Video conferencing or video streaming has become a very popular way of communicating with people live in the comfort of your own home or office. Some organizations and the government also make the use of such tools mandatory for remote workers or even employees locally. These days, there are many tools available for remote communication, and they fall into two different categories: audio and audio/video tools.
Here, I will be sharing with you, the ultimate tools
Dialpad Meetings
Dialpad Meetings (formerly UberConference) is a no-download video conferencing tool with built-in AI and a high level of customization.
Meetings can be scheduled directly in the Dialpad interface, or via Microsoft 365/Google Calendar. Instant team chat messaging, screen/app/browser tab sharing, whiteboarding, and real-time file collaboration are also available with Dialpad Meetings.
Dialpad Meetings offers a free plan and a paid plan for $15.00/user per month. Free plan users enjoy 45-minute minutes with up to 10 participants. Additional free features include:
- Call recording
- Audio-only conferencing
- Slack, Salesforce, HubSpot, LinkedIn, Twitter, Evernote, Intercom, and Salesforce integrations
- Meeting room locks
- Online knowledge base access
- Web and chat support
- Phone support Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Best For:
Dialpad Meetings is best for small companies that host brief meetings often, but who primarily need to find a free video conferencing tool that integrates with third-party tools many other platforms require a paid account to integrate.
Pros:
- Includes high level of free integrations
- Phone support available on the free plan
- Call recording, screen sharing, and instant messaging included in free plan
Cons:
- Free plan has a maximum participant capacity of 10
- Free plan doesn’t include some top AI features (like automated post-meeting notes) Dialpad is especially known for
Google Meet
Google Meet is a free video conferencing solution that offers unlimited meetings — optimized for Chrome but available in any major web browser — that you can use regardless of whether or not you have a G Suite account.
In addition to HD video and screen sharing, Google Meet also lets you share documents with any number of participants in the meeting.
This is even easier to do if you use Drive, Docs, and Sheets since they’re all integrated into Google Workspace and your Google Calendar.
Best for:
Existing Google Workspace users that want a reliable video conferencing solution capable of integrating with the rest of their stack.
Pros:
- HD video
- Screen sharing
- Document sharing
Cons:
- You need a Gmail account to join video conferences
Cisco Webex Meetings
Cisco Webex Meetings is one of the top video conferencing solutions due to the expansiveness of its free plan. While it does share the 40-minute time limit of Zoom, you get 1 GB of cloud storage and the ability to add as many as 50 participants in a single meeting.
The active speaker view makes it easy to keep track of who’s talking in a given moment. Another handy feature is the real-time polling that you can use to make team decisions during meetings.
Calendar integrations also make it easy to schedule tasks whenever a new aspect of the project is discussed. All meetings and recordings are fully encrypted to ensure that no one eavesdrops. Did we mention that it also supports HD video and screen sharing?
Best for:
Companies looking for a feature-rich solution with an expansive free plan.
Pros:
- 1 GB storage
- Up to 50 participants
- Active speaker view
- Real-time polls
- Calendar integrations
- Full encryption on meetings and recordings
- HD video
- Screen sharing
Cons:
- 40-minute time limit on the free plan
RingCentral Meetings
If you’re a regular reader of GetVoIP then you’ve probably already heard about RingCentral a few times. They’re one of the top providers in the VoIP industry, but you might not know that they also provide a video conference solution known as RingCentral Meetings.
In addition to the foundational features such as HD video and screen sharing, you’ll also find recording and text chat capabilities. You can use the in-meeting group chat or private chat depending on how classified the information you’re sharing is supposed to be.
You can connect to a meeting from your computer, mobile device, or even landline. Much like Zoom, there is a 40-minute time limit for conferences. No limits are imposed upon face-on-face meetings.
Best for:
In-office teams that want to be able to join a conference through the landline on their desks.
Pros:
- HD video
- Screen sharing
- Recording
- Text chat (group and private)
- Device compatibility for PC, desktop, and landline
Cons:
- 40-minute meeting limit for free users
Skype
With over a million users — and a projected million-user increase in the next five years — Skype is still one of the largest video conferencing solutions. Free users can host group video calls with up to 25 participants.
Sadly the 250-attendee conferences are no longer available as Skype for Business retired in 2021 but there’s still a lot to like about the platform. A key selling-point for Skype is its real-time translation capabilities.
The voice translator supports 10 languages (English, Spanish, French, German, Mandarin, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, and Russian) while the text translator supports over 60 languages. This makes multilingual conferences easier than ever before.
Best for:
Existing Office 365 subscribers or any company looking or a widely-used and robust video conferencing solution.
