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Zoom app alternative free.Best Zoom alternatives of | TechRadar
Zoom is one of the best things to happen to collaboration, especially with the rise of remote work , all thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic. Now the usage of video calls for business and personal purposes is on an all-time high as more people have realized that they can be just as productive if they conduct their businesses virtually. Zoom is arguably the most popular platform for these video meetings because of its many great features, but it might not be the best choice for your business operations.
For example, unless you pay for Zoom premium, you cannot use the platform for a meeting that stretches beyond 40 minutes. Also, Zoom has a lot of issues with security and privacy, which is obviously revealed by the prevalent instances of uninvited guests joining private zoom calls.
Fortunately, there are several Zoom alternatives in the market that can meet your needs and in this article, we will be looking at the 10 best free ones. Google Meet is a video-conferencing application that targets business users. It is actually part of the Google workspace, but it is capable of working fully as a standalone application. One fantastic thing about Google meet is that it does not require you to install an application to enjoy the full experience, unlike Zoom.
You can simply access the platform by navigating to the Google Meet page and start a meeting from there. This page allows you to copy the invitation link and send it to your friends or anybody else that you want to join your meeting, and then you can conduct the meeting right from your browser. While Google Meet will work on almost any browser, you will definitely get the best experience if you use Google Chrome as your web browser since the platform has been tailored to fit the browser.
Once you have set up your workspace, you will get a couple of options to start your meeting. You can invite participants via Google Calendar. To do this you will simply need to add Google Meet to the invite and the meeting will be automatically set up at the date and time that you have selected.
You can also set up a meeting by navigating to the Google Meet page and opting to start a meeting instantly. This method will require that you create an invite list and send them their invitations via email. You can also opt to schedule a meeting for later with this method. Like Zoom, Google Meet is free for up to callers, but you can stay on a call for up to an hour with Google Meet. While this platform is largely built for computers, you can download a mobile version on either Playstore or Apple store.
Some of its best features include its screen sharing, live caption, and adjustable layout. Google Meet has a paid version that allows more users, but small companies can make do with the free version. If you have used Cisco Webex before, but have not checked it out in the last year, then you may have an inaccurate option about how it works now.
A lot of work has been done to revamp the platform, particularly its ease of use. Now, it has introduced a lot of powerful features including the new Webex assistant and other powerful features such as its AI capabilities that are responsible for meeting transcription and so on. Webex has a very clean and organized interface. Signing up is easy.
The platform reveals meeting requirements such as attendee lists, meeting passwords, and more, and if you want to set up a larger meeting than the free plan can accommodate then you will have to upgrade to a paid account and download the Cisco Webex productivity tools. Webex has one of the cleanest meeting interfaces that you will find. You have the standard buttons to mute and unmute your microphone, as well as hide or reveal your camera. You can use multiple screens so as to maintain some levels of privacy if you want to play a multimedia file and not share it with the other participants.
One of the best features on this platform is the Apple iPad screen. This lets you create illustrations and drawings to aid teaching during brainstorming sessions. Also, you can easily record your videos on Webex by clicking on a single button. Once you hit the button, the platform will send you an email letting you know that your recording will be available in under 24 hours.
You can also have breakout sessions on Webex, and this is one feature that you will not find on Zoom. This feature lets you start a meeting as a full class and subsequently break up into smaller teams to discuss in detail as smaller teams and then reconvene again as a full class.
Like Zoom, Webex is also available to download on mobile app stores and you can integrate with third-party apps like Google Drive and Microsoft Interesting Comparison : Zoom Vs Bluejeans. Microsoft Teams reminds us that a lot of a self-service insider space is organized into aisles and bins, where everything and everyone you are looking for is easy to find. It is a powerful Zoom alternative that has grown very popular in the last year, especially for remote work collaboration.
If you can accept the structure and settings of Teams, then you will love everything else about the app from its numerous integration options to its ability to work well will all other Microsoft products. However, this very benefit that makes it attractive to Microsoft customers is a deal-breaker for non-Microsoft users. Teams video conferencing abilities together with a host of other features make it a top choice for organizations looking to collaborate over Microsoft products.
