Best Zoom Alternatives for Remote Meetings
Zoom is becoming more and more popular now that people need to hold meetings remotely and virtually reschedule other events that used to involve face-to-face interaction. However, this is not the only online video conferencing solution and it may not be the best for your needs. There are many other free and paid options to choose from. Here are a few of our favorites:
Best Free Zoom Alternatives
Google meet
In the past, Hangouts Meet is probably the most obvious choice, especially since you can use Google Meet on a large number of devices and web browsers. The basic Meet service is now free for everyone, with tiered paid plans for businesses looking for a few more bells and whistles.
The free version of Meet can handle text, voice, and video chats. It allows you to connect up to 100 other users in a single call for meetings up to an hour. The $ 8 Workspace Essentials plan adds features such as the ability to record meetings and join attendees from both domestic and international phone numbers. All versions of Meet offer increasingly sophisticated moderation and presentation features . ( Android , iOS , Internet )
Discord
Discord is a game focused app, but it has a broader appeal than just games, thanks to encrypted chats and flexible organization features. Discord chats take place in rooms on dedicated “servers” that users can create and organize themselves. Think Slack, but with video and voice calls in addition to text chat.
Only nine users support video calls in total, but the app includes simple screen sharing tools and other handy features if you’re using it for meetings. Considering this is a free app, there is a lot of flexibility here and is a great option if you need a permanent conferencing solution, but the other free options on this list will be easier to get up and running. Discord is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, and most web browsers.
Facebook messaging rooms
Earlier this year, Facebook introduced Facebook Messenger Rooms, a free and simpler alternative to video chat apps like Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet. Instead of existing as a standalone product, the service is integrated directly into Facebook Messenger. Each room supports up to 50 concurrent users, and the setup is very convenient – rooms can be merged by clicking a link, and the participants do not need to have a Facebook account. Features include the ability to choose different themes and share your screens or share streaming video with others in the room. ( Android , iOS , Internet )
Facetime
Facetime is iOS-only, which limits its use as a one-stop solution, but it’s included on almost every Apple device. The app supports up to 32 people in a single call, so if everyone has an iPhone, iPad, or Mac close at hand , this can be a reliable way to host remote meetings.
Skype
Skype is another video chat service that most people are probably familiar with. It supports up to 50 users in a single video call and is available for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and as a web app , but like most of the other free apps here, all attendees will need a Microsoft account to participate. … However, if everyone in your group is already registered and using the service, it will do its job perfectly.
Best Paid Zoom Alternatives
Zoho Meetings
If you don’t want to use Google, the open source Zoho One alternative includes online conferencing software that should appeal to anyone familiar with Zoom or Meet.
Zoho Meetings allows end-to-end encrypted video conferencing, conference calling and webinars, all of which can be accessed via phone connections and email links – you don’t need to force anyone to register or download the app to join. There are also desktop, web and mobile versions of the app.
You can record your meetings, and the hosting options include moderation and organizing tools. The software also integrates with the Zoho Office suite of applications, so you can easily load spreadsheets, word documents, and other files during your presentation. Zoho even has a handy comparison sheet showing how it compares to Zoom .
Zenkastr
Zencastr is technically a web-based podcasting service that doesn’t make video calls, but is great for conferencing. Amid the pandemic, Zencastr also lifted group size and recording restrictions. Free users can now receive calls with unlimited users and unlimited recording time (usually only three users per call and eight hours of recording per month, although unregistered calls are not counted).
Paid users ($ 20 / month) get a dedicated real-time editing panel and post-production tools. Only the host needs to have a Zencastr account as it can invite users using simple sharing links (as you can with Zoom). There’s also a raise hand button that can help keep things running smoothly when you’re on a large conference call and want everyone to be able to intervene.
This article was originally published in March 2020 and has been updated on October 23, 2020 to include more up-to-date information on Facebook and Google Meet messaging rooms.