14 Best Zoom Alternatives in 2023

Zoom is free to use, but it only allows you to host video calls with up to 100 people. To host more than that, you need a Zoom Pro account, which starts at $14.99 per month (billed annually at $179.88 per year).

But even with a paid Zoom subscription, you might want to look for an alternative. There are plenty of reasons to switch away from Zoom: Your team needs more than 100 participants on the same call.

You need advanced features like breakout rooms, co-annotation, or whiteboarding. You’ve heard about privacy concerns and don’t feel Zoom is secure enough for your needs.

You need local recording capabilities or the option to stream your calls live on YouTube or Facebook. You want an unlimited free plan that doesn’t limit your meeting duration or number of participants.

Or maybe you’re just looking for new options in case Zoom goes down again.
 

 

Best Zoom Alternatives – Introduction

Zoom is a great tool for remote meetings and team-building activities for small businesses, but there are some great alternatives to Zoom that offer more features. In this article, we will showcase our top 12 picks for the best Zoom alternatives.

What Are the Best Zoom Alternatives?

The world has changed dramatically in the past few months. Like many businesses, we’ve had to adapt quickly to new circumstances. While our offices are closed, we’re now working from home full-time.

We’re still working hard, but we’re doing it remotely — and so are many other people around the world. One of the main tools that allows us to continue working while maintaining social distancing is video conferencing software.

In particular, Zoom is on fire right now — its stock price has increased 145% since January and its daily active users have skyrocketed from 10 million in December 2019 to 200 million today. But Zoom isn’t the only tool for this job! In fact, there are plenty of alternatives out there that you might want to consider instead of Zoom.

Some of them offer more features or better security, while others offer crucial advantages like free pricing or support for open-source software. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best alternatives to Zoom for video conferencing.

1. Zoho Meeting

Zoho Meeting is a web conferencing tool that helps you conduct online meetings, video conferencing, webinars, and trainings. Zoho Meeting combines the power of audio and video conferencing with easy screen sharing to make online meetings more collaborative.

You can show your audience live demos or presentations and assist them one-on-one over the internet. It allows you to host unlimited meetings and webinars, create customizable registration pages for your events, and manage your attendees effectively with its robust reporting feature.

By adding polls and handouts inside your meeting room, you can engage your attendees better. This makes Zoho Meeting an ideal platform for providing high-quality customer support using remote assistance through screen sharing, as well as conducting internal training sessions effortlessly.

Features

Zoho Meeting is a powerful, yet simple web conferencing solution that lets you hold online meetings with anyone around the world. With Zoho Meeting, you can: screen share, present, and collaborate on documents in real-time.

Conduct one-to-one or one-to-many online meetings. Schedule online meetings with attendees.

Record your meeting sessions and share them via email or download it to your computer. Integrate with other Zoho apps like CRM, Projects, Support, etc.

Zoho Meeting is a free web conferencing service that helps you conduct instant 1-to-1 meetings or schedule and host meetings with up to 25 participants. If you are looking for an enterprise-class web conferencing solution, check out Zoho Meeting Pro.

Pros

Zoho Meeting is an online meeting and webinar solution that helps you connect with your customers, partners, and employees instantly. Zoho Meeting is designed to help businesses conduct secure webinars or host online meetings effectively.

It helps you set up face-to-face virtual meetings, present demos, share documents, co-browse, and collaborate in real-time with anyone around the globe. Zoho Meeting enables you to schedule a meeting or webinar from anywhere at any time.

You can conduct instant meetings to save time and effort spent on planning one. It lets you record the meeting so you can review it later or share it with your colleagues who missed the meeting. With Zoho Meeting’s video conferencing tool, you can conduct a video conference with your team members/customers/clients via browser as well as mobile apps.

You can also interact using the chat feature in Zoho Meeting.

2. GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting is the easiest and most convenient way to attend online meetings. Whether you’re on a Mac or PC, you can host your own meetings or join one with a simple click of a button.

