Video meetings have become a staple of today’s businesses, particularly those that have embraced hybrid work. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic made working from home a necessity, many companies were already cutting back on travel expenditures due to rising costs. As a result, video conferencing became the go-to solution when in-person meetings weren’t feasible.
Market research suggests this trend is only likely to continue. According to a recent study by PCMag’s sister site Spiceworks Ziff Davis(Opens in a new window) (SWZD), despite fears of economic recession, most companies plan to increase their IT spending, particularly in areas like video conferencing that help to enable remote work. (Editors’ Note: Spiceworks is owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag’s parent company.)
But the more your organization relies on video conferencing, the more it becomes an essential service. That means you’ll want to invest in the best video conferencing software you can find. This review roundup aims to help you do that.
Scroll down to learn more things to consider when evaluating video conferencing software for your business. But first, check out a rundown of the video conferencing software that came out ahead in our testing.
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More About Our Picks
Best Overall
Bottom Line:
Zoom Meetings’ claims to fame are top-notch performance and a generous free plan. Paid plans are competitively priced, and they include a wealth of additional features.
Pros
- Generous free account
- Competitively priced paid plans
- Stellar performance
- Rich features for hosts and participants
- Easy to use
- Good track record for prompt support resolution
Cons
- No toll-free dial-in numbers for the US or the UK
- Can’t add a description or meeting agenda to an invitation from the app
- Mixed track record for company response to privacy and security concerns
Why We Picked It
It was arguably the COVID-19 pandemic that made Zoom a household name, and brought “zooming” into the cultural zeitgeist. Since then, it has rapidly grown into one of the more comprehensive and well-respected services on our list, despite a few security hiccups along the way. In addition, it has steadily added features, including integrations with a growing catalog of third-party business software.
Who It’s For
With its robust feature set and competitive pricing, Zoom earns our recommendation for organizations of all sizes. Unless you need specific features that Zoom does not support, you should certainly place it at the top of your list for consideration, alongside our other Editors’ Choice picks.
BlueJeans Virtual Meetings
Best for Multi-Platform Conferencing
Bottom Line:
Featuring transcriptions, breakout rooms, and support for nearly every popular platform, BlueJeans makes it easy to create and moderate video conference calls.
Pros
- Directional audio for Dolby Sound-enabled rooms and hardware
- M-Score tool delivers meeting quality and feedback statistics
- Supports browser, desktop, and mobile platforms
- Conference transcription
- Includes breakout rooms
Cons
- Browser version doesn’t have full parity with the desktop app
- Doesn’t let you share keyboard and mouse
- Lacks a free tier
Why We Picked It
BlueJeans has long been a strong contender in the video conferencing field, and it’s arguably grown even stronger since being acquired by Verizon in 2020. It offers dedicated client apps for every OS, including Linux and mobile devices, making it an ideal contender for organizations that deploy multiple platforms. It’s a feature-rich service that includes some tools, such as breakout rooms, that competitors lack.
Who It’s For
BlueJeans’ greatest strengths are its client apps, which provide a wealth of conferencing features without overwhelming the user. The fact that they’re available across multiple platforms is a definite bonus. If, on the other hand, you expect many meeting participants to use the browser interface, be aware that the web client doesn’t support every feature found in the dedicated apps.
Best for Enterprise Conferencing
Bottom Line:
Webex is a feature-rich video conferencing service that lets your business leverage Cisco’s compelling hardware ecosystem—if you have the deep pockets to justify it.
Pros
- Intuitive interface
- Powerful application sharing and whiteboard features
- Cloud recording included
- Real-time transcription
- Breakout rooms
- Cool and useful Reactions feature
Cons
- Real-time translation costs extra
- Relatively expensive
- Limited to 10GB of cloud storage
Why We Picked It
One of the most mature video conferencing solutions on our list, Webex has been around in one form or another since 1995. Now owned by Cisco, it has the unique distinction of enjoying the benefits of integration with the networking giant’s rich ecosystem of tools, hardware, and smart conference room systems. As a result, it’s the go-to solution for some of the Fortune 500’s most prominent names.
Who It’s For
Don’t assume you need a huge headcount to use Webex. While it has a few pricing gotchas compared with some other services, it’s fully capable of scaling from small businesses to large enterprises and everything in between. So, if your priorities are solid support and a near-unlimited capacity for growth, Webex could be the ideal choice.
