 The app’s layout is intuitive, and navigating the app was easy from the first launch.

Interface and performance

One of our favorite things about Lifesize is their financially backed 99.9% uptime service level agreement (SLA). This provides a guarantee that Lifesize will be a reliable and consistent video conferencing solution. However, Lifesize’s SLA is only provided to customers with the Extreme Support package, which is included with Lifesize’s Enterprise plan and is available for a fee to organizations with the Premium plan.

In a four-way test call (approx. 20Mbps), both audio and video were clear, and there were no issues to report. The in-call interface is perhaps simpler than some competitors, but it is still easy to navigate.

Security

Lifesize’s cloud-based calling capacities are hosted by Amazon Web Services, which are seen as highly secure. It does, however, mean that Lifesize does not manage the security and integrity of the data created on its platform, and this may concern some business leaders.

All Lifesize video meetings are encrypted with Secure Real-time Transport Protocol and AES-128 bit encryption. Although most competitors use more robust AES-256 bit encryption protocols, AES-128 bit encryption is more than adequate for most businesses’ needs. 

Support

The level of support an organization has access to is dependent on its level of subscription. All customers have access to the Lifesize community site and onboarding and training materials.

Free and Standard customers can access online support and will receive a reply from a Lifesize support engineer within one business day.

Meanwhile, Plus subscribers have access to phone and email support during business hours, with guaranteed response times of less than six hours.

Enterprise subscribers (or Plus subscribers who upgrade to the Extreme Support plan) have 24/7 support, with a guaranteed response time of less than one hour. These businesses also receive in-depth enterprise support (capacity management, product roadmap advice, customer support analysis), helping your business make the most of its Lifesize software.

Plans and pricing

Lifesize offers four tiered pricing plans: Free, Standard, Plus, and Enterprise.

The Free plan provides unlimited meetings for up to 25 participants, with online support and access to the desktop and mobile applications. However, businesses can only use this plan for six months.

The Standard plan costs $16.95/host/month and increases meeting capacity to 100 participants with 24-hour meeting durations. Businesses can purchase this plan beginning at one host.

The Plus plan costs $14.95/host/month (minimum 15 hosts). In addition to meetings of up to 300 participants, Microsoft 365 integration is included, as are high-quality administrator analytics and insights. Hosts also gain access to cloud storage for meeting recordings. 

The Enterprise plan costs $12.95/host/month (minimum 50 hosts) and enables businesses to conduct webinars with up to 1,000 participants. Unlimited audio calling within the US and meeting recordings are included, as are brand customization options.

The competition

Lifesize’s closest competitors are top-end video conferencing platforms such as Cisco Webex, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams. Lifesize’s support for 4K video resolution certainly sets it apart, but in other areas, it does not compete as strongly.

Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams are both more secure platforms than Lifesize and have more advanced encryption protocols. Zoom has suffered from high-profile security breaches and also struggles in this area.

Microsoft Team is marginally cheaper than Lifesize like-for-like and comes with the Microsoft 365 suite included. Cisco Webex, however, is more expensive than Lifesize and would be better suited to large organizations.

Final verdict

Lifesize is a high-quality video conferencing platform and would be a good choice for most medium- and large-sized businesses. The platform’s support for 4K video resolution separates it from its competitors, while impressive integration options ensure Lifesize performs well alongside 3rd-party programs such as Microsoft Teams and Slack.

Lifesize is a moderately priced service and is well worth the price. However, we would encourage businesses to purchase the Extreme Support package (included in Enterprise subscriptions), so they can benefit from Lifesize’s 99.9% uptime SLA.

• You can sign up for Lifesize here.

• We've featured the best conference phones.