The popularity of online video conferencing software has increased rapidly over the past few years. With more people working from home and workforces becoming more international, holding meetings online is a convenient way to keep everybody up-to-date.
Most people have heard of Zoom but it may not be best for you. There are plenty of video conferencing platforms as alternatives to Zoom. Try our #1 recommended VOIP service when considering these best Zoom alternatives.
Looking for Zoom Alternatives? Look No More! 7 Best Zoom Alternatives 2022
RingCentral
RingCentral is a browser-based video conferencing service, so there’s no need to download software. It’s a simple-to-use Zoom alternative that works on any device in any location with WiFi.
It provides video meetings as well as chat messaging, so meeting participants can exchange ideas in one place both live and in the following days following. Switching between the two is easy, and there are also standard phone number capabilities if required.
Increasing Productivity in Video Calls
RingCentral promotes collaboration and increases productivity with features like the automated meeting transcription tool. The software transcribes everything in real-time, so meeting participants can catch up if they’re late or have to step away from the screen.
There’s a useful meetings summary feature showing all of the important points in an easy-to-digest format. It includes both a text summary and video chat highlights, as well as a full recording of video conferences. The summary shows keywords as well as top meeting participants and puts notes and tasks all in one place so they are easy to find once the meeting is finished.
Easy Video Conference Task Management
The task management tool is another popular feature of RingCentral. Users can create tasks with detailed descriptions, attach useful files, and assign multiple users to complete them.
Tasks can be set as recurring, and it’s easy to add both due dates and due times. Categories and color codes can be assigned to different tasks to make it easy for users to filter what is relevant to them.
As well as all of these additional features, RingCentral has all of the standard tools you would expect from video conferences, including screen-sharing, file-sharing and editing, and a whiteboard function. Third-party apps, like Google Drive and Outlook, can be easily integrated into the software, and meeting recordings can be stored on the cloud for up to 1 year.
User Per Month Pricing Plans
RingCentral has 4 price plans, including an enterprise plan for large businesses, with the annual subscription providing a 33% saving. Depending on how many users need to participate and which of the many features are required, you can choose the price plan that is most suitable for your meeting needs.
There is no free option for this particular software but free trials are available so you can make sure it’s right for you before signing up.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is the best Zoom alternative if you use other Microsoft Office 365 products. It is designed to work seamlessly alongside programs like Outlook and PowerPoint, so these can easily be integrated into your video calls.
The platform is cloud-based just like Zoom and can be accessed from anywhere, making it user-friendly for anyone to join for web conferencing.
Video Conferencing for Guests
Microsoft Teams is accessible through a browser and you don’t even need an account to use their video calling. This makes it an ideal option for including people like one-off guest speakers or interview candidates.
Anyone can easily join through a one-click link, so there’s no complicated setup to delay start times or put them off getting involved.
Translation Tool for Online Meetings
Microsoft Teams is a great choice for video meetings with international members. There is a live automatic translation tool, as well as captions and transcription powered by AI, so everybody can understand and keep up with what’s going on.
There are additional features like the auto-adjusting microphone tool and the background noise filter to keep the audio clear.
Integrated Document Editing
Real-time edit tracking and word counts make it easy to work on Office 365 Word documents as a team. There’s no need to send the document between participants again and again, adding comments and making changes, as it can all be done live while video calling.
Standout Whiteboarding Feature
Microsoft Teams has all of the standard features of any video conferencing software like Zoom, but their whiteboarding tool has recently had a complete overhaul. Sticky notes can be easily organized on a note grid and 12 different colors are available to keep things clear. Hand-drawn images are automatically straightened and images, shapes, and reactions can be easily inserted.
There are 41 premade templates for the whiteboard feature making it useful in any meeting scenario. These include project planning, team workshops, brainstorming sessions, and problem-solving sessions.
User Per Month Pricing Plans
There is the benefit of a free plan for Microsoft Teams, but it is limited to 100 participants in video meetings up to 60 minutes. There are 3 other price points, up to $12.50 per user per month, so you can choose the best value version for your needs. A free trial is available on all options so you can try it out before committing.
Google Meet
This Zoom alternative is easy to use and offers great basic features to provide straightforward video calling for everyday use. It’s ideal for businesses that only use video conferencing as an occasional form of communication, and its simple interface means anyone can join in. It replaces Google Hangouts Meet as their video chat app of choice.
User Simplicity for Meetings
All that’s needed to join a Google Meet is a free Google account, which is easy and free to create. You just need the unique one-click link shared by the meeting creator to join or the unique code to enter on the Google Meet homepage.
It is primarily designed for and used on desktop computers but can also be accessed easily through a mobile app on other devices.
Under the Activities tab, you’ll find some great basic collaboration tools. Group participants can easily create breakout meetings to discuss points in more detail.
Personalization of Video Conferencing
Google Meet has lots of features not available in Google Hangouts. The Jamboard feature of Google Meet can be personalized with features like different backgrounds, text, images, sticky notes, and even pre-drawn shapes to keep everything clear. There’s a pen tool for drawing and writing, and the completed board can be saved and shared.
