When comparing Ventrilo vs TeamSpeak 3, the Slant community recommends TeamSpeak 3 for most people. In the question“What is the best voice chat for gaming?” TeamSpeak 3 is ranked 4th while Ventrilo is ranked 9th.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro it works
Pro Stability
Very stable even if you own a low-end computer.
Pro Easily text chat
On top of the VOIP communication the app focuses on there is also an integrated text chat tool that is a great option for when the user doesn't have a mic handy or just doesn't feel like talking.
Pro Light on resources
For those that may have an under-powered system or just want to make sure most resources are pushed to the game instead of their VOIP client Ventrilo is a good choice as it is light on resources.
Pro Useful online tutorial
Upon opening the app for the first time the user is presented with an online tutorial that covers how to register the app as wel as how to start using it. This greatly reduces the barrier to entry.
Pro A lot of features
Pro Fine-grained administration options
Allows for complex administrative structures, with lots of roles and many other features related to server administration.
Pro Advanced permissions
It has an advanced system to manage channel/server permissions.
Pro Works on all main PC OS platforms
Available on Windows, Linux and OS X allows for a user to choose what best OS suits them and not have to worry if their game chat software will work.
Pro Supports audio and text chat
TeamSpeak allows for both voice and text chat. this adds flexibility, and can clarify information if somebody has a very poor connection, or a very thick accent. It also allows players without a mic to communicate with the other players.
Pro Widely used
Among most MMOs (massive multiplayer online games such as Guild Wars 2, or World of Warcraft) Teamspeak is widely used so it's likely other players already use it and won't need to download a new program. There are also many knowledge and help articles available online.
Pro Voice Activation Detection while using Push-To-Talk
Pro Echo reduction
Pro Free for non-commercial use
As long as one is not using TeamSpeak for commercial services the app is free to use. This is great as most users will not be using it for commercial purposes (as long as you aren't making money off it you don't need to pay for it) such as gaming.
Pro Unlimited nesting of channels
This allows for very granular organization.
Pro Sound level tuning
You can tune everyone's sound output levels to meet your own personal preference in inbound volume. So to your ears nobody is too loud or too quiet.
Pro Supports Encryption
Under "Edit Channel" --> "Advanced" --> theres a toggle button called "Voice Data Encrypted". Everything but file transfers is encrypted.
Pro Plugin support
A wide range of plugins are available for those that want extra functionality, ranging from soundboards and overlays, to peripheral and application hooks.
Pro Private hosting
You can host your own server.
Pro TeamSpeak Sync
Signing up for a MyTeamSpeak account will allow you to synchronize your bookmarks, identities, hotkeys, whisper lists and channel subscriptions across all devices. MyTeamSpeak features will include addons synchronization, addons update management, and more.
Pro Clean theme
Pro No privacy nightmare
Cons
Con Hasn't been updated in years
Barely works in compatibility with newer operating machines and the instructions for setup are somewhat outdated
Con Requires a server to use
In order to use Ventrilo's VOIP tool one must rent their own server which costs around $50 a year which will afford one communication with 10-20 people.
Con Lacks a Linux client
Despite a native Android client, there is no client for the Linux OS. Though there are some third party options such as Mangler.
Con Horrible latency issues
Due to the latency chat can be delayed on both sides of the conversation making for a very disjointed feeling that can be troublesome when second to second communication is necessary for coordination.
Con Mobile app costs money
TeamSpeak for mobile platforms costs $1.99 for Android devices in Google play store or $4.99 for devices that run iOS.
Con Requires to self-host, rent or use a public server
TeamSpeak cannot be used without a private server (meaning TeamSpeak themselves do not provide servers). This adds complexity to the setup and may simply be out of reach for many users. There are, however, several free public servers available, Teamspeak offers to rent one, and many games have dedicated servers available through their respective websites.
Con Outdated UI
The client itself feels really old, and even though there are custom huds, most of them don't feel modern.
Con Proprietary software
It's not free.
Con No video communication
Currently there is no video chat for the app. While not essential for in-game communication, outside of the game it would help to strengthen online relationships with your gaming pals.
Con Too easy to hack
Your server may become vulnerable if you give admin away and do not configure your server properly.
Keeping a record of backups is important, if you broke something while editing the configuration or your server has become compromised due to negligence. You will then be able to spin up a new instance.