Top 7 Video Call Platforms - Best Options Home Office, Free Trials & More

Whether it’s chatting with your family or your colleagues, new technology has completely changed the game as far as communication goes, upping the need and demand for software like video call platforms. With so many video call and conferencing tools on the market, however, how can you choose the platform that’s most effective for you?

We’ve outlined the top video call and conferencing platforms below, some including free trials. Find the platform that will help you reach everyone important in your life.

1. Google Meet

Google Meet is a paid version of Google Hangouts. It’s best suited for businesses since it comes with web conferencing and webinars. Google Meet allows you to have video conferences with up to 100 participants, depending on which plan you choose. It also comes packed with features such as recording and screen sharing.

Google Meet comes with a wide variety of G Suite programs, which enhances the virtual meeting experience. You’ll save money by not needing additional services. But the disadvantage with this platform is that it only works with the Google Chrome web browser. It also can be difficult to use for participants who are not familiar with Google Hangouts. However, at $5 per video conference, it’s one of the most affordable programs out there.

2. TeamViewer

TeamViewer is a very intuitive and user-friendly desktop sharing software. It’s the perfect tool for desktop sharing, file transfers, and remote control, which operates behind a firewall and NAT proxy. An attractive feature about TeamViewer is that you can run it on multiple computers without having to install the software. That means you can remotely connect to workstations who are not in the same location.

One problem with TeamViewer is that it’s not a conferencing platform. It’s built for remote control and desktop sharing capabilities. It also can’t share large files and tends to lag. There is no free version of TeamViewer and it doesn’t allow fast file transfers.

3. Skype for Business

Skype for Business comes with Microsoft Office 365, but also comes as a standalone software program. The business version takes the free platform to a whole new level. You can’t even tell the difference between the two – it’s like night and day. Skype for Business includes features such as conferencing up to 250 participants, instant messaging, screen sharing, security, and unlimited meetings.

You can also Skype to share documents from Excel, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word. If you upgrade to the enterprise package, you can connect with up to 250 participants. Since Microsoft Teams has launched, rumors swirled that Microsoft will do away with Skype for Business. But it’s a convenient tool with a wide variety of plans that meet your budget.

4. Zoho Meeting

You’ll notice that Zoho Meeting is one of the easiest and most affordable web conferencing service available. But one of its disadvantages is that it comes with basic features in comparison to others like ClickMeeting. But Zoho Meeting has rolled out new features such as the camera-based conferencing functionality, which has given it an edge over its competitors. But it’s one of the best web conferencing tools when it comes to application-based demonstrations, basic remote support, and team collaboration.

But if you’re looking for something that allows you to do product demonstrations or provide remote support, then Zoho Meeting is the perfect tool. But if you’re looking for a conferencing platform with high-quality features, then you’ll have to look at some of the other options on this list. Zoho has made improvements over the years to turn Zoho Meeting into an intuitive conference platform. But it still has a long way to go.

5. Zoom

Zoom has been taking over the video conferencing market due to its wide variety of options. This software is known for its sharp picture quality and immediate sharing capabilities that have made it popular. Most people who switch over to Zoom after using other conference call software and were satisfied with its benefits. It’s the perfect platform for people who want to easily connect and collaborate with their clients remotely in real-time.

Zoom also supports Chrome and Linux OS and comes with a secure socket layer (SSL) encryption to keep your communications safe and secure. While there’s a free version of Zoom available, it comes with limited features. For example, your video conference can’t last longer than 40 minutes. Advanced features include custom meeting IDs, interoperability, managed domains, phone support, and user management. You’ll find that the paid plans are less expensive than the others on this list.

6. Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams was developed to encourage collaboration and productivity. It works seamlessly with other Microsoft products such as SharePoint and Word. It’s also one of the most user-friendly and interactive infrastructures you’ll ever come across. It also easily integrates into Skype for Business even though there’s no need for it.

Microsoft developed this software program after seeing increased popularity in collaboration tools like Slack that have taken over the market. Microsoft Teams is a highly intuitive collaboration tool that’s combined with virtual meeting features. For example, you can have a video conference directly from an instant messaging chat. Sine downsides of Microsoft Teams are that it’s not integrated with the Azure Active Directory, and only the mobile version of Microsoft Teams offers voicemail for Android and iOS mobile devices.

7. GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting is no longer tops when it comes to video conferencing. That’s because the market has become so oversaturated. But it’s still a high-quality tool with plenty of features that will satisfy most businesses. This user-friendly software gives it an edge over its competitors.

It’s known for some of its attractive features such as “polling” and “raise a hand,” which you won’t find anywhere else. GoToMeeting provides unlimited conference calls and video meetings and keeps them safe with end-to-end encryption. While it comes with a long list of features, it does cost more than its competitors. The free version only allows a maximum of three participants whereas the premium version allows 10 to 250, depending on which plan you’re on.