User Per Month Pricing Plans
Google Meet has a free plan, just like Google Hangouts, that allows up to 100 participants to meet for up to 60 minutes, making it a good choice for occasional meetings. With this Zoom alternative, you can screen-share, hold in-meeting chats, and use live closed captions with the free version. Users just need to create an account.
There are two paid plans that allow integration of G Suite tools like Google Docs and Google Drive. If you need more document-sharing ability, or if you need to meet with more participants, then you might consider one of these paid-for plans. Prices vary per user per month.
Cisco Webex
Cisco Webex is one of the best Zoom alternatives for app integration capabilities and can work alongside over 100 third-party apps. You can easily plan and join a conference call through G Suite or use Miro’s online whiteboards within your Webex sessions. It also works best with other apps like those from Microsoft Office 365, Samsung, and Meta.
Easy to Access for Everyone
Webex works best through its video conferencing app, supported by both Android and iOS, but there are also standalone audio and video meeting tools. Even basic video calling is enhanced for quality, with tools like automatic volume adjustment, background noise removal, and speech enhancement.
The video meetings interface is fully customizable, so everybody can see what’s important to them. Specific user streams can be locked on the screen, shared files can be made to fill the whole screen or locked as thumbnails, and participant names can be switched on and off.
Standout Features
Webex has an automated gesture recognition tool that can alert the meeting when somebody is physically raising their hand. This allows users to fully concentrate on meeting content rather than worrying about clicking on the right button to make themselves heard.
It also translates gestures into emojis, which may not seem useful initially but it increases engagement and keeps a record of reactions like a casual poll.
There are some other great participant engagement tools within Webex, including live polling options. Questions can be either multiple-choice or free-answer, or users can rank provided options. Polling is provided through integration with Slido, and results can be shown live as easy-to-read keyword clouds.
Increase Participant Focus in Meetings
In this Zoom alternative, you can make a virtual meeting just like an in-person session with the live layering tool. Layer yourself over the top of your presentation file to look like you’re right there standing in front of it. This is just another way that Webex encourages participant focus and engagement, as users can watch and listen to important information and not be distracted by screen switching.
The AI Webex Assistant is a really useful feature that can automate a lot of meeting functions, making Webex one of the best Zoom alternatives for user focus. It can pick up on pre-selected trigger words and perform certain actions like creating notes or sharing files.
Additional Features
Webex Assistant can automatically create summaries that are perfect to send to participants as brief reminders after a video conference, and it will also transcribe the entire video chat in real-time.
As well as a whole host of user engagement features, Webex has everything you’d expect from a video conferencing package, including file-sharing, whiteboarding, and breakout sessions.
It also has a top level of security with end-to-end encryption for all meetings and password-protected rooms if required.
User Per Month Pricing Plans
Webex is one of the best Zoom alternatives if you want a free plan. Up to 100 participants can have meetings for up to 50 minutes for free, and it also includes breakout rooms, interactive whiteboards, screen sharing, and in-meeting chats.
There are 4 paid plans, the enterprise plan being the most comprehensive. They remove the time limit, with different price points for each user per month and features to suit individuals and businesses. You can select add-ons such as live translation for over 100 languages which may earn you more participants.
8×8 Meet
8×8 has both a video conferencing app version and a browser version, making it easily accessible to both regular users and guests. This is one of the best Zoom alternatives for personalization, as each user has their own private meeting room. Backgrounds and branding can be changed with ease to make your personal space easily recognizable.
User Friendly for Guests
Participants can be easily invited to your video conference room using an email invitation or by sharing a link. Meetings can also be scheduled using calendars on Google or Outlook as 8×8 has integration capabilities with Google Workspace and Microsoft Office.
Quick meetings in shared temporary spaces are easy to start with just the click of a button for users that don’t have their own personal space set up.
This Zoom alternative offers phone calling and audio-only conferences with accessibility from over 50 countries. These can easily be switched to full video conferences if needed. The temporary rooms have randomly allocated IDs and web URLs to maintain privacy between team members.
In-Meeting Chat Tools
There are plenty of conferencing platform collaboration features in this Zoom alternative to promote engagement among users. There’s a whiteboard tool, virtual hand raising, and a polling tool, as well as file sharing and live closed captions. In-meeting chat messaging is also available, with the additional feature of persistent chat rooms.
These chat rooms can be started during the meeting and then remain available afterward for continued conversations. Chat history can be accessed by all users, including newly invited ones, and chats can be merged together to form a larger team if required.
During meetings, notifications from the chat can be muted to avoid distractions for either a set period of time or until the user opts to turn them back on. Notifications from only selected users can be left on so that important messages can still get through during the meeting.
There is a useful silent mention feature that enables the tagging of colleagues that aren’t included in the chat to make sure everybody knows who is being mentioned.
Advanced Analysis
8×8 has some excellent advanced analysis tools that can be accessed either live or historically by team leaders. These include the basics like the number of meetings, their duration, and the number of participants to more detailed live statistics including how much each user has participated.