Share your screen with others in the meeting so that everyone can look at the same document or website at the same time. Share presentations, spreadsheets, documents, and more right from your screen.

GoToMeeting integrates easily with Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar, iCalendar, and other popular calendar systems to let you schedule meetings with one click. It also allows you to share files during a meeting so everyone can view them at once.

Use any Internet connection to connect online — wireless, dial-up, DSL, and more.

Features

Invite participants with a variety of options, including email invitations and calendar integration. Join online meetings quickly and easily via desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile device.

Share your screen, files, webcam, and digital whiteboard. Take control of the keyboard and mouse to assist others.

Record the meeting on your computer for playback at any time and access key moments.

Pros

GoToMeeting is a web-hosted service created and marketed by LogMeIn. It is an online meeting, desktop sharing, and video conferencing software package that enables the user to meet with other computer users, customers, clients, or colleagues via the Internet in real-time.

GoToMeeting is sold on a per-host basis and allows the user to host an online session that can be attended by up to 25 participants. It is a product of Citrix Systems, which also sells GoToMyPC, GoToTraining, and OpenVoice.

Hosting and attending webinars for up to 1,000 people Screen sharing and whiteboard HD audio conferencing.

3. RingCentral

Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) provider RingCentral Inc. (NYSE: RNG) is growing rapidly, taking market share from its legacy competitors and signing new customers every day.

But its stock doesn’t reflect this growth opportunity. RingCentral’s market capitalization of $4.6 billion is only slightly more than that of its chief rival, Vonage (NYSE: VG), which has a market cap of $3.5 billion despite having far fewer sales and growth.

The UCaaS market is booming, with analyst firm Gartner projecting it to reach $37 billion by 2020. The cloud-based service allows businesses to communicate via phone, fax, email, or real-time messaging through a single platform, allowing for easy management and integration with other business systems.

RingCentral already serves over 350,000 customers worldwide and has an annual subscriber growth rate of 30%. RingCentral’s leadership in the UCaaS space is underappreciated by investors because it isn’t profitable yet. However, the company’s growth is outpacing Vonage and 8×8 (NASDAQ: EGHT), its two major competitors in the space.

If RingCentral continues to grow at this pace, it could eventually be worth more than those two companies combined.

Features

RingCentral is a top-rated cloud business phone system that comes with a set of integrated features and tools to help your remote team thrive.

Cloud Phone System

Keep the lines of communication open and create a great remote experience for your team with RingCentral’s powerful cloud business phone system.

Team Messaging & Collaboration

Chat, share content, and collaborate in real-time using RingCentral’s online communication and collaboration platform.

Contact Center & Customer Service

Manage customer service operations from anywhere with RingCentral’s omnichannel contact center software.

Video Conferencing & Webinars

Host interactive video conferences and webinars that engage customers and drive sales using RingCentral’s HD video conferencing software.

Analytics & Reports

Monitor your team’s performance, productivity, and compliance using RingCentral’s business analytics and reporting tool.

Pros

1. Skype for Business Integration
2. Salesforce Integration
3. Customer Support (24/7)
4. Mobile App
5. In-depth Analytics
6. Voicemail to Text
7. Excellent HD Audio Quality

4. Google Meet

Google Meet is a video-communication service developed by Google. It is one of two apps that constitute the replacement for Google Hangouts, the other being Google Chat.

The service allows users to collaborate with up to 250 participants at a time for free, and up to 100,000 live stream viewers. Users can join a meeting without having a Google Account or downloading any app; however, they will not be able to host meetings unless they have a Google Account.

Google has stated that Meet will become available to all Gmail users by early May 2020 and that it will remove the ability to create new classic Hangouts meetings after September 30, 2020.

Meet safely – video meetings are encrypted in transit and our array of safety measures is continuously updated for added protection.

Host large meetings – invite up to 250 participants to a meeting Meet anywhere – host and attend meetings from your mobile device.

