If you are looking for the Best Web Conferencing Software in the market then you’re in the right space. It gets tricky when looking to find the ideal software since every web conferencing software caters to different needs. To help you along, we gathered together the best web conferencing software and have highlighted the merits and drawbacks of each one.
In this article you will learn:
- Know about the main characteristics of good web conferencing software
- Learn the advantages of utilizing such software
- Have a guide to choosing the Web Conferencing software that best suits your needs
Most of them are free or have a trial version so you can test them before committing to pay.
Without further ado let’s check them out.
List of 10 Best Web Conferencing Software
1. GoToMeeting
GoToMeeting is a fantastic web conferencing software for organizations. It appears to offer everything.
What more can you ask for than great features, easy navigation, and cheap plans?
The ability to record meetings and use mobile conferencing is a huge bonus.
You can participate in calls when away from your laptop and view them again later if you have any questions.
They offer several different pricing options from which to select. Even the free trial version offers all of the features you’d expect.
Best Features:
- Single Click Conferences: Scheduled conferences may be connected to your calendar and shared with attendees through a Google plugin.
- Smart Conferences: This function is only available in English. Meetings will be automatically transcribed if this option is selected.
Pricing: It provides a 14-day trial period. The free subscription has basic capabilities like holding 40-minute meetings, screen sharing, and chat messaging.
2. Zoom
Zoom is the most popular online educational web conference software. It is also used for virtual meetings, video demos, and online training.
Zoom provides several helpful capabilities, including on-demand webcasting, real-time chat, screen sharing, and replay. An optional recording is also available.
Speaking about how affordable it is Even a free plan exists
It provides audio and video dependability and quality. Zoom’s latency is minimal with a resolution of up to 720p.
Zoom’s most distinctive feature is its webinar functionality. With particular URLs, users may invite others.
Best Features:
- Meeting Rooms: Zoom is one of the greatest web conferencing options for education because of the Breakout Rooms feature. The host can divide the attendees into various groups, which is ideal for group tasks or assignments.
- Meeting Recording: It allows users to save meetings locally.
Pricing: The free version has a lot of features. Even the paid versions are reasonably priced.
3. Google Meet
Google Meet (previously Google Hangouts Meet) is a fantastic web conferencing software that may be purchased or used for free.
They have a specific package for education called G Suite for Education, which is one of the best online conferencing options for students.
However, if the limits aren’t a concern, you can use them for free.
What are the best aspects of it? This free plan includes the most often-used elements for an online conference!
Google Meet is a fantastic addition to the Google family.
Best Features:
- Closed English Captions in Real Time: Only English speakers have access to live captions. The subtitles will not be included in the recording if you record the session.
- Cancellation of Noise: This mode enables background noise which is not speech will be filtered. This is a fantastic addition.
Pricing: One free plan and two premium plans are available from Google. One-hour meetings are possible with a free plan of up to 100 people.
4. Skype for Business
Another software from Microsoft in this list is Skype. Skype for Business is a web conferencing software that includes capabilities such as file sharing, screen sharing, real-time translations, and presentation streaming.
The interoperability with Office programs (Outlook, Word, and Excel) makes this tool highly useful for certain users.
There are no polling or voting options available. However, sending SMS texts and making landline phone calls are both possible.
Thanks to the guest access feature you can hold up to 300 participants on calls.
Best Features:
- Recording of Meetings: Conferences in the cloud may be recorded and saved. They also will be automatically transcribed.
- Changing Background: The software enables users to blur or replace their background with a more professional look.
Pricing: There is a free version as well as a paid version. You can start a 20-day free trial of the paid version and try it out.
5. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a terrific deal for organizations already using other Microsoft products, as it is included within the Microsoft 365 bundle.
If you just search for a free Web Conferencing Software you may check out the standalone, free Microsoft Teams edition
All you need to do is register for an email account with Microsoft.
Microsoft Teams are currently one of the most used tools for online meetings.
Best Features:
- Tools to draw: All participants can make the Whiteboard open and anyone can write or sketch it. An entertaining and helpful functionality.
- Virtual Hand: Participants who want to ask a question or contribute to the discussion can raise a virtual hand.
Pricing: They have a 30-day trial as well as a Free version with restricted features. Paid versions are available as part of the Business Essentials, Business Standard, or Enterprise plans.
6. Zoho Meeting
Coming in 5th on our recommended list is Zoho. It’s cheap, has a lot of features, and is simple to use.
You can schedule your conferences, add them to the calendar, set reminders, have your screen shared, and the meeting controlled, etc.
It can be said that Zoho is best for small businesses and teams.
