THE 30 BEST VIDEO CONFERENCING SOFTWARE

Source: RingCentral

1. Ring Central Video: RingCentral Videois one of the most robust options on this list, offering a comprehensive range of features. To really get the most out of it, it’s worth downloading the app, but it has a useful in-browser option, too. This is great for participants who want to join the call without installing extra apps. There’s also a large range of integrations with popular apps like HubSpot, Mailchimp, and Salesforce—which lets you call prospects and clients right from your dashboard
2.  Google Meet: Two advantages of Google Meet is that it has a decent free plan, and it uses accounts most people will already have (a Google account, for instance). It’s part of Google Workspace, and is an upgrade from Google Hangouts. There’s no download required, and it provides a dedicated dial-in number. The free plan offers conferencing for up to 100 participants, with live captioning and a range of controls for meeting hosts. Screen sharing, text chat, and integration with other Google apps is included. This makes it a great solution for businesses that want a low-cost solution, but might not need more complicated features.
3. GoToMeeting: GoTo Meetings is quick and easy to set up, though lacking in some more advanced features. It’s well set up for mobile users, and participants can join meetings by answering a call rather than needing passwords or PINs. It has a virtual whiteboard, and handy drawing tools—although the use of these drawing tools can be limited in scope. One main feature is the ability to set up a personal meeting room—great for recurring meetings.
4. Join.Me: Join.me has a decent free plan, and a user-friendly UI. There’s an audio-only option, and many expected features like whiteboarding and screen sharing. Where it really excels is the ability to pass the presenter role over to any participant. The host can take this back at any point—preventing overuse—but it’s a great way to allow for multiple presentations within a single call.
5. ClickMeeting: ClickMeeting can be trialled without signing up with a credit card, which is handy if you’re still on the fence. It’s well suited to webinars, with custom branding, invitations, and a waiting page available. The variety of modes available—Q+A mode, listen-only, and discussion mode—make it easy to control the meeting. Interestingly, it has YouTube integration, meaning you can play videos within a meeting. This range of features means it’s a great solution for running remote sessions, but it might not quite be robust enough for internal communication. 
6. BlueJeans: BlueJeans is commonly used for running large, interactive events. While video conferences on this platform have a decent range of features, it’s lacking a bit in comparison to some of the alternatives on this list. However, the event features can make up for this if these are your priority. One major benefit is the capacity—it can host up to 50,000 attendees. There are comprehensive moderator tools, excellent audience engagement tools, and cloud recording. Whether you’re running a company-wide meeting or an educational livestream, BlueJeans has a lot of features designed to make it a streamlined experience. 
7. U Meeting: If you’re in the business of remote education, U Meeting is definitely worth considering. Whilst many of its features can be found elsewhere—screen sharing, password protection, and breakout sessions, for example—it offers a couple of unique options. One of these is the online roll call option. This allows hosts to gather information from attendees, such as student ID, names, or emails. These reports can be checked after the call, and are automatically saved at the end of each course. Along with the ability to annotate and use laser pointers while desktop sharing, this makes it a great choice for running a virtual classroom. 
8. BigBlueButton: BigBlueButton is a free, open source solution for educational institutions. It can integrate with most major learning management systems, and comes with a range of features designed for remote classroom learning. The one main disadvantage of BigBlueButton is the complicated tech setup. It needs to be hosted on a server—so you need to accommodate both the cost and expertise of doing so. 
9. FreeConference: FreeConference is quick to set up, and doesn’t require any downloads. It has the basic features you’d expect such as screen sharing, text chat, and moderator controls. However -despite the name—more advanced features do require a subscription, and it doesn’t have quite as much to offer as some of the alternatives on this list. Great for teams looking for a free solution with a basic suite of features, but for something more robust it’s worth looking elsewhere. 
10. Lifesize: Lifesize offers the option to bundle their software and hardware together, making it a good solution for teams who need everything. Where it shines is the ability to add audio dial-in options for more than 60 countries—great if you have teams where not everyone can access video chats. It has a click-to-call directory, 4K screen sharing, and a bunch of integrations. Combine that with the ability to host 500-person conference calls and webinars for up to 10,000 concurrent users, and you have a solution suited for busy enterprise teams as well as smaller businesses. 
11. Zoho Meeting: Zoho—better known for its CRM solutions—also has separate online meeting software. You can dial-in through a phone, as well as over the internet. It excels at providing tools for webinar organizers, including the ability to add co-organizers and run Q+A sessions.
12. AnyMeeting: Intermedia’s AnyMeeting offers all the basic functionality you’d expect of a video conferencing solution. However, some of its pro features, like meeting transcriptions, set it apart from most other options. The virtual assistant captures the audio and automatically transcribes it, providing the host with a copy via email. It can even provide summaries and insights (as long as you use the right phrases).
13. UberConference: Just like AnyMeeting, UberConference offers voice intelligence—providing summaries and insights of important comments in your meeting. Combined with the ability to customize hold music, free call recording, and integration with Salesforce, and you’ve got a good option for business-to-consumer communication. 
14. Flock: Flock goes beyond video conferencing, and helps you manage your other communications as well. You can create channels for text conversation, and send voice notes or reminders. There’s space for to-do lists, polls and you can even search past conversations. 
