Best Video Conferencing Apps

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, even as a remote worker.

We've analyzed the mobile apps of every market-leading web conferencing service and selected the best for you to compare and consider in this guide. Keep reading to find the best video meeting app for your needs.

Best Video Conferencing Apps
These are the best high quality video conferencing apps

1. GoToMeeting – Best overall video conferencing app
2. Zoom – Best for ease of use
3. Lifesize – Best for interoperability
4. Webex – Best for large businesses
5. RingCentral Meetings – Best long term VoIP solution
6. Join.me – Best for external conferences

Best Free Video Conferencing Apps
Looking for a temporary or personal solution?

1. Zoom – Best for short personal catch ups
2. Lifesize – Best for small business chats
3. Skype – Best for one to one calls
4. Microsoft Teams – Best for team collaboration
5. FreeConference – Best for audio-only conferences
6. Google Meet – Best for easy, infrequent use
7. Cisco Webex – Best for medium to large business catch ups
8. RingCentral Meetings – Best for trailing business VoIP

Best Video Conferencing Apps

The best video conferencing app according to our research is GoToMeeting, thanks to its ease of use and impressive feature availability, followed by Zoom and Lifesize. However, 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.

For help deciding between the best video conferencing apps you need look no further than this list. We've done the research, looking into feature sets, video and audio quality, ease of use, available pricing plans, and everything else that makes a video meeting app tick, so that we could outline the key features, pros, and cons to help you make an informed choice.

1. GoToMeeting

4.3 stars (34,179 reviews) on Play Store
4.6 stars (2,853 reviews) on App Store

Our top-rated video conferencing service also ranks top for its video conferencing app. GoToMeeting has to be considered one of your top choices right off the bat- and for good reason. With 18 million worldwide users per month and 80 million meetings per year, it allows users to utilize video conferencing in whatever way they choose and functions just as smooth as it needs to.

With plenty of in-meeting features for finicky hosts, an intuitive platform for newbies, and plenty of customer support for those that can't figure it out, GoToMeeting is a no-brainer if you're looking for a comprehensive platform.

Features

• 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

Plans & Pricing

GoToMeeting offers three pricing plans: Professional, Business, and Enterprise. The Professional plan comes in at $12 per organizer per month and allows up to 150 participants in a given meeting. This plan features all the standard video conference features you'd expect, like screen sharing, without the frills of the more expensive plans.

The Business plan is a bit more robust, costing $16 per organizer per month and allowing up to 250 participants. This plan gives you access to a few additional features, including note taking and drawing tools. More specifically, the mobile app version of this plan gives you unlimited cloud recording to look back on meetings when you need to.

The Enterprise plan is specifically reserved for larger businesses with serious video conferencing needs. With no listed price, you'll have to call to get a quote for your business, but the plan allows for up to 3,000 participants, so it's safe to say it'll be on the more expensive side. Onboarding and training are also included with this plan, and you're assigned a customer success manager to help you get acclimated.

Source: GoToMeeting
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2. Zoom

3.9 stars (92,698 reviews) on Play Store
4.5 stars (560,733 reviews) on App Store

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 among some of the most impressive services on this list — Zoom even goes toe-to-toe with GoToMeeting as a top video call app.

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 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.

Note: Zoom appears to have overcome the security issues it was plagued by after a surge in free users to its service, brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Features

• High quality video
• 100-200 participant limit (depending on plan)
• Screen sharing
• Conference recording
• Works with iOS and Android devices
• Advanced features, like annotating

Plans & Pricing

Zoom offers three pricing plans: Pro, Business, and Enterprise. The Pro plan costs $14.99 per host per month with a maximum of nine hosts, and allows up to 100 participants in meetings. It offers a number of base level business features, like admin feature controls, user management, and 1GB of cloud storage for recordings.

The Business plan costs $19.99 per host per month, starting with at least ten hosts, and allows a maximum of 300 participants in meetings. The added features found in this plan include single sign-on, company branded videos, and an admin dashboard for easier access.

The Enterprise plan also costs $19.99 per host per month, but starts with at least 100 hosts, so your monthly cost will be at least $1,999 per month. It allows for up to 500 participants, includes unlimited recording storage, and gives you access to a dedicated customer success manager to help you through any problems.

Zoom also offers a free plan, which we outline in the section below.

Source: Zoom
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3. Lifesize

3.9 stars (1,275 reviews) on Play Store
3 stars (67 reviews) on App Store

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.

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.)

Features

• High quality video and audio
• 50 participant limit
• Screen sharing
• Conference recording
• Works with iOS and Android devices

Plans & Pricing

Lifesize offers three pricing plans: Standard, Plus, and Enterprise. The Standard plan is actually on the more expensive side, at $16.95 per host per month, allowing only one host and up to 100 participants. It features single sign-on functionality, and gives you access to customer support through live chat.

The Plus plan is actually cheaper than the Standard plan, at $14.95 per host per month, but requires you to have at least 15 hosts, which obviously increases the price overall. It allows you a whopping 300 participants, and features real-time meeting insights, 4K video quality, and meeting recording capabilities.

