This article considers the best video conferencing software for remote meetings. It also explores the integral video and audio-conferencing features online teams need.
Video conferencing has been in use for a long time. But 2020 was a remarkable year for many reasons. Juxtaposed against other global unrest, many got a feel for the first time what it’s like to work from home.
Hence, the use of various types of video conferencing software increased. Video conferencing during work from home orders kept many businesses afloat. Remote collaboration tools enabled connection, communication, meetings, and work to progress.
The video conferencing software industry saw an increase in revenue during the pandemic. For example, Zoom Video Communications video conferencing saw their membership and profits rise. There was a need to continue business activities. So, many enterprises and institutions chose Zoom.
Consider how video broadcasting was so helpful during the pandemic. Audio and video conferencing kept the workforce performing. On the other hand, families were able to stay connected. Students at schools and universities were able to continue their education to a point. Video conferencing in court proceedings is even becoming more popular.
Top Video Conferencing Software
There are many video conferencing software companies. You will have to decide which technology provides the best service for you. Determining factors are budget and web conferencing features. Later I will disclose some of these features. Isolating such factors could help identify the ideal software to suit your needs.
01. Zoom Video Communications
most popular video conferencing software
Zoom video conferencing software is on the top of this list. Even seniors now know how to use Zoom for remote broadcasting. Zoom’s stock rose high during the COVID-19 pandemic. Zoom technology connects participants to facilitate surpassing remote collaboration. Zoo m gives you the tools and functionality needed to make physical events virtual. Dispersed teams, clients, groups, and families can remotely connect using Zoom.
Use Zoom for video conferencing. Its many features also cater to video conferencing for large groups. Zoom meetings can hold video conferencing for 1000 participants maximum. Meeting attendees can communicate with both video and audio. They can use Zoom settings to decide when and if to connect their audio and video.
Zoom also features remote collaboration tools. Video participants can share their screens and make their conference calls very interactive. Video conferencing with screen sharing also allows you to play audio and video. You can stream in good quality from the internet or your device.
Key Features
- Zoom Meetings is the solution for HD video and audio-video conferencing. You can have interactive meetings where participants can share their screen and co-annotate. Participants can chat via messaging. You can also record your meeting and get the transcript of your meeting.
- Zoom Video Webinars lets you host online events. This feature is intuitive and easy to use. Simple controls allow you to present with ease. Webinar attendees have the capabilities to interact.
- Zoom Rooms are virtual conference rooms that allow you to leverage the internet for remote meetings. You can create several virtual workspaces, such as training rooms, huddle rooms, conference rooms, and executive-level meeting rooms. Only persons in your room will be privy to the information.
Of course, integrity and security are a concern for video conferencing services. Hence, Zoom delivers encryption for all meetings.
Hosts can also create waiting rooms. Hosts and co-hosts decide whether to allow an attendee entrance into a meeting or not.
The features and adaptability continue with Zoom. You can also record your Zoom meetings. Users can send messages and share files with Zoom chat features. This allows meeting attendees to engage and interact during meetings. With a click of an icon, participants can virtually raise their hands to give their input.
Also, meeting participants can join a meeting by dialing in using a toll-free number. Besides this, there are Zoom rooms. Breakout rooms allow hosts to segment large meetings into smaller groups. It is useful for team collaboration. Of course, all software must include capabilities for mobile. Hence Zoom app for mobile maintains the same integrity as its PC counterpart. Thus, attendees get the same experience as persons using Zoom desktop software.
Here are some additional Zoom features:
- Zoom includes interactive features such as filters, reactions, polls, hand raising, and emoticons.
- End-to-end encryption to secure your online meeting and content.
- Zoom also installs various security measures such as waiting rooms and passcodes.
- Video conference analytic reports help you monitor your meeting activities. You can retrieve information on meeting attendees and their engagement.