Best for Free Tier of Service
Bottom Line:
RingCentral Video is a high-value, low-cost video conferencing and team messaging platform. It’s hard to argue with a free plan that offers so much value. Still, you may prefer a service with Q&A moderator tools and mouse/keyboard sharing, which RingCentral Video lacks.
Pros
- Attendees can join calls without installing software
- No account required to participate in calls
- Generous free plan
- Apps for all major platforms, including the web
- Can easily switch devices during a video call
Cons
- No Q&A moderator tools, mouse/keyboard sharing
- No unique URL for account sign in
- Clumsy task management
Why We Picked It
RingCentral is well-respected for its business communication technologies, most notably its voice-over-IP (VoIP) solution. RingCentral Video is its entry into the video conferencing market, and while it’s playing catch-up to some of the more established players, it’s still a solid offering. One appealing feature is its generous free pricing tier, which lets you conduct meetings with up to 100 attendees and lasting as long as 24 hours at a time.
Who It’s For
If you’re looking for a video conferencing solution that’s well-integrated with a business VoIP system, RingCentral is an excellent choice. Both functions are built into the same app, with an appealing user interface. Also, it delivers more at no cost than any other system we looked at. Be aware, though, that it doesn’t yet deliver all the capabilities of more mature competitors.
Best for Google Workspace Users
Bottom Line:
Featuring a robust free tier, collaboration tools, and automatic meeting recording, Google Meet is an excellent video conferencing app, especially when integrated with Google Workspace.
Pros
- Generous free tier
- Includes document collaboration
- Works entirely within your browser
- Automatically saves meeting recordings to Google Drive
- Integrates with other Google Workspace apps
Cons
- Business features requires a Google Workspace membership
- No built-in transcription feature
Why We Picked It
The only way to join Google Meet conferences is via a web browser, but what might seem to be a limitation at first may actually be its greatest strength. Because there are no dedicated clients to download and install, Google Meet should be accessible to anyone with a modern browser, regardless of OS platform. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Meet integrates with the wildly popular Google Workspace suite of productivity apps, either.
Who It’s For
If your organization doesn’t use Google Workspace, chances are some of your partners or customers do. That should be reason enough to consider it, given how easily it integrates with Workspace users’ calendars and email. Beyond that, Meet is a robust video conferencing solution with one of the lowest barriers to entry of any service in our roundup.
Best for Small Business Web Meetings
Bottom Line:
Despite a few quirks and omissions, GoToMeeting includes many tools that make it an useful video conferencing app, particularly if your company’s already invested in the GoTo ecosystem.
Pros
- Works on all platforms
- Useful smart assistant
- Unlimited cloud recording
- Annotation during screen sharing
Cons
- Virtual backgrounds require a separate, free product
- Lacks whiteboard functionality
Why We Picked It
GoToMeeting is a mature video conferencing solution from GoTo, the company formerly known as LogMeIn. It offers a good balance between features and cost, and it includes competitive features like smart transcription and unlimited recording to the cloud. It also integrates with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 calendars.
Who It’s For
As a standalone video conferencing solution, GoToMeeting is a dependable offering, but it lacks some features you’d want for general-purpose video meetings. It’s best suited for use cases like webinars, contact centers, and remote IT management, especially when paired with GoTo’s other software for those markets.
Best for Webinar and Event Hosts
Bottom Line:
ClickMeeting is a competent, general-purpose video conferencing app for small businesses, but it excels in live events and webinars that seat a large number of attendees. Casual users will lament the missing transcription tool, and find the advanced features overkill.
Pros
- UI is fast and easy to navigate
- Many features for webinar and event hosts
- Built-in support for live streaming
- Intuitive file collaboration
- Can handle huge audiences
Cons
- Unremarkable general-purpose conferencing
- Lacks automatic transcription
- Relatively expensive
Why We Picked It
ClickMeeting stands out from the rest of the pack by catering to customers who primarily want to conduct webinars and other large-scale presentations. Unlike the other services in our roundup, it can scale to audiences of up to 1,000 participants (although not all will be able to actively participate). It also offers generous online storage for recording meetings, so that people who couldn’t attend a live session can have the option to play it back later.
Who It’s For
If webinars are your thing, or you’re looking for a video conferencing solution for online education sessions, you should definitely give ClickMeeting a look. If, on the other hand, you expect your users to engage in a lot of peer-to-peer video calls or conferences with a small number of participants, you’ll probably be better served by a different product.
