Barco ClickShare vs Deskreen

Barco ClickShare Conference connects a laptop to meeting-room audio and video equipment through a room base unit and a ClickShare Button. Users can join a video call with the room camera, microphone, and speakers, or start a meeting with one click through the Button or app; Barco says setup takes less than seven seconds. The system supports Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Cisco Webex. Content sharing works from laptops, tablets, and smartphones through the mobile app or AirPlay, Miracast, and Google Cast. Compatible touchscreens allow annotation and blackboarding. The CX-20 is described for small rooms and huddle spaces, the CX-30 for small to medium rooms, and the CX-50 2nd generation for high-impact rooms. Desktop apps are available for Windows and macOS, while mobile sharing supports iOS and Android. XMS Cloud provides fleet configuration, monitoring, management, and analytics. Barco says ClickShare has configurable security, encryption, and verification mechanisms. Firmware updates are free, and there is no license cost. The listed Bar Pro plan costs $3,725 as a one-time purchase, excluding VAT, duties, and freight.

Deskreen is a desktop app that mirrors a computer screen or one application window to a device’s browser over Wi-Fi. With a Virtual Display Adapter, a browser-equipped device can serve as a second screen. It can work off-grid over local Wi-Fi without internet access, and Flip Screen Mode horizontally flips the image in a tablet or smartphone browser for teleprompter use. During sharing, users can change picture quality, with automatic quality changes also supported. Community is free, open source under AGPLv3, and supports one connected device. Pro costs $24.99 a year and supports up to five connected devices; Teams costs $139.99 a year and supports unlimited devices, with three seats included for teams of up to 20 members. Extra Teams seats cost $10 each. Custom terms are available for enterprise, education, and large organizations. Deskreen says it uses end-to-end encryption; enhanced connection security and VPN support are listed for Pro, Teams, and Custom. Its listed desktop systems are Windows, Linux, and macOS.