Features

1. Secure video meetings for your business
2. Bring simple, secure, and scalable video communication to your business with Google Meet.
3. Google Meet is ready when you are
4. Easily join a meeting from any device or calendar system.
5. Feel free to be yourself
6. Meet face to face, from any device. You can even present from the meeting room, from the office, or from home.
7. Bring everyone together

Google Meet is designed for teams of all sizes. Invite up to 250 participants to a meeting and up to 100,000 viewers of an event broadcast.

Pros

So I have been using Google Meet for the past couple of weeks and I can say that it is pretty nice. I like how it is easy to use, share documents, and record meetings. Their security is also very good and has a lot of features. Overall, I would recommend using this video conferencing software.

5. Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a chat-based workspace in Office 365 that brings together people, conversations, and content — along with the tools that teams need — so they can easily collaborate to achieve more. With the ability to create an open or private team, Teams enables collaboration around projects, departments, office locations, and more.

By integrating Skype for Business video and audio calls and meetings with Office 365 apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, Teams makes collaborating in real-time easy.

In addition to providing secure storage for files and documents, it also provides the ability to track changes made to any file over time. Given the pace of change at which many organizations operate today, the ability to track changes is critical for success.

All of this makes Microsoft Teams one of the best apps for tracking changes in your documents.

Features

Microsoft Teams is the hub for teamwork in Office 365 that integrates all the people, content, and tools your team needs to be more engaged and effective. Easy access to everything you need Use tabs to organize content, connect with apps, or work in context.

You can add a website as a tab in any channel or chat conversation; for example, a news site or a dashboard. Collaborate on files and share easily Store and share files in the cloud using OneDrive. And because they’re in the cloud, they’re always up to date no matter which device you use.

Create, conduct, and analyze polls Use polls to take the pulse of your group — ask questions like “What’s your favorite food?” or “When is our next team meeting?”

Pros

Microsoft Teams is a powerful collaboration tool that can help you keep in touch with your colleagues and communicate with your team. One of the best parts about Microsoft Teams is that it can be customized to suit your needs.

Here are some of the different ways you can customize Microsoft Teams.

Create channels. Channels allow you to organize conversations and files by topic. You can create channels for your company, group, or project and invite your co-workers to join them.

Add bots. Bots are programs that help you get things done, like finding information or schedule meetings. You can add bots to Microsoft Teams by going to the Store in the app and searching for a bot you’d like to add.

Create tabs. Tabs allow you to access web services within Microsoft Teams, such as Trello boards or Google Drive files. You can create tabs for specific channels or team members by clicking the + icon at the top of the page and selecting “Add a tab.”

6. Skype

Skype is a telecommunications application software product that specializes in providing video chat and voice calls between computers, tablets, mobile devices, the Xbox One console, and smartwatches via the Internet. Skype also provides instant messaging services.

Users may transmit both text and video messages and may exchange digital documents such as images, text, and video. Skype allows video conference calls.

Skype is based on a freemium model. Much of the service is free, but Skype Credit or a subscription is required to call a landline or a mobile phone number. At the end of 2010, there were over 660 million worldwide users, with over 300 million estimated active each month as of August 2015.

At one point in February 2012, there were thirty-four million users concurrently online on Skype. First released in August 2003, the app was created by Estonian developers Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu, and Jaan Tallinn.[11] The first public beta version was released on 29 August 2003.

In June 2005, Skype entered into an agreement with the Polish web portal Onet.pl for an integrated offering on the Polish market.[12] On 12 September 2005, eBay Inc. agreed to acquire Luxembourg-based Skype Technologies SA for approximately US$2

Features

• Skype calling on Amazon Echo Devices.
• Reach friends, family, or colleagues worldwide from your Amazon Alexa device.
• Simply ask Alexa to call any of your Skype contacts or read a phone number out loud to call it.
• Set up Skype on Alexa.

Skype calling with Alexa is currently available in the US, the UK, Canada, India, Australia, and New Zealand. First and last name: With Skype, you can call by name or by Skype ID.