The free plan will assist teams with fewer than ten members. The paid ones, for larger teams, will also not break the bank either.
Best Features:
- Moderator Controls: The meeting’s host can lock it, mute and remote attendees, and enable sound notifications.
- Engagement Tools: To increase interaction, you may create surveys and Q&As. Another wonderful feature is that attendees may talk throughout the session by raising their hands.
Pricing: Zoho Meeting offers a 14-day trial. There is also a free software version but with restricted capabilities.
7. Cisco Webex
When compared to the premium version, Cisco offers a fully working free web conferencing software with just a few limitations.
You may conduct a conference with 100 attendees, share your screen, talk, and even make polls if you don’t mind the 50-minute limit.
To be honest, it outperforms a lot of the other free choices. You will also get online assistance!
In terms of audio and visual quality, Cisco Webex Meetings is one the most reliable software in the market.
Best Features:
- Benefits of the free version: The free version has so many features that you may not need to get the paid version.
- Integrations with other apps: Cisco Webex Meetings may be connected to a wide range of apps.
They are as follows:
- Google Calendar
- Slack
- Microsoft Calendar
Pricing: There is a free version of Cisco Webex as well as four premium plans:
You’ll also get 10 GB of cloud storage, branding tools, logo customization, plus a few more benefits.
8. CyberLink U Meeting
CyberLink’s U Meeting is unquestionably the easiest-to-use web conferencing software available. It features the cleanest and most straightforward user interface.
Even teams that have never used virtual meeting software before will feel at ease with it.
It will be best used for corporate communication as well as distance education.
It’s simple, beautiful, and extremely user-friendly.
When compared to other web conferencing services, the cost for bigger groups is expensive. CyberLink even offers a separate product for webinars called U Webinar.
Best Features:
- Sessions in Small Groups: You may use this functionality to establish different sessions for a group of people. It’s very useful for collaboration and group activities.
- Password Protection: The software lets you secure your meeting with a password and limits who may attend.
Pricing: There are four price options. With the free version, you get 30-minute meetings with up to 25 people
8. Teamviewer
Teamviewer is another web conferencing software that is widely used by both individuals and businesses.
Screen sharing, two-way audio, video, and private chat are among the software’s many beneficial features.
Currently, Teamviewer does not support HD audio, but you have mobile access as an option.
The ability to make presentations is the most widely used feature here.
Other benefits you can take advantage of are constructing Q&A sessions, conducting surveys, live streaming your events to YouTube or Facebook, and even distributing attendance certificates.
Best Features:
- Messaging & Translation: You may moderate a Q&A while having a private conversation. Chat translation is provided in 52 languages, instantaneously!
- Polls and questionnaires: You may use polls and surveys to obtain input from your audience and then evaluate findings.
Pricing: It features a fairly flexible price mechanism. Plans can be adjusted based on the number of participants. There are three premium plans and a free version (upwards of 25 attendees).
10. Join.me
Join.me is a cloud-based communication platform with a wide range of applications. This meeting tool is so successful because of its user-friendly interface and some essential features.
Many helpful functions are included in the app, including screen sharing, file transfer, and control recording.
It has a unique salesforce integration that can be handy for certain businesses.
They are one of the few options that offer non-profit organizations special discounts. So, if you’re one of them, you may be a match made in heaven.
Best Features:
- Personalized Link: Instead of providing a meeting ID made up of digits, you may personalize your unique link to represent the name of your firm or the meeting’s theme.
- User Management and Conference Lock: Meeting Lock and User Management offer you more control over who may attend the meeting, making it safer.
Pricing: For the free version up to ten webcam feeds, cloud storage, and toll-free lines are available.
What is Web Conferencing Software?
Web conferencing software is a digital technology that enables people to interact and communicate online.
Organizations and individuals use web conferencing services to hold meetings, produce podcasts, give presentations, and host webinars, among other things.
These web conferencing solutions enable sharing of data across several geographic locations, including text, images, video, and other formats.
The goal is to guarantee that, despite their remote location, remote employees achieve maximum productivity when working in teams.
Web conferencing solutions are available as standalone apps that may be downloaded to devices or as web-hosted internet connectivity applications.
This type of software is a collection of productivity tools that may help businesses stay on track.
What is the Use of Web Conferencing tools?
In today’s flexible workplace, efficient technologies for diverse cooperation (Office/Home/Field) are required.
Web Conferencing software is one such application for teams who demand communication technology and collaboration tools for virtual meetings.
Web conferencing software may make meetings more interesting, productive, and decisive.