Web conferencing participants can also be asked for feedback after each meeting, and this will be provided to the team leader so that improvements can be made for next time.
User Per Month Pricing Plans
Jitsi Meet is possibly the best Zoom alternative that’s free and is provided by 8×8. Up to 500 participants can use HD video, HD audio, and screen sharing in an end-to-end encrypted secure virtual workspace.
There are 3 different paid plans, depending on your business needs, and free trials are available so you can decide if 8×8 meets your requirements before committing.
BlueJeans
Provided by Verizon, this Zoom alternative provides both audio and video conferencing. Unlike other Zoom alternatives, it does not provide phone services, but the audio quality of conferencing is excellent thanks to a partnership with Dolby Voice.
Features include noise suppression and automatic sound level adjustments. This ensures the main speaker’s voice is always clear and easily heard.
Unique Gallery View
One of the best features of BlueJeans is its gallery view, which has recently been improved to include 25 live video streams simultaneously. User streams are automatically sorted so that the most recent 5 speakers are at the top of the screen, making it easy to follow the most active speakers.
Both users and hosts can pre-select a particular layout of streams if they prefer, so if they are interested in what particular people have to say then they can be placed in a prominent position.
Advanced Smart Meeting Tool
Smart Meeting is a really useful feature that makes BlueJeans stand out. It uses both artificial intelligence and input from hosts to tag important points from the meeting. This includes key actions, essential chat messages, and video call highlights.
Smart Meeting includes screen captures and automatically transcribes the critical points from the conference call, so they can be organized afterward.
A to-do list can be created based on the selected highlights, making it simple to keep track of progress on the points discussed. Smart Meeting can be set to send reminders and notifications regarding the to-do list to keep everybody on track and the project running to schedule.
All users that participate in the video calls can be given the capability to highlight and comment on points in the to-do list, encouraging ongoing collaboration within the group. BlueJeans has plenty of other features that you’d expect from a video conferencing tool, like breakout sessions, screen-sharing, and in-meeting chat messaging. Real-time audio language translation is available for up to 5 languages per video call, as well as live closed captioning in English.
User Per Month Pricing Plans
There is no free version of BlueJeans, but a 7-day free trial is available for its paid plans. These start from just $9.99 per host per month if paid annually, and the number of features available increases as the package prices go up.
There are a few add-ons available for specific business needs that can be discussed by contacting the BlueJeans team.
GoTo Meeting
This popular video conferencing solution is the best Zoom alternative for large meetings as it can host up to 3000 participants. It has a lot of features managed and run by artificial intelligence so it’s a great choice for fully remote teams that will benefit from business process automation.
Automatic Processes for Your Video Conference
Smart Notes is the best for automatic note-taking. It can be activated during any GoTo Meeting. It will take notes on behalf of all participants, allowing them to fully focus on the meeting.
Smart Assist will create a detailed transcript of audio, video, and messages from the meeting, and this can be shared among participants. There is even a search feature so users can find the discussions they are looking for using keyword tags.
Whiteboard and drawing tools are two features of GoTo Meeting that make it stand out over other Zoom alternatives. Drawing tools can be accessed by any user within a meeting and can be used not only on whiteboards but on uploaded files. There’s a highlighter and a laser pointer to draw attention to existing material, and multiple pen and text colors to create new content.
Never Miss Important Online Meeting Points
There’s a handy bookmark tool so that users can mark important points and moments to be looked back on later. The bookmarks can be assigned categories, such as action items or highlights, so that they can be sorted and shared after the meeting, if necessary.
GoTo Meeting is one of the best all-around video conferencing tools, with all of the expected features available. These include screen-sharing, always-on chat messaging, and virtual hand-raising.
Breakout rooms are available for smaller groups to get together once the main meeting is done, and there’s an unlimited meeting recording and transcription feature.
User Per Month Pricing Plans
There is a very basic open-source version of GoTo Meeting that will host free video conferencing for up to 3 users lasting up to 40 minutes. It also includes screen-sharing and in-meeting chats, so is an option for a quick meeting or to try out how GoTo works. Alternatively, you can sign up for a free trial of one of the 3 paid plans.
Starting from $12 per month, the 3 different plans have various levels of features depending on your meeting needs. There are also add-ons for an additional monthly fee or as a pay-as-you-go option, including a toll-free phone number and GoToWebinar.
Choose from the Best Zoom Alternatives
There are plenty of alternatives to Zoom out there, so make sure you do your research before choosing the best video conferencing platform for you. Each one has its pros and cons, but there is bound to be one to perfectly suit your business needs.
Whether you’ve got a healthy budget to sign up for the best available plan or you’re in need of a free and easy-to-use platform for quick meetings with just a few colleagues, one of these best Zoom alternatives is right for you.
Before you jump in and choose the most popular platform, be sure to check out some of these best Zoom alternatives and try our #1 recommended VOIP service. The correct platform will increase colleague focus and participation, which in turn will increase productivity throughout your team.
