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Webinars · head to head

Cisco Webex vs Totara

Cisco Webex logo

Cisco Webex

Webinars

The leading enterprise video conferencing platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Totara logo

Totara

LMS

Open source learning, performance and collaboration platform derived from Moodle and sold through partners

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Cisco Webex has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Cisco Webex listed on UK G-Cloud at £6 per user per month for Cisco Webex, via reseller Conscia Group UK Ltd (ITGL); Totara you cannot buy from the vendor. Every purchase runs through a partner who sets its own hosting, services and support pricing, so identical platforms are quoted at materially different totals and buyers must run a partner comparison as well as a product comparison.
  • They diverge on capability: Cisco Webex covers HD video, Totara covers Organisational hierarchies.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cisco Webex and Totara actually diverge.

Attributes where Cisco Webex and Totara differ
AttributeCisco WebexTotara
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Desktop Mac, Desktop Windows, Mobile iOS, Mobile AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, Linux
CategoryWebinarsLMS
Founded1984Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Cisco Webex

  • HD video
  • Screen sharing
  • Recording
  • Transcription
  • Virtual backgrounds
  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Google Calendar

Only in Totara

  • Organisational hierarchies
  • Compliance and certification
  • Totara Perform
  • Totara Engage
  • Self-hosting
  • Programs and learning plans

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Cisco Webex

  • Video conferencing and team meetingsnot Totara
  • Hybrid work collaboration with device integrationnot Totara
  • Customer experience solutions and contact centersnot Totara
  • Event hosting and large-scale meetingsnot Totara

Totara

  • Health services and government bodies that must evidence mandatory training by job role across a large hierarchynot Cisco Webex
  • Organisations with data residency rules that require the platform to run on their own infrastructurenot Cisco Webex
  • Moodle users who need appraisal, competency and compliance features the academic product does not carrynot Cisco Webex
  • Buyers who want exit rights over the platform code rather than dependence on a single hosted vendornot Cisco Webex

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cisco Webex

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud at £6 per user per month for Cisco Webex, via reseller Conscia Group UK Ltd (ITGL)

Totara

  • You cannot buy from the vendor. Every purchase runs through a partner who sets its own hosting, services and support pricing, so identical platforms are quoted at materially different totals and buyers must run a partner comparison as well as a product comparison.
  • Open source does not mean cheap. Subscription plus partner hosting plus implementation and version upgrade services commonly lands near commercial system cost, and the saving is in control and exit rights rather than in the invoice.
  • The administrative interface carries its Moodle lineage and is dense, so administrator training is a real project cost rather than an afterthought.
  • Major version upgrades are projects, especially where a partner has customised the deployment, and organisations that customise heavily find upgrades slower and dearer over time.
  • The learner facing experience is functional rather than engaging, and organisations wanting a consumer grade learning experience usually front it with something else.

Pricing, plan by plan

Cisco Webex

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 40-min group meetings
    • Unlimited 1:1 calls
    • HD video
  • Starter$13.5/month
    • Unlimited meetings
    • 100 participants
    • Recording
  • Pro$26.99/month
    • 300 participants
    • Advanced security
    • Priority support

Totara

On request
  • Totara subscription via partner$undefined/year
    • Sold only through distribution partners
    • Partner sets hosting, implementation and support pricing
    • Source available under the GPL, but subscription required for supported releases

Which should you pick?

Choose Cisco Webex if

  • You need hd video.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop Mac, Desktop Windows, Mobile iOS, Mobile Android.
  • You also want screen sharing.
Cisco Webex review

Choose Totara if

  • You need organisational hierarchies.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
  • You also want compliance and certification.
Totara review

Questions people ask

Is Cisco Webex or Totara better?
Neither clearly leads. Cisco Webex starts at Free and Totara at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cisco Webex or Totara?
Cisco Webex has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cisco Webex and On request for Totara.
Does Cisco Webex or Totara run on more platforms?
Cisco Webex runs on Web, Desktop Mac, Desktop Windows, Mobile iOS, Mobile Android. Totara runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
Can I use Cisco Webex for free?
Yes. Cisco Webex has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Totara starts at On request.
What is Cisco Webex best used for?
Cisco Webex is most often used for video conferencing and team meetings, hybrid work collaboration with device integration, customer experience solutions and contact centers, event hosting and large-scale meetings. Of those, video conferencing and team meetings and hybrid work collaboration with device integration are not what Totara is typically brought in for.
What can Cisco Webex do that Totara cannot?
Cisco Webex covers HD video, Screen sharing, Recording, Transcription. Totara covers Organisational hierarchies, Compliance and certification, Totara Perform, Totara Engage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cisco Webex: Does Webex offer a free plan?

Yes, Webex by Cisco offers a free plan that includes video conferencing features. Specific details about free plan limitations and paid plan pricing are available on the Webex pricing page.

Source
Totara: Is Totara free because it is open source?

No. The source is available under the GPL, but supported releases require a subscription, and it is sold through partners who add hosting, implementation and support costs.

Totara: How is it different from Moodle?

Moodle is built around courses and academic delivery. Totara adds organisational hierarchies, role based automatic assignment, recurring certification and appraisal, which is what workplace compliance reporting needs.

Totara: Can we host it ourselves?

Yes. Self hosting is a genuine option and is one of the main reasons regulated and public sector buyers choose it over a hosted only competitor.

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