Rat Race Armaggeddon: Best Video Conferencing Services

Want to jump straight to the answer? The best video conferencing service for most people is definitely RingCentral or GoToMeeting.

I consider a great video conferencing service to be critical for any business—especially in this day and age.

Whether you have remote employees, clients, prospects, or team members across multiple locations, you need video conferencing software that you can depend on.

Tools like Skype or Facetime aren’t robust enough for companies. They lag too often, can’t handle groups well, and are a pain when setting up meetings.

If you’re ready to take your conference calls to the next level with video, you need to read this guide.

I’ve already done all the research and heavy-lifting to help you choose the best video conferencing service for your business. Regardless of your company size, industry, or conferencing needs, there’s definitely an option for you below.

The 8 Best Video Conferencing Services

Of the dozens of options available, there are really only eight solutions I would recommend to a business owner. In no particular order, those are:

RingCentral — Best video conferencing service with VoIP business phone plans.
GoToMeeting — Best video conferencing service for small businesses.
ClickMeeting — Best video conferencing software for webinars.
Zoom — Best video conferencing service for scalability.
Microsoft Teams — Best video conferencing software for internal communication.
Zoho Meeting — Affordable video conferencing service with basic features.
Join.me — Annual contract video conferencing plans for small meetings.
Webex — Best video conferencing software for cloud collaboration.

As I said, these video conferencing services are in no particular order and all have their pros and cons. Use the in-depth reviews below to compare them.

RingCentral – Best video conferencing service with VoIP business phone plans

Visit RingCentral

Free up to 100 participants
Video, screen share, & messaging
VoIP phone service plans
Small to enterprise solutions

Get Started for Free

RingCentral is our top choice for video conferencing.

That’s because they go beyond video conferencing services. They also offer VoIP business phone services.

You can get rid of your traditional phone plan too. RingCentral provides video conferencing features as an added bonus.

You can always purchase RingCentral Meetings as a standalone product. Those plans are below:

Free — $0 per month

Up to 100 participants
Unlimited one on one meetings
40-minute limit on group meetings

Essentials — $14.99 per month per user

Up to 100 participants
Unlimited group meetings
24/7 phone support
1,000 call minutes per license

Advanced — $19.99 per month per user

Up to 100 participants
2,500 call minutes
Real-time usage dashboard
SLA available

The free plan is actually pretty decent if you compare it to others on the list. While you’re capped at 40 minutes per meeting, you can still have up to 100 participants.

At the same time, the paid plans are also limited to just 100 participants, which is low compared to the competition. However, you can add-on larger meeting options to your plan for an upcharge.

RingCentral also has great enterprise solutions. You’ll need to contact their sales team to get a custom quote. But you can save some money by bundling RingCentral Meetings with a VoIP business phone.

GoToMeeting – Best video conferencing service for small businesses

Visit GoToMeeting

Free 14-day trial
HD video conferencing
No time limits for meetings
Mobile app and Slack integration

Try GoToMeeting for free

GoToMeeting makes it easy for you to turn any video conference into a highly collaborative workspace.

As such, it’s a top choice for remote workers and clients alike. Everyone from sales managers, to business owners, to IT teams use it.

A big reason why: GoToMeeting easily integrate with the systems your business is currently using.

They also offer an all-in-one hardware and software kit for those of you who want to transform your physical conference room into a digital one. This hardware is more advanced than the built-in cameras, microphones, and speakers on your current devices.

Some other top features and benefits of using GoToMeeting for video conferencing include:

Cloud collaboration
Automatic bandwidth adjustments
Available on Mac, PC, iOS, and Android
Single-click start and join sessions
Multi-channel support
Integrated scheduling

Unlike the other platforms that we’ve reviewed so far, GoToMeeting has just two plans for you to choose from:

Professional — $14 per month
Business — $19 per month

The plans are very similar. GoToMeeting offers unlimited meetings and unlimited meeting durations with both options. You’ll also benefit from things like Salesforce integration, Slack meeting launcher, and an admin center with each.

The biggest difference between Professional and Business is that they can host up to 150 and 250 participants, respectively.

In addition to more participants, the Business plan gives you access to transcripts, keyboard and mouse sharing, unlimited cloud storage, and mobile cloud recording.

I think it’s a no-brainer to sign up for the Business option instead of Professional. The added benefits are worth the extra $5 per month.

