The 10 Best Phone and Video Conference Software & Apps

Phone and video conference apps and software have been around for a while. However, as an increasing number of people have started working remotely in recent times, there has been a significant surge in the usage of such software and apps. After all, businesses of all sizes are now looking at different ways of keeping in touch with employees and clients without the need for face-to-face interactions. So, what should you look for in phone conferencing software and apps, and which are the best options from which to choose?

Important Features of Mobile Video Conferencing Software

While web design and development play an important role in the usability of any such software or app, here are some of the other features you may look for when choosing from the different options that come your way.

Number of participants. This can vary significantly, from five to even more than 1,000. It essentially depends on whether you need a free video teleconference software or app, or one with paid subscription plans.
Screen and application sharing. This feature lets users share their screens and apps with others to increase productivity.
Two-way audio/video. This makes way for easy interactions.
Record/playback functionality. This gives users the ability to review sessions at a later time.
Private messaging. This allows users to send private text messages to each other.
Video streaming. This is beneficial if you wish to stream your meeting online in real-time.
Presentation streaming. Use this feature to livestream your presentations.
Whiteboard. Gives users easy means to put forth their points.
UI and UX. While the user interface (UI) determines how people interact with a website or an app, user experience (UX) relates to their overall experience. This makes UI and UX equally important.

Here are some of the top phone video conference apps that require your attention. Listed alphabetically, they are not in order of ratings.

1. Amazon Chime

Amazon Chime is available for iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows, and you may even download the Chime Outlook plugin. Chime gives you a simple way to connect to a call exactly on schedule. While its video quality and latency rate are good, it works well for audio calls too. Chime also comes with a built-in chat. The Pro version lets you add up to 250 attendees.

Its screen-sharing tool lets you minimize the videos of other participants when you’re making presentations, helping keep distractions at bay.

Its main features include:

Standard chat rooms
Start video calls from chat rooms
Schedule calls, and Chime calls everyone at the given time
Attend meetings
Make one-to-one video calls
Chat
Screen sharing
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
Dial-in numbers for meetings
Conference room video systems
Recording

Amazon Chime rates well on the user interface (UI) front, with its design paying attention to all crucial aspects. However, there are some problems when it comes to the overall user experience. For instance, there have been complaints of users not receiving notifications, connection problems, and slow loading speed.

Pricing and Other Features

Basic Edition. $0
Pro Edition. $3 per user per day up to $15 per user per month, with free 30-day trial

2. BlueJeans

You may use BlueJeans with Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. In addition, you may use the BlueJeans Outlook plugin for Mac or Windows to schedule and manage meetings from your Outlook Calendar.

This futuristic inter-operable cloud-based tool gives you the ability to improve productivity by offering meeting transcriptions and highlights. It provides seamless integration with more than 30 apps that are part of its app network. It does not offer a free plan, although you may sign up for its 30-day free trial.

Some of the other features you may look forward to include:

Automated alerts
Live meeting controls
Live streaming of interactive events
Cloud Video Interop for access to Microsoft Teams Meetings

BlueJeans is developed using Drupal. Written using PHP, Drupal is a free open-source web content management framework. Its use as a back-end framework is common in a significant number of websites from across the world. The use of Drupal for business collaboration and knowledge management is also widespread.

The design and UI of BlueJeans focus on ease of use, giving users access to all actionable tasks at the top of the screen. However, to use all the features on a desktop, you need to install its app. Complaints surrounding UX include frequent ads, getting logged off, inability to join meetings using mobile phones at times, and failure to launch.

In addition to the BlueJeans conference call software for desktops and apps for mobile devices, you may use the BlueJeans Events App for Mac, Windows, or Linux to simplify how you manage live virtual events.

Pricing for BlueJeans Meetings

BlueJeans Basic. Free
BlueJeans Pro. $17.49 per host per month
BlueJeans Enterprise. $19.99 per host per month

Pricing for BlueJeans Events

Up to 100 Attendees. $50 per month
Up to 200 Attendees. $60 per month
Up to 500 Attendees. $69 per month

Pricing for BlueJeans Gateway (for Microsoft Teams)

$45 per room per month

3. Cisco Webex

Cisco Webex Meetings works with Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, and it has made it to this list of the best conferencing software with good reason. If you choose to go with Webex, you get peace of mind knowing that one of the largest tech-based companies in the world backs this service. What stands out about this software by Cisco is its high-quality audio and video. Setting it up is easy and requires no technical know-how.