Pros:
- Ubiquitous in the business world
- Up to 25 participants in free group calls
- 10-language voice translation
- 60+ languages supported on text translator
Cons:
- 250-person conferences are locked to those who subscribe to the Office 365 Business plan
- Skype for Business is retiring in 2021
Zoom
Zoom is a heavy hitter in the video conferencing world because of the many options included in every plan. The platform also boasts flawless video, crystal clear audio and instant sharing capabilities that make it our favorite option for video conferencing. Many people who use Zoom often switch from other conference call software because of frustrations they face using other available platforms.
Zoom is the ideal web meeting software for users who want to simply and effectively connect with customers and clients remotely. It also has Chrome and Linux OS support for increased flexibility and secure socket layer (SSL) encryption to guarantee secure communications.
All Zoom plans include:
- Screen sharing from desktops, tablets or mobile devices
- Whiteboarding
- HD video and voice
- Unlimited number of meetings per month
- Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption
- Chat and messaging (private and group)
- Scheduling with Chrome extensions
- Meeting record option
- Ability to join a meeting by telephone
- Instant or scheduled meetings
- Online support
- Breakout rooms
- Breakout capabilities let you divide your meetings into as many as 50 separate sessions!
There’s also a free version of Zoom, but the features and capabilities are limited. Conferences that have many participants cannot go beyond 40 minutes. For advanced features like user management, interoperability, custom meeting IDs for individual participants, phone support and managed domains, you have to subscribe to one of its premium plans. Fortunately, the paid plans are typically less expensive than comparable plans with other providers.
Participants
The number of participants allowed per meeting will vary based on the plan you select. You have the option to add on more participants with every plan except the free version.
Zoom Webinars & Events
Does your company conduct webinars or live demos? Zoom Webinars and Events let you engage with an unlimited audience in live, virtual events. In Zoom Rooms, wired and wireless content sharing is available, as well as the option to remotely control and monitor meetings from one centralized interface. You can also implement digital signage and scheduling displays to help enhance office communication and make booking meetings easy!
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is designed for seamless efficiency and collaboration. It integrates with Office applications like Word and SharePoint, and its design and infrastructure make it exceptionally interactive. The company has also made it possible to integrate Skype for Business into Microsoft Teams.
This program was designed as a response to the growing number of collaboration tools, like Slack, that have dominated the market in the last few years. Microsoft Teams is a catch-all chat tool for the workplace, but its video conferencing option is just as compelling and powerful. Users can launch video conferences directly from their chats.
All Microsoft Teams plans include:
- Web version of Word, Excel and PowerPoint
- File storage and sharing
- Up to 300 users
- 24/7 phone and web support
One of the newest features included in Microsoft Teams allows users to invite guests that are not part of their enterprise’s Azure Active Directory. In addition, the mobile version of Microsoft Teams supports voicemail on Android and iOS.
GoToMeeting
Even though GoToMeeting no longer dominates the video conferencing space, it remains a highly polished remote meeting software with a long list of features that would satisfy the needs of most business environments.
This user-friendly software has a few important advantages over its competitors, including its polling and “raise a hand” features. Furthermore, GoToMeeting allows unlimited video meetings and secures these meetings with end-to-end encryption.
All GoToMeeting plans include:
- 24/7 customer care
- HD video
- Unlimited meetings
- Screen sharing from desktops, tablets or mobile devices
- Messaging
- Web audio – no phone required
- Security
With a 14-day free trial, you can see the ease and convenience of the features first-hand.
Participants
GoToMeeting allows 10 to 250 participants, depending on the type of plan you get. However, the free version allows a maximum of three participants vs. up to 100 on other platforms.
Skype for Business
Packaged with Microsoft Office 365, Skype for Business is likely already familiar to many users. The business version takes the free, standard platform’s capabilities to the next level.
All Skype for Business plans include:
- Unlimited meetings
- Screen sharing
- Instant messaging anytime
- Tight security
- Conferencing with up to 250 participants
Skype can also easily integrate with Microsoft Office programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook.
By adding an enterprise package, meeting leaders can host up to 250 participants over a secure connection. Upgrading to Online Plan 2 adds HD video and audio calling, a 50GB mailbox and up to 1 TB file storage and mobile technical support.
Microsoft recently announced that it will be retiring Skype for Business requiring users to find a new solution.
Conclusion
The best video conferencing tools can support teamwork and boost productivity among its members. Each one of these video conferencing apps and video conferencing tools comes free and has unique features that allow seamless communication for collaborative purposes.