Does remote or distance work like a good idea these days? If your team needs to work from home — all or in part — you may still need to collaborate on specific projects or explanations. That means finding a video conferencing solution that lets everyone talk face to face, no matter where they actually are.
But you probably don’t have enough time to sift through the endless online conferencing options to find a video solution that’s right for your team. That’s where we can help: Using our own experience in the web conferencing world, we picked up the top services you should consider, starting with the powerful RingCentral Meetings. Take a look at why they’re great!
Further reading
- Best video-conferencing apps
- Best productivity apps
- How to use Skype
RingCentral Meetings
RingCentral offers a lot of web conferencing services, straight on through to large enterprises. However, even its smallest “agile team” option is impressive — and entirely free. The service can support up to 100 participants and 40-minute group meetings (you need to start paying if you want longer meetings). You also get unlimited one-on-one meetings if necessary, plus easy app and screen sharing to walk through various processes.
Chats, annotations, and whiteboarding as all supported, making this a great choice if you need your screen for more than just seeing people’s faces. There’s also integration with Outlook for simple scheduling. For a free program, it’s very impressive just how many features you get, making RingCentral an ideal option for a quick transition to remote work due to sudden changes.
Learn more at RingCentral
BlueJeans Meetings
BlueJeans is incredibly easy to use, adaptive, and perfect for a diverse workforce that still needs to communicate for important projects. It integrates with all kinds of platforms, including browsers, so compatibility isn’t an issue. Screen sharing and recording are supported, mobile and desktop apps can work together seamlessly, and the whole service is generally effortless. Management options are also very deep, allowing you to assign actions to people, pinpoint key discussion topics, and even replay highlights for latecomers.
However, while there is a free trial, you have to pay for using BlueJeans in the long term: The lowest-tier plan supports up to 50 people and costs $10 per month for the host. For a few dollars more, you get extra compatibility with messaging apps, cloud recordings for the meeting, and other extras.
Learn more at BlueJeans
Intermedia AnyMeeting
Intermedia’s AnyMeeting option is similar to BlueJeans in some ways: The interface is simple and easy to quickly learn for newcomers, the mobile and desktop apps work with each other smoothly, and there are plenty of annotation, screen-sharing, and notes options. You also get integration with Outlook, Gmail, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and other apps, which makes the services ideal for a freelancing team or others who may be using a variety of different tools (but still need to talk to each other).
The pricing structure is especially worth noting: There’s a starter tier for free, but it’s limited to only four web participants, so it’s only suitable for small teams — and there’s no integration with other apps. The “Lite” package is where the utility really begins, with up to 10 participants and a filled-out features package.
Learn more at Intermedia
Lifesize Video Conferencing App
Lifesize is another conferencing solution that’s easy to jump into for new teams, and it has a great no-download option called “Lifesize Go” that works right from a browser (phone or desktop) for up to eight people. The other free option is a more traditional tier that supports up to 25 participants with unlimited meetings — albeit without chat options. Paid tiers add on extra features like chat support, more management, and better security. That makes Lifesize a flexible solution for businesses that need a quick free service or larger companies that want to start slow and scale up if they like what they see.
Learn more at Lifesize
Zoom Meetings & Chat
Zoom is a scalable option that’s designed for larger companies that still want affordable video conferencing across all their teams — plus room for larger conferences when necessary. The free version of the service is particularly impressive, offering meetings for up to 100 participants (40-minute duration only), and a variety of video call options including simultaneous screen share, virtual backgrounds, active speaker display, gallery view for all participants, and more. Paid tiers add more administrative controls, cloud recording, scheduling, and much more.
Learn more at Zoom
Zoho Meeting
Zoho brings excellent scheduling and management options to the table for businesses that need to make it as easy as possible for employees to join up and get recordings, especially if they haven’t had much video conferencing experience in the past. You can embed links to the conference right in emails and arrange for easy reminders/RSVPs so everyone stays on the same page. Screen sharing and in-meeting chat are both supported, too. While Zoho services will show the active speaker in the meeting, they can only handle one video feed at a time for now, so the team will not be able to see anyone else’s face — in some cases, this can be a plus, as it’s far less distracting for larger groups.
Learn more at Zoho