GoToMeeting does offer enterprise-grade plans for up to 3,000 participants. But those prices aren’t available online. You’ll need to speak to a sales rep for a custom quote.

Save 16% on your GoToMeeting plan with an annual contract.

You can try GoToMeeting for free with up to 250 participants for 14 days.

ClickMeeting – Best video conferencing service for webinars

Visit ClickMeeting

Free 30-day trial
Best for webinars
Up to 1,000 attendees
Enterprise solutions available

Try ClickMeeting for free

ClickMeeting is a bit different compared to some of the other video conferencing services that we’ve reviewed. This platform has a specific standout: webinars.

It’s a great option for those of you who want to hold large online events, market your products with video demonstrations, and host online courses or training sessions with live video.

They also traditional video conferencing solutions for team meetings and business collaboration. However, if that’s all you need, I’d look towards the other options on this list.

Their pricing is complicated too. There are two plans that depend on how many attendees you have.

Here’s an overview of those price points per month for each plan:

Live

Up to 25 — $30
Up to 50 — $45
Up to 100 — $79
Up to 200 — $149
Up to 500 — $179
Up to 1,000 — $309

Automated

Up to 25 — $45
Up to 50 — $55
Up to 100 — $95
Up to 200 — $179
Up to 500 — $229
Up to 1,000 — $359

For video conferences with more than 1,000 attendees, contact the ClickMeeting sales team for a custom enterprise solution.

You can try ClickMeeting free for 30 days and run webinars with up to 25 attendees to try it out. Save up to 20% off your with annual billing instead of a month-to-month contract.

The Automated plan is your best option for broadcasting professional video webinars. This plan comes with advanced features like auto-streaming to Facebook or YouTube, automated follow-up emails to attendees, Google Analytics integration, and certificates of attendance.

As you can see, ClickMeeting is definitely pricey compared to the other options on our list, which is why I wouldn’t recommend it for just basic video conferencing use. But the price is worth it if you’re planning to use the webinar features.

Zoho Meeting – Most affordable video conferencing service with basic features

Visit Zoho Meeting

Plans as low as $8/month
Screen sharing
Moderator controls
Integrates with Zoho CRM

Get Started for Free

Zoho Meeting is arguably the most straightforward video conferencing solution on the market today. There isn’t a bunch of bells a whistles. Just one plan for video conferencing.

Pricing is simple; it’s $10 per month per user, or $8 per month for an annual contract.

The plan comes with everything you need in a video conferencing service. However, it’s limited to just 100 participants per meeting and storage of up to 10 recordings.

This isn’t enterprise-grade software by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s an affordable and suitable choice for lots of small business owners.

Some of Zoho’s top features include:

RSVP scheduling
Screen sharing
Moderator controls
Embed meeting links
In-session chat
Lock meetings

You’ll also have the ability to switch a presenter, give someone control, and remove users from a video conference.

As expected, Zoho Meeting integrates seamlessly with Zoho CRM. So if you’re already using a Zoho product, this will be a top option for you to consider.

This isn’t the most feature rich video conferencing software out there. But it’s a high-quality solution for small business owners who just need basic features and already utilize Zoho products.

Zoom – Best video conferencing service for scalability

Free up to 100 participants
Pro plan starts at $14.99/mo
HD video conferences
Cloud recording features

Since launching in 2011, Zoom has quickly become an industry leader in the video conferencing space. The software is trusted by large businesses like Ticketmaster, Uber, Pandora, and GoDaddy, to name a few.

Where Zoom shines is its simplicity. They have a plan for businesses of all shapes and sizes, including a free option.

Zoom has video conferencing capabilities with up to 1,000 participants, and up to 49 videos on the screen simultaneously.

The platform is secure, with role-based user security options, password protection, and waiting rooms. Zoom makes it easy for your team to collaborate with screen sharing, filing sharing, and other interactive features.

Zoom is modern, so naturally, the service can be accessed from a mobile app as well. This is perfect for participants who are on the go and unable to reach a computer for a meeting.

