6 Best Video Conferencing Software for 2018

Video conferencing 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 range of video conferencing services and compared the top six to learn which services stood out and which is the best overall.

Top 6 Video Conferencing Software 2018

How We Evaluated 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 software solutions based on:

• Price: Most video conferencing 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 although, in some cases, it’s possible to buy additional seats
• Number of meetings: Some companies 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
• Support access: Video conferencing software companies should offer online documentation and customer support that is easily accessible; the companies we reviewed offer a combination of phone, email and chat support, online knowledge bases and community forums
• Ease of use: Video conferencing 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 conferencing software for small business for a 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 conferencing calling software provider that offers unlimited meetings, on-screen collaboration and call controls for free. Higher tiers provide additional features, but the Business level’s dedicated phone support is what sets Zoom apart. We believe Zoom is the best choice for businesses that want a 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’s Tiered Features

Basic

Zoom’s free Basic tier level video conferencing 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 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 full phone package of RingCentral. However, this free level offers more features than the free tiers of UberConference and FreeConferenceCall.com. This tier 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 $19.99 per host, this tier 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.

This tier 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. Zoom’s pricing is on par with Join.me and Uberconference.com. We believe it’s the right choice for businesses that want the best 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 four-and-a-half out of five 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 it bandwidth support issues. For more user reviews, 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.

Visit Zoom

Best Video Conferencing Software with a Built-in Phone Business Phone System: RingCentral

RingCentral video conferencing software is part of RingCentral’s business VoIP phone system. Each tier offers unlimited video meetings and reliable phone service. RingCentral is highly rated in our article on the best VoIP providers and is the best overall option for businesses that want 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 $59.99 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’s Tiered Features

RingCentral Essentials

RingCentral’s Essentials tier level video conferencing 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 voicema, and visual voicemail-to-email.

This tier doesn’t have multi-level 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 voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) phone service alongside video conferencing software. At $19.99 per month for four participants per meeting, RingCentral is more expensive than join.me or 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 meeting participants at four and adds internet faxing and a multilevel auto attendant for call routing capability to multiple locations and to external phone numbers. The auto attendant feature can be set at an individual or company-wide 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, though it does offer more than UberConference or FreeConferenceCall.com. At $24.99 per month, this plan is more expensive than join.me, 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 that 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 $34 per month, it’s more expensive than Join.me, 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.

RingCentral Ultimate

RingCentral’s Ultimate tier video conference software package accommodates up to 200 participants for an unlimited number of meetings. It also includes the features of all the previous tiers and adds CRM integration for Salesforce, Zendesk and Desk.com.

Unlike UberConference, RingCentral VoIP and video conferencing service bundle doesn’t integrate with LinkedIn or Slack. However, integrating RingCentral’s VoIP phone service into Salesforce, Zendesk and Desk.com allows you to work more deeply with each product, making the $49.99 per month price tag worthwhile. This tier is right for sales teams and technical support teams who want VoIP services bundled with video conferencing.

What RingCentral Is Missing

RingCentral doesn’t offer a free tier of its product, the basic package starts at $19.99 per user, per month. For businesses that want a completely free video conferencing service, UberConference, FreeConferenceCall.com or join.me is a better choice.

What Users Think About RingCentral

Our readers are generally positive about RingCentral, giving it an average rating of four out of five 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.

Where to Find RingCentral

Businesses that want video conferencing software with a built-in VoIP phone package should take a look at RingCentral. The company offers a free trial of its product and 30-day money back guarantee when you purchase an account. Check out RingCentral’s website for details.

Visit RingCentral

Best Video Conferencing Software with Free CRM Integration: join.me

join.me is a video conferencing solution that offers audio and video conferencing, call controls and cloud storage. It also offers more free CRM and other business app integrations than its competitors. We believe join.me is best for businesses that want to integrate their call details with their existing CRMs for free.

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, including Highspot, Octiv, Yesware, HubSpot, G Suite and Slack. It also includes screen sharing, individual participant mute, chat with participants, file transfer and mobile apps for Apple and Android devices.

This tier lacks the host control, 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 tier accommodates up to five participants for an unlimited number of meetings, which is still fewer seats than similarly tiered plans. This tier adds pass presenter and share control, meeting lock, email and phone support and reporting. This level increases the number of control hosts have over meetings and participants and adds a layer of tech support for troubleshooting issues.

