Video chat is here to stay and shows no signs of returning to the niche technology it once was. “Do you want to zoom in?” has entered the cultural zeitgeist during the pandemic, but Zoom is far from your only video chat choice. Over the past few years, more and more apps have extended (or added) video chat services.
Now that so many companies offer video chat options, how do you choose the right one for you? It may seem like they all do the same thing, but each video conferencing app has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Instead of having to settle for a single service, video conferencing apps offer plenty of options to find what best suits your needs. I’ve tested some of the most popular video chat services and apps, comparing price, ease of use, device compatibility, time and participant limits, and privacy. For this article, we will focus on services through the lens of personal use for the average user. Here’s what you need to know.
Angela Lang/CBS
Zoom is easy to join and video chat, whether you’re just chatting with friends or collaborating at work. Despite several paid plans for professionals and businesses, the service doesn’t cut users off the free tier from useful basic features. This means that if you’re just looking to catch up with your friends, you’ll still get good service from Zoom.
After signing up, you will work with Zoom Basic for free. The app offers three more paid tiers — Pro, Business and Enterprise — but for the average person’s occasional use, Basic has a lot to offer. You don’t even have to enter your credit card. The tier supports up to 100 participants and offers unlimited 40-minute meetings. The app’s in-meeting chat supports group messaging and private DMs, 25MB of cloud storage for recordings, and access to three Zoom whiteboards.
Zoom works on multiple platforms and signing up is a breeze. Once you sign up, it only takes a few clicks to chat with your friends and family. With everything the Basic tier offers, there’s a lot you can do with Zoom – personally or professionally – for nothing.
James Martin/CNET
Google Meet, Google’s video chat tool, is a solid free and convenient option, but the majority of its offerings are aimed at professionals and businesses. The app offers a free version, but unlike Zoom’s free tier, it’s pretty devoid of bells and whistles.
If you’re just looking for a place to catch up with your friends online, Google Meet’s free tier will more than do the trick. You can sneak into a call with 100 of your closest friends for an hour without paying a dime. It’s about as easy to use as Zoom, but goes one step further: if you have a Google account, Meet is automatically available with no additional sign-up or hassle. If you don’t have a Google Account, you can still join a meeting without one.
For me, Meet’s biggest selling point is its integration with other Google apps like Slides, Sheets, and Docs. Quick access to Google apps would be a handy tool for study groups, collaborating on projects, and organizing events.
Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Microsoft Teams, Microsoft’s built-in video chat software, is automatically available to Office 365 users, but it became even more accessible with the launch of Windows 11. Like Google Meet, the free tier of Microsoft Teams allows you to have up to 100 people in your group call for an hour. If it’s just you and one other person? You can stay in the call for 30 hours – the best free deal by far, though that’s a bit of a stretch.
I like that Microsoft offers several plans to choose from for individuals and businesses. With other services, using the app for personal purposes might seem a little secondary to the shiny commercial levels.
Microsoft offers two reasonably priced paid plans for personal use. Unlike paid plans for some other services, the extra features of Microsoft 365 Personal and 365 Family actually make sense for the average user. If I bought one of these plans, I would be convinced that I got what I paid for.
If you are one of the almost 3 billion monthly active Facebook users worldwide, you know how easy it is to start a video chat from Messenger. The social media company upped its video conferencing game in early 2020 by launching Messenger Rooms. It’s easy to set up a room in the mobile app or on the desktop.
Facebook’s one-to-one video chat feature or Messenger Rooms are both attractive options — they’re built into an app you’ve probably already installed, and calls are free and have no time limits.
Facebook’s one-to-one video chat is probably the service I use the most to keep in touch with my friends and family. Knowing that I can easily switch to a room and add more people – up to 50 – is a bonus.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Like Messenger Rooms for Facebook users, it’s handy to have built-in video chat software on a device you’re already using. FaceTime was previously limited to Apple users, but iOS 15 has made it possible for Android and PC users to have fun.
The app is free, there’s no time limit for calls, you don’t need to have a cell phone on your device (just make sure you’re on Wi-Fi to save your data), and you’re protected end-to-end. end of encryption. Even though group calls don’t exceed 32 people — the lowest participant limit on the list — FaceTime’s offerings make it an attractive option.
If you still want to chat without cameras, FaceTime has a free audio call feature that still supports up to 32 people. As a bonus, if you use the audio call feature, you can answer calls on your HomePod or Apple Watch.
For more options, check out 10 Free Zoom Alternatives.
Look at this:
Zoom Privacy: How to Keep Spy Eyes Out of Your Meetings
5:45