Some of the top features you may expect from the Webex Meetings mobile conferencing software/app include:

Conference recording
Screen sharing
Up to 1,000 participants (depending on the plan you select)
Customizable layouts

Cisco prioritizes security in the design, development, and maintenance of Webex. Some of the drawbacks with its user experience include the need to download an additional program for voice calls, problems with logging in, echoing voice, and freezing videos.

Pricing

You may check if this platform works well for you by using its free 30-day trial. Paid plans for Webex Meetings include:

Webex Free. Free
Webex Meet. $14.50 per license per month
Webex Suite (Meet + Call). $25 per license per month
Webex Enterprise. Need to contact company for a quote

4. CyberLink U Meeting

Originally a browser-based video conferring software, CyberLink U Meeting is now available for use with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. Since its value for money drops as you add more users, this solution is best suited for small businesses and enterprises. Voice and video quality leave little to desire.

Features you may look forward to include:

Screen and app sharing
Easy integration with Outlook and Google Calendar
Detailed meeting analysis
End-to-end encryption
U Webinar lets you deliver live presentations
U Messenger is a user-friendly chat platform

CyberLink U Meeting offers a UI that is easy to navigate, but its design misses out on some important features across different devices. Some of the UX problems reported by its users include the camera freezing at times, connection issues, and not receiving the confirmation code.

Pricing

Basic. Free
Pro 50. $9.99 per host per month
Pro 100. $14.99 per host per month
Pro 200. Need to contact company for a quote
Enterprise. Need to contact company for a quote

5. FreeConference

FreeConference works perfectly well with Mac and Windows as well as iOS and Android. You may consider using this software if you require video conferencing to conduct small international meetings. When you use it with a desktop, you don’t need to install any software.

FreeConference was developed using ASP.NET and WordPress. ASP.NET is a server-side open-source web application framework. It is designed to produce dynamic web pages developed using Microsoft, giving programmers the ability to create dynamic websites and apps. WordPress is a free open-source content management system written in PHP, and it is paired with a MariaDB or MySQL database. Originally created as a blog-publishing platform, it now supports various types of online content.

The app development team at FreeConference is successful in delivering an intuitive user interface that works equally well across devices. Reported problems with the app’s user experience include complicated setup, audio clarity, and login issues.

Features that FreeConference includes are:

HD audio
Up to 250 call and web participants (depending on the plan you get)
Screen sharing
Whiteboard
Document sharing
Chat
Audio and video recording
Free international dial-in numbers
Smart summaries

Pricing

Free. Free
Starter. $9.99 per month
Pro. $29.99 per month

6. Google Meet

While Google Meet works with Windows and Android, it is also compatible with Mac and iOS. What sets this software apart from most of its competitors is its seamless integration with other Google software and apps. For example, once you create a meeting using Google Calendar, you and all other attendees get a Google Meet link that lets everyone join the call instantly. You may also access and share files from Google Drive and Apps while on a call, which is another reason why it makes it to the list of the best conference apps.

Some of the other features that come with this phone conferencing software include:

Up to 1,000 participants (depending on the plan you get)
Google Workspace integration
Integrates with Skype for Business
Dial-in phone numbers for all meetings
Chat
Cloud search

Developed using AngularJS, the UI of Google Meet leaves little to desire, with all key features easy to access and use. Challenges when it comes to user experience include a near-hidden mute button, poor audio, lagging videos, and problems when switching between different Google accounts.

Pricing

You may make use of Google Meet for free if you have an existing Google account. If you wish to use it as a business, you need to sign up for Google Workspace, wherein your plan will include Gmail, Drive, Meet, Calendar, Chat, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Keep, Sites, Forms, and AppSheet. The plans include:

Business Starter. $6 per user per month with a one-year commitment
Business Standard. $12 per user per month with a one-year commitment
Business Plus. $18 per user per month with a one-year commitment
Enterprise. Need to contact company for a quote

7. GoTo Meeting

You may use this internet conference software with Mac, Windows, and Linux. It also has apps for iOS and Android. GoTo Meeting does not offer a free plan, but you may sign up for a free 14-day trial. This platform boasts of a highly intuitive interface that is perfect for people who are not tech-savvy. While GoToMeeting is great for online meetings, you may also benefit by using its turnkey installation and webinar solutions.

Features you may expect if you sign up with GoTo Meeting include:

HD audio and video
Up to 250 participants (depending on your plan)
Screen sharing
Dial-in conference line
Unlimited meetings with no time limits
Office 365 and Google Calendar plugins
Meeting diagnostic reports

GoTo Meeting was developed using Java EE and ASP.NET. Java Enterprise Edition (Java EE) was later rebranded as Jakarta EE. It is a set of specifications that extends to the Java SE 8 platform. It includes various specifications for enterprise features, and developers can get its apps to run on reference runtimes.

