Samudaia vs Gather

Both are map-based virtual offices where your team has avatars and talks without sending links. Gather is the older, larger product with spatial audio, a map editor and event tooling. Samudaia is narrower: a permanent office for a team's ordinary working day, set up in minutes.

We build one of these, so read the table rather than the adjectives. Where Gather is the better answer, it says so.

Side by side

Choose Gather if…

• You want spatial audio and the sound of an open floor, with conversations fading in as you approach.
• You run virtual events, conferences or onboarding days for large groups.
• You want to build the space: a custom map, embedded objects, games, a replica of your real office.
• You need external guests to visit regularly.
• You want a product with years of track record and a large community.

Choose Samudaia if…

• You want an office your team is in every day, not a space to design.
• You want to be working in it this afternoon with no map editor stage.
• Your core problem is too many meetings for things that should have been two minutes.
• You want presence, knowing who is at their desk, as the main benefit.
• You want to try it with the whole team for nothing.

The honest summary

Where Gather is genuinely ahead

Spatial audio, map customisation, interactive objects, events, guests, and maturity. If your mental image of a virtual office is “walking around a space I built and overhearing people,” Gather is that product and Samudaia is not.

Where Samudaia is genuinely ahead

Getting to value. There is no floor plan to design and nothing to configure before the team can use it, the rooms are always open, and the surface area is small enough that people actually keep it open. It is also free to start with no card and no trial clock. See pricing.

Frequently asked questions

What is the main difference between Samudaia and Gather?

How a conversation starts. In Gather you walk up to someone on the open floor and spatial audio fades them in. In Samudaia you walk into a room, and the room is the call. Gather is also a much bigger product with a map editor and event tooling; Samudaia is narrower and focused on a team’s ordinary working day.

Does Samudaia have spatial audio like Gather?

No. Gather attenuates volume with distance so you can overhear conversations as you approach. Samudaia does not do that today: audio is per-room. If overhearing the open floor is the feature you want, Gather is the better fit.

Which one is quicker to set up?

Samudaia. You pick a map theme and invite the team; there is no floor plan to build first. Gather gives you a map editor and an asset library, which is more powerful and takes longer before anyone can use it.

Which is better for virtual events and conferences?

Gather, clearly. It has tooling built for large gatherings. Samudaia’s rooms are sized for working conversations, not a 200-person all-hands.

Is Samudaia cheaper than Gather?

Samudaia is free to start with no credit card. Gather has a free tier with limits and paid per-user plans. For a small team, Samudaia costs nothing today; for a large organisation, compare what you actually need rather than the headline price.

Can I use both?

Some teams do, using an everyday office in one and events in the other, but two places to be present in defeats the point. Pick the one that matches your normal day.

Wider comparison, including Teamflow and Kumospace, on Gather alternatives.

Keep reading