Best for Microsoft 365 Customers
Bottom Line:
Microsoft Teams provides features galore, including tight connectivity with other Microsoft apps. It’s a good team messaging and video calling app if your organization is a Microsoft shop.
Pros
- Highly customizable
- Tightly integrated with other Microsoft Office apps
- Plentiful integration options
- Included with Microsoft 365 business accounts and Windows 11
Cons
- Most effective only in a Microsoft-centric environment
- Compartmentalized design gives an air of formality and rule-following that may inhibit open dialogue
- Can be difficult to find the conversations you need
- Not all features available in testing
Why We Picked It
Microsoft has a pattern of steadily piling features into its products, and Teams is no different. It has risen from humble beginnings to become a team collaboration behemoth and a core part of the Microsoft 365 suite. More importantly, unlike some competitors (such as Slack), it’s also a full-featured video conferencing system that’s suitable for far more than one-to-one video calls.
Who It’s For
Die-hard Microsoft shops should take note: If you’re already using Teams—and particularly if you’re a Microsoft 365 customer—it may be all the video conferencing software you need. On the other hand, if you’re not all-in on the Microsoft way of doing things, and all you want is video conferencing, we recommend you look elsewhere.
Best for Cheap Video Meetings
Bottom Line:
Zoho Meeting is a low-cost video conferencing service that’s most useful if you’ve already bought into the greater Zoho ecosystem. It’s improved in some areas, but still lacks video recording and advanced AI features.
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Up to 25 simultaneous video feeds
- Supports virtual backgrounds
- Includes reactions
Cons
- No automated transcription
- Limited notebook functionality
Why We Picked It
While it lacks the bells and whistles of some of its competitors, Zoho Meetings’ appeal lies in its low price. Unlike many of the services in our roundup, it offers a free tier that lets you host meetings for up to 100 attendees. It also integrates seamlessly with the rest of the Zoho business software suite.
Who It’s For
Zoho would like to be your one-stop shop for business apps, and if you’ve already bought into the broader Zoho ecosystem, you should give Zoho Meetings a look. It could also meet your needs if you’re on a particularly tight budget. However, when using it as a standalone solution, you may find you can get more bang for your buck elsewhere.
What Is Video Conferencing Software?
Video conferencing first emerged in the form of proprietary, end-to-end systems that combined hardware and software and were typically integrated into office conference rooms. These costly, high-end systems are still available, but the industry has moved forward. Today’s star players are cloud-based services requiring little dedicated infrastructure.
These new services are often hardware agnostic, meaning you can either buy dedicated hardware or use whatever webcam or microphone works with your computing device. Many provide an entirely browser-based experience, which means you don’t even need to install an app (although a standalone app usually gives the best experience). Mobile devices are often supported, too, including apps for Android, Chrome OS, and iOS.
Modern video conferencing systems also offer a big bucket of new capabilities that older systems never had. Best-in-class video conferencing services let users share their screens, remotely access one another’s desktops, chat via text, exchange files, communicate via digital whiteboards, and even broadcast conferences to large groups of passive viewers (like webinars). Some are part of business-geared voice-over-IP (VoIP) packages that let you dynamically change a voice call to a video call or initiate a shared meeting at the touch of a button without losing the original connection.
(Credit: Getty/Ariel Skelley )
What Is the Best Free Video Conferencing?
As with most software-as-a-service (SaaS), video conferencing providers offer multiple pricing tiers. The lowest tier is available at no cost for many of the services we tested. These free offerings are great for connecting with friends and family and occasional business use. However, they are feature-limited, and come with restrictions on how long meetings can be and how many people can attend. Organizations that plan to use video conferencing as an everyday tool should invest in a paid service to take advantage of its additional capabilities.
Among the services we reviewed, the median pricing for business-grade service is around $13 per user per month. Most also offer more expensive tiers aimed at enterprise deployments. As usual, the greater your needs, the more you can expect to pay.
Although most services charge by the number of users, others charge by the number of hosts. Generally, services priced per host are designed for webinar-type usage, where only a host can initiate a meeting (and meetings will typically have many attendees). On the other hand, services that are priced per user are usually intended for more peer-to-peer usage, where anyone can start a meeting.
What Video Conferencing Software Can Do For You
Video conferencing has quickly become an essential business tool, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The products in this roundup all offer video calls via webcam, typically alongside several other features, such as text chat.
