A good video conferencing service is essential for any company, particularly in this day and age. I’ve done the legwork and analysis to assist you in selecting the best video conference service for your needs.
You need video conferencing tools that you can rely on whether you work with remote staff, customers, team members, or prospects spread around different locations.
Skype and Facetime aren’t stable enough for businesses. They lag so much, can’t accommodate large groups, and are difficult to schedule meetings with.
This guide is for you if you’re serious about your conference calls and would like to take things to the next level.
Whatever the company size, business, or conferencing requirements, there’s a solution for you listed below.
8 Best Video Conference Services
Here are the 8 best video calling apps that I would suggest for companies and entrepreneurs out of the several options available:
- Zoho Meeting — Best video meeting platform with basic and affordable plans.
- GoToMeeting — Best video calling app on Android.
- RingCentral — Best video conference service for businesses with VoIP plans.
- Microsoft Teams — Best video conferencing service for internal correspondence.
- Join.me — Video conferencing for small business enterprises.
- Zoom — Best video conferencing software for companies looking to scale.
- Webex — Video chatting platform for cloud collaboration.
- ClickMeeting — The best video conference service for hosting webinars.
These video conference solutions have their own set of benefits and drawbacks. Compare them using the detailed reviews given below.
1. Zoho Meeting — Best Video Meeting Platform With Basic And Affordable plans
Zoho Meeting is one of the most user-friendly video conferencing services available today. There aren’t any bells and whistles. For video conferences, there is only one plan.
The pricing structure is straightforward: $10/month per user, or $8/month if you sign up on an annual basis.
The package includes everything you’ll need for video conferencing. It is, however, restricted to only 100 attendees per meeting and the storage of only 10 recordings.
It isn’t enterprise-level software by any means, but it’s a cost-effective and suitable option for many small businesses.
The following are some of Zoho’s top features:
- Screen sharing
- Scheduling RSVPs
- Embedding meeting links
- Moderator control
- Locking meetings
- In-session chat
You’ll also be able to change the host, give someone access, and remove people from a conference call.
Zoho Meeting and Zoho CRM work together seamlessly. If you’re not already a Zoho product user, this is a great choice to think about.
This video conferencing app isn’t the most sophisticated one on the market. However, for small businesses that only need simple functionality and already use Zoho products, it’s a high-quality solution.
2. GoToMeeting — Best Video Calling App On Android
A video conference can be easily transformed into a complete interactive workspace with GoToMeeting.
As a result, it’s a popular choice for both remote workers and clients. It is used by anyone from sales staff to company owners or technology teams.
One of the main reasons is that GoToMeeting is simple to incorporate with the current business processes.
For those looking to transform your physical meeting room into an online one, they even have an all-in-one hardware and software package. The hardware is more sophisticated than your existing devices’ built-in speakers, microphones, and cameras.
Notable Features
- Automatic bandwidth changes
- Collaboration in the cloud
- Single-click sign in sessions
- Compatible with PC, Android, Mac and iOS devices
- Integrated scheduling
- Support for multiple channels
Compared to the other services, GoToMeeting only has two packages to select from:
- Professional ($14/month)
- Business ($19/month)
The packages are similar. With both options, GoToMeeting provides unlimited meeting duration and video meetings. For each plan, you’ll get features like Slack launcher, an admin center, and Salesforce integration.
The most significant distinction between the two plans is that Professional can accommodate up to 150 people and Business up to 250 people.
The Business package includes transcripts, mouse and keyboard sharing, unrestricted mobile recording, and cloud storage.
Going for the Business package rather than Professional is a no-brainer in my opinion. The additional $5 a month is well worth it for the extra benefits.
GoToMeeting does have enterprise-level plans that can accommodate up to 3000 people. However, those rates aren’t shown online. For a personalized quote, you’ll need to talk with a sales representative.
With an annual contract, you get a 16% discount on your plan.
You can try GoToMeeting on a free trial for 14 days with up to 250 people.
3. RingCentral – Best Video Conference Service For Businesses With VoIP Plans
For video conferencing, RingCentral is a great choice.