This year, Teams announced the rollout of a new feature called Microsoft Viva, which is an employee experience platform that interacts with each individual as opposed to having static elements for everyone. This means that each person will only see things that relate to their job role. On Teams, you can set your personal status to let others know if you are available, on a call, or away from your workstation. This means that you can appear to be unavailable even if you are online so you can quickly turn on your computer to get important information from your Teams without alerting anyone that you are online.
While it is easier to use Microsoft Teams on a Windows10 laptop or desktop, it can be downloaded like Zoom as an Android or Google application and works fine even when you are on the go. Its video conferencing function also comes with a screen sharing ability and a chat function that lets you share information during the course of deliberation.
It is important to note that Skype for Business will soon be integrated into Teams and will cease to exist afterward. Microsoft Skype is a popular Zoom alternative that needs no introduction.
It is often referred to as the department store of communication because it provides group video calling, text messaging, and calls to standard phones. In fact, just recently, Microsoft rolled out their new chatbots features in Skype which is powered by artificial intelligence.
You can use Skype whether on your Android or iOS phones and laptops, and it is even available on accessories such as Android wears and Apple watches.
Getting started on the app is easy. Simply navigate to the homepage to download Skype. Then run the installation and set up the click-to-call function in your browser to enable call out from any web page. Once you have installed Skype, create a new account and sign in to Skype.
You can add a profile picture and start using the application immediately. Skype allows you to search your existing contact list to find people who are already on the platform and you can also search for someone by entering their name or phone number. Currently, it is clean and simple with a picture on the top left side and four buttons below to allow you to perform different tasks. As on Teams, you can set your status on Skype to allow other users to know if you are available, away, or offline.
This is a testament to the top-notch voice and video service that the company has maintained over the years. Just like Zoom, you can conduct video sessions with multiple participants on Skype, albeit the free version does not allow you to add more than 10 participants. The unique thing about Skype is that you can add participants that consist of Skype app users and calls from the telephone system as part of the group call, although the telephone callers will join as call only.
Skype provides you with end-to-end encryption, so you can be sure that your communication with another user is private between the two of you and the service also provides live subtitles to foster clearer communication. It is quite different from the old Hangouts chat that merely existed as a chat app. This Hangouts application is a full-blown message space that is in the same line as other collaboration applications such as Microsoft Teams and Slack.
However, it is only available via a business G Suite account. Just like Zoom, you can use Google Hangouts for one on one calls and group video calls for up to 10 users at once and is a good option to have if you are already paying for the G Suite account. Its interface is quite different from the other collaboration apps that you will come across.
It contains all posts and replies so that they will stay grouped together. For example, you can share a link to a Google document to your Hangouts chat, and Google will automatically assume that you want that document to be accessible by everyone in the room.
However, you can change this and delete the link altogether if you no longer want it. Also, you can access your Hangouts rooms and direct messages right from your Gmail.
This feature is especially useful to Hangouts users that often work out of their emails. You can keep the Hangouts app open as a pop out and it will look exactly like the old Hangouts that used to be a chat application. Google Hangouts is a decent tool that offers you the basic features that other Zoom alternatives offer but lacks certain distinct features such as auto caption, screen recording, and other integrations.
FaceTime is a Zoom alternative that lets you make audio and video calls from your Apple devices. However, there are now Chrome extensions that make it possible for you to use the FaceTime app on your Windows computer. At first glance, you may be tempted to classify FaceTime with the other video chat apps in the market, but that will not be accurate.
While a lot of other video chat apps do something different, FaceTime offers by far the most solid video call solution for mobiles. If you use an iPad 2 or Touch, you will see FaceTime as a standalone application since there is a phone interface on either of them. Maybe even more so. Using it on a regular iPhone is just as simple as making a normal phone call.
You just have to select the contact and dial. It is equally simple to use on an iPad as well. You can add the contact and make your video call with only a few taps from the FaceTime app and even first-time users will figure it out without any stress. You can add up to 32 users to a group video call on FaceTime. As you will find on Zoom, you can easily turn off your video or mute yourself by touching a button. The platform has not always looked as good as its current state.