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. This level is right for small teams that want to host video calls from anywhere and don’t need recording or storage capabilities.

Pro

join.me’s Pro tier accommodates up to 50 participants for an unlimited number of meetings, which is half that of Zoom. This level adds an optional toll-free number available at a per-minute rate, management tools to add new users, in-meeting annotation, recording and 5GB of storage. This level gives admins greater control over their accounts and the ability to document and store meetings.

This tier lacks the feature management tools, Salesforce integration and 5TB cloud storage options found at the highest level, but increases 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. This tier is a good choice for businesses that need a toll-free number for video conferencing.

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 5TB cloud storage. join.me’s Business level offers one of the largest cloud storage options on the market.

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. This tier is right for businesses that want to integrate video calling into their Salesforce CRM platform.

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

In general, our readers have good things to say about join.me and give it four out of five 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.

Where to Find join.me

Businesses that want integration with Salesforce, Zapier, G Suite, HubSpot and other office applications should give join.me a try. Contact the sales team to request a demo or try the free tier. Visit join.me’s website for details.

Visit join.me

Best Video Conferencing Software for Making Free Calls: UberConference

UberConference is video conferencing software service that offers conference calling, optional toll-free phone numbers and international access to more than 50 countries and is highly rated on our list of best free conference call services. We believe UberConference is the best option for startups on a budget with internationally located remote workers and teams.

UberConference Pricing

UberConference offers two types of 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-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 bare-bones 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.

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, join.me or GoToMeeting are better choices.

What Users Think About UberConference

Our reader reviews about UberConference are positive overall, and the company gets four-and-a-half out of five stars rating. 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.

Where to Find UberConference

Business owners who need a free, basic video conferencing solution to make and record calls should check out UberConference. To sign up for a free account, visit UberConference’s website for details.

Visit UberConference

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

FreeConferenceCall.com is video conferencing software service that offers free, unlimited audio and video conferencing for up to 1,000 people. It also includes screen sharing, recording and free international calling. We believe FreeConferenceCall.com is the best choice for businesses that host large local and international 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 is far below what FreeConferenceCall.com allows.

FreeConferenceCall.com Features

FreeConferenceCall.com 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. All the 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 on par 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. Call recording 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 a good choice for companies 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 plan and join.me offers a choice of 5GB or 5TB on its higher level plans. FreeConferenceCall.com is a better bet for companies that want to store their conference recordings in the cloud.

What FreeConferenceCall.com Is Missing

FreeConferencecall.com offers limited plug-in 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

FreeConferenceCall.com customer reviews online have positive things to say about the company overall. 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.

Where to Find FreeConferenceCall.com

Businesses that host meetings of up to 1,000 participants should take a look at FreeConferenceCall.com. Visit FreeConferenceCall.com’s website for details on how to set up a free account.

Visit FreeConferenceCall.com

Best Video Conferencing Software for Businesses That Want Integration with Existing GoTo Products: GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting is a video conference software service that offers audio and video conferencing. It provides screen sharing, transcripts, recording, drawing tools, meeting lock and mobile apps. We believe 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, then share with the team.

This tier lacks the InRoom link feature found in the top tier, a way to connect GoToMeeting from your existing conference room system. This level is more expensive than Zoom or UberConference. However, companies within the GoTo ecosystem could ultimately save money by using a meeting tool plug-in built to work with existing GoTo products. This tier is good for teams that use GoTo products and need a collaborative video conferencing tool.

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 H.323-enabled 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, join.me or FreeConferenceCall.com. This tier is right for teams that have hardware that works with other GoTo products.

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, join.me or FreeConferenceCall.com are better choices.

What Users Think About GoToMeeting

Our readers give GoToMeeting good reviews with four-out-of-five stars. They particularly like that it can be used anywhere, including starting meetings via mobile. However, some customers say they have issues with the audio quality and frequent lagging. For more user reviews, visit the GoToMeeting’s User Review Page.

Where to Find GoToMeeting

Businesses that use GoTo products like GoTo Conference or GoToWebinar should give GoToMeeting a look. The company offers a 14-day free trial and is currently offering up to 20 percent off for a limited time. Visit GoToMeeting’s website for details.

Visit GoToMeeting

The Bottom Line

Video conferencing 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 the best 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.

Visit Zoom