Best Video Conferencing Software 2021

Video conferencing software enables businesses and institutions of all types to engage in group video or voice calls, chat, and webinars. Especially in the last couple of years, the popularity of these tools has skyrocketed due to the increase in remote workplaces.

Video software is used across all business types and sizes and is useful for connecting coworkers and clients alike. Depending on the platform, there are up to 1,000 participants for video and voice calls. There can also be features to support webinars, which is helpful for groups that intend to schedule large-scale presentations.

Almost every business will require video conferencing software, but they vary greatly by participant limit, feature list, and pricing. Our reviews are designed to help you decide whether or not a product is right for you.

Research Led By:
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Junior Research Analyst

We use a rigorous software review process to create our unbiased, in-depth research.
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Highest Rated Video Conferencing Software

We’ve chosen the highest quality platforms to review. These tools are popular with small businesses and have different features to support meetings within and across organizations.

Zoom
Rating: 92
Starting Price: Free

Zoom is one of the most popular video conferencing tools in the world. Zoom has over 300 million daily meeting participants. This platform is best for those who want a high-quality video conferencing tool that supports high participant limits and has strong webinar features.

Pros:
  • Free plan includes 40-minute video calls and a wide range of features
  • High participant limits for video calls and webinars
  • One of the more user-friendly video conferencing tools on the market
Cons:
  • Security has been a notorious problem in the past
  • Audio conferencing and large group add-ons are expensive
  • Getting in contact with customer support can be difficult
Microsoft Teams
Rating: 91
Starting Price: Free

Microsoft Teams is an advanced video conferencing tool with more than 100 million daily active users. It’s ideal for businesses that already use other Microsoft applications. We recommend Microsoft Teams to small businesses that want high-quality videos and webinars.

Pros:
  • Microsoft Teams offers a free plan and paid plans are affordable
  • Incredibly easy to implement if your team already uses other Microsoft applications
  • Chats are saved once meetings have ended
Cons:
  • Webinars have a fairly low 1,000 participant limit
  • Not quite as user-friendly as Google Meet
  • Meetings cannot be password-protected, which deviates from the norm
Google Meet
Rating: 89
Starting Price: Free

Google Meet is a straightforward video conferencing tool that’s ideal for businesses of all sizes. Unless you require webinar functionality, we recommend Google Meet to all because of its affordability and ease of use.

Pros:
  • One of the easiest video conferencing tools to use
  • External participants can join without application downloads
  • Either entirely free or just $8 per month with Google Workspace
Cons:
  • Lags fairly often and video quality can be compromised without strong internet connection
  • Lacks webinar features, which most alternatives offer
  • Free plan has 1-hour meeting time limit
Webex
Rating: 88
Starting Price: Free

Webex by Cisco is a video conferencing software with around 300 million monthly active users. It's ideal for businesses of all sizes that want an affordable yet functional call-and-video conferencing software for meetings.

Pros:
  • Webex is very affordable overall
  • The free plan includes screen sharing, hand-raising, and more
  • One of the most user-friendly video conferencing platforms we tested
Cons:
  • Meetings on the free plan are capped at 50 minutes
  • Not quite as feature-rich as larger alternatives like Zoom
  • Real-time translation add-on is quite expensive
Skype
Rating: 87
Starting Price: $2.99 per month

Skype is a video conferencing software that enables organizations to conduct voice and video calls with concurrent chat. It's best for those who are used to using Skype or must call individuals in many different countries.

Pros:
  • Feature-rich communication tool with voice, video calling, and text messaging
  • Free Skype-to-Skype calls
  • Inexpensive subscription plans for calling local or international numbers
Cons:
  • Video and audio quality is dependent on your internet connection
  • SMS messages cannot be received on Skype (only outbound)
BlueJeans
Rating: 87
Starting Price: $12.49 per host per month

BlueJeans is a video conferencing tool with webinar functionality and high-quality video calls. It’s not one of the most popular tools on the market and does not offer a free plan.

Pros:
  • Webinar pricing is much cheaper than Zoom webinars
  • More customer support channels than most video conferencing tools offer
  • Participants can join easily from a browser or download an application
Cons:
  • No free plan, which most alternatives offer
  • Participant limit tops out at 200, which can get restrictive for larger groups
  • Less user-friendly than more popular competitors
GoToMeeting
Rating: 86
Starting Price: $14 per organizer per month

GoToMeeting is a video conferencing software that is ideal for businesses of all sizes that want 250 participants allowed in meetings.

Pros:
  • GoTo has a suite of products, including GoToWebinar, available for purchase
  • The platform is very user-friendly
  • Plans are affordable at just $14 or $19 per organizer per month
Cons:
  • No free plan, which most alternative platforms offer
  • No features that are particularly unique
  • Prompts participants to download software before joining, which can be annoying

Video Conferencing Software Prices

Most video conferencing software platforms have a free plan with fairly extensive functionality. Depending on your plan and feature requirements, you could pay upwards of $1,000 per month. Here are some details that will help you compare prices for the most popular video conferencing tools.