They have surely invested a lot into it since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. It is simple to get started on the platform. You just have to sign up for the free account with your email address and some other basic information. Once you are signed in, you will find that the layout is clean and free of many distractions. Zoho Meeting has a couple of features that you are unlikely to find in other more popular video meeting applications. Its network administrator-oriented features help your company IT team keep tabs on the overall network performance as it relates to video conferencing calls.
While Zoho Meeting integrates well with other applications on the Zoho portfolio, the same cannot be said about integrating with other more popular apps like Microsoft.
Zoom app alternative free.13 Best Zoom Alternatives of 2022 (and How to Use Them)
Stay in touch with friends and family whenever and wherever with these free videoconferencing services. Alison was previously an editor at TechRepublic. While websites and apps for video chatting are nothing new, the pandemic gave them a massive surge in popularity and completely reshaped the market. Popular preexisting services like Skype fell to the wayside, while services like Zoom quickly rose to the top.
Though the demand for these video chatting services has cooled off some since , there are still a variety of different options out there, each one offering its own benefits and drawbacks. And many of them are free.
Though Zoom claims the top spot when it comes to video chatting apps, the service has also struggled with security concerns. In the past, there were instances of webcam hacking, or " zoombombing ," where people broke into chats and meetings without an invitation. And more recently, the service has come under scrutiny once again due to concerns that its cloud recording feature may be sharing video with people outside the call.
There are plenty of other video chatting options to use to stay in touch with friends, family and coworkers from around the globe. Below, you'll find our ten favorite video conference and video chat apps that you can use for free right now.
It should also be noted, however, that most of the apps listed here have seen security-related issues in the past, which the companies that own them including Apple , Facebook , Microsoft and Google have since patched.
FaceTime is Apple's proprietary video calling app. If you have an iPhone, iPad or Mac, it operates seamlessly, letting you start a video chat with any of your contacts so long as they are also Apple device users the same way you would a phone call or text message. While FaceTime's primary purpose is video chatting, as its name suggests, you can also do audio-only calls if you're in a place with a Wi-Fi or data connection but poor phone signal.
There is also a Group FaceTime option, allowing you to chat with up to 32 people at once -- assuming they all have Apple devices, of course. The Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp has more than 2 billion users worldwide. It's easy to use, and works on Android and iOS devices. WhatsApp offers end-to-end encryption, which means that only you and the person you're sending a message to can read what you send. You can use it to send messages, or make video or audio calls.
Its global popularity makes it a great option for keeping in touch with family and friends worldwide. Skype -- owned by Microsoft -- is available for iOS, Android, Windows and Mac, and offers video and audio calling, as well as a messaging feature. It has an easy-to-use interface, and supports up to 50 people on the same audio call the number of video callers depends on what device you're using, according to the company.
Skype also lets you record, save and share your video calls, and has live captions and subtitles. If you want to video chat with someone but can't do so in real time -- perhaps they have a busy work schedule, or live in another time zone -- Marco Polo is the app for you. You can send video messages to individuals or group chats, which the other parties can watch and respond to at their leisure. Unlike Snapchat, Marco Polo saves all of your video messages so you can revisit conversations, and doesn't limit your video time.
You can also add fun filters and voice effects if you want to mix up your conversations. Facebook's Messenger app is primarily used for sending messages, but also includes a video chat option, making it a convenient choice for those who are on the social media platform all the time anyway. If the person you want to talk to is also a Facebook Messenger user, you can initiate a video or audio call with them through the app.
And like on Facebook's main app and Instagram, you can also add a temporary photo or video to your Story on Facebook Messenger. For companies that run on Office , Microsoft Teams brings together chat, video meetings, audio calling and Office apps like Word, Excel and PowerPoint into one hub for teamwork.
If you have Office , you already have teams, but if you don't, there is a free version available. Houseparty is a video chat app owned by Fortnite developer Epic Games that lets you play popular games like trivia and Heads Up! There have been rumors that the app has enabled Netflix account hacks with loose security protocols. Jitsi is a multiplatform, open-source video conferencing service, which lets you use its multiuser conference client or build your own.
