Zoom is a meeting tool: you schedule or start a call, send a link, join, and leave. Virtual office software is a place: a persistent online office where your team works all day, sees who is around, and talks without scheduling anything. A video call is a meeting; a virtual office is an office.
One note: "virtual office" also means a business address and mail service, the kind Regus and Opus Virtual Offices sell. That kind of virtual office and Zoom do completely different jobs. This guide is about virtual office software, the kind your team works inside. It is published by Katmai, which makes virtual office software.
The difference at a glance
|
Feature |
Zoom |
Virtual office software |
Virtual office address service |
|
What it is |
Video meetings |
An online office your team works in all day |
A business address with mail handling |
|
How a conversation starts |
Schedule a meeting or send a link |
Walk over to someone who is available |
Not applicable |
|
Presence |
Only while a meeting is running |
Always on: you see who is in and available |
None |
|
Best for |
Scheduled meetings and large calls |
Daily remote and hybrid teamwork, quick questions, drop-in help |
Registration, mail and a professional address |
Why remote teams end up with too many video calls
In an office, a quick question is quick: you look up, see that a colleague is free, and ask. On a meeting tool, the same question needs a calendar slot and a link, so it waits, or it turns into a meeting. Virtual office software brings back the quick version: you see who is available and talk right away, and the conversation ends when the question is answered.
Can virtual office software replace Zoom?
For your own team, and for guests you invite, it can cover most of what you use Zoom for. In Katmai, you walk into a room together, or send a link that opens in the browser; there is no separate meeting app, dial-in or download. Scheduled meetings with agendas and screen sharing run in the same office as drop-in conversation. You will still use Zoom when another company sends you a Zoom link.
How Katmai works
Katmai is virtual office software that feels real: a photorealistic 3D office that runs in a web browser, with live video of each person instead of an avatar and spatial audio, so you hear the people near you. Your team works there all day and can see who is around. Guests join through a browser link with no account and no download. Katmai is $25 per user per month, with every feature included. There is no minimum number of users, and guests join free. More: Katmai pricing and Katmai vs Microsoft Teams.
Other virtual office software
Avatar offices such as Gather, Kumospace and SoWork put your team on a 2D or 2.5D map, and Roam shows your company as a map of rooms you click into. All of them are built around presence rather than scheduled calls. Compare them in the best virtual office software in 2026.
FAQ
What is the difference between a virtual office and Zoom?
Zoom is a meeting tool you join and leave. Virtual office software is a persistent online office your team works in all day, where you can see who is around and talk without scheduling a call.
Can a virtual office replace Zoom?
For meetings inside your team, and for guests who join by link, a virtual office like Katmai can: there is no separate meeting app, dial-in or download. You will still use Zoom when another company sends you a Zoom link.
Is a virtual office the same as a video call?
No. A video call is a meeting; a virtual office is an office. The call ends when the meeting ends, while the office stays open all day.
Do I need a VR headset for a virtual office?
Not for Katmai. Katmai runs in a web browser with no download and no VR headset.
How much does Katmai cost?
Katmai is $25 per user per month, with every feature included. There is no minimum number of users, and guests join free.
Related: The best virtual office software in 2026 · Katmai pricing · Book a Katmai demo