Advancements in technology have made video conferencing apps more accessible and affordable. Especially in this pandemic situation, almost everyone relies upon some of the other video conferencing app. But while using any one of the best video conferencing apps, did you feel like they are not living up to your expectations? Or could’ve provided with more features? Well, if it is so, here is a list of Top-5 best video conferencing apps that might help you choose the right video conferencing app for you according to your requirements.
Video conferencing lets you instantly meet with anyone, without the need to travel. Participants connect in a virtual meeting using HD video and audio across the web, desktop, mobile, or video system.
Google Meet
Formerly known as Google Hangouts Meet, Google Meet, a part of the G Suite office productivity platform, has recently enjoyed a rebranding. The platform aims on providing first-class conferencing service to its customers.
It was, specifically, developed for business use but can be used by anyone now.
Google Meet, one of the best video conferencing apps, gives you a web app experience meaning that it doesn’t have any software to download. It also provides its users with a dedicated dial-in number which makes sure that participants can join in the meeting on the go and ensures the line quality is maintained along with zero drop-outs. With its smart participation feature and a fast interface, it can carter an ample number of people at once and also reduces the need to wait.
The one negative point Google Meet endures is that it would only work with Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge browsers on PC. However, it would work just fine on your phones.
Ultimately, Google Meet is the best video conferencing platform for businesses and personal use which doesn’t require any big up-front costs for hardware, thus making it accessible for all.
Pricing
G Suite basic would cost you $6/month, where 25 people can meet once. The one for Business would cost you $12/month, which can accommodate around 50 people.
G Suite Enterprise comes at $25/month, which can host 100 people at once. Another plus point of Google Meet is that it won’t cost you high monthly costs that others may charge.
Pros
- Competitive Pricing
- G-Suite Integration
- Accessible and Simple
Cons
- Doesn’t have browser compatibility for all browsers
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is more like a business-like or professional video conferencing app with all the features one might want from any video conferencing app.
You can schedule audio or video call/meetings with your team or even a single person. Microsoft Teams would let administers organize large meetings and webinars with up to 10,000 participants in the meeting.
Having full integration with Microsoft 365 will allow you to easily schedule calls and share invites among the organization. If you want to have external guests, they can directly join from their browsers without having to download the app.
Microsoft Teams provides its users with some top-notch features, including live captions, call recording, screen sharing, background blur technology (You can even set-up background of your choice), and chat functionalities, among others. Integration with Microsoft 365 makes Microsoft Teams the leader in video conferencing and digital workspace integration.
Microsoft Teams is complemented by hardware options which enable users to connect for meeting from almost everywhere. You can Microsoft Teams on desktops and mobiles. Microsoft for students, used for conducting virtual school or college classes, would provide additional features like assignments, notebooks, and etc.
Ultimately, Microsoft Teams is not one of the best video conferencing apps but is THE BEST video conferencing app!
Pricing
Microsoft Teams is available to Microsoft 365 account holders. The license plans to get access to Microsoft Teams are Bussiness Essentials, Business Premium, Enterprise E1, E3, and E5.
The cheapest one, that is, Business Essentials, would cost you $5/month with an annual commitment. Business Premium would cost you $12.50/month. The Enterprise E3 plan would cost $20/month.
Pros
- Microsoft 365 integration
- Can host 10,000 participants at once
- Background blur
- Live captions
Cons
- Can get costly
Zoom Meetings
In this pandemic situation, Zoom Meetings has served as a big rescue for every one of us. This video conferencing app not only aims to provide the best quality video conferencing and messaging solutions but also provides with a wide range of scalable features. It is very easy to set-up and provides with HD video and audio. You can also share files, notes, and chat with one single person or with the whole team on Zoom Meetings.
When signed into Zoom Meetings, you would get a personal meeting ID that can be used to conduct and schedule meetings.
Zoom: A Leader in the 2020 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Meeting Solutions.
Zoom Meetings can accommodate 1,000 participants simultaneously. You can even see up to 49 videos on a single screen, on big-screen monitors.
Through Zoom, you can share and save files, and the meetings can even be escalated into one-on-one calls. You can save meetings and all the shared stuff locally or to the cloud. Zoom Meetings also provides searchable history and up to 10-year archives.
Zoom Meetings also has in-built, high security for your meet-ups. Your meeting is secured with a passcode and people who have the meeting link and ID along with the passcode. Being a host, you can even change the meeting settings for screen sharing, waiting room, etc., thus making Zoom Meetings one of the best video conferencing apps.
Pricing
Plus point of using Zoom Meetings is that its feature-rich tier is available at zero cost which can host around 100 people for 40 minutes. The host can have the paid tier to take advantage of additional tools for team management and administration, starting from $14.99 per month, rising up to $19.99 per month.
Pros
- User-Friendly
- Has a free tier
- Can record and save meetings and shared files
Cons
- Could make use of additional security features
Cisco Webex Meetings
Name like Cisco behind, you would, obviously, have high expectations from WebEx Meetings, and this best video conferencing app won’t disappoint you. It comes with several plans but, under most circumstances, the free version should do just fine.
It enables you to have HD video meetings hosting up to 100 participants, along with screen sharing and private chat rooms.
When signed up, you will get an URL of your own through which you can manage your meetings and can have access to the recording made.
While hosting a meeting, you can either use the WebEx Meetings app or can just use the website, though desktop apps would give you a smoother experience.
One of the best video conferencing apps, Cisco WebEx, caters security for its users and is backed by Cisco’s networking know-how means performance which is very impressive.
Pricing
Cisco WebEx Meeting can go from no charge to $233.99/year. In the free 30 day trial, you can accommodate around 200 participants.
The Starter tier can incorporate 50 users at $13.50/month. Plus tier would cost you $17.95.month and can include 100 participants at once.
The business tier can host around 200 participants and comes at $26.95/month. The last tier, Enterprise, would cost you $233.99 for one year.
Pros
- 1GB cloud storage
- Can host up to 100 participants
Cons
- Does not provide additional features which its competitors do
- Costly compared to others
GoToMeeting
GoToMeeting is the only web conferencing service/platform by LogMeIn. It provides its customers with video and audio conferencing along with screen sharing.
GoToMeeting is very much mobile-friendly, the one feature that sets it apart from others. You can start a video conference from your smartphone which even a big brand software might fail to do. The app gives you settings that can maximize call and image quality and one-tap invites to join meetings and chats.
Mobile apps for GoToMeeting are provided separately for iOS and Android, having high positive review volumes. They also balance usability and quality with mobile use.
Pricing
This one of the best video conferencing apps has a payment tier dependent on your usage. The most basic tier provides almost all the standard features costing $14/month or $12 with an annual payment. This plan can host 150 participants.
The business tier comes at $19/month or 16 when paid annually, which can incorporate 250 participants with an increase in a few admin features. The enterprise plan of GoToMeetings can accommodate around 3,000 participants.
Pros
- Mobile-Friendly
- VoIP upgrade
Cons
- Less pocket friendly compared to competitors
These were the Top-5 best video conferencing apps 2020. All of them provide top-notch features and live up to the expectations of the users. They are available in several tiers, some having free tiers. You can select the one that fits your requirements best.