Amid the Coronavirus pandemic, professionals are irrevocably forced to adapt to work from home. Because of this major shift, in most countries of the world, employees are relying more on video conferencing tools than ever. In order to manage projects and conduct daily meetings, they need reliable and high-performance video calling tools more than ever. Zoom is one of those apps that gained massive traction during this telecommuting format. By March 2020, the app was overwhelmingly downloaded and used.
Yet, there has been an influx of security concerns about Zoom recently. And this has caused fluctuation in the said app’s use. Companies like NASA, Google, and SpaceX has recently banned Zoom for their staff because of these security issues. Also, Zoom has been bombed by trolls, has been reported to attract malware attacks, and has even been blamed for leaking email addresses.
But don’t worry! We have some great Zoom alternatives and you can continue your business operations smoothly, without fail. Whether you work for an IT company, an mfg staffing firm, or a government organization, these video conferencing apps will keep you connected!
Contents
Google Hangouts Meet
One of the most popular Zoom alternatives, it comes in the paid version of G-suite. It also has a free version that lets you connect to up to 150 users. However, it lacks some important features of the paid version. It also lacks presentation features and call-recording feature. Check out all the important features:
- You can video call and hold presentations using Hangouts Meet.
- It has the ability to record meetings and save them to Google Drive.
- You can create and send a meeting link to the participants who are not a part of your company.
- Pricing starts at $12 a month.
- The Basic G Suite version supports 100 participants.
- The Business G Suite version supports 150 participants.
- Enterprise G Suite version supports up to 250 participants.
Cisco Webex
This is another well-known video conferencing platform. The free version of Cisco Webex has a lot to offer. We will share the features of both, free and paid versions.
- It offers video conferencing with up to 3 users and 50 participants that can last for 40 minutes.
- Features HD video quality.
- Offers call recording and screen sharing options.’
- The paid Starter plan for $13.50 per host/month is for 50 attendees. This allows management features and added cloud storage.
- Plus plan is for $17.95 a month with around 100 attendees. This also allows management features and extra cloud storage.
- The Business version comes with 5 licenses for $26.95 a month for over 200 attendees.
- You also have the option of the Enterprise plan. However, it’s pricing is only available upon request.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft has turned its tool Skype for Business into Teams. It offers:
- Video hosting meetings for up to 250 attendees.
- Teams offer all the standard tools for video conferencing such as the ability the record these meetings and screen sharing.
- Teams is included in 2 different plans of Office 365. They also offer other Office apps.
- It also offers 1 TB of storage on OneDrive.
- The pricing starts at $5 a month per user.
- Microsoft is planning to launch Teams for Consumers soon.
Discord
More into free Zoom alternatives? Discord is a good one. The said communication app is quite popular with gamers. However, it can be used by anyone looking for encrypted messaging, chats and video calls. Users get to set up a dedicated server. Just like Slack, they can organize it to make rooms for hosting text-based and video chats.
For Go Live video calls, Discord has recently raised the limit from 10 users previously to over 50 users. The app is available on Mac, Linus, Windows, iOS, Android, and most web browsers. Visit our article to know how discord app making money!
GoToMeeting
LogMeIn offers this useful web conferencing service. The feature-packed app features both, audio and video calling. It also offers all the standard features. It also offers:
- It offers screen-sharing and call-recording features.
- It is available as an app for both, iOS and Android.
- The entry-level or standard plan allows as many as 150 members. It is priced between $12-$14 a month.
- For a medium-sized company or business, the Business plan tier is available for a price of $19 a month. It caters to 250 participants.
- If you have a huge setup, the Enterprise plan will suit you the best. It connects up to 3,000 participants.
- You get to take advantage of multiple meeting facilitators.
- The service is accessible on Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and web browsers.
All the discussed video conferencing solutions are your best Zoom-alternatives. Whether you work for a merchandising business, a mortgage staffing company, or any other, these tools will benefit you.