If you’re new to virtual meetings, you might be wondering, “What is video conferencing, and which service should I use?” Video conferencing software is usually an app that you install or a service that you use in your browser. It lets a group meet in “virtual rooms” by video link. It’s like being at work, but you’re sitting on your couch and wearing your pajamas.
Whether you’re a student or teacher figuring out virtual learning or a tech-savvy remote worker looking for the best video meeting app, the best video conferencing software has features that make it easier to work together, like group chat, screen and file sharing, and interactive whiteboarding. Here are our choices for the best video conferencing apps and the best internet and data plans to make sure your meetings go smoothly.
Best Free Video Conferencing Apps
Zoom: Best Features for Remote Learning
Pros
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- The free plan supports up to 100 people
- Simultaneous screen sharing
- Fun perks like virtual backgrounds, polling, on-screen emojis
Cons
- The time limit for free accounts
- A multitude of settings can be confusing
Zoom has virtually (get it?) taken over the video conferencing market and become the most popular video call app for online learning, business meetings, and just hanging out. With a free account, you can have up to 100 people on the call, but if you have more than three people on the call, your meeting can only last 40 minutes (so make that PowerPoint presentation quick!). If you want to use Zoom for online classes or business meetings, you can upgrade to a paid account and host sessions for as long as you want.
You can see up to 49 of your students (or coworkers) on one screen, and you can even change the background. You can teach a class about Gettysburg and set up a background that shows where you are at the same site! Only in an online learning environment could something like that happen.
Zoom lets you video chat and share your screen and files at the same time, so you can work together in real-time. Teachers and students can write, draw, and highlight things on the whiteboard in real-time. It has great audio and video quality, so as long as your internet speed is fast enough, you won’t get that awful frozen screen. You can also use Zoom on your desktop or, if you need to meet while you’re on the go, through its app on your phone.
As for security, Zoom now has end-to-end encryption, which pretty much puts an end to “Zoombombing.” In addition to end-to-end encryption, Zoom has taken other steps to improve its privacy protocols, such as making meeting passwords required by default. Now that security is less of an issue, Zoom is a great tool for online learning, virtual learning, and online teaching.
Google Hangouts: Best for Google Users
Pros
- Simple and intuitive user experience
- No time limit on meetings
- Supported by Google’s uber-reliable technology
Cons
- Lacks a number of enhanced features (video recording, direct messaging)
- Free version limited to 25 participants
- No simultaneous hosting or screen sharing
The free Google Hangouts app is a tried-and-true powerhouse for video conferencing, and it’s still a good choice for remote meetings. Anyone with a Google email address can use the service through its desktop platform or its dedicated app for smartphones. Since many companies already use the tech giant’s G Suite of products, Hangouts is a fast and easy video conferencing system that is already in place.
With a free Hangouts account, 10 people can meet in one virtual room. This is a good number, but it’s a long way from the 100 people who can meet in Zoom. Screensharing can only be done by one person at a time, but everyone can use the chat sidebar to talk and share files during the presentation. Hangouts also let you call in if you need to connect while you’re out and about.
Hangouts and Google’s paid version, Meet, isn’t as exciting as Zoom because they don’t have as many bells and whistles. All versions of Zoom can record meetings, but only the most expensive paid version of Hangouts Meet can do so. The quality of the video can be hit or miss on any given day, depending on how many people are on the call, which, as mentioned, is limited to 10 people for free. Still, the free video conferencing app on Hangouts doesn’t put a time limit on your calls, so you can take as long as you need to get through that brainstorming session. And Google’s end-to-end encryption gives people who are worried about Zoom’s security issues something to feel good about.
Skype: Best Free Video Calling App
Pros
- 10-way voice calling
- Features include background blur and live subtitles
- Powered by Microsoft technology
Cons
- Limited to 50 participants
- Quality is hit or miss
- Limited integration
Skype was the first app for video calling, and it’s still one of the best free apps for video conferencing. The Microsoft-owned platform lets you video call up to 50 people at once, has live call captioning, and even lets you blur the background when you don’t feel like cleaning your camera before using it. Skype is known for both its web-based voice calling and its video conferencing. It lets you call up to 10 people at once on a personal phone number to help protect your privacy. Both its desktop/browser apps and its mobile apps can record sessions.
Not everything is perfect with the app, though: Skype calls and videos are notoriously bad, and since it’s made by Microsoft, it doesn’t work well with systems outside of the Office 365 suite. Yet, Skype comes out slightly ahead of Google Hangouts as a reliable and free video conferencing app because it can support twice as many people as Hangouts and has a few more advanced features.
Cisco Webex: Best for Quick Meetings
Pros
- Enhanced collaboration features included in free plan
- HD-quality video and audio
- Custom screen layout options
Cons
- No recording or storage with free account
- Meeting time is limited unless you pay
- Limited app integration
The free video conferencing option from Cisco is great for smaller teams that tend to have shorter meetings. You can have as many meetings as you want with up to 50 people on a free personal account, and you can use collaborative tools like interactive whiteboards, message threads, and animated GIFs to spice things up. You can also change how your own screen shows the video feed. But you only have 40 minutes for your meeting, so you’ll have to use your speed-talking skills if you want to include everyone.