Here’s an overview of Zoom’s pricing model:

Basic — Free

Unlimited one on one meetings
Up to 100 participants
40 minute limit on group meetings
Unlimited number of meetings

Pro — $14.99 per month per host

All basic features
24-hour meeting limit
User management tools
Admin feature controls
Reporting tools
1 GB of cloud recording

Business — $19.99 per month per host

All Pro features
Minimum 10 hosts
Up to 300 participants
Dedicated phone support
Company branding
Cloud recording transcripts
Admin dashboard

Enterprise — $19.99 per month per host

All Business features
Minimum 50 hosts
Up to 1,000 participants
Unlimited cloud storage
Dedicated customer support manager
Executive business reviews
Bundle discounts available for Zoom Rooms and webinars

As you can see, there is a plan for everyone. The free option is an excellent choice for an entrepreneur or freelancer who only needs to video chat once in a while for brief meetings.

Beyond personal use, you’ll need to upgrade to the Pro or Business plans to get the most out of Zoom. Fortunately, Zoom makes it easy for you to scale to another plan as your company grows.

Just be aware that your plan will impact the level of customer support you receive. To get premium support, you’ll need to upgrade.

Microsoft Teams – Best video conferencing service for internal communication

Free entry level plan
Premium plan starts at $12.50/mo
Chat, audio, and video capabilities
Best for 1-on-1 meetings

Teams is an instant messaging service with video capability, offered by Microsoft. The platform is designed specifically for internal communication in the workplace.

With chat, audio, and video capabilities for group sizes of 10 or 10,000, Teams is the ultimate in-house communication solution.

Slack is a direct competitor of Teams. But Teams shines with its superior technology and video conferencing features. However, the setup, usage, and onboarding are a bit more complex. So just be aware of that ahead of time.

Teams is best when it’s accessed from a desktop device or web app. There is a mobile app, but overall the web version is easier to navigate.

Here’s a quick overview of the plans and pricing:

Microsoft Teams — Free
Office 365 Business Premium — $12.50 per user per month
Office 365 E3 — $20 per user per month

Both paid plans are only available with an annual contract. The Free plan and entry-level paid plan both have a limit of 300 users, while the Office 365 E3 option is unlimited.

You’ll still have access to quite a few features with the free version, including video calls. But you’ll need Office 365 Business Premium to get the most out of this software.

Paid plans have 140+ app integrations, 1 TB of storage, scheduled meetings, meeting recordings, and administrative support.

The biggest downside of Teams is that it’s limited. It’s not really a true video conferencing service. Instead, it’s better for one-on-one video meetings or smaller groups.

If you want to host large-scale video conferences and make presentations to clients, you should look elsewhere for a more suitable solution.

Join.me – Best annual contract for video conferencing services

Voice plans start at $10/month
Video plans start at $20/month
No time limits
Unlimited meetings

Join.me offers solutions for individuals, teams, and businesses. From startups to Fortune 500 companies, Join.me is a popular choice.

It’s also incredibly easy to start and use. The signup process is as quick as it gets. There’s no need to consult with a sales representative or get a custom quote. Just visit their website, and you can start a call in minutes.

To start a new video conference, simply invite others to “join” your meeting (hence the name). You can invite people via email or with a custom link.

With Join.me, you can customize the video conferencing background, customize the URL, and share your screen with just one click. You can invite people to your meeting even if they aren’t already using the Join.me platform.

Here’s an overview of the plans and pricing options:

Lite — $10 per month per user

Up to 5 participants per meeting
No video streams*
Unlimited meetings
No time limits
Personal link and custom background

Pro — $20 per month per user

Up to 250 participants per meeting
Up to 10 video streams
Recording capabilities
50 GB of cloud storage
Meeting scheduling

Business — $30 per month per user

Up to 250 participants per meeting
1 TB of cloud storage
Bulk user import
Feature permissions
Enterprise authentication
Salesforce integration

Note: The Lite plan does NOT include video conferencing. As such, I highly recommend you go with the Pro plan.

It’s also worth noting that all plans are offered with an annual contract only. Month-to-month plans are unavailable.

However, you can try Join.me free with a 14-day free trial. Compared to other options on the list, Join.me is a bit limited in terms of meeting participants and the number of video streams per meeting. But it’s a fine option for those of you who won’t need more than ten simultaneous video streams per conference.

Webex – Best video conferencing service for cloud collaboration

Free up to 50 participants
Upgrade for as low as $16.95/mo
Unlimited meetings
Cloud storage features

Cisco is a brand name that’s synonymous with superior business technology. So it should be no surprise that Cisco Webex ranks so highly on our list for video conferencing software.

With Webex, you can host massive virtual events with up to 100,000 participants and run an interactive webinar for 3,000-person audiences.

