TL;DR
- Barco ClickShare (including the CX-30) is built for structured meeting rooms that need one-click video conferencing with room cameras, mics, and soundbars.
- Mersive Solstice is a software-first platform that runs on a Pod and focuses on multi-user, side-by-side content sharing, which makes it popular in classrooms and huddle spaces.
- Airtame is the lower-cost option of the three, built around wireless HDMI adapters that double as digital signage players when nobody is presenting.
- All three support Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, but they differ a lot in how many people can share at once, how they handle 4K, and how much IT work they need.
- Your room size, meeting style, and existing AV gear matter more than brand reputation when picking between them.
If you manage conference rooms, classrooms, or shared workspaces, you’ve probably run into all three names during vendor research. This post breaks down what ClickShare, Mersive Solstice, and Airtame actually do differently, where each one fits best, and what to check before you buy.
What Do ClickShare, Mersive, and Airtame Actually Do?
They all let you send a laptop or phone screen to a room display without a cable, but they solve that problem in different ways. Each vendor built its hardware and software around a different type of room and a different type of user, and that’s where the real differences show up.
Barco ClickShare: Built for Structured Conferencing
Barco ClickShare turns a meeting room into a hybrid meeting space by connecting your laptop to the room’s cameras, mics, and displays the moment you walk in. You start a meeting from your own laptop using whatever video conferencing app your company already runs, and the room hardware just plugs into that call. Barco describes this “walk in and connect” behavior as the core of how ClickShare CX-30 works in medium-sized rooms.
The interaction happens through a physical Conferencing Button or the ClickShare app, and both routes work for employees and visiting guests. That’s a deliberate design choice: Barco built ClickShare around the assumption that most meetings involve at least one outside guest who doesn’t have IT-managed software on their laptop.
Mersive Solstice: Built for Multi-User Sharing
Mersive Solstice is a Pod-based system that lets several people share content to the same screen at the same time, rather than one person taking control. According to Mersive’s Solstice product page, multiple users can connect and share their screens simultaneously, which shows up on the display as separate, resizable windows instead of one full-screen takeover.
This matters most in classrooms and design reviews, where you actually want three or four screens visible side by side. A Solstice Pod with a Small Group Edition license supports four simultaneous users sharing to one display, and higher-tier Enterprise licenses remove that cap entirely.
Airtame: Built for Budget-Friendly Screen Sharing and Signage
Airtame is a small wireless HDMI adapter that plugs into any TV or projector and pulls double duty as a digital signage player. When nobody is presenting, the same box that handled your last meeting can rotate through dashboards, schedules, or announcements, a use case Airtame leans on heavily in its own marketing around wireless screen sharing for offices and schools.
Airtame’s current flagship, the Airtame 3, adds real horsepower to that formula. It ships with Wi-Fi 6E, a quad-core 3.4GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, and dual HDMI outputs, according to Airtame’s own product page, which is a big step up from the original Airtame line built mainly for 1080p mirroring.
ClickShare vs Mersive vs Airtame: Feature Comparison Table
Here’s how the three stack up on the specs that actually affect a day-to-day meeting.
Feature | Barco ClickShare CX-30 | Mersive Solstice Pod (Gen3) | Airtame 3 |
Max output resolution | 4K UHD (3840×2160) @ 30Hz | Up to 4K on one display, 1080p when using two displays | 4K over dual HDMI, but native 4K sharing needs a browser-based share |
Simultaneous sharers | 2 | 4 with Small Group Edition, more with Enterprise | Multiple, though mobile devices stream to one screen at a time |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB-C button, DisplayPort 1.2 | Ethernet (recommended), Wi-Fi, up to 3 VLANs at once | Wi-Fi 6E, Ethernet with PoE+ |
Video conferencing role | Connects laptop to room cameras, mics, and soundbars | BYOM setup: attach a USB camera and mic to the Pod | Runs the conferencing app on the device itself (Teams, Meet, Zoom, Webex) |
Guest access | ClickShare Button or app, no account needed | App-free options: AirPlay, Miracast, browser sharing | Airtame app, AirPlay, Google Cast, Miracast, or browser |
Typical setup time | Sharing starts in under 7 seconds | Plug-and-play, no cables or adapters | Minutes, plug into HDMI and join via app or code |
Security | WPA2, Kensington lock slot | Supports 802.1x, doesn’t store user credentials | WPA2-PSK/WPA2-EAP, Kensington-compatible |
Barco CX-30: A Closer Look at the Mid-Range ClickShare
The Barco CX-30 is ClickShare’s pick for medium-sized rooms that need real video conferencing, not just screen mirroring. It’s the model most companies land on when they’ve outgrown a single huddle room but aren’t ready for a large boardroom setup.