When you switch to a paid account, you get a lot more out of conferencing. Depending on which tier your company chooses, you’ll be able to record and transcribe your meetings, connect your account to other apps like Facebook, Slack, and Google Calendar, and use up to 10GB of cloud storage.
Microsoft Teams: Best Bundle Option
Pros
- Included in Microsoft 365 business accounts
- Syncs with Microsoft Office apps
Cons
- Not as user friendly
- Only makes sense with other Microsoft apps
Zoom is the best video conferencing app, but Microsoft Teams has a whole set of tools that you can use with your video conferencing app. You don’t have to pay to use Microsoft Teams, but the company wants to put all of its programs under one umbrella. If you like Microsoft tools more than Google tools, like Microsoft Word more than Google Docs, then it makes sense to use Microsoft’s video conferencing app.
With the Microsoft Suite, you can get an updated version of Microsoft Teams that lets 300 people work on the same project at the same time. The Microsoft Suite is a good deal for people who want to get video conferencing and other Microsoft programs all in one place.
Even with Microsoft’s extra programs, though, Zoom is still a better choice for video conferencing. Microsoft has never been known for making great user experiences, and Microsoft Teams is no different. It’s not nearly as easy to use as Zoom.
Also, we can’t forget that Zoom nearly doubles the number of people who can join a Microsoft Team meeting. Right now, Zoom is the best choice for bigger groups.
Honorable Mention: GoToMeeting
Pros
- Commuter mode reduces distractions while on the go
- Paid options include collaboration features (note-taking, PDF capture)
- Enhanced administrator controls
Cons
- Extremely limited free option (3 participants)
- 40-minute meeting limit
- Other services offer the same features for cheaper
GoToMeeting used to be a paid-only service, but it just started offering GoToMeeting Free… Compared to its competitors, though, it has some major flaws. You can only meet with up to 3 people at a time for no more than 40 minutes per call, and many of the best features are only available if you pay. But you do get all the basics that most people need for video conferencing, like sharing your screen and chatting while sharing files.
If you want to switch to a paid account, GoToMeeting’s features become much more useful. Depending on the price level you choose, you can get help for 150–3,000 people, and you can make as many calls as you want. GoToMeeting has features like private meeting rooms, group and private chat, and screen sharing that are similar to those of Zoom. Plans with more features, like Zoom’s whiteboard, come with unlimited cloud storage, video session recording, note-taking, and drawing tools. It also has a unique mode called “Commuter Mode” that lets you join your video conference while driving without putting your safety at risk.
All of this said, if you only need to connect with a small number of people, one of the free options above is probably a better choice for you.
Internet Plans for Video Conferencing
No matter how high-tech your video conferencing equipment is, it won’t help if you don’t have a good internet plan that supports your video calling needs. Even if your software says it can adapt to the quality of your connection, you should still make sure you’re ready for a smooth experience.
Here are some of our favorite internet plans for video conferencing: (and you can also jump over to our full rundown of the best internet for working remotely).
Spectrum Internet 200
With Spectrum’s Internet 200 plan, you’ll be able to Zoom through the day with download speeds of up to 200Mbps. There is no limit on the amount of data you can use, and it costs less than $50 a month for the first year. This makes it a powerful and cheap internet option for video conferencing.
AT&T Gigapower
AT&T’s Gigapower fiber plan is great if you live in an area where fiber is available. With a fiber connection, your download and upload speeds are the same (up to lightning-fast 1Gbps). This means that video lag is a thing of the past, giving you a smooth video connection at all times.
Data Plans for Video Meetings
If you’re jumping into your meeting from your commute, you’ll need a good wireless data plan—preferably an unlimited plan with a dedicated hotspot allowance. Here are a few plans that fit the bill. For a guide to the best data plans for remote workers, hop over to our full guide.
Verizon’s Get More Unlimited plan not only gives you the best coverage in the country, but it also gives you unlimited hotspot data with 30GB of data at LTE speeds. It’s one of the more expensive data plans, but you won’t have to worry about your video call dropping because of spotty coverage, so it’s worth it for people who need to use video conferencing often and reliably.
Your video will come through in crystal-clear high definition, and if you’re in a 5G-enabled area and using a 5G-capable smartphone, you’ll have unlimited 5G access for the clearest video conference you’ve ever had.
Boost Mobile Go Unlimited $60 Plan
If you want a lot of hotspot data without having to pay a big bill every month, Boost Mobile has the best hotspot data plan for the least amount of money. Every month, you get 30GB of hotspot data, which means you can use it to video chat for more than 10 hours without running out of data. Who needs a video conferencing app with fake backgrounds when you can pretty much connect anywhere and use the real thing?
Conclusion
If you are in business need of good video conferencing software, this post should help you pick one from the best list we have compiled for you. In case you are looking to record your online calls.
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