6 Best Video Conferencing Software for 2019

Video conference software helps business owners meet with clients, customers, and remote workers over the internet using computers or mobile apps when face-to-face meetings aren’t feasible. We looked at a variety of video conferencing software and compared them by price, features, and ease of use to determine the top six, including a best overall.

Top 6 Video Conferencing Software for 2019

How We Evaluated The Best Video Conferencing Software

The best video conferencing software should allow one-on-one meetings and also accommodate groups of three or more participants. Because video meetings are often collaborative, screen sharing, whiteboarding, call controls, and other collaboration tools are also important. Video conferencing software should be easy to set up and use and have good customer support to back it up.

Therefore, we evaluated the top six best video conferencing for small business based on:

• Price: Most video conference software companies offer tiered pricing structures. To evaluate each company fairly, we attempted to compare packages costs on a per-user basis with similar features.
• Number of participants: Some companies limit the number of participants that can join meetings; however, in some cases, it’s possible to buy additional seats.
• Number of meetings: Some organizations limit the number of meetings you can host at different tier levels.
• Available screen sharing and collaboration tools: Screen drawing, annotation, document sharing, and other collaboration tools make it easier for teams to share information more effectively during video conference calls.
• Call controls: Mute, meeting lock, switch presenter, and other call controls make it easier for the host to manage video conferences efficiently.
• Business application integration: Business app integration extends the benefits of video conferencing by linking it to popular productivity and sales tools like Slack and Salesforce.
• Customer Support: Video conference software companies should offer online documentation and customer support that is accessible easily. The companies we reviewed offer a combination of phone, email and chat support, online knowledge bases, and community forums.
• Ease of use: Video conference software customers usually manage their accounts through software installed on a computer or through a web browser. We evaluated how easy the software is to install and set up or use in a browser.

Based on our research, we recommend Zoom as the best overall video conference software for small business for the combination of features, price, and value for the money. Here’s how the six services we evaluated stack up when compared against each other for price, features, and customer support.

Best Overall Video Conferencing Software for Small Businesses: Zoom

Zoom is a video conference calling provider that offers unlimited meetings, on-screen collaboration, and call controls for free. Paid plans start at $14.99 per month, per host and provide additional features like reporting and cloud storage. Zoom is the best choice for businesses that want the best combination of features at an affordable price.

Zoom Pricing

Zoom’s pricing ranges from a free basic plan to $19.99 per month, per host at the highest level. Each level includes 100 participants with the option to purchase more seats at the paid levels. Zoom’s competitors also have free plans, but Zoom offers more features at the free level than others in the industry.

Zoom Tiered Features

Free

Zoom’s free tier level video conference software package accommodates up to 100 participants for an unlimited number of meetings. By comparison, Join.me allows three at the free level, and UberConference allows up to 10. However, there is a 40-minute time limit on group meetings of three people or more. This free level includes simultaneous screen sharing, desktop sharing, host controls, and a raise hand feature.

This tier doesn’t include the admin feature controls, dedicated phone support, or transcription service of higher tiers. It also lacks the massive storage of Join.me and the full phone package of RingCentral. However, this free level offers more features than the free tiers of UberConference and FreeConferenceCall.com. Therefore, it is right for solopreneurs and small businesses that hold short meetings and don’t need cloud storage.

Pro

Zoom’s Pro tier accommodates up to 100 participants with the option to purchase 500 or 1,000 additional seats. There is no meeting duration limit at this level. This tier also adds user management and admin feature controls that give owners and admins more power over the account, reporting, and 1GB storage for cloud recording.

This tier doesn’t include the vanity URL or admin dashboard found in the Business tier, or Goto product integration of GoToMeeting. At $14.99 per host, it costs the same as Join.me’s Pro plan but allows twice as many participants. This tier is the right choice for small teams and businesses that want more control over calls.

Business

Zoom’s Business tier accommodates up to 100 participants with the option to purchase 500 or 1,000 additional seats. There is no meeting duration limit at this level. This tier also adds dedicated phone support, cloud recording transcripts, an admin dashboard, and a vanity URL. A minimum of 10 hosts are required on the Business tier. Zoom also offers an enterprise-level package at this same price point for large businesses, with a 100-host minimum requirement.

The Business Plan doesn’t offer native connections to other GoTo products like GoToMeeting or the variety of storage options found at Join.me. Zoom is easy to set up and use and offers customer support via an online knowledge base, online ticketing system, chat, and phone support. At $19.99 per month, Zoom’s pricing is on par with Uberconference.com and is the right choice for businesses that want the combination of features at an affordable price.

