November 28, 2018
12:30 pm
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You can’t run a company without meetings, but not everyone can be in the room for every one of them. Fortunately, video conferencing services make communicating with your entire team easy, even when you’ve got hundreds of employees.
For those employees who always seem to be on the move (sound like someone you know?) having a video conferencing service with a mobile app is especially useful. Whether you’re at home, at the airport, on a client site or in another country, you’ll be able to stay in the loop.
We’ve analysed every market-leading web conferencing service with a mobile app and selected the best for you to compare and consider in this guide. Keep reading to find the best video conferencing app for your needs.
Best Video Conferencing Apps
The best video conferencing app according to user ratings is GoToMeeting, but the best choice for your business will depend on your specific needs and circumstances. The software you already use, your budget and previous experience with web conferencing are all factors that will all affect your decision. Fortunately, for help deciding between the best video conferencing apps you need look no further than this list, as we’ve outlined key features, pros, and cons so you can make an informed choice.
The Best Video Conferencing Apps include:
Webex
Webex
Rating: 4.3/5 (9.5K ratings) ✔ Feature-rich ✗ Can get expensive
Choosing Webex means installing a video conferencing service from one of the largest technology conglomerates in the world, which should reassure you. Fueled by Cisco, this video conferencing app is defined by impressive audio and video quality, a feature-rich platform, and an incredibly easy setup that anyone can handle. Key features include:
- High quality video and audio
- 50-1000 participant limit (depending on plan)
- Screen sharing
- Conference recording
- Customizable video layouts
- Works with iOS and Android devices
- Advanced features, like polling and annotating
Webex is the kind of robust video conferencing app you’d expect at to see on a list like this. It comes with pretty much every web conferencing feature under the sun, allows for customization to make branding a priority, and depending on which plan you get, can allow a huge amount of conference participants. Yes, the large packages cost a bit extra, but if you’ve got a big company that needs to improve communication, Webex is the way to go.
Lifesize
Lifesize
Rating: 3.8/5 (21 ratings) ✔ Excellent audio and video quality ✗ Basic chat function
The most well-known video conferencing app isn’t necessarily the best video conferencing app. Lifesize, for example, has attracted business from huge companies like Netflix, LinkedIn, and even Major League Baseball because of their convenient, easy-to-use platform and their award-winning app– even though you might not recognize their name. Key features include:
- High quality video and audio
- 50 participant limit
- Screen sharing
- Conference recording
- Works with iOS and Android devices
The biggest advantage of Lifesize is the audio and video quality. 1080p and HD audio make it feel like you’re actually in the room, rather than speaking through an old landline. Some users have complained about the chat function that comes along with the software, but if you’re getting a video conference app for the chat functionality, you’re wasting your time. (Consider a messaging app like Slack instead.)
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RingCentral Meetings
RingCentral Meetings
Rating: 3.4/5 (21 ratings) ✔ Huge range of optional add-on services ✗ Complex setup
RingCentral Meetings is one aspect of the RingCentral family. With a wide range of add-ons, like RingCentral Webinar and RingCentral Rooms, you’ll be able to mix and match features to fit your specific needs as a company. Key features include:
- High quality video and audio
- 4-200 participant limit (depending on plan)
- Screen sharing
- Conference recording
- Works with iOS and Android devices
- Advanced features, like safe driving mode, annotating, and polling (with add-ons)
Customization can help a lot when it comes to video conferencing, and RingCentral has it in spades. You’ll not only have a video conference app at your fingertips, but you’ll be able to choose whether you need webinar functionality, cloud teleconferences without additional equipment, or an improved audio experience. Not having all these features in a single app can be a bit annoying, but it does allow you to tailor your experience to your needs.