The Barco CX-30 outputs native 4K UHD at 30Hz over HDMI and supports USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 with DisplayPort 1.2 for a direct wired backup, based on B&H’s listed specifications for the Gen 2 unit. It also has a wireless range of about 30 meters and supports two simultaneous connections, according to Bechtle’s product listing.
One detail that catches people off guard: registering a ClickShare CX-30 unlocks a five-year SmartCare warranty with added analytics and cloud access, per B&H’s product page. If your IT team skips registration, you’re stuck on the standard shorter warranty, so that’s worth putting on a deployment checklist.
Compared to the smaller CX-20, the CX-30 adds more room integration options, meaning it can plug into more third-party cameras and soundbars. Compared to the larger CX-50, it’s meant for rooms seating roughly 6 to 10 people rather than full boardrooms.
How Do They Handle Video Conferencing?
This is where the three products diverge the most, and it’s usually the deciding factor for IT buyers.
Barco ClickShare treats the room hardware as an extension of your laptop’s own conferencing app. You open Zoom or Teams on your machine, and ClickShare routes the room’s camera, mic, and speakers into that call through the Conferencing Button. Nothing runs natively on the ClickShare unit itself, which keeps the software simple but means your laptop still does the heavy lifting.
Mersive Solstice takes a similar bring-your-own-meeting approach. You connect a USB camera and microphone directly to the Solstice Pod, and your laptop’s conferencing software uses that hardware over the wireless link, based on Mersive’s setup documentation. The Pod also supports 7.1 surround sound output and HDMI 2.0 on its primary port, per Mersive’s Gen3 Pod spec sheet.
Airtame 3 breaks from that pattern. According to Airtame’s own FAQ, the Airtame 3 runs the video conferencing application itself, supporting Teams, Google Meet, Zoom, and Webex without needing a laptop to host the call. That’s a meaningfully different architecture, and it’s worth testing carefully with your specific room camera and speaker hardware before a full rollout.
Setup and IT Management: Which One Is Easier to Deploy?
Airtame is generally the fastest to get running out of the box, since it’s a single HDMI adapter with a guided app setup. Barco ClickShare and Mersive Solstice both aim for near-instant sharing once installed, but they ask more of your network and AV infrastructure up front.
A few practical notes from rooms that have actually run these systems for a while:
- ClickShare’s plug-and-play claim holds up well for the button-based workflow, but IT teams often spend more time on the app-based guest flow, since it needs an installer and sometimes elevated permissions, something Barco’s own documentation flags directly.
- Mersive Solstice performs noticeably better on wired Ethernet than on Wi-Fi. Mersive’s own guidance recommends no more than 2-3 users connect to a Pod’s local wireless hotspot at once, which matters if your room doesn’t have a wired drop nearby.
- Airtame’s biggest gotcha in real deployments is native 4K sharing. It only works when presenting from a browser at airtame.com/go, not through the app or through AirPlay, Google Cast, or Miracast, according to Airtame’s help center. Teams that expect full 4K from every device type run into this fast.
If your rooms already have structured cabling and a managed VLAN setup, ClickShare and Mersive both fit naturally. If you’re retrofitting older rooms with minimal network changes, Airtame’s lighter footprint is usually less disruptive to install.
What About Multi-Room Rollouts?
Rolling out any of these across a whole floor or building changes the calculus. ClickShare’s XMS Cloud Management Platform and Mersive’s Solstice Cloud both give IT admins a single dashboard to push firmware, monitor Pods, and manage access across many rooms at once. Airtame Cloud offers similar remote management, plus scheduling for the signage side of the device.
The practical difference shows up in how much per-room configuration you need. Mersive Pods support up to three VLAN tags simultaneously, per Mersive’s documentation, which is handy for campuses running separate staff, student, and guest networks off the same physical infrastructure without buying separate hardware per network type.
Security: Can You Trust These on a Corporate Network?
All three support standard Wi-Fi security protocols, but the details differ enough to matter for regulated environments. Barco ClickShare CX-30 supports WPA2 and includes a Kensington lock slot for physical security, based on Bechtle’s spec sheet.
Mersive takes a slightly different angle by not storing user credentials or unencrypted passwords on the Pod itself, which Mersive’s setup guide says means Pods don’t require the same physical lockdown as devices that hold sensitive data. The Gen3 Pod also supports the 802.1x network protocol and secure connections across up to five networks at once, according to Mersive’s spec summary.