Software VendorStarting Monthly PriceAdditional Information
ZoomFree
  • Webinar plans more than $1,200 per year
Google MeetFree
  • $8 per user per month for Google Workspace
  • No webinar functionality
Microsoft TeamsFree
  • Integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft applications
SkypeFree
  • Pricing is flexible and straightforward
BlueJeans$12.49 per license per month
  • Webinar pricing ranges from $99 to $599 per month
GoToMeeting$14 per organizer per month
  • Webinar pricing ranges from $59 to $499 per month
WebexFree
  • Webex has combined video and audio call plans

Video Conferencing Software FAQs

Video conferencing software enables businesses and institutions of all types to engage in group video or voice calls, chat, and webinars.

There are numerous benefits that video conferencing software offers. These include:

  • Instant connections with customers
  • Engaging with call participants via chat
  • Connecting live while working remotely

Generally, video conferencing software platforms offer a free plan. Otherwise, the pricing is either per user, like with Google Meet, or per license, like with Zoom.

The most popular tools are Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. Skype is another popular choice.

Why You Should Trust Our Recommendations

The team at SoftwarePundit has been testing software since 2017. We’ve hand-tested over 250 software products in that time. We applied the same rigorous process to each piece of video conferencing software that we analyzed. The specifics of our video conferencing category research process are outlined below.

Katelyn led our analysis of video conferencing software. She has spent more than 200 hours evaluating leading video conferencing software systems. To test the video conferencing tools, she set up an account with each platform and tested video calls. She tested key features and analyzed differences between the software products.

In addition, all research and content was overseen by Bruce Hogan, SoftwarePundit’s Co-founder & CEO. Bruce has more than a decade of experience researching, building, and reviewing the world’s best software products. His technology advice has been featured on a wide range of media sites such as AngelList, CMSWire, Dental Economics, iPhone Life, Reader’s Digest, Thrive Global, U.S. News, and the Zapier Blog.

How We Selected the Best Video Conferencing Software

We used the same rigorous process to evaluate video conferencing software as all other software categories. For the video conferencing category, Katelyn invested several weeks researching, testing, and writing about the tools.

We interviewed real customers of the tools to understand the perspective of paying customers. We asked them about how they selected the tools, their favorite aspects of the tool, and whether it works well for their businesses.

Katelyn also obtained a free trial of each software tool listed above. She spent several hours testing the key user journeys in each software product. This allowed us to validate the features offered by each product, and to gain an understanding of the software’s usability.

In addition to conducting conversations with the software companies and hand-testing every piece of software, Katelyn also interviewed real customers of the software tools listed above. Customers that provided insights that were included in our analysis and reviews were:

  • May Flanagan: May Flanagan is the founder of QuoteBeam. She utilizes Zoom for her business.
  • Nikki Gonzales: Nikki Gonzales works in Growth and Partnerships at Community Phone. She has experience using Zoom, Skype, GoToMeeting, Google Meet, and Webex.
  • Paula Ianelli: Paula Ianelli is a conference interpreter at P.I. Translation Services. She uses Zoom for its superior interpretation module.

Video Conferencing Software Research & Advice

Skype vs. Google Meet

By Katelyn Anderson |

Is Skype or Google Meet the better solution for you? This in-depth, feature-by-feature breakdown will help you select the best video...Read More >

Webex Competitors & Alternatives

By Katelyn Anderson |

Are you considering Webex for your company’s video conferencing platform? Before choosing a software, it’s important to learn about other...Read More >

Skype vs. Microsoft Teams

By Katelyn Anderson |

Is Skype or Microsoft Teams the better solution for you? This in-depth, feature-by-feature breakdown will help you select the best video...Read More >

Skype vs. Zoom

By Katelyn Anderson |

Is Skype or Zoom the better solution for you? This in-depth, feature-by-feature breakdown will help you select the best video conferencing...Read More >

Zoom vs. Webex

By Katelyn Anderson |

Is Zoom or Webex the better solution for you? This in-depth, feature-by-feature breakdown will help you select the best video conferencing...Read More >

BlueJeans vs. Microsoft Teams

By Katelyn Anderson |

Is BlueJeans or Microsoft Teams the better solution for you? This in-depth, feature-by-feature breakdown will help you select the best...Read More >

Zoom Competitors & Alternatives

By Katelyn Anderson |

Are you considering Zoom for your company’s video conferencing platform? Before choosing a software, it’s important to learn about other...Read More >

Google Meet vs. Microsoft Teams

By Katelyn Anderson |

Is Google Meet or Microsoft Teams the better solution for you? This in-depth, feature-by-feature breakdown will help you select the best...Read More >

Webex vs. Microsoft Teams

By Katelyn Anderson |

Is Webex or Microsoft Teams the better solution for you? This in-depth, feature-by-feature breakdown will help you select the best video...Read More >

GoToMeeting vs. Google Meet

By Katelyn Anderson |

Is GoToMeeting or Google Meet the better solution for you? This in-depth, feature-by-feature breakdown will help you select the best video...Read More >

BlueJeans vs. Zoom

By Katelyn Anderson |

Is BlueJeans or Zoom the better solution for you? This in-depth, feature-by-feature breakdown will help you select the best video...Read More >

Microsoft Teams vs. Zoom

By Katelyn Anderson |

Is Microsoft Teams or Zoom the better solution for you? This in-depth, feature-by-feature breakdown will help you select the best video...Read More >

Zoom vs. Google Meet

By Katelyn Anderson |

Is Zoom or Google Meet the better solution for you? This in-depth, feature-by-feature breakdown will help you select the best video...Read More >