GoToMeeting comes with a pleasing UI that is easy to use. Complaints reported when it comes to user experience include poor video quality, problems when scheduling meetings using mobile devices, and inability to screen-share at times.

Pricing

Professional. $14 per organizer per month
Business. $19 per organizer per month
Enterprise. Need to contact company for a quote

8. RingCentral Meetings

RingCentral Meetings is compatible with PC, Mac, Android, and iOS. The fact that you can add up to 100 participants using the free RingCentral Meetings plan definitely works in favor of this phone conferencing software/app. Add-ons you may choose from include Webinars, RingCentral Rooms, and the RingCentral Room Connector.

Other RingCentral Meetings features that deserve your attention include:

HD audio and video
Up to 200 participants
Create custom meeting IDs
Unlimited one-to-one meetings
Unlimited group meetings with paid plans
Join by telephone dial-in
Desktop and app sharing
Whiteboard
Private and group in-meeting chat
Team messaging
Outlook Integration with one-click scheduling
Recording

Plans

Video Pro. Free
Video Pro+. $15 per user per month
Webinar. $54 per organizer per month
Rooms. $49 per room per month

The RingCentral Meetings UI makes way for easy setup and use for advanced users, but it can seem a little challenging for people who are not tech-friendly. Some of the reported UX problems include excessive battery drain, inability to join meetings, and unexpected error codes.

9. Zoom Meetings

Zoom Meetings works with Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux. Like RingCentral Meetings, this phone and video conference app lets you connect up to 100 participants through its free plan. The Enterprise plan allows up to 1,000 participants. Other Zoom solutions that businesses may consider using include Rooms and Workspaces, Phone Systems, and Video Webinars.

Features that come with Zoom Meetings also include:

HD audio and video
Up to 1,000 participants (depending on your plan)
Unlimited one-to-one meetings
Unlimited number of meetings
Simultaneous screen share
Group messaging
Whiteboard
Join by telephone dial-in
Desktop and app sharing
Chrome and Outlook plugins
Recording

Zoom Meetings comes with a clean user interface that makes it easy to look for and use its various features. Scheduling meetings using Google Calendar requires re-authorization, especially if you have multiple Google accounts. Some users have also complained about difficulty in switching between business and personal accounts, problems with recording, and no audio during calls.

Pricing

Basic. Free
Pro. $14.99 per month per user (up to 9 licenses)
Business. $21.99 per month per user (10 to 99 licenses)
Business Plus. $26.99 per month per user (10 to 99 licenses)
Enterprise. Need to contact company for a quote (more than 250 licenses)

10. Dialpad Meetings

Dialpad Meetings is a high-quality audio and video conferencing service that you may use with Windows, Windows Phone, Mac, Android, and iOS. One distinct feature of Dialpad Meetings is the picture-in-picture mode that allows users to collaborate with other apps during meetings. The free version lets you add up to 10 participants. The app boasts of a highly intuitive user interface.

What you may expect if you sign up with Dialpad Meetings includes:

Phone and VoIP audio
HD audio and video
Up to 150 participants (depending on your plan)
Screen sharing
Unlimited conferences
Call recording
Custom hold music
Dial out to add guests to a call

The Dialpad Meetings app is designed in a way that makes it easy to schedule and start conference calls on the move. Some of the UX drawbacks that one might experience include not being able to mute audio at will, no clarity about what information is required to dial in for the first time, and having to follow a few steps to enable screen sharing.

Pricing

Free. $0 per user per month
Business. $20 per user per month

Conclusion

The ideal starting point when answering, “What is the best software for video conferencing?” is to determine if you’re willing to go the paid subscription way. If you wish to use a paid alternative, finalize a budget in advance so you may limit your search accordingly. Fortunately, if you’re not after too much in the form of features, you also get some good free phone conferencing software from which to choose.

If you’re a business manager or owner who needs to keep an entire team working in tandem, free mobile video conferencing software might not be the best solution. This is because you’ll need to account for aspects such as number of participants, multi-platform compatibility, user experience, audio and video quality, time limits for meetings, dial-in abilities, screen sharing, messaging, recording, as well as integration with existing systems.

If you’re still unsure about making a selection from the best phone and video conference software & apps listed here, consider seeking advice from a digital agency that has tried and tested them already.

Originally posted in: https://www.topnotchdezigns.com/the-10-best-phone-and-video-conference-software-apps/