All of its tools are completely free and open source. Jitsi's prebuilt video conferencing app is called Jitsi Meet. It's fully encrypted and you can use it without creating an account. Invite users with a custom URL, and share your desktop and trade messages while you chat.
Google's Hangouts Meet is a videoconferencing tool integrated into the G Suite platform that allows people to hop on meetings via a web link through their laptop or mobile app, or a phone line. If your organization uses G Suite, you can create that link directly through a Google Calendar invite. It's a solid free option for easy business chats if you already use G Suite.
Amazon Chime is the tech giant's communications service that lets you meet, chat and place business calls both inside and outside your organization in the same app. It runs through Amazon Web Services, the company's cloud computing platform. The service operates on pay-per-use pricing, so you can switch between basic features with no charge and professional features that come with a price tag as you need them. Your guide to a better future. We handpick the products and services we write about.
If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement. Alison DeNisco Rayome. May 21, a. FaceTime Best for calling friends on Apple devices.
See at FaceTime. WhatsApp Best for calling friends on mobile devices. See at WhatsApp. Skype Best for group chats. See at Skype. Marco Polo Best for sending video messages. See at Marco Polo. Facebook Messenger Best for Facebook addicts. See at Facebook.
Microsoft Teams Best for Office fans. See at Microsoft. Houseparty Best for playing games together. See at Houseparty. Jitsi Best open-source option. See at Jitsi. See at Google. See at AWS. Best for calling friends on Apple devices. Best for calling friends on mobile devices. Best for group chats. Marco Polo. Best for sending video messages. Facebook Messenger. Best for Facebook addicts. Microsoft Teams. Best for Office fans.
Best for playing games together. Best open-source option. Google Hangouts Meet. Best for Google and G Suite users.
Amazon Chime. For AWS users. Get the best price on everything. Designed to make shopping easier.
Zoom app alternative free
Its global popularity makes it a great option for keeping in touch with family and friends worldwide. Skype -- owned by Microsoft -- is available for iOS, Android, Windows and Mac, and offers video and audio calling, as well as a messaging feature. It has an easy-to-use interface, and supports up to 50 people on the same audio call the number of video callers depends on what device you're using, according to the company.
Skype also lets you record, save and share your video calls, and has live captions and subtitles. If you want to video chat with someone but can't do so in real time -- perhaps they have a busy work schedule, or live in another time zone -- Marco Polo is the app for you.
You can send video messages to individuals or group chats, which the other parties can watch and respond to at their leisure. Unlike Snapchat, Marco Polo saves all of your video messages so you can revisit conversations, and doesn't limit your video time.
You can also add fun filters and voice effects if you want to mix up your conversations. Facebook's Messenger app is primarily used for sending messages, but also includes a video chat option, making it a convenient choice for those who are on the social media platform all the time anyway. If the person you want to talk to is also a Facebook Messenger user, you can initiate a video or audio call with them through the app.
And like on Facebook's main app and Instagram, you can also add a temporary photo or video to your Story on Facebook Messenger. For companies that run on Office , Microsoft Teams brings together chat, video meetings, audio calling and Office apps like Word, Excel and PowerPoint into one hub for teamwork.
If you have Office , you already have teams, but if you don't, there is a free version available. Houseparty is a video chat app owned by Fortnite developer Epic Games that lets you play popular games like trivia and Heads Up! There have been rumors that the app has enabled Netflix account hacks with loose security protocols.
Jitsi is a multiplatform, open-source video conferencing service, which lets you use its multiuser conference client or build your own. All of its tools are completely free and open source. Jitsi's prebuilt video conferencing app is called Jitsi Meet. It's fully encrypted and you can use it without creating an account.
Invite users with a custom URL, and share your desktop and trade messages while you chat. Google's Hangouts Meet is a videoconferencing tool integrated into the G Suite platform that allows people to hop on meetings via a web link through their laptop or mobile app, or a phone line. If your organization uses G Suite, you can create that link directly through a Google Calendar invite.