Skype for Business
Skype for Business
Rating: 3.9/5 (3.9K ratings) ✔ Third party integrations ✗ Can be slow
Ever heard of Skype? Of course you have, because Skype is perhaps the most recognizable name in video conferencing, and their business solution lives up to the hype. Connected through Microsoft Office 365, you’ll enjoy unparalleled integration with other apps, making communication easier than ever. Key features include:
- High quality video and audio
- 250 participant limit
- Screen sharing
- Conference recording
- Works with iOS and Android devices
- Advanced features, like polling and annotating
To say Skype for Business is a safe bet would be a bit of an understatement. This heavy-duty video conference app brings with it a huge catalog of features, unmatched reliability, and one terabyte of file storage for virtual sharing. Some reviewers have insisted it runs a bit slow at times, but with 24/7 customer support, you should be able to get it taken care of in no time.
Zoom
ZoomRating: 4.5/5 (4.2K ratings) ✔ Advanced features during calls ✗ Audio quality can be poor
Despite only being around since 2011, Zoom has quickly established itself as a popular choice in the video conferencing space. Between their stellar video quality, attentive customer service team, and seamless screen-sharing capabilities, it’s hard not to utter Zoom’s name amongst some of the more impressive services on this list. Key features include:
- High quality video
- 100-200 participant limit (depending on plan)
- Screen sharing
- Conference recording
- Works with iOS and Android devices
- Advanced features, like annotating
One notable downfall of Zoom is that reviewers have frequently complained about comparably poor audio quality. But with the high quality video more than making up for it and a wide range of features that are widely improved by the additional video quality, it’s worth taking a look at this video conference app, if only to make more visual contact with your team.
Join.me
Join.me
Rating: 4.2/5 (776 ratings) ✔ Customizable ✗ Higher price than most
Branding is important to some companies more than other, and Join.me caters to those that value a well-branded video conference app. Most notably, you’ll be able to create tailored URLs for meetings, choose specific meeting backgrounds, and even remove Join.me branding for your own. Key features include:
- High quality video and audio
- 250 participant limit
- Screen sharing
- Conference recording
- Customizable video layouts
- Works with iOS and Android devices
- Advanced features, like annotating
This customizability does come at a bit of a higher price than other competitors, but not by much, which could make it worth it. If you’re not willing to shell out the cash, Join.me does come with a robust free option that could suffice for smaller teams that don’t need to video conference too often. But still, free video conference apps always come with some caveats, like fewer participants and poor audio and video quality.
GoToMeeting
GoToMeetingRating: 4.6/5 (1019 ratings) ✔ Strong customer support ✗ Very limited participants on basic plans
As the highest rated video conference app on the list, GoToMeeting has to be considered one of your top choices right off the bat and for good reason. With plenty of in-meeting features for finicky hosts, an intuitive platform for newbies, and plenty of customer support for anyone that can’t figure it out, GoToMeeting is a no-brainer if you’re looking for a comprehensive platform. Key features include:
- High quality video and audio
- 10-250 participant limit (depending on plan)
- Screen sharing
- Conference recording
- Works with iOS and Android devices
- Advanced features, like polling and annotating
With 18 million worldwide users per month and 80 million meetings per year, it’s clear that GoToMeetings is a popular video conference app that does more than get the job done. It allows users to utilize video conferencing in whatever way they choose and functions as smooth as it needs to. Plus, their customer support team has more online compliments than we can count, which is always a good sign.
Improve Your Business Communications Today
Video conferencing can change the game for your business productivity, enabling key conversations and meetings to happen, regardless of travel or flexible working arrangements. Such software can be purchased separately, or- for the ultimate efficiency gains- integrate with your wider business communications suite. This means you can take advantage of interconnected instant messaging, CRM data, business phone calls and audio conferences, employee presence monitoring and more, as well as video connectivity. If you’re interested in taking your business communications to the next level with Unified Communications, Tech.co can help you find and compare the best providers, and get the best deal.
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Conor Cawley
Conor is the Senior Writer for Tech.co. For the last four years, he’s written about everything from Kickstarter campaigns and budding startups to tech titans and innovative technologies. His extensive background in stand-up comedy made him the perfect person to host tech-centric events like Startup Night at SXSW and the Timmy Awards for Tech in Motion. You can email Conor at conor@tech.co.