What Zoom Is Missing

Zoom doesn’t offer more than 1GB of cloud storage unless you purchase additional add-on plans beginning at $40 per month or select the enterprise level tier that comes with unlimited cloud storage. Businesses that need more than 1GB of storage may want to consider Join.me or FreeConferencecall.com instead.

What Users Think About Zoom

Our readers have overall positive things to say about Zoom according to our Zoom user review page, giving it a 4.5 out of 5 stars. They say it offers great quality for conferences and that it’s easy to set up meeting rooms. However, some customers report conference attendees sometimes get disconnected when the internet is slow due to bandwidth support issues. To learn more about what our readers think of Zoom, visit our Zoom user review page.

Where to Find Zoom

Businesses that want the best combination of video conferencing features at an affordable price should check out Zoom. The company offers a free demo, and it’s free to sign up for an account. Check out Zoom’s website for details.

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Best Conferencing Software With Built-in Phone Service: RingCentral

RingCentral is a comprehensive phone system with built-in video conferencing. Plans start at $29.99 per user, per month and offer unlimited video meetings and reliable phone service. RingCentral is a top-rated voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) provider and the best web conferencing software for businesses wanting video conferencing software with a built-in business VoIP phone package.

RingCentral Pricing

RingCentral’s prices for up to 10 users range from $29.99 to $39.99 per month. Unlimited user plans range from $34.99 to $44.99 per month. The number of meeting participants varies from four to 200, depending on plan level and is the only service that comes value-bundled with VoIP.

RingCentral Tiered Features

RingCentral Essentials

RingCentral’s Essentials tier level video conference software package accommodates up to four participants for an unlimited number of meetings. This is less than what Zoom allows but removes the meeting time limit. This level includes screen sharing, drawing tools, and speaker spotlight. It also includes unlimited VoIP phone calls, visual voicemail, and visual voicemail-to-email.

This tier doesn’t have multilevel auto attendant, internet fax, automatic call recording, or voicemail transcription of the higher tiers, but it’s the only solution on our list to offer VoIP phone service alongside video conferencing software. At $29.99 per month for four participants per meeting, RingCentral is more expensive than Zoom, but it’s a good choice for very small businesses who need phone service with their video conferencing.

RingCentral Standard

RingCentral’s Essentials tier level keeps the number of meeting participants at four and adds internet faxing and a multilevel auto attendant for call routing capability to multiple locations and external phone numbers. The auto attendant feature can be set at an individual or companywide level to answer and route calls during video conferences.

This tier is missing the automatic call recording, voicemail transcription, and customer relationship management (CRM) integration of RingCentral’s upper tiers. It also doesn’t offer as many call controls as Zoom or Join.me, although it does offer more than UberConference or FreeConferenceCall.com. At $34.99 per month, this plan is more expensive than UberConference or FreeConferenceCall.com. However, those services don’t come bundled with VoIP phone service.

RingCentral Premium

RingCentral’s Essentials tier level bumps the number of meeting participants up to 100 and automatic inbound and outbound call recording, along with a number of robust call center phone system features. In addition to giving workers the ability to review calls handled by colleagues while they were attending a video conference, this tier adds voicemail transcription, which converts voicemails to text that can be read in emails and text messages automatically.

The Premium level tops out at 100 meeting participants while the next tier maxes out at 200. This tier is also missing call controls that allow hosts to manage participant behavior and fine-tune features like Zoom and Join.me. At $44.99 per month, it’s more expensive than Join.me and UberConference, but those solutions don’t offer VoIP calling. This tier is good for teams that need tools to help them manage calls they miss during video conferences.

What RingCentral Is Missing

RingCentral doesn’t offer a free tier of its product. The basic package starts at $29.99 per user, per month. It also caps participants at 100 people. For businesses that want a completely free video conferencing service that supports more participants, UberConference or FreeConferencecall.com are a better choice.

What Users Think About RingCentral

Our readers are generally positive about RingCentral, giving it an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars. They say the service offers a variety of features that are useful for small and medium-sized businesses. However, some readers note the customer service team is occasionally slow to respond. For more user reviews, visit our RingCentral user review page.

Best Video Conference With GoTo-branded Integration: GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting is a video conference software service that offers audio and video conferencing. Plans start at $18 per user, per month and feature screen sharing, transcripts, recording, drawing tools, and meeting lock. GoToMeeting is the best choice for companies that want seamless integration with the video-based GoTo products like GoToConference or GoToWebinar they’re already using.

