Daily.co vs Gather: Complete Comparison (2026)

By Elena Kowalski, Security & Enterprise Editorยท12 years of experienceยทUpdated 2026-04-24ยท8 min read

In comparing Daily.co and Gather in 2026, Gather is the stronger choice for remote teams wanting a fun, persistent virtual office for daily presence due to fun virtual office concept. Daily.co excels for developers embedding video calling and conferencing into their own applications with best-in-class video api for developers. Daily.co offers Video API, Audio API, Recording starting at $0.004/participant/min with a free plan. Gather provides Virtual offices, Customizable 2D spaces, Proximity-based audio from $7/user/mo with a free tier. For teams prioritizing value, Gather delivers a hiltonsoftware Score of 78/100. Daily.co and Gather compete in the video conferencing segment of the SaaS market, where cloud-native solutions, API integrations, and workflow automation drive enterprise and SMB adoption. Other leading video conferencing tools include Zoom, Google Meet, Webex. Daily.co serves 300K+ developers users globally (founded 2016) while Gather reports 10M+ active users (founded 2020).

Daily.co vs Gather at a Glance

Daily.co
Gather
Starting Price
$0.004/participant/min
$7/user/mo
Free Plan
Yes
Yes
User Rating
4.6/5
4.5/5
Best For
Developers embedding video calling and conferencin...
Remote teams wanting a fun, persistent virtual off...
Users
300K+ developers
10M+
Founded
2016
2020
hiltonsoftware Score
75/100
78/100
Pricing verified: March 2026 ยท Based on official vendor data
๐Ÿ”ต
Daily.co
Video Conferencing
75
hiltonsoftware.co Score
VS
๐ŸŽฎ
Gather
Video Conferencing
78
hiltonsoftware.co Score
RECOMMENDED

What are the main differences between Daily.co and Gather?

Daily.co and Gather differ across ease of use, features, value, support, integrations, scalability, and learning curve. Gather leads in 4 of 7 categories.

Daily.coGather
88Ease of Use87
79Features78
73Value for Money73
68Customer Support68
68Integrations68
66Scalability70
76Learning Curve75

What are the pros and cons of Daily.co vs Gather?

Daily.co
+Best-in-class video API for developers
+Generous free tier
-Developer-focused, not end-user product
-Requires coding to use
Gather
+Fun virtual office concept
+Great for remote team bonding
-Not for formal meetings
-Can be distracting

Which is better, Daily.co or Gather?

After evaluating Daily.co and Gather across features, pricing, integrations, and user satisfaction, Gather earns a higher hiltonsoftware Score of 78/100 versus Daily.co at 75/100. Gather stands out for "fun virtual office concept" and "great for remote team bonding". Daily.co delivers competitive advantages in "best-in-class video api for developers", making Daily.co a viable alternative.

Both Daily.co and Gather offer free plans. Daily.co paid plans start at $0.004/participant/min while Gather begins at $7/user/mo. ROI depends on which features justify upgrading.

Bottom line: Choose Daily.co for developers embedding video calling and conferencing into their own applications. Choose Gather for remote teams wanting a fun, persistent virtual office for daily presence. Both Daily.co and Gather are established video conferencing platforms.

CHOOSE DAILY.CO IF:

Developers embedding video calling and conferencing into their own applications.

CHOOSE GATHER IF:

Remote teams wanting a fun, persistent virtual office for daily presence.

Daily.co vs Gather: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Daily.co better than Gather in 2026?
Gather outperforms Daily.co in the 2026 hiltonsoftware.co analysis with a score of 78/100 compared to 75/100. Daily.co excels in Video API, Audio API, Recording, making Daily.co the better choice for Developers embedding video calling and conferencing into their own applications. Gather is the stronger option for Remote teams wanting a fun, persistent virtual office for daily presence due to fun virtual office concept. For teams needing virtual offices, hiltonsoftware.co recommends Gather.
How does Daily.co pricing compare to Gather in 2026?
Daily.co starts at $0.004/participant/min and includes a free plan. Gather starts at $7/user/mo and offers a free plan. Daily.co includes features like Video API, Audio API, Recording. Gather provides Virtual offices, Customizable 2D spaces, Proximity-based audio. Daily.co serves 300K+ developers users while Gather serves 10M+ users. Evaluate total cost of ownership based on team size and required integrations.
What are the main differences between Daily.co and Gather?
Daily.co specializes in Video API, Audio API, Recording, earning a 75/100 hiltonsoftware Score. Gather focuses on Virtual offices, Customizable 2D spaces, Proximity-based audio, scoring 78/100. Daily.co is best for Developers embedding video calling and conferencing into their own applications. Gather is best for Remote teams wanting a fun, persistent virtual office for daily presence. Both Daily.co and Gather serve the Video Conferencing market but target different user profiles.
Can I migrate from Daily.co to Gather?
Migrating from Daily.co to Gather is possible since both operate in the Video Conferencing space. Export data from Daily.co and verify Gather import capabilities. Key features to evaluate: Video API, Audio API, Recording (Daily.co) versus Virtual offices, Customizable 2D spaces, Proximity-based audio (Gather). Running both Daily.co and Gather in parallel during a trial period ensures a smooth transition.
Is Daily.co or Gather better for small business?
Both Daily.co and Gather offer free plans. Daily.co (75/100) is ideal for Developers embedding video calling and conferencing into their own applications. Gather (78/100) fits Remote teams wanting a fun, persistent virtual office for daily presence. Evaluate both during trial periods.

Reviewed by Elena Kowalski, Security & Enterprise Editor. Last updated: 2026-04-24. Pricing verified: March 2026.

Read our scoring methodology to understand how the hiltonsoftware Score is calculated.

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