Zoom is one of the best and most popular video conferencing platforms out there. It’s used to host one-on-one or group meetings as well as webinars. However, it’s not the only one of its kind, as there are plenty of Zoom alternatives available to choose from.
Although the basic premise of every competing service is the same, they all differ from one another in terms of features, pricing, and various limitations they have in place. Some of the Zoom alternatives on this list also come part of subscription plans that include a bunch of other features including cloud storage. Read on to learn more.
Best Zoom alternatives:
Editor’s note: We’ll be updating this list of the best Zoom alternatives regularly as new services launch.
1. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft replaced its Skype for Business tool with a new service called Microsoft Teams that combines messaging as well as video conferencing into one. It allows you to host online meetings for up to 250 people. You get all the business-focused features expected from a tool like this including screen sharing, instant messaging, and the ability to record meetings.
Microsoft’s video conferencing tool is just one part of the Google Teams subscription plan You also get access to Office apps, 1TB of OneDrive storage, and more. The exact features depend on the plan you go with.
The nitty-gritty:
- Free plan available: No
- Free trial: No
- Pricing: Starts at $5 per month
- Number of participants: Up to 250
2. Hangouts Meet
Hangouts Meet is Google’s Zoom alternative that allows you to hold meetings with up to 250 users, although the exact number depends on the plan you sign up for. The video conferencing service is part of the company’s G Suite subscription that includes a number of other features. These include Hangouts Chat for instant messaging between colleagues and Google Drive storage space, just to name a few.
As expected, Hangouts Meet gives you all the business-centered tools you need to hold online meetings. You can record and then save them to Drive, easily invite people to join in via a link, and much more.
The nitty-gritty:
- Free plan available: No
- Free trial: 14 days
- Pricing: Starts at $6 per month
- Number of participants: Up to 250
3. Zoho Meeting
Zoho Meeting is a great tool for online meetings as well as webinars and comes with loads of features. You can share your screen, mute the mics of the participants, and record your group chats, among other things. However, keep in mind that Zoho offers a separate plan for meetings and webinars, and the two differ from one another in terms of pricing and features.
Based on the pricing and other limitations, we don’t recommend signing up for Zoho if webinars are your things. But if all you want to do is hold online staff meetings, Zoho is a great and affordable option.
The nitty-gritty:
- Free plan available: No
- Free trial: 14 days
- Pricing: Starts at $8 per month
- Number of participants: Up to 250
4. GoToMeeting
GoToMeeting has been around for a long time, is packed with features, and is definitely one of the best Zoom alternatives out there. A host can invite up to 3,000 people to a meeting who can join in via a PC or a mobile device.
The service has all the standard options you’d expect and offers three plans that differ from one another in terms of pricing, number of supported participants, and features. Whether you’re a small business or a large company with thousands of employees, GoToMeeting has you covered.
The nitty-gritty:
- Free plan available: No
- Free trial: 14 days
- Pricing: Starts at $12 per month
- Number of participants: Up to 3,000
5. Cisco Webex Meetings
Next up on our list of the best Zoom alternatives is Webex Meetings by Cisco. It’s great for small businesses that often hold short meetings, as the service offers a free plan. There are limitations in place, with the biggest one being that meetings can be 40 minutes long at most.
If that’s too short for you, upgrading to one of the company’s paid plans is the way to go. The plans are affordable and allow for up to 200 participants to join a meeting. As with the rest of the tools on this list, you get all the standard business-focused features you’d expect.
The nitty-gritty:
- Free plan available: No
- Free trial: 30 days
- Pricing: Starts at $13.5 per month
- Number of participants: Up to 200
6. BlueJeans
This video conferencing software is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses. It allows for up to 100 people to meet up online, share their screens, chat privately or publicly, and more. The host can also record a meeting so that the employees who missed it can check it out later on.
Pricing is affordable and there’s a free trial available, so you can test out the service before parting with your money. To see all the different plans and features on offer, click the button below.
The nitty-gritty:
- Free plan available: Yes
- Free trial: 7 days
- Pricing: Starts at $9.99 per month
- Number of participants: Up to 100
7. GlobalMeet Collaboration
With 24/7 in-meeting support, affordable plans, and loads of features, GlobalMeet Collaboration is more than suitable for the needs of small and mid-sized companies. It even has a free plan on offer that lacks a few features available in paid plans but is still a great option overall.
It’s not the best option for large businesses, though, since even the most expensive plan supports a maximum of 125 participants. Regardless, GlobalMeet Collaboration is still one of the best alternatives to Zoom you can opt for.
The nitty-gritty:
- Free plan available: Yes
- Free trial: No
- Pricing: Starts at $12 per month
- Number of participants: Up to 125
8. LifeSize
The last Zoom alternative on this list is LifeSize, which has a few features its main competitor lacks. The biggest one is the included support for 4K video calls and screen sharing, which may or may not be a big deal depending on your preference.
LifeSize offers a free plan with various limitations — only up to 25 people can join a meeting that can’t last more than 90 minutes. If you need more than that, upgrading to a paid plan is the way to go.
The nitty-gritty:
- Free plan available: Yes
- Free trial: No
- Pricing: Starts at $12.95 per month
- Number of participants: Up to 300
There you have it — these are the best Zoom competitors in our opinion, although there are a number of other options out there as well. We’ll be sure to update this list with new video conferencing services once they launch.
from Android Authority https://ift.tt/3br6Rvx
No comments:
Post a Comment