GoToMeeting Pricing

GoToMeeting’s pricing ranges from $18 to $47 per user, per month. The number of meeting participants varies from 10 to 250, depending on the plan level. There are discounts available for annual contract agreements. GoToMeeting’s tiers are less expensive than similar services in the space.

GoToMeeting Tiered Features

Starter

GoToMeeting’s Starter tier accommodates up to 10 participants for an unlimited number of meetings. This level includes mobile apps, screen sharing, and 24/7 phone and web support customer care. The screen sharing feature allows hosts to share their screen or pass control to their participants to collaborate.

This tier lacks the drawing tools, meeting lock, transcripts, recording, and keyboard and mouse sharing found in the next tier. At $18 per user, per month for 10 participants, it’s less expensive and allows more callers than RingCentral but offers fewer features, most notably a full-featured phone system. This tier is good for small teams that are already familiar with GoTo products and want to add a light video conferencing product.

Pro

GoToMeeting’s Pro tier accommodates up to 150 participants for an unlimited number of meetings. This level adds keyboard and mouse sharing, transcripts and records, and meeting lock. It also includes a drawing tool to allow the host to draw right on their screen, and then share with the team. This tier is good for teams that use GoTo products and need a collaborative video conferencing tool.

This tier lacks the InRoom link feature found in the top tier, a way to connect GoToMeeting from your existing conference room system. At $36 per month, this level is more expensive than Zoom or UberConference. However, companies within the GoTo ecosystem could ultimately save money by using a meeting tool plugin built to work with existing GoTo products.

Plus

GoToMeeting’s Plus tier accommodates up to 250 participants for an unlimited number of meetings. This level adds InRoom link to connect GoToMeeting from your existing conference room system. InRoom Link works with many conference room systems from Polycom, Lifesize, Cisco, and more.

This tier is designed to bring existing hardware and video conferencing software together for a unified team experience. At $47 per user, per month, the cost of this level is on par with RingCentral but offers fewer features. It’s significantly more expensive than UberConference or FreeConferenceCall.com. This tier is right for teams that have hardware that works with other GoTo products.

What GoToMeeting Is Missing

Unlike other video conference software providers in this space, GoToMeeting is missing a permanently free tier. For permanently free video conferencing plan, UberConference or Join.me are better choices. Also, there’s no option to use a virtual phone number the free plan for callers to dial into meetings. Businesses that want to be able to assign a dial-in phone number to conference calls should consider FreeConferenceCall.com.

What Users Think About GoToMeeting

Our readers give GoToMeeting good reviews with 4 out of 5 stars. They particularly like that it can be used anywhere, including starting meetings via mobile. However, some customers say they have reliability issues with the service because of audio quality and frequent lagging. For more user reviews, visit the GoToMeeting’s user review page.

Best Conferencing for Business App Integration: Join.me

Join.me is a video conferencing solution with free and paid plans from $10 per user, per month. It offers audio and video conferencing, screen sharing, cloud storage, and more free CRM and other business communication integrations than its competitors. Join.me is the best video conferencing for small businesses that want CRM tools.

Join.me Pricing

Join.me’s pricing ranges from a free basic plan to $30 per user, per month, billed annually. The number of meeting participants varies from three to 250, depending on the plan level. Other solutions on the market also have free plans, however, Join.me offers better CRM integration for the money than its competitors.

Join.me Tiered Features

Free

Join.me’s free tier accommodates up to three participants for an unlimited number of meetings. This level includes integration for a number of CRM software packages and other business applications not found in competitors like RingCentral and GoTo Meeting, including Highspot, Octiv, Yesware, and HubSpot, G Suite, and Slack. It also includes screen sharing, individual participant mute, chat with participants, and mobile apps for Apple and Android devices.

This tier lacks the host control, and reporting features in the next level, and Salesforce integration at the Business level, but does allow hosts to chat with participants inside the mobile apps. It doesn’t offer cloud storage or drawing tools found in RingCentral. However, this tier is free, so it’s on par with options like FreeConferenceCall.com or Join.me. This tier is good for business owners that use sales and productivity apps like HubSpot and Slack.

Lite

Join.me’s Lite plan accommodates up to five participants for an unlimited number of meetings, which is still fewer seats than similarly tiered plans. This level features pass presenter and share control, meeting lock, and reporting. Join.me’s Lite tier is right for small teams that want to host video calls from anywhere and don’t need recording or storage capabilities.