Frequently used contacts: See your most frequently contacted friends on your contact list. Search for people: Find people by searching for their first and last names or by searching for their Skype ID (also known as a user name).

Please note that you will only see search results for Skype users who have made their profiles public.

Find new friends: You can find new people to chat with using the “Find People” feature within Skype on Desktop. We also have a few other ways of helping you connect with new people on our Help page (search keyword: find).

Group calls: Make group calls with up to 25 people at once!

Pros

Skype pros are professionals who can help you learn more about technology and get the most out of Skype. Find a Skype pro whether you’re looking to make video calls, organize a business meeting, or just make sure your kids are safe online, Skype Pro is available to help.

What do Skype pros offer? Skype pros can provide the following support services:

1. Troubleshoot and set up your webcam, headset, or speakers for video calls with Skype.
2. Install and set up Skype on your desktop, laptop, or tablet device.
3. Help create a profile and find friends on Skype.
4. Support for organizing group video calls. 
5. Safety advice for protecting your online identity and privacy.

7. Cisco Webex

Webex is a cloud-based collaboration tool that lets you meet, work and do business with anyone, anywhere. Securely connect with anyone, on any device, in any place to get more done from any location.

The Webex app connects you to Webex meetings on the go, so you can schedule and join meetings wherever you are. You can also use it as your one-stop shop for all your Webex team messaging needs.

Meetings: See all upcoming meetings scheduled through your calendar. Join from your desktops, mobile devices, or conference room systems like Polycom and Cisco. Share files too!

Teams: Connect with anyone in your organization using the Webex Teams app or Webex Board on-site devices. Create spaces for projects, teams or specific topics, where you can message or video chat with individuals or groups. Share files and whiteboard with others too. Together you’ll be productive like never before.

Features

Cisco Webex Features Webex Meetings is a complete online meeting solution that gives you the ability to meet, collaborate and share content with anyone, anywhere, anytime. Feature highlights include:

Desktop sharing – share your entire desktop, a specific application, or just a single slide (with video support) Content sharing – upload and share files, presentations, and videos; use annotations to highlight key points

Real-time HD video – See up to six participants and share video with those on the call

Active speaker view – Automatically shows you who’s speaking 

Dual screen support – Lets participants watch your shared content in full-screen mode while you continue to see the meeting controls on a second monitor

Pros

We all know that Cisco Webex is the best in the business, but did you know that Cisco was the first to offer a Video Conferencing solution?

At Cisco, they offer:

1. A Web-Based Platform so you can access your project anytime, anywhere
2. Easy Integration with other cloud services like Dropbox and Google drive
3. Award-Winning Customer Service and Technical Support

8. Google Hangouts

Google Hangouts is a communication platform developed by Google which includes instant messaging, video chat, SMS, and VoIP features.

It replaces three messaging products that Google had implemented concurrently within its services, including Google Talk, Google+ Messenger (formerly: Huddle), and Hangouts, a video chat system present within Google+.

Google+ Hangouts is now part of the G Suite line of products and consists of two primary products: Google Hangouts Meet and Google Hangouts Chat. 

Google Hangouts is available as a mobile app for Android and iOS, through browsers, and as a plugin for the Chrome browser.

A version of Hangouts was previously integrated into all Gmail accounts in 2013, but was subsequently split into two separate services. 

Want to dial a phone number from within Hangouts? You can do that directly from Google Voice, or you can link your mobile number. Here’s how:

• Go to hangouts.google.com or open Hangouts in Gmail.
• Click the Menu button in the bottom left corner of your screen and then click “Settings”.
• Click “Phone number”.
• Click “Link another phone number”.
• Follow the instructions on the screen to verify your mobile number by entering a PIN or code sent by SMS.

Features

Hangouts for Business is a cloud-based collaboration tool that enables users to communicate via instant messaging, audio and video conferencing, and VoIP.