Zoom Pricing
- Basic: Free – Users can host up to 100 participants and have – unlimited 1 on 1 meeting sessions. But there is a 40-minute time limit for group meetings.
- Pro: $14.99/m/host – This option is great for small teams.
- Business: $19.99/m/host – Ideal for small and medium-sized businesses.
- Enterprise: $19.99/m/host – This plan includes all the features in the business plan along with 500 participants, unlimited cloud storage, and more.
All Zoom meeting plans allow up to 100 participants by default in each meeting. Purchase the large meeting add-on to extend this amount to up to 1,000. Zoom also offers various extra features and capabilities such as Zoom phone, Zoom rooms, H.323 room connector, video webinar, audio plan, and additional cloud recording storage. These add-ons come at an additional cost.
02. GoToMeeting Video Conferencing Service
best video conferencing software for business
GoToMeeting is an online meeting software that improves communication. It equips you with collaboration tools to stay connected while working from anywhere. You can create virtual conference rooms and host and manage meetings and webinars. Web meetings allow you to increase productivity. This is an advantage of internet collaboration. Internet collaborations give you the ability to manage projects with no hassle. Use Go-to meeting web conferencing software to liaise with customers and colleagues. annotation tools such as the pointer, pen, highlight, and spotlight.
Key Features
- Go-To-Meeting Drawing Tools lets you highlight strategic points from your presentation. You can spotlight a certain idea or point you want meeting attendees to grasp. To do this, use the various
- Online Meeting Presenter Control allows you to change hosts with ease. In collaborative meetings, various team members may need a turn to present a concept. Presenter control is helpful in these situations. It lets you change from one presenter to the next.
- Meeting Recording and Transcription lets you capture the entire meeting. Record your meetings in real-time, take notes, and keep track of discussions.
This remote collaboration tool includes a sub-feature, GotToRoom. Use this feature to create workspaces within each meeting. Thus, break large conference calls into smaller rooms. This allows individual groups and employees/clients to work together. Each group will have its own separate private virtual collaboration space.
Set up various online events such as webinars, presentations, and training with GoToMeeting. This allows you to share content with your audience. It also gives attendees the tools to get involved in the virtual meeting. Create engaging web meeting experiences with video sharing, polls, and handouts. Get participants involved via Q&A session. Use GoToMeeting screen share drawing tools to emphasize certain points to meeting participants. The pen, highlighter, and spotlight help to highlight what you want your audience to focus on.
GoToMeeting is mobile-friendly. You can, therefore, start or join a virtual meeting from your smartphone or tablet. It also has video conferencing security measures. You can manage how attendees access your meetings. Overall, GoToMeeting video conferencing performance and various features will increase your competitive edge.
Some other GoToMeeting features:
- Presenters can share their screens.
- Segment groups into various teams and let them collaborate in rooms.
- Give meeting participants the option to join meetings by phone.
- Lock meetings and control who you allow into your virtual meetups.
GoToMeeting Pricing
- Professional: $12/m—up to 150 participants
- Business: $16/m – up to 250 participants. This is the most popular plan.
- Enterprise: up to 3000 participants. You can customize the features you need and contact the GoToMeeting sales team for a quote.
You can get more features with various add-ons, such as advanced webinar features. There is also GoToRoom Video Conferencing Kit for Meeting Rooms. The latter is video conferencing hardware and software bundled into one simple kit.
03. Microsoft Teams Video Conference
high-quality video conferencing software
Microsoft Teams is a cloud-based communications solution. It is an offshoot of Skype Technologies. Microsoft Teams is also known as Skype for Business. It includes various web communication tools and productivity products. Microsoft Teams is an advanced version of Skype that adds structure to e-meetings. It improves enterprise meetings and collaboration. Participants can work together to make decisions and find solutions for problems. Video conferencing using Microsoft Teams makes work environments flexible and efficient.
Key Features
- Online Meetings organized on a productive video conferencing platform. Connect with teams and do more together. You can host meetings with two persons only or meet in teams of up to 10,000 participants.
