10 Best Free Zoom Alternatives – Rigorous Themes.Best Zoom alternatives for video calling | Tom’s Guide

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
However, as they aren’t as popular, their security concerns haven’t been publicized.
 
 

– 11 Zoom Alternatives for Live Streams, Teams & More ()

 
Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and . Therefore, the above given figures are just an average rate per location. But still, if you are considering an MVP mobile app like Zoom with essential features, then the development cost . Now you must be thinking that these are some really great features, but how much would it actually cost to build an app like Zoom. The cost to build a video chat app will depend on the .

App like zoom. Top 10 Zoom Alternatives & Competitors (Features, Pricing, Ratings)

T he COVID pandemic has resulted in a slew of requests and orders to stay home and work remotely as much as possible, in an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. All that isolation means many are using video conferencing software like Zoom to get work done and talk to friends or family.

But Zoom has found itself in hot water after its privacy practices have been called into question. The Facebook-owned app is available on the web or your smartphone, lets you send SMS messages for free, supports group chats with up to participants, and allows for free audio and video calls with up to four people.

WhatsApp features end-to-end encryption as well, so you can count on your calls, text, and video chats being secure. Messenger supports a load of chat-friendly features, like emoji reactions, stickers, and up to six people on screen during a video call though 50 people can participate. When digging about it, I found out that there is a difference between the live chat and the video calls when it comes to limitations on Discord. Their live chat option is more oriented to webinars, CEO announcements, class teaching, etc.

Riot is another excellent alternative for secure calls that allows you to organize rooms around your team, friends, or community. With Riot, you can chat, share files, add widgets, make video or voice calls, and also hold conferences.

Additionally, as a user, you have the freedom to own your data by hosting your server. What makes it unique is the fact that it shares your screen once you start a call, which can be extremely useful when you need to discuss with your teammates on a specific subject.

I find Join. It feels like a combination of Skype and TeamViewer. GoToMeeting is a powerful online meeting, desktop sharing, and video conferencing tool that enables you to meet with other users, customers, clients, or colleagues in real-time. Compared to other online meeting tools mentioned above, GoToMeeting feels a lot more business-oriented. Their main goal is to help teams work remotely and enable people to create and host webinars.

BlueJeans is a great cloud video conferencing tool that enables you to quickly and securely hold live video calls, webinars, conference calls, and online meetings. Digging deeper into their service plans, I noticed that even their cheaper one that allows you to host up to 50 participants comes with powerful features like unlimited and group meetings, recordings, support, and more. From a first look, Zoho seemed to focus on webinars and presentations.

However, after taking a closer look at its features, I noticed that it could do much more. You can also download the Zoho app on your Android or iOS device or use their extension from Chrome and Firefox browsers. I know, so many options! Overall, Zoho Meeting can easily compete with Zoom in terms of features and capabilities. Webex is an online meeting tool that allows you to virtually meet with other people, without leaving your home or office. They opened a whole new section on their website dedicated to remotely working teams.

Also, They extended their free package with some cool modifications allowing you to add up to usually up to 50 participants in each meeting, meet as long as you want there used to be a 40 min time-limit , and also call-in for audio in addition to the VoIP capabilities.

Tox is an entirely free alternative for online communication. What makes it different is its security. Since Tox uses open-source encryption and has no central servers, nobody can get access to your messages and data.

Its main features are voice and video calling, screen sharing, file sharing, and the possibility of creating groups. Overall, Tox is a great solution for those concerned about their privacy.

Secure, fast, free, and with zero advertising — I honestly think that this looks too good to be true. Google Meet is another communication software developed by Google I think we all heard about. 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. 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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Learn how your comment data is processed. Check our help guide for more info. Best for SMBs. Go to site. Best Overall. Best for Large Enterprises. Best Free Alternative. Best for Enterprises. Try Zoho Meeting. Try GoToMeeting. Try RingCentral. Try Google Meet. Try Microsoft Teams. Adam Enfroy Adam Enfroy is a full-time blogger and affiliate marketing expert. Join Adam and , monthly readers on AdamEnfroy.

Before starting this blog, Adam managed digital marketing teams for large SaaS startups and reviews the best software to run your online business. He has been featured in over publications, including Forbes, Business Insider, and Entrepreneur. Zoho Meeting. Google Meet. Microsoft Teams.

There are video conferencing platforms out there that have far better security features than Zoom, and some that simply make video calls more accessible and fun. Indeed, Skype goes beyond Zoom in several important ways. Be aware, though, that Zoom still allows larger group calls, so Skype is an excellent tool that works best with smaller numbers. Read our full Microsoft Skype review opens in new tab.