Google Hangouts Feature Instant messaging: Users can send text messages, share files and images, or even use built-in emoticons, while they are online.

Audio and video conferencing: The service can be used to conduct video calls with up to 10 participants at a time. Additionally, users can change the window layout to fit their device’s screen size.

Integration: Google Hangouts allows users to integrate the service with other Google products, such as Gmail or Calendar.

Availability: It is available as an add-on for the G Suite Enterprise edition [https://cloud.google.com/hangouts/] https://cloud.google.com/hangouts/.

Pros

1. Free, easy-to-use, and available on a wide range of platforms
2. Video chat with up to 10 other people simultaneously
3. Screen sharing
4. Use Hangouts’ phone service to make free domestic calls or low-priced international calls.
5. You can use Google Hangouts for business by integrating it with your Google Apps domain for no extra cost (you’ll need to have at least the Business version of Google Apps). This way you can use your company’s custom email address to send out invitations and set up meetings, and you’ll be able to store all your Hangout chats in your Gmail account’s archive.

9. BlueJeans

The BlueJeans Network enables people to connect and collaborate with colleagues, partners, and customers using video, voice, and content sharing, no matter where they are located. 

The industry-leading BlueJeans cloud-based video collaboration platform is reinventing the way people meet by combining immersive video with the ease of use and security needed for today’s modern enterprise.

BlueJeans is a great option for businesses looking to move to a cloud-based communication solution, as it has consistently ranked among the best video conferencing software. It works across desktops, mobile devices, and room systems to make video conferencing universally accessible.

You can connect your calendar with BlueJeans to make scheduling and starting meetings simple, and the platform provides an easy-to-use interface that allows users to share content, collaborate on projects, and engage in real-time conversations.

Thousands of companies, from growing businesses to global enterprises, including Cigna, Dow Jones, AT&T, Salesforce.com, Dell, NASA, and Twitter trust BlueJeans every day to communicate and collaborate in a more effective and secure way.

For more information, go to: www.bluejeans.com or follow the company @BlueJeansNet.

Features

Meetings are the most comprehensive product of the BlueJeans portfolio, designed for teams that need to meet regularly. The Meetings product offers a full-featured video meeting experience with an intuitive interface your users will be confident using, even in their first meeting.

The BlueJeans Meetings Product delivers the following features: Simple, one-click access from calendar invites, emails, or web browsers Support for all computers and devices* PSTN dial-in for audio to any meeting via local numbers in 60 countries Full HD video and content sharing Ability to join as a guest.

Pros

BlueJeans Pro is a high-quality, cloud-based video conferencing service that connects people anytime, anywhere, and across any device. With BlueJeans Pro, you can meet face-to-face with your remote team, or hold large interactive meetings with up to 100 participants.

You can even record your meetings for later viewing. All you need to get started is an Internet connection, a webcam, and a microphone.

There’s no software to install — just sign in through your browser and you’re ready to go.

You can keep using BlueJeans for free for as long as you want, but there are some limitations. To remove these limits, upgrade to the paid version of BlueJeans Pro.

10. Jitsi Meet

Jitsi Meet is a fully encrypted, 100% open source video conferencing solution that you can use all day, every day, for free — with no account needed. Jitsi Meet lets you stay in touch with all your teams, be they family, friends, or colleagues.

Features

Fully Encrypted

All communications are secured with industry-standard cryptography. 100% Open Source Jitsi Meet is proudly powered by an awesome open source community and 8×8. Learn more about the project on GitHub.

Pros

1. Ease of Use: The platform is very simple to use, and there is no need for any sort of tutorial for new users because the interface is easy to understand.
2. Share Screen: You can share your screen or your application window with other participants in the meeting seamlessly.
3. Provides Secured Connection: It provides a secured connection between the server and the meeting participants.
4. Open Source: It is an open-source platform which means you can use it free of cost, and you will get access to its source code too, so you can make changes according to your needs or requirements.
5. Multi-Platform Support: You can use Jitsi Meet on many different platforms like Android, iOS, Mac, Linux, Windows, and Web browsers too, which makes it unique among other video conferencing platforms available in the market.
6. No Registration Required: You don’t have to register yourself with Jitsi Meet to host a conference call, which makes it more useful for people who don’t want to give their personal information online on any website.