- With Instant Messaging feature you can send private messages. You can message one meeting attendee at a time or the entire group. This feature keeps your teams connected and focused.
- Microsoft Team apps provide resources to increase your workflow. You will find productivity apps and tools to share and edit files in real-time. Choose from over 700 apps when you collaborate.
- Skype for Business allows teams of 10 to 10000 to engage. It is an enterprise-level video conference service for remote collaboration. With Microsoft Teams, you can integrate several third-party services. Choose the applications you need to create a virtual workflow hub.
Share your screen and display presentation, images, video, and audio to your audience. You can also record your calls. With Live subtitles, meeting attendees can read spoken words in real-time.
You can host or join live events via Skype for Business. Hosts live meetings, webinars, presentations, and virtual company events. Allow e-meeting participants via a global dial-in number using audio conferencing features.
Other Microsoft Team features
- Reduce distractions from your surroundings when presenting by adding custom backgrounds.
- Add a cloud-based phone system to make and receive phone calls.
- Turn on live captions during a meeting so attendees can follow along in real-time.
- Record your meetings for later review.
- Allow participants to raise a hand before they provide comment on the topic at hand.
- You can also download the list of meeting participants for later reference. This is useful for following up with attendees.
Microsoft Teams Pricing
- Teams free – This plan contains various chat collaboration features.
- 365 Business Basic: $5.00/m – This is similar to the free plan. But it includes some improvements, such as a higher volume of file sharing.
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50/m – Get chat collaboration features and productivity services.
- Office 365 E3: $20.00/m – This plan includes features such as meetings and calling, chat collaboration, productivity apps, and services. You will also get security and compliance functionalities for encryption. Also, administration tools for managing users and apps. You will also receive phone and web support.
04. Blizz by TeamViewer Meeting
best video conferencing for small business
Blizz is a product of Team Viewer. Team Viewer is a 4k video conferencing software. It provides tools and features suitable for virtual meetings. Team Viewer remote desktop software maximizes remote workforce productivity. With Team Viewer, you can collaborate, access, and control other devices from your remote location. But this section will focus on the Blizz for video conferences and online meetings. If you have a Team Viewer login, you can access Blizz features. Start communicating with partners, customers, colleagues, friends, and family. Web broadcast with Team Viewer provides collaboration for teams around the globe. You can start and join web meetings. During meetings, you can use screen sharing and instant messaging.
Key Features
- HD Video Conferencing that equips you with high-quality communication tools. Schedule group meetings of up to 300 people and collaborate securely.
- VoIP Voice Conferencing makes it easy to get in touch with contacts. TeamViewer’s phone service technology achieves real-time communication over the internet.
- Cross-Platform Collaboration lets you meet anywhere using a desktop, tablet, or mobile device.
You can stay connected on your desktop or mobile device. Thus, you can chat with teams and colleagues on the go and from anywhere. Blizz video link includes chat and messaging functionalities. You can save your chat history and pick up with conversations where you left off.
Team Viewer offers web meeting solutions for start-ups and growing companies worldwide. Blizz boosts productivity, ease of use, and no learning curve. Encrypt meetings for security and heightened privacy.
Virtual team collaboration cuts costs. It keeps companies running from remote offices and international borders. With Blizz, you get remote collaboration tools. Incorporate them into your work process to enable remote teams to work together.
Blizz by Team Viewer includes “indexed team messaging, face-to-face HD VoIP video and audio calling, instant or scheduled huge group meetings (up to 300 people), screen sharing, and session recording”
Some more Blizz features:
- Use audio calling and instant chat messaging systems.
- Share videos, presentations, images, and audio using desktop screen sharing.
- Supports Multi-Monitor screen sharing.
- Share files with end-to-end encryption for secure data transfers.
Blizz Pricing
- Free: $0 – up to 5 participants and 1 organizer and 50+ free local dial-in numbers. More features are 4k screen sharing, mobile apps, e2e encryption, and Blizz ring.