This is due to the fact that they have more than just video conferencing facilities. They also have VoIP phone services for businesses.
You may also cancel your regular phone service. As an add-on, RingCentral offers video conferencing.
RingCentral Meetings is available as a stand-alone product. These are the plans:
Free
- Team meetings are limited to 40 minutes.
- You can have as many individual meetings as you want
- A maximum of 100 people
Essentials ($14.99 per user/month)
- Supports unlimited team meetings
- A maximum of 100 attendees
- Each licence comes with 1,000 minutes of call time
- Customer service is available 24/7
Advanced ($19.99 per user/month)
- 2,500 minutes of call time
- A maximum of 100 attendees
- Availability of SLA
- Dashboard showing usage in real-time
When compared to the other plans on the list, the free package is quite nice. Though each meeting is limited to 40 minutes, you are still able to invite close to 100 people.
That being said, the paid packages are restricted to just 100 people, which is a small number in comparison to what the competitors are offering. Larger meeting capabilities can be added to your package for an additional fee.
RingCentral also offers custom enterprise solutions. To get a personalized quote, you’ll need to get in touch with their sales staff. Combining video meetings with a VoIP phone will save you money.
4. Microsoft Teams — Best Video Conferencing Service For Internal Correspondence
Microsoft Teams is software for instant messaging with video capabilities. The platform was created with internal workplace communication in mind.
Teams is the ultimate in-house collaboration solution, with chat, video, and audio capabilities for groups of 10 or even 10,000 people.
Teams’ direct competition is Slack. But this Microsoft product stands out thanks to its advanced video conferencing and technical capabilities. The setup, use, and onboarding, on the other hand, are a little more complex. Therefore, be prepared for that.
Teams works better when used on a desktop computer or via a web browser. While a smartphone app exists, the web interface is generally easier to use.
Here’s a short rundown of the pricing and plans:
- Microsoft Teams (Free)
- Office 365 Business Premium ($12.50/month per user)
- Office 365 E3 ($20/month per user)
Both paid plans require an annual sign-up. The free and basic-level paid plans each have a cap of 300 users, whereas the Office 365 E3 has no limit.
With the free edition, you’ll still get access to a lot of services, including video conferencing. To get the best value out of the app, you’ll need Office 365 Business Premium.
Paid plans provide more than 140 app integrations, scheduled meetings, 1 TB storage, administrative assistance, and meeting recordings.
Microsoft Teams is limited in its capabilities and it isn’t a complete video conferencing system. It’s easier to do individual or small group video meetings.
If you need to hold large-scale conferences or give client presentations, you should opt for a different solution.
5. Join.me — Video Conferencing For Small Business Enterprises
Individuals, teams, and companies will all benefit from Join.me’s services. Join.me is an option for anyone from entrepreneurs to corporations.
It’s also simple to use and easy to get started. The sign-up process is straightforward. You don’t need to speak with a salesperson or request a personalized quote. You are able to start calling within a few minutes by visiting their website.
Simply request others to “join” the meeting to start video conferencing (where the name comes from). People can be invited through email or by sending a custom link.
You can configure the video conference URL, the background, and start screen sharing with a single click. Even if others are not users of Join.me, you can invite them to your meeting.
Here’s a rundown of the pricing structure:
Lite ($10/month per user)
- No video streaming
- Maximum of 5 attendees
- Attend any number of meetings
- Custom background and link
- There are no time restrictions
Pro ($20/month per user)
- Maximum of ten video streams
- Maximum of 250 attendees per meeting
- Scheduling meetings
- Cloud storage of 50 GB
- Capabilities for recording
Business ($30/month per user)
- Cloud storage of 1 TB
- Maximum of 250 attendees per meeting
- Feature permissions
- Importing users in bulk
- Integration with Salesforce
- Enterprise authentication
Video conferencing is not included in the Lite package. As a result, I highly recommend going for the Pro option.
It’s also worth mentioning that both plans are only available on an annual basis. There are no monthly plans available.
Join.me offers a free trial for 14 days. Join.me is a little constrained when it comes to meeting attendees and the available video streams for each meeting as compared to the others on the list. However, if you are not looking for more than 10 video streams for each conference, this is a good choice.