It's a solid free option for easy business chats if you already use G Suite. Amazon Chime is the tech giant's communications service that lets you meet, chat and place business calls both inside and outside your organization in the same app. It runs through Amazon Web Services, the company's cloud computing platform. The service operates on pay-per-use pricing, so you can switch between basic features with no charge and professional features that come with a price tag as you need them.
Your guide to a better future. We handpick the products and services we write about. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement. Alison DeNisco Rayome. May 21, a.
FaceTime Best for calling friends on Apple devices. See at FaceTime. WhatsApp Best for calling friends on mobile devices. See at WhatsApp. Skype Best for group chats. See at Skype. Marco Polo Best for sending video messages. See at Marco Polo. Facebook Messenger Best for Facebook addicts. See at Facebook. Microsoft Teams Best for Office fans. Besides, it allows you to record all the meetings in the cloud and share them with other users. You can also do one-on-one chat with users and use live captions to follow every word uttered in the meeting.
Integration with Outlook or the mobile app also helps you schedule your meetings and control them from anywhere, anytime. The first three plan allows attendees, while the Office E3 plan lets you host up to 10, attendees. Besides, all the plans provide standard features like screen sharing, customized backgrounds, scheduled meetings, chat messages, data encryption, among others.
Skype has been around for a long time in the video conferencing services world. It is a popular Zoom alternative that lets you make video calls and host participants all over the world for free. And you can do it directly from your browser without installing the application — simply create a meeting link and share it with your audience. Skype also allows you to record video or audio calls and share your screen with other participants in the call. You can share PowerPoint presentations, video, audio, images, and more with the entire team — and that too on a full screen.
It also allows you to share your current location with every attendee in the video conference. Besides, it comes with a drag-and-drop file sharing feature that lets you share images, videos, presentations, and more for up to MB.
Skype also allows you to call landlines and mobile phones, albeit at additional charges. You can also get a Skype number from another region or country to receive calls like a regular phone. It also allows you to send SMS text messages anytime and anywhere. Cisco Webex is a video conferencing solution that helps you host online HD video meetings and keeps you connected through messaging.
It also offers other collaborative features like screen sharing, calling, file sharing, whiteboarding, AI transcriptions, recording, and more making it one of the top Zoom alternatives for companies. Plus, Cisco Webex now comes with many AI-based features as well. For instance, you can now give in-meeting reactions through hand gestures or send emojis and gifs during the meeting.
It also uses Artificial Intelligence to put more important messages at the top and saves shared files alongside those messages. Cisco Webex provides plenty of other features for team collaboration, including:. One of its unique features is its AI-powered Webex assistant that takes notes of meeting highlights for future reference. This video conferencing software also offers pre-designed meeting invite templates, including brainstorm sessions, quick catch-ups, and more.
It also allows you to use your screen or presentation as your virtual background and remove distracting background noises. You can also study insights and analytics provided by the Control Hub, including real-time data usage, utilization, environmental conditions, etc. The Desk works with monitors, laptops, or Webex Desk Hub — while the Webex Board helps with hosting video conferences, whiteboarding, and annotating content wirelessly.
The free plan allows meeting participants, the Starter plan allows attendees, while Business and Enterprise plans allow up to and , attendees, respectively. Google Hangouts is a simple communication tool by Google that is available on both mobile and desktop. You can use it to message contacts, start free video or voice calls, conduct small meetings, etc.
It helps you do both one-on-one and group video calls with up to 10 users at a time. Plus, everyone with a Gmail account can use Google Hangouts without any paid subscription. The hangout app can also detect and display the person speaking through smaller live shots at the bottom of the screen. It also helps you easily switch between the rear and front camera of the device or turn off your microphone and camera.
Depending upon the bandwidth of your internet connection, Google Hangouts can stream live meetings in HD quality. It also offers funny stickers, GIFs, emojis, and images to promote more interaction among users. You can also do one-on-one or group chats with Google Hangouts.