The Enterprise plan is the most affordable rate, at only $12.95 per host per month, but requires a minimum of 50 hosts, also increasing the price for your entire company, maxing out at 1000 participants. This is obviously aimed at larger businesses, with added features like event streaming functionality, specific branding capabilities, and unlimited meeting recordings.

Lifesize also features a free plan, which we discuss in the section below.

Source: Lifesize
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4. Webex

4.1 stars (426,993 reviews) on Play Store
4.3 stars (148,789 reviews) on App Store

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.

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.

Features

• 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

Plans & Pricing

There are three different pricing plans available with Webex: Starter, Plus, and Business. The Starter plan will cost you $13.50 per host per month, and is aimed at small businesses, allowing up to 50 participants in a meeting. You'll get 5G of cloud storage to record meetings in MP4 format, and access to Webex third-party integrations like Google Calendars, Zapier, and Slack.

The Plus plan costs $17.95 per user per month, and allows up to 100 participants in a meeting. The increased price pays for access to analytic reporting, administrative portal, and a customizable Webex URL for meetings, to show off your professionalism.

The Business plan is aimed at larger companies and will cost you $26.95 per host per month, with a minimum of five hosts on the plan. You'll be able to host 200 participants in any given meeting, and you'll have access to company branded video conferences, single sign-on functionality, and 10GB of cloud storage.

Webex also features a free plan, which we discuss in the section below.

Source: Webex
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5. RingCentral Meetings

3.8 stars (605 reviews) on Play Store
3.7 stars (489 reviews) on App Store

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.

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.

Features

• 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)

Plans & Pricing

RingCentral Meetings offers two distinct pricing plans: Essentials and Advanced. As you can imagine, the Essential plan is a bit more basic, costing you only $14.99 per host per month. You'll be able to have 100 participants in meetings, and unlimited meetings in group and 1-to-1 settings. You'll even get access to basic reporting, which is rarely found in starter plans.

The Advanced plan comes in at $19.99 per host per month, and also allows up to 100 participants in meetings. However, you will get access to some impressive additional features, like a real-time usage dashboard and available SLA.

RingCentral also has a free plan, which we discuss in the section below.

Source: RingCentral
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6. Join.me

3.6 stars (8,263 reviews) on Play Store
4.2 stars (1,550 reviews) on App Store

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.

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.

Features

• 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

Plans & Pricing

Join.me offers three comprehensive pricing plans: Lite, Pro, and Business. The Lite plan, as you might have guesses, is pretty light on advanced features. It costs $10 per host per month, and only allows for five users per meeting. There are no time limits for meetings though, and you'll have access to customizable personal links and backgrounds.

The Pro plan definitely bumps it up a bit fro $20 per host per month, and allows up to 250 participants in a meeting. You'll also get access to more business-focused features, like scheduling, recording, and 50GB of cloud storage to handle it all.

The Business plan is aimed at larger companies, costing $30 per host per month. You'll also have a maximum of 250 participants, but you'll have access to advanced features like feature permissions, Salesforce integration, and enterprise-level authentication.

Join.me offers a free trial for two weeks.

Source: Join.me
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Best Free Video Conferencing Apps

Now, if you're looking for a more casual video conferencing app, for personal or temporary use, we've collected some of the best free video conferencing apps available today. It's worth noting though, that if you're a business looking for a permanent video conferencing solution, free apps won't cut it. You can review our list of the best free conference call services that go beyond a mobile app, but the reality is you'll have to pay a little to find the features and flexibility you need to truly stay in touch with your team productively. 

Zoom

Yes, one of the world's most popular video chat apps comes with a free version! You'll be able to host up to 100 participants, with gallery view, screen share, and waiting room functionality included. Plus, you'll get unlimited 1-to-1 meetings.

However, the free plan from Zoom has some pretty serious limitations. For one, calls with multiple users are limited to only 40 minutes, which sometimes just isn't enough. Additionally, you'll miss out on a wide range of helpful business features, like reporting, admin feature control, and user management.

Lifesize

Lifesize also offers a free mobile app that allows you to video chat at no cost. You'll have access to unlimited meetings of no more than 25 participants at a time, which isn't a lot, but is more than enough to get by for no charge. You'll also get access to Lifesize online support for any issues.

Lifesize's free plan, however, doesn't feature some important features for businesses, like a centralized management console or integration with third-party apps. However, it's a very solid very option if you're on a budget.

Skype

Skype offers one of the more robust free options when it comes to video conferencing. The app includes screen sharing, HD video, and chat functionality, like you'd expect from any video conferencing app. However, it also includes recording and subtitle features, which you typically only find in paid apps.

All those features don't make Skype's free plan flawless. The platform notoriously struggles to keep up audio and video connection flawless, which is the reason it has fallen off substantially as the go-to video conferencing app.

Microsoft Teams

Once Microsoft acquired Skype, the Skype for Business tool went by the wayside and was replaced by Microsoft Teams, a free collaboration tool aimed at providing users with document sharing, chat, and yes, video conferencing capabilities. You'll have access to screen sharing and customized backgrounds, as well as Microsoft's easy to use interface.

