Google Meet, Cisco Web meeting, Zoom, Skype, And Jitsi Are Among The Free And Best Applications For Holding Video Conferences.
Online conferencing programs have become an integral part of businesses. Today, you can manage your business meetings at home using powerful video meeting software. According to Statista, in 2021, the worldwide video conferencing market was valued at around $14.6 billion. By 2026, this figure is expected to double and reach 27.3 billion dollars.
Online meetings offer experiences that are as good or even better than in-person meetings in an office space. While a great video conferencing app can provide you with a flawless experience, a mediocre app can be very annoying and cause problems.
Choosing a high-quality video conferencing app for your conferences is an essential thing that you should take seriously. Don’t miss this article if you want to select the best free video conferencing apps.
1. Zoom
Zoom has become one of the most popular video conferencing programs, So many consider its name synonymous with video meetings. At the beginning of 2020, perhaps because Zoom did not expect its sudden popularity among non-business users, it made several privacy and security mistakes. However, the company quickly rolled out changes and updates to address these issues.
Zoom is free online meeting software that helps you hold meetings and collaborate with your team virtually face-to-face, thanks to its superb video and audio quality and instant screen-sharing options. Zoom also ensures secure video calls thanks to SSL encryption. This easy-to-use video conferencing app is compatible with many devices, from desktop to mobile.
You can host video meetings, online classes, group calls, or one-on-one video calls effortlessly by installing the Zoom app. You can host one-on-one video calls with no time limit or even group calls with up to 100 participants for 40 minutes.
Zoom video conferencing allows you to continue your meeting or meetings even when you don’t have a good internet connection. Text your guests during the call (individual or group messages) or record the entire video call or schedule the calls in advance using the Zoom video conferencing platform. You may not be able to expect HD video and audio then; But you can continue without any interruption.
Zoom allows you to video chat with up to 1,000 people simultaneously in its paid subscription. Subscription plans start at $14.99 per month per host, and a free version is also available. Zoom’s integration with SurveySparrow helps you follow up with clients and employees after each meeting and make sure agendas are being followed throughout. You can even do post-meeting polls seamlessly. To create conversational and engaging online surveys, you can sign up for SurveySparrow for free.
Features of the free version
- Maximum participants: 100 people
- One-on-one sessions: 40 minutes time limit
- Group sessions: 40 minutes time limit
- Ability to share the screen
- The ability to record sessions only on the local device
2. Google Mate
Google Meet is one of the best video conferencing software available today. Google Meet’s extensive and seamless integration with other Google apps has made it one of the most popular video conferencing apps for Google Workspace users . Mate is a very simple and efficient way to video chat with colleagues, friends and family; Of course, provided they have a Google account.
Google Meet, formerly known as Google Hangouts Meet, is actually Google’s corporate video conferencing software that comes as part of GSuite. It is very easy to hold a meeting through this tool. All you need to do is set up a meeting in Google Calendar and send invitations to participants with a Meet link. They just need to click and join the online video meeting. You also do not need to download any software.
During a call, you can share your screen and files from Google Dario and send SMS to your team without interruption. Any GSuite user can create meetings for 100 participants for free in Google Calendar.
Features of the free version
- Maximum participants: 100 people
- One-on-one sessions: 24-hour time limit
- Group meetings: time limit of 60 minutes
- Ability to share the screen
- Lack of possibility to record video sessions
3. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is built as a competitor to Slack, which is useful if you’re part of the Office ecosystem. While the app is primarily focused on business use, about two years ago it unveiled a free personal version of Teams that allows anyone to chat or have video meetings in a shared virtual space.
You just need to create an account with Microsoft to use it. While the free version allows you to have 100 participants for up to 60 minutes per session, Microsoft 365 subscribers can video chat with up to 300 people for up to 30 consecutive hours.
Features of the free version
- Maximum participants: 100 people
- One-on-one sessions: 30-hour limit
- Group sessions: 60 minutes limit
- Ability to share the screen
- The possibility of recording sessions
4. CISCO Webex Meetings
Basically, Cisco’s name is reminiscent of expensive applications; But the Cisco Webex Meetings application also uses a free option that allows users to hold a free video conference with the presence of up to 100 participants. Webex is a video conferencing software that has been around since the 1990s and was acquired by Cisco in 2007. While this program is primarily known as a commercial program and still focuses on providing services to enterprises, its generous free version is worth checking out.