The Webex app makes it easy to make crystal-clear calls, host video meetings, and use an instant messaging service that has added collaboration tools opens in new tab , and you can enhance meetings with presentations opens in new tab , emojis, background noise removal, and real-time translation. You can upgrade to the Starter, Business, and Enterprise packages to add more features, longer meetings, and extra participants.

Read our full Cisco Webex Meetings review opens in new tab. It can hold meetings with up to participants with time limits of up to 24 hours, and the free version of the service still allows meetings with up to people. Google Meets has similar layout options to Zoom.

It allows breakout rooms and customized backgrounds. Read our full Google Meet review opens in new tab. Teams impresses with a wide range of corporate features.

App like zoom –

Already a print subscriber? Go here to link your subscription. Go here to connect your wallet. Already have a digital account? Sign In. Subscribe Now Or create a free account to access more articles Existing print subscriber? You can get on a video call one-on-one or up to people for free. Source: Webex. The leading video meeting platform for Fortune companies , Webex by Cisco integrates your meetings, messaging, and contact center on one platform.

Stellar improvements include more integrations e. Plus, you never have to worry about your audio echoing. This smart video calling tool even automatically pans and zooms to keep you in frame. If only we could remove our noisy background in video calls… Oh wait, we can with Google Meet formerly Hangouts Meet! Recent updates for premium plans include moving participants automatically from Breakout rooms, hosting meetings with up to participants, and translated captions.

Source: BlueJeans. BlueJeans by Verizon may not ring a bell for some of us, but it has come a long way since its launch in Users applaud the high-quality audio and video recording thanks to its Dolby Voice engineered tech and user-friendly interface.

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.

When deciding which Zoom alternative to use, first consider what actual needs you have. For example, someone simply wanting to talk to a handful of people on a casual basis may find a free option is the most practical and cost-effective while providing all of the necessary tools that would be required. However, if you’re planning to use a Zoom alternative for professional or business videoconferencing, especially with a large number of people and on a regular basis, then you will probably want to look to the higher-end options for the more advanced tools that are included.

We’ve also featured the best webinar software opens in new tab. Anna is a freelance copywriter with extensive knowledge on the technology sector. She writes about a variety of topics for TechRadar including web hosting, website builders and cybersecurity. She also has a knack for writing deals, guides and versus articles. Tech Radar. North America. Reasons to avoid – Zoom allows for larger group calls. Cisco Webex. Reasons to avoid – Many features are paywalled. Since Tox uses open-source encryption and has no central servers, nobody can get access to your messages and data.

Its main features are voice and video calling, screen sharing, file sharing, and the possibility of creating groups. Overall, Tox is a great solution for those concerned about their privacy. Secure, fast, free, and with zero advertising — I honestly think that this looks too good to be true. Google Meet is another communication software developed by Google I think we all heard about.

However, there are some limitations to its free plan, including a 1-hour maximum length for calls and a maximum of participants.

This does not apply when joining one, as anyone inside or outside your organization can join with a link. FortKnoxster is another communication platform that uses end-to-end encryption to make sure your data is safe and secure. FortKnoxster is free for use and has zero-advertising. With it, you can chat in real-time, send text or voice messages to your team or business partners, make video calls, start group conferences, share your screen, and more.

Everything without having to worry about your privacy! TrueConf Server is a self-hosted video conferencing software that works on all popular operating systems. Its premium plan allows you to add up to 36 speakers and participants to a video conference. Additionally, TrueConf comes with some interesting features like the possibility of integrating it with surveillance systems, VoIP devices, and PBXs, reliable video communication even works with an internet speed of 32kbps , and multiple collaboration tools.

All you have to do is choose a room name and share the generated link with your friends or team. Also, when it comes to features and capabilities, Talky comes with screen sharing, support, and an option to lock your room for extra privacy. Telegram is a popular, secure chat app that allows you to send text, audio, and video messages. The app is cloud-based so that you can access your files on multiple devices. It has an open API for everyone. The reason I find Telegram a convenient alternative to the most popular video conferencing tools is that it has end-to-end encryption and allows you to send files up to 1.

Also, the desktop version is just simply great. However, they are working on developing a secure group video calling feature that is supposed to come later this year. Viber is another secure choice when it comes to online communication solutions. Viber-to-Viber communication is free. Jitsi Meet is completely free and lets you stay in touch with your team. It has no user limit, is fully encrypted, does not require an account, and allows you to join a meeting without having to download the app.

With it, you can also share your screen, send text messages while you video conference, and even control the access to your rooms by using a password. Even if it looks more like a Skype alternative, WeChat has its place on this list, and it comes with exciting features like payments, message translation, QR codes scan, and more.