This page provides an at-a-glance comparison of the synchronous meeting external apps available in Canvas. To learn more about the features, please review documentation listed for each external app.
Conference Types & Capabilities | Microsoft Teams | Cisco Webex | Zoom | BigBlueButton |
Format | Audio / Video / Sharing | Audio / Video / Sharing | Audio / Video / Sharing | Audio / Video / Sharing |
Flavors | ||||
Ad Hoc | Meetings | Meetings | Meetings | |
Events | Webinars | |||
Training |
Maximum attendees per account type | ||||
Faculty / staff accounts | 1,000 / 20,000 | 1,000 / 3,000 | 500 | 200 |
Student accounts | 1,000 / 20,000 | 1,000 / 3,000 | 300 | 200 |
Shared/departmental accounts | X | X | X | X |
Devices Supported | ||||
Desktop/Laptop | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Mobile/Tablets | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Phone Only | VC License | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Stationary Videoconferencing | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | X |
Access Features | ||||
Account Requirements to host meeting | Rutgers Connect and ScarletMail | Rutgers Webex | Rutgers Zoom | Editing Role in Canvas |
Account Requirement to attend meeting | Advanced options | Role in Canvas or guest URL | Advanced Options | Role in Canvas or guest URL |
Co-teachers as alternate meeting hosts | ✔ | Editable at rutgers.webex.com | ✔ | ✔ |
Teacher/TA course roles match host/presenter role | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Student course role math participant role | Advanced Options | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Rutgers Students are able to create meetings | ✔ | X | X | Yes (May be limited by school or department) |
Students are able to use in Canvas Group sites | ✔ | X | X | ✔ |
Non-NetID accounts able to create meetings | X | X | X | ✔ |
Waiting rooms | Advanced options | Advanced options | Advanced options | Options |
Participant able to join before host? | ✔ | X | Advanced options | X |
Calendar/Scheduling Features | ||||
Preschedule Meeting with persistent link | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | X |
Office hour scheduler | X | ✔ | X | X |
Scheduled office hours appear on course calendar | X | X | X | X |
Scheduled meeting appears on course calendar | X* | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Scheduled meeting information sent to Canvas Inbox | X | X | ✔ | X |
Create recurring meetings | Recopy meeting link | ✔ | ✔ | X |
Invite by course group | Create differentiated assignment for course group | X | X | ✔ or Create a meeting in a Canvas Group site |
Invite by course section | Create differentiated assignment for course group | X | X | ✔ |
Invite individual students | Create differentiated assignment for course group | X | X | ✔ |
Meeting Features | ||||
In-conference chat | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Host messages are bolded in chat | X | X | X | ✔ |
Screen sharing | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Document / application sharing | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Virtual whiteboard shared | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Breakout rooms | Max 50 | Max 100 | Max 50 (Chromebooks: N/A) | Yes (24 max) |
Self-Select Breakout Rooms | X | X | ✔ | X |
Extend Breakout Room duration | X | X | X | ✔ |
In-conference polling | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Max number of users on-screen | 49 | 200 | 49 | # |
Gallery View of all web cameras | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Virtual Background | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Meeting statistics | Attendance only | Attendance only | Non-HIPAA | ✔ |
Shared Notes | ✔ | X | X | ✔ |
Recording Features | ||||
Cloud Recording | ✔ | ✔ | Non-HIPAA | ✔ |
Local Recording on Host's Computer | X | ✔ | ✔ | X |
Record hidden meeting with no invitees & publish to course | X | ✔ | X | X |
Restrict access to recording | X | Must publish recording | Only invitees can view recording | |
Customize Recorded Playback display options | X | Chat, Q&A, Polling, Participants, Transcripts | Recording Views, Transcripts | Participant web camera |
No limit on cloud recording capacity | ✔ | ✔ | 0.5 GB/user Retained for 180 days | ✔ |
Prevent download | Only meeting recorder and organizer | ✔ | ✔ | X |
Edit Recordings | In Microsoft Stream | ✔ | ✔ | X |
Host Features | ||||
Receives host/alternate host meeting notification | X | ✔ | ✔ | X |
Attendance assignment/grading | X | ✔ | X | X |
Download attendance report | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Enforce presentation layout for all participants | X | X | X | ✔ |
Mute participants upon entry | X | X | ✔ | ✔ |
Prevent participants from sharing webcams | ✔ | X | X | ✔ |
Prevent participants from sharing audio | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Prevent participants from using chat | X | X | X | ✔ |
Prevent participants from viewing other names | X | X | Zoom-HIPAA | ✔ |
Learning Dashboard | X | X | X | ✔ |
Participant Features | ||||
Receives meeting Invite notification | X | Office hours only | ✔ | Dependent on user settings |
Emoticons/Status/Raise Hands | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Accessibility | ||||
Live captioning/transcription | ✔ | Webex Assistant | ✔ | ## |
Captioning of recordings | ✔ | X** | X** | X** |
Support | ||||
Provider and support site | RU only | RU and Cisco | RU only | Canvas/Instructure Support |
* Add manually to calendar
**Upload recordings to Kaltura for caption/transcription creation
# COVID-19 Limitation restricts participants from seeing other participants’ video’
## External service caption arranged by host or organizational unit