When the corona pandemic started, Cisco increased the features of the freemium version from 50 to 100 participants. With this software, you can make a video call for up to 50 minutes and create separation rooms. 1 GB of cloud memory is provided for each user to record their videos or share their files with others. Users can hold a video conference using different browsers or the Android or iOS Webox application.
Features of the free version
- Maximum participants: 100 people
- One-on-one sessions: 50 minutes time limit
- Group meetings: time limit of 50 minutes
- Ability to share the screen
- The ability to record sessions only on the local device
5. Skype
Since its beta release in 2003, Skype has been the go-to platform for one-on-one conversations. Up to 100 people (including you) can meet in meetings with a generous 24-hour time limit. Also, a separate page allows you to create a free video meeting without having to sign up for the service. It should be noted that by using the program itself, you get more features; So, if you’re okay with signing up for a free account, you better do it.
Features of the free version
- Maximum participants: 100 people
- One-on-one sessions: 24-hour time limit
- Group sessions: 24-hour time limit
- Ability to share the screen
- The possibility of recording sessions
6. Jitsi
Jitsi Meet is another video conferencing app you probably haven’t heard of. Jitsi is a free application that also benefits from unique features. Jitsi is an open source project that allows the user to run self-hosted video conferencing.
If you host the video conference yourself, you can invite the desired number of participants and there is no limit in this field. Needless to say, the participants will also have the possibility to participate in the video conference through a phone call. For Jitsi, in addition to the PC version, Android and iOS applications are also considered.
Features of the free version
- Maximum participants: 100 people
- One-on-one sessions: no time limit
- Group meetings: no time limit
- Ability to share the screen
- The possibility of recording sessions
7. Telegram
Telegram is a messaging chat app that also offers group video chats. This app has a feature that allows you to create groups with up to 200,000 members and have private or public groups. Currently, video chats are limited to 30 people; Although a maximum of 1,000 people can watch.
- Maximum participants: 30 people
- One-on-one sessions: no time limit
- Group meetings: no time limit
- Ability to share the screen
- Impossibility of recording sessions
8. facetime
Undoubtedly, iPhone owners use Apple’s built-in video chat program. Since the app was recently updated to make it more useful for people outside of the Apple ecosystem, Android or Windows users can now join a Group FaceTime session; But they still can’t start it as host. With this software, you can start a group call from chat messages and add different stickers and even erase your background.
Features of the free version
- Maximum participants: 36
- One-on-one sessions: no time limit
- Group meetings: no time limit
- Ability to share the screen
- Lack of possibility to record sessions
9. FreeConferenceCall
FreeConference helps businesses manage online calls and video conferencing. The platform offers real-time screen and whiteboard sharing capabilities that allow managers to collaborate with teams to deliver presentations, product demonstrations, and training.
FreeConference allows users to share images, documents, spreadsheets, and more using a drag-and-drop interface. Other features include group calling, chat, custom hold tone, call recording, YouTube live streaming, SMS notifications, and more. Additionally, administrators can import audiences from email or other sources and send meeting invitations with details such as date, time, access codes, and meeting room URLs.
Features of the free version
- Maximum participants: 1000 people
- Sessions: 6 hours with unlimited number of calls
- Ability to share the screen
- The possibility of recording sessions
10. BigBlueButton
BigBlueButton is an open source platform and HTML5 based web application. It has whiteboard capabilities that help you host productive meetings and enhance online learning. It is designed with the most user-friendly React, MongoDB and Node.js technologies. Since it is a free open source tool, it allows the use of many third-party add-ons and services.
This global educational platform, which was developed in a school and teachers around the world participated in its design, is available in 55 languages. Together with a global network of developers and companies that provide business support, BigBlueButton is constantly evolving to meet the real-world needs of teachers everywhere.
The BigBlueButton project released version 2.5 in the fall of 2022. Classroom Management version 2.5 has made it easier for teachers to engage students and access their performance during an online class. BBB is a universal product used worldwide and is perfect for any lesson and learning environment due to its versatility.
Features of the free version
- Maximum participants: 100 users or less is recommended; More than 100 users is possible but the overall performance will decrease.
- Ability to share screen with audio and video in real time
- The possibility of recording sessions
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