Co-browsing vs Screen Sharing

Co-browsing creates a shared, interactive session within a single webpage by synchronizing the web content, offering a secure, high-fidelity experience. Screen sharing transmits a video feed of a user's entire desktop, broadcasting pixels rather than interactive content.

What you need to know about
Co-browsing vs Screen Sharing

Co-browsing and Screen Sharing are two different approaches to remote collaboration, each with distinct advantages for different scenarios. Co-browsing focuses specifically on web-based collaboration, allowing multiple people to view and interact with the same website or web application simultaneously. Screen sharing, on the other hand, broadcasts your entire computer screen to other participants.

How the Technology Works

The key difference lies in what gets shared and how:

  • Co-browsing solutions like Surfly use content-rewriting proxy technology to share actual web elements rather than pixels. This means participants see the same webpage content but can interact independently - one person can scroll while another fills out a form.
  • Screen sharing tools like Zoom or TeamViewer capture and transmit pixel data from your entire screen, giving viewers a static image.

Core Differences 

Feature Co-browsing (Surfly) Screen Sharing
Technology DOM Synchronization (Web content) Pixel Streaming (Video feed)
Scope Securely confined to a browser tab Exposes entire desktop or application
Installation No installation needed Often required
Performance Low bandwidth, lossless quality High bandwidth, subject to lag and blur
Security Built-in data masking All-or-nothing visibility, high risk of data exposure
Interactivity Fully collaborative with shared control Primarily passive viewing
Compatibility Universal for any website Works for any on-screen application

When to Use Each Approach

The decision to use co-browsing or screen sharing depends on the interaction's scope, security requirements, and the desired level of collaboration.

Use Co-browsing When:

  • Interactive experience is needed. Use co-browsing for complex sales demonstrations or detailed form completion. Both agent and customer can click, scroll, and type on the page, and control can be passed between them.
  • Security and compliance are major factors. Features like field masking prevent the agent from seeing sensitive data (e.g., credit card numbers, health information), helping maintain compliance with standards like PCI DSS and HIPAA.
  • Supporting users on mobile or low-bandwidth connections. Because co-browsing synchronizes only web content changes and not a heavy video stream, it performs reliably on mobile devices and less stable internet connections.

Use Screen Sharing When:

  • Assistance is required for desktop applications. If a customer needs help with software installed on their computer, such as Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, or other proprietary programs, screen sharing is the only way to view and control those applications.
  • The issue involves operating system settings. For troubleshooting system-level problems, like configuring display settings, installing drivers, or modifying system preferences, the agent needs to see the user's entire desktop environment.
  • A local file needs to be viewed. If the support context requires viewing a file stored on the user's local machine that cannot be uploaded to a web session, screen sharing can display the file as the user opens it.

The importance of
Co-browsing vs Screen Sharing

Differentiating between co-browsing and screen sharing is important for shaping the digital customer journey and achieving specific business objectives. The technology chosen determines the quality of the interaction, which in turn influences conversion rates and customer loyalty. This decision directly impacts both revenue generation and operational costs.

Strengthen the Digital Customer Experience

Screen sharing can produce a disjointed experience marked by video lag and pixelation, creating a frustrating interaction for the customer. Co-browsing delivers a high-fidelity, responsive session that feels almost identical to a local browsing experience. This superior quality builds customer confidence, particularly during complex or high-value transactions.

  • Provides a lossless visual quality that eliminates confusion for the user.
  • Functions reliably on lower-bandwidth connections, including mobile networks.
  • Removes the friction of requiring customers to download or install software.

Drive Conversions and Business Growth

In a sales context, co-browsing allows representatives to collaboratively guide a prospect through a purchase, from product configuration to checkout. This hands-on approach is more effective at overcoming objections and preventing cart abandonment than passively watching a screen. It transforms a support tool into a direct revenue-generating instrument.

  • Increases completion rates for complex applications and online forms.
  • Enables agents to effectively upsell or cross-sell relevant products during an interaction.
  • Shortens sales cycles by addressing all questions in a single, interactive session.

A Practical Example of
Co-browsing vs Screen Sharing

Frequently asked questions about
Co-browsing vs Screen Sharing

We’ve compiled answers to the most frequently asked questions about

Co-browsing vs Screen Sharing

.

How is Interaction Middleware different from embedding a JavaScript co-browsing script on my site?

Interaction Middleware is a proxy that works without any changes to your website. It can co-browse on any site, including third-party ones. An embedded JavaScript solution only works on the specific web pages where you have installed its code, and it often breaks when encountering iframes or navigating to other domains.

Dose a proxy-based system like this slow down the website?

No. The rewriting process is highly optimized and happens in milliseconds. Surfly maintains a global network of proxy servers to ensure low latency. For the end-user, the performance is nearly identical to browsing the site directly, with the added co-browsing functionality consuming minimal bandwidth.

If Surfly is a proxy, does it stores my customers' data?

No. Surfly is built on a zero-storage architecture. Data passes through the proxy servers for real-time rewriting but is never written to disk or stored persistently. This is a core security principle of the design.

Can this technology handle sites with complex JavaScript and single-page applications (SPAs)?

Yes. The content-rewriting proxy is designed to handle modern web applications built with frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.js. It proxies all underlying data requests (APIs) and correctly handles the dynamic DOM manipulations that characterize these applications.

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