15. ConnectWise Control: Connectwise Control is perfect for IT support teams. If your video calls tend to be for tech support, then you should take advantage of its integration with remote access software. You can also customize Connectwise Control to build trust by showing your branding, and the shared toolbox means your team can access whatever they need, wherever they are. 
16. Fuze: Fuze has over 10 years’ experience in video conferencing, and their product reflects this expertise, especially as you’re implementing their solution. Admins can easily manage users, and team members can get started right away. Fuze is well suited to teams who are new to using communication software, but lacks some of the more advanced features of other options on this list. 
17. Blackboard Collaborate: Blackboard Collaborate is incredibly well suited to online education, but beyond education, one of the other options on this list will probably serve you better. It integrates with most learning management systems, can handle attendance reports, and has a large range of classroom tools. If you’re looking for a comprehensive educational solution, it’s definitely worth it—but other businesses should look elsewhere. 
18. Highfive (by Dialpad): Highfive has easy to use, web browser solutions, as well as a desktop app. Where it really comes into its own is in combination with its hardware. If you tend to video conference between offices, rather than individuals, Highfive has some great all-in-one solutions available. 
19. MaestroConference: MaestroConference sells itself as the only platform to handle host-less, guided, and recorded breakouts. If your team finds themselves using breakout rooms a lot, then it may be the option for you. It’s particularly well suited to conferences, as it allows for custom branding, registration, and question screening. 
20. Microsoft Teams: Microsoft Teams has a basic free plan, or comes included in 365 Business packages. It’s replaced Skype for Business, and integrates with the rest of Microsoft’s software with ease. It has the full range of features you’d expect, including file share, screeen sharing, and text chat. However, the backend can be a bit more complicated than some of the alternatives, and it can get pricey if you don’t use the rest of the 365 software. 
21. Workcast Present: Workcast Present isn’t the best for internal video calling, but it’s ideal for large scale virtual meetings or events. Their webcasts can handle up to 50,000 attendees, all while providing live data and analytics.
22. 8x8 Video Meetings: 8×8’s free version has the advantage of not having a meeting, attendee, or minute cap. When it comes to the paid version, you can build a custom bundle of the features you need, rather than paying for things you won’t use. 
23. Zoom: Zoom’s main advantage is how well-known it is—customers and clients will recognize the brand. Unfortunately, with this come the news stories about security issues issues. While these have been broadly resolved, some folks may be unwilling to use it. If you and your team can get past this, the free version is easy to use and offers great functionality, while the paid version offers more advanced features.
24. Cisco WebEx Meetings: Cisco Webex Meetings works over a range of devices, giving you a decent amount of flexibility. It has all of the features you’d expect, but the enterprise plan offers something particularly interesting: a digital assistant. This assistant can take notes, compile meeting highlights, and create post-meeting recap emails—saving you a lot of time. 
25. Amazon Chime: Amazon Chime doesn’t have the functionality of many of these alternatives, but it does have one advantage: it’s pay-as-you-go. It’s not suited for companies who need an internal communications option they’ll use every day, but if you only make calls occasionally, it’s worth your time. 
26. Skype: Whilst Skype for Business has been replaced by Microsoft Teams, the more individual service continues to thrive. It has two key benefits. Firstly, there’s the name recognition—many contacts will understand what you mean when you say ‘let’s have a Skype call’, making it easy to get in touch. Secondly, it can reach people who don’t use internet enabled services, acting as a normal phone service. This means you can handle your digital communication alongside your phone communication, all in one solution. 
27. Glance: Glance isn’t necessarily the best for internal communication, but it’s great for customer support. It has unique features like co-browsing, and easily integrates with many CRM platforms. The remote camera share feature also makes it a strong option for providing remote tech support.
28. MediaPlatform: This is another solution that’s better suited for large meetings, live streaming, or broadcasting. MediaPlatform can even deploy A/V production teams—making it a great option for businesses that don’t have access to this expertise among their own staff. Additionally, if you’re running a webinar or webcast, they can provide their own producer. This expertise makes them a bit more expensive, but it can give you an edge on competitors if you’re big on the broadcast/streaming space. 
29. MobileDay: While many of the options on this list do have mobile apps, they tend to focus on their desktop and browser versions. MobileDay is specifically designed and optimized for mobile devices. It syncs with your smartphone’s calendar, sends reminders, and lets you dial into any call with a single touch. It may not have the advanced functionality of some of the alternatives, but it’s best for teams who rely on their mobiles rather than other devices. 
30. ProfiConf: ProfiConf’s free plan allows for unlimited meeting time, but with a limit of five participants.With some file storage, screen sharing, and whiteboarding, it’s great for small research teams looking to work together. From there, you can scale up to the pro or premium plans, which offer more advanced features like permanent rooms, participant management, and up to five hours of recording.

Which video conferencing software is best for you?

No matter what you do—whether it’s education, ecommerce, or something else—there’s a video conferencing solution out there for you. All you need to do is dissect your organization’s needs. Think about if all you need is the odd group chat. Then, a simple tool is right for you. Alternatively, you may want instant messaging, cloud storage, and other add-ons. In that case, a more premium alternative is necessary. You’ll also want to think about your business activities on a more granular level. Do your team typically use Chrome, for instance? Or are many virtual meetings held using iOS devices? The answers to those questions will eliminate some tools and recommend others. Once you have a shortlist, reach out to sales teams and ask for product demos and data packs.