Zoom Alternatives for Video Conferencing and Remote Meetings
Zoom is a well-known video conferencing tool and chances are that you've used it in one of your meetings. Although this tool commands a market share of almost 10 percent and is growing at 100 percent YoY, its competitors are not getting weaker. The market for Zoom alternatives has been booming too and there are a huge number of players to choose from.
Zoom alternatives offer features, pricing plans, and functionalities that's making buyers opt for them. Who are these competitors and what do they offer differently from Zoom? Let's find out.
1. SKYPE FOR BUSINESS
Who doesn't know Skype, right? Probably the most popular video chat tool around the world, used by masses and classes alike. I've used it so many times for talking to my friends around the world. It does have a business use case too.
For businesses or teams with less than 20 persons, Skype is a great tool. It is free, but if you want to make calls to landlines and mobile, you need to buy Skype credits to make those calls.
You can host online meetings and webinars, share your screens, and use the collaborative whiteboard feature. Also, you can record, enable live captions, and subtitles while enjoying a crystal clear audio and HD video call.
Skype for Business allows you to collaborate and connect with up to 250 people online.
The software also provides impressive features such as enterprise-grade security, cloud storage, end to end encryption and compliance, and on-demand support.
Skype for Business is integrated into your Microsoft 360 package and therefore offers a complete meeting solution with all the free features plus Microsoft office 365 for businesses.
The pricing comes in three categories. Office 365 Business Essentials at $5.00 per user per month. Office 365 Business at $8.25 per user per month and Office 365 Business Premium at $12.50 per user per month.
Skype is easy to use. However, you'd need to install the software package on your device to use it. Skype stores video recordings for only 30 days.
2. ZOHO MEETING
Zoho Meeting is another excellent tool for video conferencing. This solution is web and browser-based, and therefore, you don't need to download any software or perform any installation to use the tool.
With a simple chrome extension you can host and record online meetings and webinars.
Furthermore, you can share and record screens across various platforms.
It is suitable for single users as well as small and large organizations. This solution boasts of being easy to navigate.
Zoho Meeting gives you a detailed analytical report of registrations, engagements, Questions and Answers, and polls after your webinar.
You can also embed meeting links on your website so that attendees can join your meeting using their email addresses. More so, you can moderate meetings securely.
Pricing for Zoho Meeting starts from $10 per host per month for up to 100 participants. The webinar plan starts at $19.
However, you can save costs if you choose the yearly payment plan as it offers more discounts.
Zoho meeting has a 14 day trial period and does not offer a free version. Also, the features are limited as compared to competitors in that space.
3. GOTOMEETING
GoToMeeting is another fantastic tool that enables collaborations and communication seamlessly via the internet in real-time. It is one of the simplest video conferencing, screen sharing, and online meeting solutions.
You can access GoToMeeting using desktop and mobile apps. Also, you can join online meetings via their web browser, but it has limited features web web browsers.
You can enjoy some great features. The private meeting room allows you to create a custom meeting link that never changes. The video to slide feature automatically converts slides from multiple presentations into a shareable PDF format.
Also, with unlimited storage, you can record and save your meeting in the cloud or locally.
The calendar integrations allow you to schedule and join meetings using the google calendar and GoToMeeting Office 365 plugins.
You can access and share automatic transcripts of your recorded sessions.
GoToMeeting offers a 14 day trial period and a variety of price points for users. The Professional plan starts from $14 per month and allows users to host up to 150 participants.
The business plan starts from $19 per month and allows users to host up to 250 participants. The enterprise plan will enable users to host up to 3000 participants.
However, the annual payment plan will allow you to save 16 percent. Users that require Webinar features may need to visit GoToWebinar.
4. EZTALKS
EZTalks is a video conferencing solution that allows users to access innovative collaboration services such as webinars, online meetings, audio and video conferencing.
EZTalk has amazing web and video conferencing features such as full online meeting controls, and an interactive whiteboard to brainstorm and bring ideas to life.
You can share presentations, slideshows, audio, and video with up to 10,000 participants. You can also organize polls, engage in group and private chats, and host unlimited free meetings.
Although the EZtalks free plan has a 40 minutes limit on group meetings, it allows you to host up 100 participants.
The paid plans unlock more advanced features and starts from $13 per month per host, Pro is $39, Business Starts from $65.
However, a yearly payment plan allows you to save 23 percent.
The software is straightforward and easy to use. Also, you can use EZtalks on a wide range of platforms, including Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, and Linux.
5. ADOBE CONNECT
Adobe Connect is a web conferencing platform that offers collaborative experiences. User can enjoy online meetings and webinars, video and audio conferencing, screen-sharing, polls, instant messaging, and file sharing.
The software is intuitive and easy to use. Adobe Connect allows you to customize meeting rooms to suit your needs.
You have complete control over the features and appearance of your meeting rooms. And you can customize your meeting rooms with layout and background images, add functionalities and features.
You can host breakout sessions within a meeting.
Also, each user can access multiple meeting rooms.
Other features include the meeting recordings, notes, chats, and white-boarding. The USP of this software is that it is highly customizable and adaptable.
Adobe Connect offers a 30 day trial period, and subscription plans are expensive compared to other solutions.
The Adobe Connect Meetings starts from $ 50 per month, Adobe Connect Webinars for $ 130 per month, and Adobe Connect Learning start from $ 370 per month.
6. WebEx
WebEx is an enterprise solution and feature-rich tool for video and audio conferencing, online meetings, screen share, and webinars. Web conferencing, cloud calling.
WebEx has a simple user interface but slightly less intuitive than zoom. It allows for cognitive collaboration and secure cloud calling.
Also, it enables active and collaborative teamwork with group messaging, white-boarding, file, screen sharing, and more. You will also deliver engaging and interactive online training for your learners.
The Video Support features real-time technical support, accessible from anywhere.
Webex pricing plan starts from Cisco WebEx Premium 8, for $ 24 per user per month. Premium 25 is for $ 39 per user per month. Premium 100 prices at $ 69 per user per month.
The default browser is Internet Explorer. Therefore, users may need to change to the browsing settings if you prefer to use Firefox or Chrome. You will also pay extra charges for the call me feature.
7. Join.me
Join.me is an interactive teleconferencing solution that allows the user to communicate with collaborators across different platforms.
More so, Join.me has such features as audio and video conferencing, screen sharing, one-click scheduling, and white-boarding.
You can customize your meeting link and URL to give it that unique feel. Also, you may brand it to your company name or meeting subject or even match your nickname.
Join.me also allows you to customize your meeting background. They make your account and meeting room look exceptional.
While hosting your meeting, you can use images and interactive graphics to keep your session attendees engaged.
The Join.me pricing plan offers three subscription plans.
Lite starts at $ 10 per month, Pro starts at $ 20 per month, and Business for $ 30 per month. The software is straightforward and easy to use. You will also have access to email and phone support
The only drawback to this solution is that the features are limited when compared to other software in this space.
CHOOSE YOUR ZOOM ALTERNATIVE
The video conferencing market offers several unique alternatives to Zoom. For the most part, these solutions are scalable and customizable. However, each of these have their unique weaknesses.
So, you may need to evaluate the features that are important to your business to make an informed choice.
Next Up: Most event attendees are there to network with other attendees. If you organize events and want to boost their networking quality then you should click here and contact us to understand more.
Source: Guiding Tech
