Before we even start comparing, here is a spoiler. Zoom is the best video conferencing tool on most scales. It has been rated the #1 video conferencing tool by most reviewers. Then why are we even looking for Zoom meeting alternatives?
Firstly, security matters. Secondly, security matters. Privacy issues popping up now and then. So, you don't want to risk your company data, do you?
Despite such grave issues, Zoom Video in a shocking turn of events beats Microsoft and Google applications at NASDAQ. It grabbed the highest seat with a staggering 130% gains even during a 30% market decline. Let’s see why.
Yes, you guessed it right. It’s damn popular. Thanks to millions of posts, tweets, and viral memes, Zoom has become the new social media during the lockdown.
The most lucrative features of Zoom, according to a broad consumer segment, are that it is super easy to use, has good audio and video quality, and has transferrable features across different operating systems and different types of screens.
It also offers 40-minute free conference calls for up to 100 participants. The interface is user-friendly. Due to its flexibility, it has been extensively used for webinars and virtual classrooms as well.
Within months, Zoom is only next to TikTok in terms of the most downloaded mobile apps and for the right reasons. Zoom won people’s hearts because it positioned itself as more than a productivity tool.
To the younger segment, Zoom has become the cool video conferencing app. It lets them change their backgrounds and host parties. It even became a platform for family and friends to hang out during the pandemic. And that’s where the problem started.
As the number of people increased, so did the problems. Since the start of the pandemic, ‘Zoombombing’ has become a reality. Hackers and intruders were disrupting conferences. There have been even reports of disrupting children’s events with inappropriate sexual content.
The company was initially used by enterprises only. Therefore, it had not prepared for the moderation of content like other social media platforms. In case you were wondering about end-to-end encryptions, nope! Zoom meetings were not end-to-end encrypted. Yes, the company initially misled the consumers.
Moreover, there have been multiple conspiracy theories and news. Zoom’s privacy policies were proved crooked in the broader media. The company was allegedly transferring data to Facebook and Chinese governments. If I had a penny for every time, someone brought up a conspiracy theory that involves the Chinese!
Nevertheless, we cannot completely ignore such claims. As much as we appreciate Zoom, we cannot completely ignore its security and privacy issues. If you are the person who has been zoombombed, you have come to the right place. It is like maintaining a relationship without trust.
Now you know why you need zoom meeting alternatives. However, you might be the kind of person who still thinks that you have got nothing to hide. It does not matter if the corporations steal your data. You have come to the right place as well.
We are here to change your mind and offer you the best alternatives to Zoom meetings and show why you need them.
We are here to help you with a list of zoom meeting alternatives. We will not only describe the features only; rather we will provide a quick comparison chart that will help you decide. May these 5 be with you.
You might consider these wonderful tools for your next team huddle.
Cisco Webex is the first name that pops out while discussing zoom meeting alternatives. It is a part of the video conferencing and collaboration service provided by Cisco. Since big enterprises are often looking to integrate all their business needs and required services under a single platform, they often seek services from companies that dominate in both the hardware and the software industry.
Hence, it makes sense for large enterprises to adopt Cisco Webex as their video conferencing platform. While user experience in Cisco Webex is considered less intuitive than that in Zoom, it is nevertheless deemed as the most collaborative platform to drive productivity in large enterprises once people get used to the interface.
Both apps have the right tools and resources for ensuring you and your team’s productivity at home. While Zoom has an edge over Cisco Webex over functionality, ease-of-use, and simplicity, the latter is better suited for business teams for its sophisticated security system and seamless collaboration features.
Here is a quick comparison chart that will allow us to reach a consensus.
Price Starts at $13.50/month Starts at $15/month
Max. participants 200 500
Min. participants 50 (Starter) 100 (Basic & Pro)
Free meeting cap currently unlimited 40 minutes
Features More features Fewer features
Functionality More learning options More user-friendly
Setup Requires sign-in Requires a link only
g2g Review 4.2 4.5
So how do you know if Cisco Webex is your dream video conferencing tool? It is better for you if you:
Known for its professional meeting experience and award-winning features, GoToMeeting is a part of GoTo, a cloud-hosted communication and collaboration solution marketed by LogMeIn.
GoTo Suite is a service package popular among mid-level enterprises. It is the video conferencing solution that comes as part of the suite offered by LogMeIn. Compared to Zoom, GoToMeeting ranks higher in customer satisfaction and has higher ratings on the Play Store and App Store.