- Core: $9/m – up to 10 participants along with all the features in the free plan and user management features.
- Crew: $19/m – up to 25 participants as well as features from the core plan. It also includes direct support, recording, and reporting.
- Company: $24/m– same as features in the crew plan but up to 300 participants.
05. Google Meet
internet video conferencing solution
Google Meet is a premium video meeting application. It is an improved resource providing a strong collaboration and productivity medium. Google Meet communication system can sustain small businesses. When video conferencing with Google Meet you can start or join a video meeting. As a meeting host, you control who accesses your meetings by adding or removing attendees. You can also make meetings distraction-free by muting participants’ microphones. So, you are in control of any potential feedback or background noise disruptions. Of course, only the meeting moderator/host can activate this feature.
Key Features
- Live Stream Meetings allows your audience to view your presentation. With this view only experience, you can present to a large audience. You can enable attendance tracking and live stream reports.
- Live Captions accessibility feature displays real-time close caption of the speaker. This allows all participants to follow your presentation.
- Google Jamboard is a whiteboard application integrated with Google Meet. This lets you use online whiteboard functionality to brainstorm ideas with collaborators.
- Google Meet also converts audio to text to create captions. Send chat messages to meeting attendees. Allow discussions during meetings. Use the messaging features to share links and submit questions and queries.
- Google Meet also includes screen sharing. You can, therefore, give presentations and share your screen during your presentations. You can also record a meeting, live stream a meeting, and use a phone for audio in a video meeting.
An alternative to Google Meet is Google Hangouts. Google Hangouts is very easy to use and hassle-free to set up. It works in the browser as well. With Hangouts, you can sync your chats. This allows you to keep conversations history across your devices. Google Hangout allows you to have a basic one-on-one or group conversation (up to 10 people). Whereas Google Meet caters to larger video meetings and collaboration. It has more features and is more streamlined for virtual meetings.
Google Meet Pricing
Like Google Hangouts, Google Meet is free for now. But the pricing structure is set out below.
- Free: Maximum of 1-hour meeting length and 100 meeting participants.
- G Suite Essentials: $10/m – Maximum of 300 hours meeting length and 150 meeting participants.
- G Suite Enterprise Essentials: $20/m – Maximum of 300 hours meeting length and up to 250 meeting participants.
06. Cisco WebEx Meetings
video conferencing software with whiteboard
Cisco Webex Meetings let you host online meetings, interactive webinars, and virtual events. You can collaborate with your teams. Cisco WebEx Meetings is a remote video conferencing solution. This application is ideal for video conference calls and is also an AI-powered system. You can give it instructions to take notes and set up future meetings.
Key Features
- AI-powered Webex Assistant is a voice-activated digital assistant. It can set up meetings, take notes, transcribe, and close caption during meetings.
- Team Collaboration allows you to coordinate projects with team members. It gives you the virtual tools to share files and communicate via messages, audio, and calling.
- Webex Calling puts your phone system in the Cloud. With Cloud calling, you can take calls with your business phone number from anywhere. These powerful cloud calling features helps you to never miss an important call.
- Online Whiteboard lets you become more productive when collaborating. You can express your project plans and share your ideas, thoughts, and concepts.
You can join Webex meetings via the web, from a desktop or mobile device, host online meetings with HD video, quality audio, and screen sharing. During meetings, the AI-powered WebEx Assistant can interact with meeting attendees.
Apart from screen sharing abilities, you can present information using a virtual whiteboard. With Cisco WebEx Meetings, you can record your meetings. Besides this, modern technology allows you to transcribe meetings in real-time.
Keep your projects on track by integrating Webex with other third-party productivity apps.