These provide a degree of flexibility and convenience, as well as built-in capabilities, to completely transform workplace communication.
When organizations want to bring various departments together to time the market, this software provides Web conferencing a trustworthy option for real-time cooperation. It’s also commonly used in educational settings to facilitate interactive learning.
What are the Advantages of Web Conferencing Software
As promised in the beginning, there are several advantages of web conference software. They are;
- Safe and dependable
- Real-time, clean and accessible meetings
- Easy to use and install
- Cost-effective method
- Budget reductions in non-essential activities such as travel
- Business intelligence of value
- Fast sharing of documents
- Improved effectiveness of work communication
- Additional elements enrich and complement the conferences.
- Platform-independent
- Encourage cooperation in real-time
How to Select the Best Web Conferencing Software For You?
Given the wide range of web conferencing software options on the market, as well as the allure of free versions, free trials, discounted prices, and other vendor-marketed perks, it’s easy to fall prey to buying substandard software with a good marketing campaign.
Your web conferencing purchase should be based on a comprehensive review of your business requirements.
Choosing the best web conferencing tools may be difficult since it necessitates taking into account a variety of aspects that make up a complete web conferencing solution.
This is where you may rely on our selection of the top web conferencing software solutions.
Through our research, we have compiled the above list of the best web conferencing software solutions that will not let you down in terms of functionality, usability, and quality.
Choosing anyone from the above and matching them with your unique requirements will give you the best chance of choosing the best web conferencing software.
What to Consider While Choosing the Correct Web Conferencing Software
You can select the best web conferencing software for your business by taking a few key aspects into account.
a) Users/Hosts
You will need to estimate the number of employees who will have access to different versions and types of web conferencing systems.
Web conferencing software can be downloaded as a standalone program or accessible through a web browser on the internet. Some solutions include video telephony conferencing, while others only support VoIP. Both functionalities are combined in software. The sort of software that an organization wants to use must influence its purchasing choice.
b) Software Type
Web conferencing software can be downloaded as a standalone program or accessible through a web browser on the internet.
Some solutions include video telephony conferencing, while others only support VoIP. Both functionalities are combined in some software.
The sort of software that an organization wants to use must influence its purchasing choice.
c) Budget
Once the number of users has been determined, a budget for video conferencing solutions may be established. The budget will be determined by the plan(s) and per-user rate of the different web conferencing software that your business intends to implement.
Budgets are also determined based on whether your business will use a software as a Service (Saas) provider such as Zoom or a web-hosted VoIP conference call service.
d) Features
Web conferencing programs with a broad feature set that boosts productivity are preferred by most businesses.
Whiteboards, screen sharing, and chat functionality, among other features, are now standard in web conferencing software. Features like unrestricted calling capabilities and unlimited virtual conference rooms are also regarded as must-have additions.
e) Security
During the purchase, data security should be a key issue for most companies. Chats between users, whether video or text, must be secured.
f) Trials/Demo versions
Before investing in web conferencing software, you should be able to test/trial-run your options.
Which are the must-have features in Web Conferencing Software?
The following are the must-have features of a Web conferencing platform: –
User Management
Only users with the proper credentials may plan and/or attend meetings. Before joining meetings on web conferencing software, users must log in to dedicated user accounts and create codes to authenticate their identity.
Chat And File Sharing
Many web conferencing systems have a separate chat counter where users may exchange critical information in writing. Having a feature that enables document attachment and sharing functions is important.
Screen Sharing
Users should be able to project their computer screen to all attendees of the conference and do presentations/demonstrations with a single touch of a finger or click.
Recording
The Web conferencing software should allow users to record a call for future reference.
Reporting
Information about meetings, such as attendance, conversations sent, documents transferred, and so on, should be available for the user to consult.
Muting
Managers/employees making critical choices should be allowed to silence others for the duration of the web conference to avoid unnecessary disruption. Users must also be able to silence themselves.
Whiteboards
To ensure that interactions go well, the platform should have a whiteboard for ease of explanation in the form of drawings. This is especially useful for conferences meant for education.
Summary
Here we have put forward a comprehensive overview of the capabilities, benefits, and prices connected with web conferencing software.
The finest web conferencing software for you is one that is tailored to your specific needs. We’ve put up a curated list that only includes the best of the best.
But, in the end, it’s better to use it as you test the software on your own before making the final selection. Here is us wishing you the best of luck
Editorial Team at 99BusinessIdeas is a team of experts led by Rupak Chakrabarty with over 25 years of experience in starting and running small businesses. Started in 2010, 99BusinessIdeas is now one of the largest free small business resources in the industry.