Understanding what constitutes a video conferencing platform can be confusing, since some of these same features have lately crept into team messaging platforms, like Microsoft Teams and Slack. In Teams’ case, it offers a complete video conferencing solution, which is why we’ve reviewed it here. On the other hand, Slack and some of its competitors have only implemented person-to-person video calling, which is why we haven’t included them in this roundup. The solutions we’ve reviewed here are all designed to support multi-party video meetings.
Beyond video calling itself, you’ll likely want a few additional capabilities. For example, for presentations, screen sharing is essential. You may also want to look for more granular options, such as the ability to share just one document, image, or application (Microsoft PowerPoint, for example), rather than the entire desktop. Another feature many packages support is video annotation and virtual whiteboards, where meeting participants can collaborate.
Most of the video conferencing services in this roundup also offer a text chat mode during meetings and sometimes outside of video calls, too.
Many services offer automated recording that you can initiate with the press of a button. Typically, the recording will be saved to cloud storage and automatically shared with all meeting attendees. If you think this is a feature you’ll want to use often, make sure the service tier you choose offers sufficient storage capacity, or that it can integrate with your existing third-party cloud storage provider.
Automatic transcription is another feature that’s much in demand. Many new video conferencing services now contain artificial intelligence (AI) in the form of virtual meeting assistants that manage tasks, such as attendance tracking and transcribing meetings directly to PDF or Microsoft Word documents. They can then send those docs to everyone in the discussion or save them in shared cloud storage.
What Equipment Do You Need for Video Conferencing?
Beyond the video conferencing software itself, another thing to consider is the hardware you’ll need to support it. Fortunately, most every modern laptop, tablet, and smartphone comes with an integrated microphone and a serviceable (if fairly mediocre) webcam. Some laptops, such as the 2021 Apple MacBook Pro and Microsoft Surface, ship with high-quality 1080p webcams; the same goes for many higher-end mobile devices.
Desktop PCs, on the other hand, need additional hardware. If you’re looking for enhanced clarity of sound or video, you’ll need the best microphones and high-end webcams you can get. Some business monitors also come with built-in video conferencing features.
For most use cases, consumer-grade hardware is all you need. Then again, if you want the highest possible video quality for webinars and client meetings, you may need to make additional purchases, such as green screens, ring lights, and LED panels.
Recommended by Our Editors
Although these hardware purchases drive up the total cost of your video conferencing deployment, the good news is that you’ll still save versus old-school, end-to-end conferencing solutions. You don’t need to make a huge capital outlay all at once. Instead, you can buy the licenses you need and grow organically as you add new seats, which can dramatically reduce costs.
How to Buy Video Conferencing Systems
At first glance, it can seem challenging to choose which video conferencing service is right for your organization, because most offer the same basic features. But in fact, you’ll want to evaluate several factors before making your decision, and assessing the software’s overall user experience (UX) is a good place to start.
In each review, we discuss the ease of signing up, creating a meeting, inviting participants, and setting up audio and video controls. We also look at the UX from a meeting invitees’ point of view, and how easy it is to access smart meeting controls, such as whiteboard-style collaboration and file sharing, annotation, and the virtual assistant features mentioned above.
We’ve also tested each service’s prominent features, but it’s up to you to decide which ones you need most. For example, do you need dial-in numbers, VoIP integration, or both? How about features like screen sharing or remote control? Some services offer teleconferencing with both dial-in numbers (local or toll-free) and VoIP calling, while others provide just one or the other. A few offer international dial-in numbers.
During our testing, we hosted and joined meetings to test the experience of registered and non-registered users alike. We made sure to outline how easy it is to join a meeting, including whether a participant needs to download software before joining (which could cause a delay or even be a dealbreaker). Other services simply require that attendees enter a code to access the meeting.
Our reviews also cover the host’s administration features. The best services let you set up various types of meetings, such as lecture-style meetings where all participants are muted, or a discussion or Q&A mode in which presenters can mute and unmute participants as needed. Other options include enabling and disabling webcams, locking latecomers out of a meeting, creating a waiting room while preparing for the meeting, and allowing break-out sessions.
Finally, you shouldn’t just take our word for it. Most of these services offer at least a 30-day free trial, so you’ll have the opportunity to test drive the product that looks most attractive to you. Make sure to include relevant stakeholders in your decision-making process, both within your organization and without. With careful consideration, you’re sure to arrive at a solution that’s cost-effective, easy to use, and gives you the features you need.
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