6. Zoom — Best Video Conferencing Software For Companies Looking To Scale
Zoom has rapidly risen to the top of the video conference services industry since its launch in 2011. Large companies such as Uber, Ticketmaster, GoDaddy, and Pandora, use the software.
Zoom’s simplicity is what makes it stand out. Their plans fit companies of all sizes and types, including one that is for free.
Zoom can hold video conferences with 1,000 attendees and display 49 videos on the interface at the same time.
With user-based security options, waiting rooms, and password protection, the platform is secure. With file sharing, screen sharing, and other collaborative features, Zoom makes it simple for your group to collaborate.
Zoom is a modern service, so it’s only natural that it has a smartphone app. This is ideal for meeting attendees who are busy outside and can’t get to a computer.
Here’s a quick rundown of Zoom’s pricing structure:
Basic (Free)
- Team sessions are limited to 40 minutes
- You can have as many individual meetings as you want
- A maximum of 100 attendees
Pro ($14.99/month per host)
- All features of the Basic plan
- Tools for managing users
- Meetings are limited to 24 hours
- 1 GB cloud storage
- Tools for reporting
- Controls for the admin feature
Business ($19.99/month per host)
- All features of the Pro plan
- Maximum of 300 attendees
- A minimum of 10 hosts
- Corporate branding
- Dedicated support over phone
- Admin features
- Transcripts of cloud recordings
Enterprise ($19.99/month per host)
- All features of the business plan
- A maximum of 1,000 attendees
- A minimum of 50 hosts
- Dedicated customer service rep
- No limits on cloud storage
- Zoom webinars and rooms available for bundle discount
- Executive reviews
As seen above, there is a package to fit everyone’s needs. For a freelancer or an entrepreneur who video chats occasionally for quick meetings, the free plan is ideal.
To get the most out of Zoom, you’ll need to purchase the Business or Pro options. Fortunately, as the business grows, Zoom allows you to upgrade to a different plan.
Also, keep in mind that the quality of customer service you get will be based on your plan. You would have to upgrade to get premium service.
7. Webex — Video Chatting Platform For Cloud Collaboration
Cisco as a brand has become synonymous with cutting-edge technology. Therefore, it’s natural for Cisco Webex to be on the video conference service list.
Webex allows you to host large virtual events with a maximum of 100,000 attendees and run interactive webinars with 3,000 participants.
If you would like to conduct training on-demand with large groups, Webex is a great tool. This is an ideal choice for onboarding workers in various locations on a broad scale.
Another notable feature of the application is the Webex smartphone app. Organizing and attending meetings is easy and convenient from anywhere.
The cloud communication capabilities are in my opinion the best aspect of this video conference app. For being organized and making the conference more interactive, sharing screens and files can be done easily with other attendees. That’s why they’re so good for groups.
You can choose from 4 different Cisco plans, including a simple free option.
Free
- Meetings are limited to 40 minutes
- A maximum of 50 attendees
- Cloud storage of 1 GB
- Attend any number of meetings
Starter ($16.95/month per host)
- No restrictions on meeting duration
- A maximum of 50 attendees
- Transcription recordings
- Cloud storage of 5 GB
- File and application sharing
- User administration
Plus ($22.95/month per host)
- Assign other hosts
- A maximum of 100 attendees
- Webex URL that can be customized
- Give others permission to set up host meetings
- 24/7 customer service
- Admin dashboard
Business ($32.95/month per host)
- Cloud storage of 10 GB
- A maximum of 200 attendees
- SSO
- Customization and branding
- Minimum of 5 licenses each month
- Active Directory synchronization
Seemingly, Webex appears to be more expensive than Zoom. An annual contract, however, will save you 20% each month.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Plus plan has no host minimums, while the Business package has a minimum of 5 licenses. Zoom’s plans have a host minimum of 10 and 50, respectively, for plans with similar pricing.
If you need enterprise or business-level functionality for a small team, Webex is a better choice.
8. ClickMeeting — The Best Video Conference Service For Hosting Webinars
ClickMeeting is slightly different from some of the other video conferencing systems. Webinars are a unique feature of this platform.