Still, Microsoft Teams does lack some of the Microsoft 365 functionality, like meeting recordings and guest access, so you might want to shell out the big bucks if you're looking to get a more complete collaboration tool for your business.

FreeConference

For a more business-focused free option, FreeConference is solid, but only if you have a good phone setup, and there's a reason. FreeConference only allows for five participants in a meeting if you're looking for a video option. This limit is pretty brutal, particularly if you're a business that needs to communicate.

However, if you're a little more flexible, FreeConference offers phone-based conference calls as well, and that limit is as high as 400 participants. Obviously not a great video option, but still worth taking a look if you can be pivot your expectations and have a tight budget.

Google Meet

It's gone by many names — most recently Google Hangouts — but you can't go wrong with whatever Google is calling its video conferencing app. The flexible interface makes for a seamless experience, and integration with G-Suite makes planning and accessing meetings easier than any other platform.

Unfortunately, Google doesn't have a great reputation for connectivity. Meetings are regularly spotty, with audio and video issues being a staple of the platform. Still, as free options go, you could do a lot worse than Google Meet.

Webex

Another popular software offering a free plan, Webex also offers an extra affordable version of the platform. The company has currently relaxed restrictions on their paid plan as well, so users have access to unlimited multi-user calls with up to 100 participants.

This isn't always the case though, which means you're going to need a backup plan for whenever things go back to normal. Typically, the Webex plan offers only 50 maximum user, and much like Zoom, limits calls to 40 minutes.

RingCentral Meetings

Like many of the platforms before you, RingCentral offers a free plan that is nothing to scoff at. You'll get unlimited 1-to-1 meetings, with screen share, whiteboard, and annotation functionality. You'll even get up to 100 participants in meetings.

With RingCentral, however, you are bounded by the 40 minute time limit in group calls, and you won't have access to business-minded features like reporting or single sign-on, nor will you be able to get on phone support to solve any issues.

How to Choose the Right Video Conferencing App for You

The right video conferencing app for you will depend on your main use cases. How many people will you be video calling, and how often? Do you need features such as call recording for training purposes, or is it more important to have an app that's easy for anyone to use on iPhone or Android devices? Consider what aspects are most important to you now, and which might come in handy over the next year or so, to allow for business growth.

Price is another crucial factor- which option offers you the best cost efficiency? You can compare the best price deals your business can get using our quote comparison tool.

About Our Research

We hope this guide makes it a little easier to choose the best video conferencing app for you, with direct comparisons between the top apps available now. We at Tech.co are all about research when it comes to our recommendations, which is why we've looked carefully at each of the video conferencing apps above to make sure we're giving you the best information.

To select the best video conferencing apps we've tried and tested functionality, analyzed feature catalogs and pricing plans, investigated customer support options and read countless user reviews to determine each app's ease of use and reflect real experiences. You can be sure that our recommendations are based on accurate and independent testing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start video conferencing?

It's simple! Once you've installed one of these video conferencing apps, you simply launch a meeting and start inviting people. With some platforms, you'll have to approve guests before they arrive, and you'll occasionally have to provide a password to guests, but it all depends on which app you end up using.

Is video conferencing free?

It depends! There is a wide range of apps, free and paid, that offer platforms for video conferencing that will get you by. Typically though, if you're looking for a robust, business-minded video conferencing app, using a paid service will align with your needs, but there are plenty of free apps that can help you get by.

What do you need for a video conference?

Typically, you'll just need a device and a WiFi connection. Most video conferencing apps will allow you to use the video and audio capabilities of a smartphone or laptop to communicate, although some services do require you to call in to an actual number to speak to other participants.

What's the difference between a video conferencing app and conference calling software?

Video conferencing apps are available in the App Store or Play Store and can be used on your smartphone as standalone products. A conference calling service is an all-in-one hub for business communication for use across desktops, laptops and smartphones, that often includes reporting tools, admin controls, and other features for long term business productivity.

Is Zoom a security risk?

While Zoom has had a few security snafus in the past, Zoom takes security more seriously than other tech companies, and is regularly updating the app to keep it as secure as possible. The company has rolled out security updates in hopes of closing any loopholes left open for hackers.

Can you use Slack for video calls?

You can! However, despite Slack offering a free communication tool to businesses looking for a chat solution, you do have to purchase a premium plan (from $6.67 per month) if you want to host video conferences. Once you've paid, you'll be able to add integrations with Microsoft Teams, Zoom, RingCentral and more. With the free plan however, you will only be able to partake in 1-to-1 video calls (of dubious quality). Simply put, Slack is only the right choice if you're looking for a written communication tool primarily, and not a video conferencing app.

What is the best free video conferencing app?

According to our research, GoToMeeting is the best video conferencing app available, due to its ease of use and sizable feature catalog, but it's not free. Zoom and Lifesize were our second and third overall, and they both offer free plans that are pretty robust and should get you where you're trying to go, as long as you aren't a growing or larger company.

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.

Meanwhile, for more informal calls and cheaper options, these alternatives will work just fine.