The software comparison platform, G2 recently added a co-browsing category. We couldn’t be happier about this. It’s a win for everyone in the co-browsing space and for users trying to figure out which platform might be right for them. 

G2 seems to really understand the technology. We think their definition of co-browsing nailed it. 

“Co-browsing software, also known as collaborative browsing software or co-surfing software, enables customers to share their screen and allows agents to jointly navigate a web page, which provides real-time customer support. This process happens instantly and does not require downloading software or installing extensions.”

As for how Surfly stacked up in their ranking of co-browsing software… We’re number 2 (for now). Second place might not seem like something to celebrate, but we’re excited.

First of all, we know that Surfly has some critical advantages over the number one pick–which we’ll explore in a minute. 

Win, lose or draw, we love comparisons because they give us a chance to showcase the features that make Surfly unique. Let’s take a closer look. 

Co-Browsing vs. Remote Browser

Okay, it’s time to name names. G2’s number one co-browser is LogMeIn Rescue. Knowing what we know about their features and how their platform differs from ours, we’re not worried.

Long story short, middleware makes all the difference.

The middleware advantage

The big advantage of Surfly over the competition is speed. Surfly’s co-browsing is superfast, with zero latency. That’s because it’s built on middleware that integrates seamlessly into the flow of what you’re doing online.

Middleware enables tons of integrations, fine-grained control switching, and an overall high-quality co-browsing experience.  When you co-browse with Surfly, you’re not sharing pixels, you’re sharing code. Our middleware takes whatever you and your co-browsing partner are doing online and enhances it. 

LogMeIn is remote browsing, not middleware. It’s slower and less secure by design.

Remote browsing isn’t the same experience

Remote browsing brings a third machine into the co-browsing session. You and your remote browsing partner are sending info back and forth to a server that acts as a go-between. Doing it this way slows things down. You are both connecting to a remote browser, hosted somewhere in the cloud, and the info is being sent from your machine to the cloud and vice versa. The user experience is based on sending images of your browsers back and forth. This is an inherently slow way to do things.

Remote browsing integration snags

Another problem with remote browsing is integrations. Pixels don’t integrate. It’s much harder to fit a remote browser into your existing workflow and get all the benefits you would with something like middleware. 

Credit where credit is due…

LogMeIn is better and faster than the embedded approach to cobrowsing. Embedded co-browsers are basically plugins that run javascript on top of your browser, often grinding your speed to a halt. That’s how most of our competitors do it. LogMeIn offers a better platform that’s faster than the embedded crowd, but still can’t keep up with our speed. The issue for embedded co-browsing and remote browsing is a matter of design. Speed issues are a function of how they operate.

(Sidenote) We Love Upscope, and Upscope Loves us

Even though we love all our customers and the reviews they leave us, one of the best reviews we’ve ever received came from one of our competitors. In this blog post on Co-Browsing software, UpScope had such nice things to say about us that they ended up doing a rewrite where they toned it down. 

But the internet doesn’t forget. Here’s a screenshot. They called us “intimidatingly good.” 

Middleware is what Puts Surfly in a League of its Own

What makes Surfly “intimidatingly good” is the platform we built it on. Middleware makes it faster, more secure, more integration-friendly and feature-packed than any other co-browsing solution out there. 

To learn more about Surfly’s intuitive features and how we can help you serve customers with our powerful co-browsing technology, visit our website or contact us.