Illustration by Samar Haddad / Photo by Becca Farsace
Remember last summer, when things were starting to open up and Omicron was just a Greek letter you found in crossword puzzles? Yeah, me too. But now, many of us are still relying on video calls to keep in touch with work colleagues, family, and friends. And for most of us â especially those who are facing financial difficulties â free is best. Zoom continues to top the list of videoconferencing apps, but there are a bunch of applications out there that will allow you to meet others online for free.
Weâve listed a few of the best known videoconferencing apps, along with a couple of popular text chat apps that include video calling features. While most of these already have free versions, some are offering access to additional features for those who are currently working from home or who want to check up on friends and relatives online.
There are a number of apps we have not included, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and FaceTime, that allow you to do video chats. Weâve left them out because they require that all participants be members of a specific social network (Facebook, WhatsApp) or that you use a specific type of device (FaceTime, which is Apple-only). Weâve also tried to concentrate on applications that allow you to participate without having to download the app (unless youâre the host), and that allow at least 10 or more participants on their free version.
A good idea is to try one or two out for yourself to see how well they fit in with your style and that of your friends. This list is a good place to start.
Zoom
The most popular video meeting app
Zoom is one of the most widely used video meeting apps.
Zoom has become one of the most well-known videoconferencing apps â in fact, its name is quickly becoming synonymous with video meetings. Before the pandemic hit, the company pushed Zoom mostly for corporate use, but it also provides a free basic version for individuals. At first, because Zoom didnât expect its sudden popularity among non-business users, there were several missteps involving privacy and security; the company quickly instituted a number of changes and updates to address these issues.
The free version of Zoom allows up to 100 users to meet, but there is a 40-minute limit on meetings of more than two people, which can be pretty limiting. At the time of publication, Zoom was not offering any special deals for those now working at home, but it does have a page offering help and advice to new users.
Free version features
Maximum participants: 100
One-on-one meetings: 30-hour time limit
Group meetings: 40-minute time limit
Screen sharing: Yes
Record meetings: Yes
Skype Meet Now
A longtime go-to for online calls
Skypeâs Meet Now feature supports up to 50 people with a four-hour time limit.
Skype has been the go-to platform for one-on-one conversations since its beta was released in 2003. Its Meet Now feature (accessed by choosing the âMeet Nowâ button on the left side of the app) allows for videoconferencing; up to 100 people (including you) can meet with a generous 24-hour time limit on meetings.
There is also a separate page that lets you create a free video meeting without having to actually sign up for the service. However, you get more features using the app, so if youâre okay with registering for a free account, youâre better off doing that.
Free version features
Maximum participants: 100
One-on-one meetings: 24-hour time limit
Group meetings: 24-hour time limit
Screen sharing: Yes
Record meetings: Yes
Cisco Webex
A corporate app with a solid freemium version
Webex, a videoconferencing app that has been around since the â90s, has a useful free version.
Webex is a videoconferencing app that has been around since the â90s, and was acquired by Cisco in 2007. While itâs been mainly known as a business application and continues to focus on serving companies, it does have a fairly generous free version thatâs worth checking out. During the current pandemic, it has widened the features of the freemium version from 50 to 100 participants, and you can meet for up to 50 minutes.
Free version features
Maximum participants: 100
One-on-one meetings: 50-minute time limit
Group meetings: 50-minute time limit
Screen sharing: Yes
Record meetings: Yes
Google Meet
Now featured on your Gmail page
Google Meet is a video calling option that requires Google accounts to use.
Meet offers a very simple and efficient way to video chat with colleagues, friends, and family â assuming they all have Google accounts, which is a requirement for both hosts and participants. In fact, Google is not only pushing people to use its Meet videoconferencing app instead of Zoom, but also instead of its own previously pushed Google Hangouts app. You can find a Meet link in the Gmail app and in every appointment you make using Google Calendar. And Meet has some neat features, including real-time captions.
Free version features
Maximum participants: 100
One-on-one meetings: 24-hour time limit
Group meetings: 60-minute time limit
Screen sharing: Yes
Record meetings: No
Microsoft Teams
Not just for business
Microsoft Teams was built as a competitor to Slack and is an especially good idea if youâre part of the Office ecosystem. While the application is mainly focused on business use, Microsoft has stepped out of its three-piece suit and unveiled a free personal version of Teams, which lets anyone chat, talk, or have video meetings â you just have to create an account with Microsoft in order to use it. You can have up to 100 participants for a maximum of 60 minutes per meeting; you also get 5GB of OneDrive storage for files and photos.
Free version features
Maximum participants: Normally 100; extended to 300 during pandemic
One-on-one meetings: Normally 60-minute limit; extended to 24 hours during pandemic
Group meetings: Normally 60-minute limit; extended to 24 hours during pandemic
Screen sharing: Yes
Record meetings: No
Google Duo
A mobile app best suited to one-to-ones
You donât really expect Google to only offer one simple videoconferencing app, do you? Besides Google Meet, Google also has its mobile app Duo, which was built as a consumer app (whereas Meet was originally designed as a business app). While Duo was first touted as the app to use for one-to-one conversations and could only be used on phones, it now allows you to create groups of up to 32 participants and includes a web app. All participants must have Google accounts.