11. FaceTime

FaceTime is a video calling software application and service developed by Apple Inc. for iOS and macOS that enables users to make video calls between iOS or macOS-powered devices. The app is currently only available on iPhones, iPad, iPod touch, and Macs.

FaceTime was announced by Jobs on June 7, 2010, at the WWDC 2010 as a proprietary video-telephony product. It was then released as part of iOS 4 on June 24, 2010, and is available on all iOS devices that support iOS 4 or newer.

Since then, it’s been included in every release of iOS since then and has been the default video chat client for most of Apple’s products. On February 24, 2011, FaceTime left beta and was listed in the Mac App Store for US$0.99.

On October 20, 2011, Apple added support for the fourth-generation iPod Touch (the device had forward-facing and rear-facing cameras), and subsequently added support for the iPad 2 (which has two cameras, a front-facing VGA camera for FaceTime video calls, and a rear-facing 720p “iSight” camera for photography).

Features

FaceTime is the best way to get face-to-face time with friends and family. You don’t need a phone number to use FaceTime, so you can make and receive calls wherever you want.

When you’re talking to someone on FaceTime, it’s easy to switch over to another call. FaceTime works on Apple devices, but not on Android phones

Pros

FaceTime is an excellent tool for making video calls, and it’s available on iOS devices, Macs, and other Apple gadgets. If you’ve never used it before, or if your experience involves only a few calls with friends and family, here are some tips for getting the most out of your next FaceTime call.

1. Record your calls. It’s easy to do with the built-in QuickTime player that comes with Macs. Just open QuickTime, click File > New Movie Recording, select FaceTime as the camera input, and click the red record button.
2. Share audio from a Mac during a call. If you want to share something on your Mac during a FaceTime call — say, an audio podcast or YouTube video — you can use a feature called “FaceTime Audio,” which is really just another way to make an audio-only call directly from Messages (it used to be its own app).
3. Make group FaceTime calls. You can now make group calls with up to 32 participants in total (although I wouldn’t recommend trying to keep up with that many people at once). To start or join a group call: Open the FaceTime app, tap + in the upper right corner of the screen, and add contacts; then

12. Join.me

Join.me is an online meeting, desktop sharing, and video conferencing software that enables the users to share anything on their computer screen with other participants of the meeting in real-time. It is developed by LogMeIn and is available for free as well as a paid subscription.

The basic version of Join.me has a set of essential features that can be used to conduct meetings and screen-sharing sessions. The attendees don’t have to download or install any application, but they can join the meeting with a click on a link sent by the host.

Join.me is a web conferencing tool that allows you to share your desktop, give remote control, and set up a multipoint video conference. A free version of join.me is available for personal use or as a paid version for business use.

With join.me you can:

Invite others to view your screen using a simple, private link. Control their experience by allowing them to view only, or access the mouse and keyboard to collaborate. Share your screen over video in HD quality with up to 250 people on a call (up to 10 people on a video call).

Give remote control so others can help you troubleshoot or work on projects together.

Features

What makes join.me so lovable? We think it’s the little things we do to make meetings suck less. 

Presenter swap – Want to switch presenters? Just drag and drop. 

Screen sharing – Share your entire desktop, a single application, or a specific browser tab with anyone in your meeting.

Annotation tools – Draw attention to what matters most by drawing on your screen, highlighting text and shapes, and hiding sensitive information. 

Whiteboard – Share your screen and use our whiteboard tools to work through ideas together.

Chat – Collaborate with your team by sending messages within your meeting or by inviting others to join you.

Pros

Get more with the features you need for your business, without the fluff. 

Conference Calling: Share your screen and share the stage with multiple presenters, just like in in-person meetings.

