Around vs Gather: Complete Comparison (2026)
Choosing between Around and Gather is a common decision for video conferencing buyers in 2026. Both Around and Gather are established players, founded in 2020 and 2020 respectively. Around serves 200K+ users while Gather has 10M+ users globally. Around differentiates with floating bubble ui and screen sharing, while Gather leads with virtual offices and customizable 2d spaces. In this head-to-head comparison, Gather earns a higher hiltonsoftware.co score of 90/100 — but the right choice depends on your specific needs, budget, and team size.
Quick Comparison
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Pros & Cons at a Glance
After comparing Around and Gather across features, pricing, and user satisfaction, Gather takes the lead with a score of 90/100 versus Around's 86/100. Gather's key advantages include "fun virtual office concept" and "great for remote team bonding". That said, Around has its own strengths — particularly "minimal screen real estate" — making it a viable alternative for specific use cases.
Both Around and Gather offer free plans, lowering the barrier to entry. Around's paid plans start at $9/user/mo while Gather begins at $7/user/mo. Evaluate which paid features — Noise cancellation, Team spaces (Around) vs Proximity-based audio, Screen sharing (Gather) — justify upgrading for your team.
Bottom line: Choose Around if you need remote teams wanting a less formal, always-on video presence. Go with Gather if your priority is remote teams wanting a fun, persistent virtual office for daily presence. Both are strong video conferencing tools — we recommend trying the free plan of each before committing.
Remote teams wanting a less formal, always-on video presence.
Remote teams wanting a fun, persistent virtual office for daily presence.