This tier lacks access to an optional toll-free phone number, user management tools, in-meeting annotation, recording, and storage found in higher level tiers. At $10 per user, per month, it costs less than RingCentral and Zoom’s comparable tiers with similar features.

Pro

Join.me’s Pro tier accommodates up to 50 participants for an unlimited number of meetings, half that of Zoom. This level adds an optional toll-free number with per-minute rates starting from eight cents, management tools to add new users, in-meeting annotation, recording, and 5GB of storage. This tier is a good choice for businesses that need a toll-free number for video conferencing.

This tier lacks the feature management tools, Salesforce integration, and 1TB cloud storage options found at the highest level, but bumps up the number of meeting participants dramatically from five to 50. At $20 per user, per month, this service costs a bit more than UberConference but offers more features and storage, which makes it a better value.

Business

Join.me’s Business tier accommodates up to 250 participants for an unlimited number of meetings. This level also adds feature management tools to allow admins to deploy features across large groups of users at once, Salesforce integration, and 1TB cloud storage. Join.me’s Business level offers one of the largest cloud storage options on the market. This tier is right for businesses that want to integrate video calling into their Salesforce CRM platform.

This tier doesn’t offer options like Zoom’s dedicated phone support or unlimited cloud storage. However, at $30 per user, per month, this level is on par with GoToMeeting. FreeConferencecall.com, UberConference, and Join.me offer free tiers and cheaper plans but don’t come with nearly the amount of features this level has to offer.

What Join.me Is Missing

Join.me doesn’t offer audio transcription at any tier level. That could be a deal breaker for companies that want searchable text files of meetings and conferences for reference or recordkeeping purposes. If meeting transcription is important, GoToMeeting or Zoom may be a better option for you.

What Users Think About Join.me

Our readers generally have good things to say about Join.me and give it 4 out of 5-star rating. Customers say one of the things they like most is the ability to join a meeting via a URL without having to download anything. However, some users report there is sometimes a lag when using the software. For more user reviews, visit the Join.me user review page.

Best Video Conferencing Software for International Callers: UberConference

UberConference is a video conference software service that offers free conference calling, and a $15 per user, per month paid plan with international access to more than 50 countries. UberConference, highly rated on our list of best free conference call services, is the right choice for startups on a budget with internationally located remote workers and teams.

UberConference Pricing

UberConference offers two pricing options. The free tier provides unlimited meetings for up to 10 participants. The Business tier provides unlimited meetings for up to 100 participants for $15 per user, per month. Feature and price wise, the paid tier is about on par with UberConference’s competitors in the space.

UberConference Tiered Features

Free

UberConference Free tier accommodates up to 10 participants for an unlimited number of meetings. Like FreeConferencecall.com at this level, PINs are required for participants to enter and attend meetings. This tier also includes mobile apps, screen and document sharing, call recording, and high-definition (HD)-quality audio. The mobile apps are helpful for business owners who want to host and participate in calls from anywhere.

This tier lacks the custom call-in number, analytics, international access, dial out to add callers, optional toll-free number, and team management portal of the paid tier. However, a lack of extra features makes it among the easiest services to learn to use. This tier is a good choice for small teams that need a barebones video conferencing solution.

Business

UberConference Business tier accommodates up to 100 participants for an unlimited number of meetings. At this level, PINs are not required for participants to enter and attend meetings. This tier also includes a team management portal, custom call-in number, analytics, international access, dial out to add callers, and the option to purchase a toll-free number for $10.

This tier doesn’t offer a range of collaboration tools like Zoom or GoToMeeting, but some companies find that screen and document sharing are priorities when collaborating during video conferences, so UberConference has you covered. At $15 per user, per month, this tier is competitively priced among similar tiers at Join.me and GoToMeeting, however, those providers don’t offer international calling to as many countries as UberConference.

What UberConference Is Missing

UberConference is missing call controls like mute, meeting lock, switch presenter, that make it easier for the host to manage video conferences efficiently. If those are important features, Zoom or GoToMeeting are better choices.

What Users Think About UberConference

Our reader reviews about UberConference are positive overall, and the company gets 4.5 of 5 stars. Customers say the interface is simple and easy to learn, and the call quality is great. However, some customers say screen sharing can cause some lagging issues. For more user reviews, visit our UberConference user review Page.