Custom Branding: Make it your own brand with the join.me site with your logo, colors, and custom URLs to match your company’s look and feel.

Reporting: Detailed reports to show you exactly how join.me is being used in your organization — from who’s using it to where they’re using it.

Zoom Alternatives Frequently Asked Questions

Is Google Meet a Good Alternative to Zoom?

Fortunately, there are plenty of options available if you’re looking for a Zoom alternative. While Zoom is the most popular video conferencing app out there, it’s not the only one.

Microsoft’s Skype is probably the second most popular video conferencing app and the best known. But it’s a bit clunky to use and has been plagued with reliability problems over the years.

Still, if everyone already uses Skype, it’s worth considering as an alternative to Zoom is Google Hangouts. Google’s own video conferencing app isn’t as well known as Skype or even Zoom itself, but it gets high marks from users who find it easy to use and reliable.

That said, Hangouts isn’t quite as good at handling large meetings, so it might not be a suitable choice if you’re expecting more than five or six people on a call at once. Microsoft Teams. Microsoft’s new service has become incredibly popular during the coronavirus pandemic because many offices now have their employees working from home and need a way to keep in touch while they’re physically separated.

It can be used by individuals and small groups for free.

What is the Best Zoom Alternative?

Zoom is currently the most popular video conferencing app, but it has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Plenty of its users have been complaining about privacy issues and other problems. So if you want to use a Zoom alternative, here are some great options:

Google Hangouts

Google Hangouts isn’t new. It’s been around since 2013, but it’s still one of the best video conferencing apps you can use. One of its best features is that you can use it on any device — PC, Mac, Android, iOS, and even your web browser.

It also has a very clean and easy-to-use interface. And since it’s a Google product, there is a lot of integration with Google services like Gmail, Calendar, and Drive. However, Google Hangouts does not support end-to-end encryption (E2EE) as Zoom does.

Skype

Skype is another very popular messaging service that offers free video conferencing with up to 50 people at once. It also supports E2EE through Skype Meet Now, which you can use with just one click on both Windows and Mac devices. Skype also has a mobile app available on Android and iOS as well as on smartwatches running WearOS. One downside

Best Zoom Alternatives – Wrapping Up

Zoom has a lot of company now. It is the number one video conferencing platform for a reason. However, it’s not the only platform on the market. As you can see from our list of Zoom alternatives, there are many other video conferencing platforms that offer different features and pricing plans.

The Basics Microsoft Teams is part of Microsoft’s Office 365 suite of business tools. It comes as part of a subscription to Office 365 Business Essentials ($5/month) or Office 365 Business Premium ($12.50/month).

Google Meet is free (for up to 100 participants) during the COVID-19 pandemic, but will cost $12/month per user after September 30, 2020. You can’t pay just for Meet; it’s part of the G Suite Basic subscription that costs $6/user/month and also includes Gmail, Drive, Docs, and other Google business apps.

Cisco Webex starts at $13.50/month (per host), but that tier only allows for 50 participants and includes only 40 minutes of meeting time per month per host. For more than two hosts, you’ll need to opt for Webex Teams at $17.95/host/month (with 100 participants and unlimited meeting time).

Recently, Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex have been optioned for a while; but now, Google is getting into the video conferencing game with Meet.

With so many options for videoconferencing, which one should you use? That depends on your needs.

Each of these video conferencing platforms has its own pros and cons. So, when selecting a video meeting platform, you should take all of these factors into consideration.

The best way to find out which video meeting platform is right for your business is to test out several services, especially if your business already has access to more than one such service.

This will give you a chance to compare the features and benefits of each service and pick the right one for you. While Microsoft Teams is still a fairly new player in the game, it’s certainly one to keep an eye on.

As more and more businesses move to Office 365, Teams will undoubtedly become even more popular. It should be noted that Google Hangouts and Google Meet are both available for free (for now); but with the number of users they have, you can expect them to start charging at some point in the future.