Catch-Up with Family and Friends Easily with the Best Zoom Alternatives

It’s quite sad that nowadays, in the current pandemic, we can’t go out much to socialize. In the new normal, most establishments are closed or implement strict social distancing. Some establishments don’t even accommodate all customers inside because they cannot risk contaminating customers with the virus. The new normal is taking a toll on many people’s social lives. But as they’ve always said, “if there’s a will, there’s a way!”

Socializing through video conferencing

It’s still possible to catch up with family, friends, and colleagues. In this modern age of the internet and technology, you can easily make video chats with your relatives and friends from all over the world! It’s just a matter of making use of what you already have. With an internet connection and a computer or a smartphone, or a tablet, it’s quite easy to make video phone calls. Gatherings can be done without risking your health and safety. In this article, we’ll be giving you our top picks for the best free video conferencing apps and tools that you can use to catch up with your favorite people and colleagues. Read on to find out more!

Zoom alternatives

Although Zoom has been the most-used video conferencing app of today, there are actually other options you can try out. With the recent privacy issues of the popular app, the company halted developments of its additional features. They are focusing on addressing the privacy and security issues that it’s undergoing. With that, it’s highly recommended that you have other options as alternatives to make video conference calls. In case you’re conscious about the current Zoom issues or you just want other options if it has bugs, our list of the best alternatives will help you out.

Cisco Webex

The first one on our list is Cisco Webex. This nifty app lets you connect, communicate, and collaborate with friends, family, and colleagues easily! The Webex company is one of the pioneers of web conferencing and video conferencing applications. In 1995, it was first established with online collaboration tools, Webex Connect, and AIM Pro offerings. It was then acquired by the Cisco company in 2007 and has expanded into becoming one of the biggest players in the industry. The premium plans start at $13.50 which has lots of additional features such as cloud storage and support. If you want to try it out first to see if it works the best for you, there’s also a free version that comes with additional call-in audio abilities but has a limit of 40 minutes on meetings.

Skype Meet Now

Next up is Skype Meet Now. This tool doesn’t require an app download or registration. Those without a Skype account can still join a video conference without hassle. You can easily make conference calls by clicking the “Meet Now” button or “create a free meeting” tab on the web version. Skype isn’t new. It’s been the go-to video call platform since 2003. The introduction of Skype Meet Now addresses users’ current need for video conferencing. It also has more additional features, which are very helpful for your video conferencing needs. It’s supported on Chrome and Microsoft Edge, but Skype is also in the development of building it on other platforms. You’re allowed to record 30 days of the call, share presentations, and blur your background. Awesome!

Google Meet

If you’re already familiar with Google Hangouts, you would know that it has simple features that can accommodate a video chat for 10 participants. Hangouts allow screen-sharing and text chats; it’s great for a small group meeting. But if you need to do a conference with more people, then Google Meet is the way to go! It can accommodate up to 100 participants, and anyone with a Gmail account can access a Google Meet conference. For those who have G Suite, you’ll be able to access the advanced features of Google Hangouts. These features include a larger meeting capacity and recording. But all users are entitled to unlimited calls, real-time translation, and video meetings directly from Gmail.

Jitsi Meet

This video conferencing tool may be relatively new compared to Zoom, but it’s a very good open-source platform. You can easily create online meetings without the need to register by just clicking “Go.” It can accommodate up to 75 participants in a meeting and you get to do session recording, private and public chatting, background blurring, and so much more! The best part is that you can integrate YouTube Live Streaming, Office 365, Slack, and Google Calendar with it too! It’s readily available on any web browser, and both iOS and Android devices.

StarLeaf

Second to the last on our list is StarLeaf. This video conferencing app is built for the enterprise! Unlike Zoom, which is available mostly for personal use and even virtual interviews like most companies are doing with the current pandemic, StarLeaf is a platform that can cater to the highly specialized needs of larger companies. Each meeting can accommodate up to 26 participants that can last 46 minutes. It has many essential features such as the StarLeaf Encore, cloud-based video calling, admin controls, and so much more! It’s conveniently available on desktop and both iOS and Android devices with high definition video and audio calls.

Talky

Lastly, we have Talky. This humble video conferencing app is probably the easiest to set-up! You don’t need to download, sign-up, or make payments to start a video conference. It’s perfect for small teams because it can accommodate up to six participants in a meeting. It only has basic features such as screen-sharing and locked rooms, but for something that’s so easy and straight-forward, we’re not complaining. With on-demand support and in-app game-playing with the meeting participants, it’s nifty! Zoom doesn’t even have that feature of playing games while using the app. And to start a video conference, just choose a group name and share the link with the people you want to include in the meeting, and you’re good to go!

Try them out!

And there you have it, our top five picks for the best Zoom alternatives. These apps are great for your online get-togethers and meetings. Even with the current pandemic, catching up is easy. You just have to learn to adjust a bit. This pandemic will hopefully be over soon. So, in the meantime, just make do with what you have. Try these video conferencing tools out for yourself today. We hope our article helps in choosing the best tool for you!