Free version features
Maximum participants: 32
One-on-one meetings: No time limit
Group meetings: No time limit
Screen sharing: Mobile only
Record meetings: No
StarLeaf
A corporate meeting app with a free basic version
If youâre not a company, you may not have heard of StarLeaf. Itâs really a platform for companies rather than individuals; its lowest-cost paid plan starts with one to nine licenses, suitable for a small business. But it also offers a basic video and messaging product free of charge for those trying to keep in touch during the pandemic.
Free version features
Maximum participants: 20
One-on-one meetings: No time limit
Group meetings: 45-minute time limit
Screen sharing: Yes
Record meetings: No
Jitsi Meet
Open source with plenty of features
Another âyou probably havenât heard of itâ videoconference app, Jitsi Meet is an open-source platform that lets you easily meet online by simply going to the site and clicking on âStart meeting.â If youâre a developer, you can build your own conferencing app via Jitsi Videobridge, but most people will be happy with the quick web version, which offers many features found in more well-known apps, such as fake backgrounds, chat, session recording (to Dropbox), and the ability to âkick outâ unruly participants.
Free version features
Maximum participants: 100
One-on-one meetings: No time limit
Group meetings: No time limit
Screen sharing: Yes
Record meetings: Yes
Whereby
Single meeting rooms with up to 50 participants
Wherebyâs free version gives you the use of a single meeting room with up to 50 participants, along with the ability to lock rooms (participants have to âknockâ to gain entrance). Each room has its own URL that you get to choose, which is great â assuming that nobody else has already taken that name. (For example, I first tried whereby.com/testroom and found it was already taken.) But it also has a chat function, lets you share a screen, allows you to mute or eject users, and offers breakout groups.
Free version features
Maximum participants: 50
One-on-one meetings: No time limit
Group meetings: 45-minute limit
Screen sharing: Yes
Record meetings: No
RingCentral Video Pro
A wide range of free features
RingCentral mainly sells business communications services, but also offers a free video meeting app called RingCentral Video Pro. The app includes a nice range of features, including 24 hours of meeting time, screen sharing, recordings (up to 10 hours and stored up to seven days), chat, and virtual backgrounds, among others. It even offers closed captions.
Free version features
Maximum participants: 100
One-on-one meetings: 24-hour limit
Group meetings: 24-hour limit
Screen sharing: Yes
Record meetings: Yes
Spike
A simple web-based system
Spike can be used without having to download anything.
Spike, an expanding email service, offers paid group videoconferencing to its subscribers, but it has also made a basic video meeting web app available to anyone who wants it. Itâs quick and easy to use: just go to video.spike.chat, type in a name, and click on âJoin Video Chat Meeting.â Spike generates a unique URL for the chat and even lets you share your screen. And unlike most of the other services listed here, there is no maximum for participants.
Free version features
Maximum participants: No limit
One-on-one meetings: No time limit
Group meetings: No time limit
Screen sharing: Yes
Record meetings: No
Telegram
Image: Telegram
Telegram has introduced group video chats.
Telegram is a messaging chat app that offers video group chats also. Itâs well set up for that: the app already has a feature that lets you create groups with up to 200,000 members, and you can have either private or public groups. For now, video chats are limited to 30 people (although up to 1,000 can watch); still, this was a welcome add-on for Telegram users.
Free version features
Maximum participants: 30
One-on-one meetings: No time limit
Group meetings: No time limit
Screen sharing: Yes
Record meetings: No
Signal
A group meeting starts as a text chat.
Signal offers basic video meetings.
Signal is a communications app known for its emphasis on secure messaging via end-to-end encryption. Until recently, it only allowed a maximum of five participants in its video calls; however, it now allows up to 40 people to take part via its own open source Signal Calling Service. Signal is mainly meant for mobile devices; to use it on a desktop, you have to link it to an existing mobile app. Still, if you already use Signal messaging, you now have the option to use it as a meeting app as well.
Free version features
Maximum participants: 40
One-on-one meetings: No time limit
Group meetings: No time limit
Screen sharing: Yes
Record meetings: No
More alternatives
There is a wide range of other Zoom alternatives out there, including RemoteHQ, Talky, and 8×8 (which acquired Jitsi in 2018). Some of these donât have a free version, or the number of participants who can use the free version is limited. For example, BlueJeans starts at $9.99 per month for unlimited-time meetings with up to 100 participants, while the free version of Zoho Meeting only permits a maximum of two participants (and up to 10 webinar attendees), and Intermedia AnyMeeting allows four.
Other apps offer some video meeting ability as an added feature. Slack is mainly set up for text chat, but it does give you the ability to make voice and video calls as well. If youâre on the free version of Slack, you can make a video call to an individual. But if you want to host a meeting between several people, as opposed to a one-on-one conversation, and want to do it for free, youâll need to look for an alternative.
Update May 4th, 2021, 2:40PM ET: This article was originally published on June 11th, 2020. Since then, all entries have been updated; in addition, two apps have been dropped (Hangouts and Spike) and Glip Pro has been added.
Update May 5th, 2021, 9:15AM ET: Updated to reflect the fact that Wherebyâs breakout groups feature is out of beta and to add Signal to the list of alternatives.
Update May 6th, 2021, 4PM ET: Updated to add Spike back to the main list.
Update June 28th, 2021, 2:45PM ET: Updated to add Telegram.
Update July 19th, 2021, 3:40PM ET: Updated to change Meetâs time limit and to reflect the change of Glip Pro to RingCentral Video Pro.
Update January 18th, 2021, 8:30AM ET: The introduction and some entries were updated, Signal was added to the main list, and Houseparty was removed from the alternatives.