It’s an excellent choice for those who are interested in organizing big events online, advertising their products with video presentations or hosting live training sessions and online courses.
For team collaboration and business meetings, they often provide conventional video conference solutions. If that’s all you care about, I’d suggest looking at the other alternatives on the list.
Their pricing structure is also convoluted. There are 2 options depending on the number of participants.
Here’s a breakdown of the monthly price points for the plans:
Live
- 25 participants ($30)
- 50 participants ($45)
- 100 participants ($79)
- 200 participants ($149)
- 500 participants ($179)
- 1,000 participants ($309)
Automated
- 25 participants ($45)
- 50 participants ($55)
- 100 participants ($95)
- 200 participants ($179)
- 500 participants ($229)
- 1,000 participants ($359)
Contact the ClickMeeting sales team for a tailored business solution for video conferencing with over 1,000 participants.
To test ClickMeeting, you can use it on a free trial for 30 days and host webinars having 25 participants. Instead of signing up for a monthly contract, opt for annual billing and save up to 20%.
If you want to broadcast professional webinars with video, the Automated plan is the best choice. Advanced features include auto-streaming to YouTube or Facebook, automated email follow-up with participants, integration of Google Analytics, and attendance certificates.
ClickMeeting is more expensive than the other choices on the list, so it is not the recommended option for just basic needs. However, if you intend to take advantage of the webinar features, the price is well worth it.
How to Choose the Best Video Conference Service
How can you find the right solution for your particular situation now that you’ve reviewed the top options available today?
There are some factors I took into consideration while creating this guide.
I’ve listed the most important ones, along with why you should consider them when evaluating potential platforms.
Length Of The Meeting
With the covid-19 pandemic forcing many people to work from home, companies and schools must have enough time to complete the calls.
That’s why, while compiling this list, I looked closely at how much time each plan lets you take. They also had to be balanced with the number of attendees allowed in each plan.
Ultimately, a package that provides an unlimited amount of time but only allows a dozen people to participate won’t be suitable for larger groups.
Size Of The Conference
With the number of people working remotely in the world of the pandemic, video conference size is a key aspect to consider.
Make sure that you pick a provider and a package that can handle the number of people you’ll be video conferencing with. You don’t want to pay too much for a plan with attendee limits you’ll never need. But, most importantly, you don’t want to end up with an attendee list that’s too big for your service and plan.
Streaming Video
A conference might let you host a lot of attendees, but that does not guarantee that every participant will be able to start a video stream.
RingCentral, for example, allows a maximum of 100 attendees per meeting but only 10 concurrent video streams.
Don’t make decisions solely based on attendee limits. Make sure to check how many people will be able to video stream simultaneously.
Collaboration Software
Collaboration capabilities are important for teams and groups.
For group projects and presentations, features like built-in chat, screen sharing, cloud collaboration, and file sharing are quite useful. When a video conference software can integrate with the platforms and tools you already use to run your company, it’s even better. Pay attention to features like Google Analytics or Salesforce integrations.
Options For Scheduling
You can easily schedule video conferencing sessions using a variety of calendar applications if you use good video conferencing software.
Check to see if the scheduling solutions you’re considering work with integrate with calendar and planning services like Office 365., iCal, and Google Calendar.
Final Thoughts
With video conferencing tools, you can take your virtual meetings to the next level.
What is the best app for video calling? Who you ask and what you’re looking for will determine the answer.
Here’s a quick overview of the best video calling apps discussed so far:
- Zoho Meeting — Best video meeting platform with basic and affordable plans.
- GoToMeeting — Best video calling app on Android.
- RingCentral — Best video conference service for businesses with VoIP plans.
- Microsoft Teams — Best video conferencing service for internal correspondence.
- Join.me —Video conferencing for small business enterprises.
- Zoom — Best video conferencing software for companies looking to scale.
- Webex — Video chatting platform for cloud collaboration.
- ClickMeeting — The best video conference service for hosting webinars.
Based on this list, I’m confident you’ll be able to find the most suitable option for your needs. These solutions are worth considering, regardless of how your business operates.