And it saves all the messages even after the conversation is over, which comes in handy for future references. Eyeson is a video collaboration tool that helps you conduct video meetings directly from your browser. You can share the link easily via WhatsApp, email, or any other medium.
You can also start the meeting anytime you want from its iOS and Android mobile app. To save more bandwidth, you can host the meeting in Eco Mode, where the tool shuts down the video and helps you listen to the audio clearly. Plus, it allows you to create unlimited meeting rooms for different meetings and host up to 25 participants per call.
The multi-speaker layout also helps you see up to 9 attendees within one video stream. Eyeson also allows you to share the screen, PDF files, images, and other media files. BlueJeans is a video conferencing tool that helps you conduct virtual events and meetings in HD video quality meetings.
You can also host town halls, live interactive events, and webcasts for a large number of audiences. The platform allows up to 50, view-only attendees with presenters and lets attendees join browser-based meetings without any installation. Its Smart Meetings feature helps you tag business-critical moments, mark event highlights, and assign actions for teams.
Collaboration features like file-sharing during the meeting, whiteboarding, and annotating help you interact with attendees. The Command Center lets you take total control with real-time actionable insights into network conditions, meeting performance, and user-focused ROI.
It helps you monitor and resolve issues before they become a severe problem. You can live-stream your events on Facebook or Workplace by Facebook and record all types of events on the cloud.
The virtual meeting platform also offers security features that help you prevent fraud, manage identity, and keep your meetings confidential. Additionally, Bluejeans supports leading meeting hardware devices from Cisco, Poly, Lifesize, and other popular brands. The Standard plan lets you host up to 50 participants, the Pro plan allows 75 participants, and the Enterprise allows participants. Jitsi Meet is an open-source video conferencing platform that offers HD video streaming with end-to-end encryption.
Its free meeting access helps you interact with up to 50 people in a single meeting. You can share a link or invite attendees by calling them on the phone.
The participants can join the meeting without signing up for the platform. You can also connect your Jitsi Meet with the calendar and start your meeting from there with a single click. The platform allows integration with Apple, Google, and Microsoft calendars.
With Jitsi as a Service, you can create a customized video experience in your mobile and web apps. FaceTime is a video calling application by Apple that lets you make audio and video calls from your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch to other Apple devices.
However, there are Chrome extensions available that can help you use the chat app on Windows 7, 8, 10, and more. FaceTime allows up to 32 attendees during a group video call. If you want to save your bandwidth, you can also make audio-only calls. The app offers a simple user interface with minimal controls, including a call end, mute, and video turn off button. It also allows you to add stickers, Animoji, and filters to your video call.
But you have to make your memoji before starting the video call. While the app is entirely free, secure, and offers HD quality, it still has limited features. You can create a custom meeting link based on your branding requirements and mail it to the participants. The participants can simply click on the link and join your meeting. Plus, it allows Google Chrome users to attend the call without downloading the software. You can also swap the presenters in between the meeting and allow them to share their own screens.
With its PRO subscription, you can share the screen with up to people. Additionally, use Join. It also allows you to start the meeting from calendars. You can even start an audio conference call through VoIP at no extra cost. Google Meet is a great Zoom alternative because it is a web app-based meeting tool, unlike Zoom that you must download as a separate video conferencing app. Also, with a Google Business account, you get all of the premium features included in your account.
Plus, it offers all features like screen sharing, whiteboarding, conference calling, video conferencing, mobile conferencing, cloud-based recording, transcription, etc. These were my top picks for the best Zoom alternatives. Picking the right video conference or team collaboration platform is essential, especially in the aftermath of COVID For a large enterprise that wants to host large audiences, Microsoft Teams is a suitable option. On the other hand, FaceTime and Google Hangouts are more suitable for personal video chat.
Which of these Zoom alternatives are you planning to use, and why? Let me know in the comments below. Disclosure: I may receive affiliate compensation for some of the links below at no cost to you if you decide to purchase a paid plan. You can read our affiliate disclosure in our privacy policy. This site is not intending to provide financial advice.
This is for entertainment only. Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase a paid plan.
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