Airtame supports WPA2-PSK and WPA2-EAP for enterprise-grade authentication, and it’s Kensington lock-compatible for theft prevention, per Airtame’s Hub datasheet. Airtame’s conferencing encryption runs on TLS and WebRTC, the same listing notes, which lines up with standard practice for browser-based video tools.
If your organization runs strict network segmentation, ask each vendor directly how their device handles certificate-based authentication and whether it’s been through a recent third-party security audit. Spec sheets tell you what’s supported, not how well it performs under your specific firewall rules.
Pricing: What Will You Actually Pay?
Pricing for all three brands mostly runs through resellers, so published numbers vary and change often. That said, some patterns are worth knowing before you request quotes.
Airtame is generally the cheapest entry point of the three. One third-party pricing breakdown from Rise Vision’s comparison guide put Airtame’s three-year hardware and software bundles at roughly $299 to $1,299 per display, with annual renewals running $120 to $300 per device after that. Keep in mind this figure comes from a competing signage vendor’s site, so it’s worth confirming directly with Airtame or an authorized reseller before budgeting.
Barco ClickShare and Mersive Solstice both sit in a higher price bracket, reflecting the extra video conferencing hardware integration and enterprise licensing tiers they support. Neither vendor publishes list pricing openly, since actual cost depends heavily on room count, license tier, and whether you need the full video conferencing button hardware or a software-only deployment. Your best move is requesting a room-by-room quote from an authorized AV integrator rather than budgeting off marketplace listings, which vary widely and sometimes include used or grey-market units.
Real-World Scenarios: Which One Fits Your Room?
- A 10-person conference room running daily client calls benefits most from Barco ClickShare, specifically something like the CX-30. The one-click video conferencing workflow through the Conferencing Button handles guest presenters cleanly, without asking outside visitors to install anything.
- A university classroom or design studio where students compare work side by side is a strong fit for Mersive Solstice. The ability to show four screens at once on the same display, without one person hogging the projector, is the exact problem Solstice was built to solve.
- A hallway display that doubles as a meeting room screen on Tuesdays leans toward Airtame. Its digital signage mode makes the hardware useful even when nobody’s presenting, which is hard to justify with the other two if the room sits empty most of the day.
- A multi-building campus rollout with mixed room sizes often ends up using more than one platform. It’s common to see ClickShare in formal conference rooms, Airtame in classrooms and common areas, and Mersive in labs or collaborative studios, chosen room by room instead of standardizing on one vendor company-wide.
Final Thoughts
None of these three wins outright. Barco ClickShare fits structured conference rooms built around daily video calls, Mersive Solstice fits spaces where several people need to share content at once, and Airtame fits budget-driven rollouts that also want digital signage out of the same hardware.
The fastest way to figure out which one actually works for your rooms is to test it in the room, not in a spec sheet comparison. Book a demo unit or a short pilot with your AV reseller, run it through a real meeting with your actual laptops, cameras, and network setup, and check how it handles a guest presenter before committing to a full rollout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Barco ClickShare better than Airtame?
Barco ClickShare is better suited to formal video conferencing rooms, while Airtame is better for budget-conscious screen sharing and signage. ClickShare’s tighter integration with room cameras and mics makes it the stronger pick for daily hybrid meetings, but Airtame costs less per room and adds signage flexibility that ClickShare doesn’t focus on.
Can Mersive Solstice replace a video conferencing system?
Mersive Solstice can support video conferencing, but it relies on your laptop’s own conferencing software and a USB camera or mic attached to the Pod. It’s not a standalone conferencing endpoint on its own; think of it as a wireless bridge to your existing video calls rather than a replacement for them.
Does Airtame work without an internet connection?
Airtame’s core mirroring functions work on a local network without internet access, but cloud management features like remote device monitoring and signage scheduling need internet connectivity to sync. Local screen sharing between a laptop and the Airtame device itself doesn’t require an external connection.
How many people can share their screen at once with each system?
Barco ClickShare CX-30 supports two simultaneous connections, Mersive Solstice supports up to four users with a Small Group Edition license (more with Enterprise licensing), and Airtame supports multiple devices, though phones and tablets stream to one screen at a time. Check the specific license tier before assuming a higher number applies to your unit.
Which system is easiest for guest presenters to use?
Barco ClickShare is generally the easiest for guests, since the physical Conferencing Button requires no software installation or account setup. Mersive Solstice offers similar app-free options through AirPlay, Miracast, and browser-based sharing, while Airtame guests typically use the Airtame app, AirPlay, or Google Cast depending on their device type.