Webex is perfect if you need to run on-demand training lessons for large groups as well. This is a great tool for onboarding employees at scale throughout multiple locations.

The Webex mobile app is another standout feature of the platform. Hosting and joining meetings are both simple and accessible from anywhere.

Arguably the best part about this video conferencing software is the cloud collaboration features. It’s easy to share files and screens with other meeting participants to stay organized and make the conference more interactive. That’s what makes them great for teams.

Cisco offers four different plans for you to choose from, including a basic free option.

Free — $0 per month

Up to 50 participants
40 minute limit on meetings
Unlimited meetings
1 GB of cloud storage

Starter — $16.95 per month per host

Up to 50 participants
Unlimited meeting duration
5 GB of cloud storage
Recording transcriptions
User management
Application and file sharing

Plus — $22.95 per month per host

Up to 100 participants
Assign alternate hosts
Allow others to schedule meetings for the host
Customizable Webex URL
Admin portal
24/7 customer support

Business — $32.95 per month per host

Up to 200 participants
10 GB of cloud storage
Branding and custom options
Single sign-on
Active Directory sync
Minimum five licenses per month

At first glance, the Webex prices appear to be higher than Zoom. However, you can save 20% per month with an annual contract.

It’s also worth noting that the Webex Plus plan doesn’t have any host minimums, and the business plan has just a five license minimum. Zoom has a 10 and 50 host minimum for their plans at similar price points.

So Webex will be a better option if you want those business or enterprise-level features for a smaller team.

How to Find the Best Video Conferencing Services

Compare Quotes From The Best Video Conferencing Services

Get matched up with a video conferencing service that fits your specific needs.

Now that you’ve had a chance to review the top solutions on the market, how can you find the best option for your unique situation? This is the methodology that I used to come up with this guide.

I’ve identified each feature set that matters the most and why you need to take it into consideration when you’re evaluating prospective platforms.

Conference Size

Every video conferencing plan has some limit on the number of participants who can join a meeting. This can be as 25 or as high as 100,000.

Make sure you choose a service and plan that can accommodate the number of people you need for your video conferences. You don’t want to overpay for a plan that has participant limits that you’ll never reach. But more importantly, you don’t want to be in a situation where your participant list is too large for your platform and plan.

Meeting Length

With the global pandemic putting a ton of people into remote work, businesses and schools need to be able to take as long as they need for certain calls.

That’s why we took a close look at how long each plan allows you to meet when determining this list. Often, they had to be counterbalanced with how many participants are allowed in a plan as well.

After all, a plan that offers unlimited time but with only a dozen participants might not be helpful for larger teams.

Scheduling Options

Good video conferencing tools allow you to schedule easily and across a wide breadth of calendar apps.

When looking at scheduling options, see if they integrate with common planning and calendar services such as Google Calendar, iCal, and Office 365.

Video Streams

You might be able to have a large number of participants in a conference, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that every user will be able to broadcast a video stream.

For example, RingCentral plans have up to 100 participants per meeting, but limit you to just ten simultaneous video streams.

So don’t be swayed by the participant limits alone. Always check to see how many users can actually stream a video at the same time.

Collaboration Tools

Collaboration tools are crucial for groups and teams.

Features like screen sharing, built-in chat, file sharing, and cloud collaboration are very useful for presentations and group projects. It’s also helpful when a video conferencing service integrates with existing tools and platforms that you’re already using to run a business. You can look for features like Salesforce integration or Google Analytics integration.

Conclusion

Take your virtual meetings to the next level with video conferencing software.

What’s the best video conference service on the market? The answer depends on who you ask and what you’re looking for. Here’s a quick recap of the platforms reviewed above.

RingCentral — Best video conferencing service with VoIP business phone plans.
GoToMeeting — Best video conferencing service for small businesses.
ClickMeeting — Best video conferencing software for webinars.
Zoom — Best video conferencing service for scalability.
Microsoft Teams — Best video conferencing software for internal communication.
Zoho Meeting — Affordable video conferencing service with basic features.
Join.me — Annual contract video conferencing plans for small meetings.
Webex — Best video conferencing software for cloud collaboration.

Based on this guide, I’m confident that you can find the best choice for your business. No matter how unique your situation might be, these options can accommodate your needs. If you are still not sure which one is right for you then complete the short form below to compare the best solutions further.