Best Video Conferencing Software for Large Group Meetings: FreeConferenceCall.com

FreeConferencecall.com is a video conference software service that offers free, unlimited audio and video conferencing for up to 1,000 people, well exceeding the industry average. It also includes screen sharing, call controls, conference lock, and recording. This makes FreeConferencecall.com the best video conferencing option for small businesses that host large local video calls.

FreeConferenceCall.com Pricing

FreeConferencecall.com accounts are free for an unlimited number of meetings of up to 1,000 participants. Additional a la carte upgrades include a toll-free number, custom hold music, and custom greeting. Other services in this space also offer free plans, but the number of meeting participants allowed are far below what FreeConferenceCall.com allows.

FreeConferenceCall.com Features

FreeConferencecall.com, which ranks as our best free conference call service, allows up to 1,000 participants in meetings free of charge, call controls, recording, and optional upgrades like a toll-free number. Many of these features come standard in RingCentral, UberConference, and Join.me, but none offer the large number of meeting participants that FreeConferencecall.com allows at no charge.

Call Limits

FreeConferencecall.com unlimited audio and video conferencing for up to 1,000 people at no cost. Customers can add up to 5,000 additional participants by calling the company’s sales team for a price quote. Most services in this space have a standard meeting participant cap of 250 or less regardless of tier level, but Zoom will add up to 1,000 more if customers call for a price quote. FreeConferencecall.com bests its competitors on the call limits feature.

Call Controls

FreeConferencecall.com’s call controls include screen sharing, drawing tools, switch presenter, remote control, mute caller, and conference lock. These standard features are on par with nearly all video conference call software services, including basic tier levels. Calls can be controlled via the online dashboard and by using phone keypad commands on some VoIP desktop conference phones.

Recording

Customers can record audio, screen sharing, and video conferencing to store, download, and share. The feature is offered as part of UberConference’s free plan. However, it’s only available on the upper tier levels at Zoom and Join.me. FreeConferencecall.com is the best video conferencing for small businesses that want to record their video conference calls regularly. Run a VoIP speed test before your call to make sure it will provide the quality recording you expect.

Storage Space

FreeConferencecall.com includes 1GB of cloud storage space free with each account. Customers can increase their storage to 10GB for $3 per month, $20GB for $5 per month, or 40GB for $10 per month. Zoom offers 1GB of storage on its middle tier and premium plans, making FreeConferencecall.com a better bet for companies that want to store their conference recordings in the cloud.

What FreeConferenceCall.com Is Missing

FreeConferencecall.com offers limited plugin integration with Outlook, Google Calendar, Slack, Dropbox, and Evernote. However, it’s missing the strong business application integration found in other solutions. Businesses that want CRM integration with their video conference software are better served by Join.me or RingCentral.

What Users Think About FreeConferenceCall.com

Reader reviews of FreeConferenceCall.com are generally positive, earning a 4.7 out of 5 stars. They report that the service is easy to use and like that they are one of the few video conference software service providers to offer accounts that never expire. However, some customers say call quality is sometimes not up to par. Learn more at our FreeConferenceCall.com reader review page.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is video conferencing?

Video conferencing is a VoIP business phone feature that facilitates multiperson video meetings and typically includes tools for screen sharing, screen drawing, and the ability to mute call participants. Many VoIP providers also include call recording and cloud storage so calls can be documented for reviewing or sharing with people unable to participate in the live call.

Why use video conferencing software

Video conferencing software provides a superior communication experience over phone calls or audio-only conference calling. It enables call participants to see each other during meetings to observe visual communication cues, improves collaboration through the use of tools like screen drawing and screen sharing, and reduces time and travel expenses for distributed and remote workers.

Who uses video conferencing software?

Video conferencing software is a good VoIP feature for remote teams as well as business owners that want to meet with clients when face-to-face meetings aren’t possible. It’s also used by solopreneurs to overcome complicated logistics hurdles of meeting in person with clients that are distributed across a wide geographical area.

Bottom Line

Video conference software is great for helping helps business owners connect with clients and customers when face-to-face meetings aren’t possible. It should be affordable, accommodate groups of three or more, and offer enough call controls and collaboration tools to keep everyone in the meeting on track and productive.

The best video conferencing software depends on how many people regularly join your calls, how often you host them, and what kinds of tools you need during the calls. Businesses that want a solid combination of features at an affordable price can’t miss with Zoom. Visit Zoom’s website for a free demo and to sign up for a free account.

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