The platform hosts more than 75 million professional meetings a year. The security system is robust, and fortunately, there have not been any complaints or issues by customers or software reviewers.
Both of these platforms are undeniably leaders in their respective categories. But before you choose one, it is important to ask yourself a few questions.
How big is your team? How many people do you need to accommodate in a single meeting on a regular basis? Which one would you prioritize? ease-of-access over security? money over performance? unlimited facilities vs limited superior experience?
Once you are done, let’s have a quick look at the following chart.
Price Starts at $12.00/month Starts at $15/month
Free Plan None Yes
Min. participants 150 (Professional) 100 (Basic & Pro)
Max. participants 3000 500
Meeting limit Unlimited (all plans) 24 hours (paid plans) Security Password-protected Risk-based authentication
Cloud storage Unlimited Limited
g2g Review 4.2 4.5
There can never be a distinct winner. We are sparing you the trouble. Just go with GoToMeeting if you:
Finally, overlooking the fact that GoToMeeting does not have a free plan, all other plans provide more value for money compared to Zoom.
Previously known as Google Hangout Meet, Google Meet is a freemium video-conferencing app by Google. Everyone with a Google personal account can use Meet for free. However, you are restricted to 60-minute conferences only. You can subscribe to a premium G-suite account and have access to other useful features such as unlimited video conferencing time, recording and storing meetings, unlimited cloud space, up to 250 participants, and many more features. The procedure is also simple. You receive a specific meeting ID, send invites through email, and if your recipients have a Google account and the Meet app, voila! You are on.
Both apps have the right tools and resources for ensuring you and your team’s productivity at home. However, you might need them for a completely different set of reasons. Here is a quick comparison chart that will allow us to reach a consensus.
Price Starts at $6/month Starts at $15/month
Min. participants 25 (Basic) 100 (Basic & Pro)
Max. participants 25o 500
Free call cap 60 minutes 40 minutes
Screen sharing Yes Yes
Call-ins Free $1oo/month (minimum)
g2g Review 4.3 4.5
If your looking to have certain requirements checked off by Google Meets Your demands should be efficiently met more by Google Meet than by Zoom if you:
In the video conferencing world, BlueJeans is a common name specializing in services such as video meetings, event support, and meeting rooms. The platform also offers broadcasting features. Users can host content on their company/personal social media profiles.
The greatest value proposition of BlueJeans is its interoperability. Users can access the platform regardless of the device, browser, or system used. The security system is also defined as “enterprise-grade”. Simply said, you are safe.
Other unique features of BlueJeans are as follows:
Most of the features of BlueJeans and Zoom are almost identical. However, BlueJeans clearly stands out in security with its enterprise-grade system.
Price Starts at $9.99/month Starts at $15/month
Free None Yes
Min. participants 50 (BlueJeans Me) 100 (Basic & Pro)
Max. participants 100 500
Cloud recording Unlimited (Team & Company) Limited
Social media stream better features -
g2g review 4.3 4.5
Capterra review 4.4 4.6
BlueJeans is recommended for you if you:
Finally, go with BlueJeans if you don’t want to get bombed. It is a decent solution for businesses of all sizes like Zoom is. Plus the security.
Till now we have only talked about paid or freemium Zoom meeting alternatives. Introducing to you Jitsi Meet, a free video-conferencing tool. It is open-source software. It comes with perks that are usually categorized as ‘premium’ in other video-conferencing tools.
Here is a quick peek into Jitsi’s features:
Since it is free, questions have been raised about its security. Jitsi uses Hop-by-Hop encryption. In simple words, server owners can eavesdrop. However, no such complaints have been filed yet.
Price Free Starts at $15/month
Max. participants 75 500
Free call cap unlimited 40 minutes
Screen sharing Yes Yes
Dial-ins Free $1oo/month (minimum)
g2g Review 4.3 4.5
To be honest, Jitsi and Zoom are opposites. They are chosen for completely different reasons. While Jitsi security is not state-of-art, it is pretty decent. Jitsi should be your next video conferencing tool if you:
Basically Jitsi offers all the expected features in a video-conferencing tool. It is one of the most perfect ‘free’ Zoom meeting alternatives.
Every alternative we discussed is wonderful in its own way. Your choice should depend on your personal and business requirements. However, we can only guide you to find your desired zoom meeting alternatives.
So have you found your dream video-conferencing tool? Let us know in the comments!
We wish you a happy and productive meeting.