07. Skype
best free video conferencing
Skype is a video conferencing system that lets you create video calls. You can communicate with friends, family, and even for business. Before Zoom’s COVID-19 rising fame in 2020, Skype ruled. It was the go-to online telecommunication service for remote communication. Many know how to use this web chat application. People keep in touch with Skype, thus allowing relationships to thrive. Skype users rely on features such as audio, video, and text to communicate.
Key Features
- Share Location with participants and hosts. Meeting attendees can share their location with you, and you can share yours with them. Thus, you will keep track of which countries meeting attendees are joining from.
- The Background Effect feature is interesting. You change your background to an image. But topping that is the ability to blur your existing physical background.
- File Sharing allows you to send and share videos, photos, and documents. Using this feature is simple. All you do is drag and drop them into Skype’s conversation window. File share up to 300 MB.
When using Skype, you will get great audio quality and HD video calling. You can host a group meeting of up to 50 participants or a more personal one-on-one meeting. Skype also lets you send private or group messages during meetings.
If you have a video to show or images to share, you can share your screen with your audience. When sharing multimedia, Skype has a simple drag-and-drop feature.
Skype takes care of your need for privacy with industry-standard end-to-end encryption. This helps you keep confidential all those sensitive virtual conversations.
With Skype, you can video conference using various devices, even Alexa and X-Box. You can also make international calls and send SMS at affordable rates. Plus, you can get a local phone number in 25 countries/regions.
Some more Skype features include:
- Real-time translation of voice calls, video calls, and instant messages.
- Moderate meetings by allowing participants to raise hands.
- Use Cortana to suggest smart replies and useful information.
- Add a Skype share button to your website content.
Skype Pricing
Skype is a free group video conferencing app. But fees will apply when using the calling and SMS features.
08. RingCentral
best video conference presentation software
RingCentral is an online meeting software used to host face-to-face video conferences. You can enjoy the freedom of being able to meet online. You can connect and collaborate with your team. Build stronger professional relationships with your clients and customers. Taking everything into account, Ring Central offers a reliable cloud communications solution. It gives you the tools needed to run your business from a robust video conference platform.
Key Features
- Cloud Phone makes phone calling mobile and in the cloud. You can pick a phone number, have toll-free numbers, and create extensions. You can delegate calls, voicemails, and screen calls. Plus, you can even flip calls from one phone to another (such as desktop to mobile).
- The Analytics Portal allows you to gather video conference reports. You can monitor, analyze, report, and predict your RingCentral system usage. Use the information gathered to evaluate your online meeting performance. Better understand user trends, behaviors, and preferences.
- Download the RingCentral app to get quick and easy access. You can install the app on your mobile devices and desktop.
Ring Central lets you share your desktop screen and communicate in real-time. You can conduct interactive video conferences with up to 500 people. Immerse meeting attendees and participants into HD video conferences.
Being able to create up to 50 breakout rooms is another helpful feature. This allows meeting hosts to break large meetings into smaller ones. Splitting participants into smaller groups can help teams to brainstorm together. Meeting attendees in rooms can also share screens, video, audio, and whiteboards.
You can set up calling features to improve communication. You can access call forwarding features, routing, and management technologies. Ring Central offers messaging, security, and meeting analytics. It also integrates with several third-party applications.
Some additional Ring Central features include:
- Host virtual webinar events with up to 500 presenters and 10,000 attendees
- Popular integrations including Office 365, G Suite, Slack, and CRM integrations with Salesforce, Zendesk, and more.
- Host audio conference calls with up to 1,000 attendees per conference.
- Business phone numbers in over 100 countries.
RingCentral Pricing
The features below are just some features RingCentral offers across each plan.
- Essentials $29.99 for up to 20 users only per month.
- Standard $34.99 everything in essentials. Plus, no limit on the number of users per month and up to 100 people per video meeting.
- Premium $44.99 everything in essentials but up to 200 people per video meeting.
- Ultimate $59.99 everything in premium. Plus, device status reports and alerts, unlimited storage, and 10,000 toll-free minutes.
