When COVID-19 started, in-house teams had to figure out how they would operate without in-person meet-ups.
They managed to do this by relying on video conferencing apps like Zoom to help them out.
And while Zoom started off as the perfect cure for remote teams with communication problems, a few privacy issues and security breaches popped up. Since then, they’ve released several updates to address these problems, and now, it’s a lot safer than it was back in March 2020.
But if you’re still cautious, there are tons of other video conferencing apps out there, all of which will help you address your remote communication needs.
In this article, we’ll go over what went wrong with the Zoom c l oud meeting tool and highlight 10 other tools to help you pick the perfect Zoom alternative.
Let’s zoom right into it! 💨
What Is Zoom?
Note: These sections are for people interested in learning about what the Zoom issue is. If you’re already aware of that, feel free to skip ahead to the ten Zoom alternatives .
Collaborate with teams and clients in real-time with the Zoom app Zoom is a popular video conferencing platform that lets you virtually meet other people across various hardware platforms like desktops, laptops, and mobile apps for Android and Apple smartphones.
It has several features like:
- Built-in tools for audio and video collaboration
- Instant messaging
- Mobile dial-in
- Screen sharing
- Meeting recording and transcripts
Over the past year, the Zoom video meeting tool has become very popular for business and personal meetings .
The reason?
Coronavirus, of course!
As many teams adapted to remote work policies, they needed a virtual communication tool for project kickoff meetings and other discussions.
And Zoom’s video conferencing solutions, Zoom Meeting and Zoom Webinar, became the go-to tools for two reasons:
- It’s super easy to set up and use
- It offers a feature-rich free version
But just like the movie, things went a bit off-road.
Familiar with the term ‘zoombombing’?
Zoombombing is when an uninvited guest, usually a hacker, joins your Zoom meeting.
It turns out that this mainly occurred because the meeting hosts didn’t really know that they would have to enable certain security features to make their meeting links and calls secure.
We can’t really say that’s Zoom’s fault, right?
However, Zoom was quick to address such privacy concerns. They released several updates over the last year. For example, it changed the default settings to make video calls more secure.
It also has two-factor authentication, uses Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256, and is GDPR and CCPA compliant .
So despite the previous security issues, the Zoom app is now a pretty secure choice.
However, if you still want to check out some Zoom alternatives, we’ve got you covered.
After all, there are plenty of us still left in the video-only conferencing world.
What are the Top 10+ Zoom Alternatives in 2024?
Just like choosing a new Netflix show to binge, you need to first carefully assess the current situation and make wise decisions.
Why?
Choosing the right web conferencing tools is a crucial step for your business. After all, you’ll be using it to communicate project demands and other vital information with your team.
And not every video calling app out there would be suitable for your business needs.
For example, video calling tools like Google Duo and FaceTime are primarily used for personal video chat. On the other hand, Google Meet (previously known as Hangout) and Microsoft Teams are best suited for group video calling.
Bonus: Call log templates !
So what do you choose?
Here’s a detailed look at some of the best video conferencing apps to help you determine the ultimate Zoom alternative for your needs.
1. Google Meet
Previously known as Google Hangout, Google Meet is a video conferencing platform from the folks at Google. The app is completely free if your team already has a G Suite or Google Workspace account.
While Google Meet is mainly geared towards business users, individuals can also use this video conferencing and collaboration tool to video chat with their family.
On top of that, teachers can use Meet to create a virtual classroom.
Key features
- Supports up to 100 participants per meeting with 16 meeting participants visible at a time
- Can preview your screen to check your camera, mic, and who is already present before you enter the online meeting
- Screen sharing is available for detailed explanations
- Meeting hosts can control the meeting with settings like removing attendees, muting, etc.
Pros
- Meeting participants can use its live captioning feature to take detailed meeting notes
- Limited to 60-minute meetings
- No private chat (you have to message the entire group)
User ratings
- G2: 4.4/5 (5000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (10000+ reviews)
Pricing
Google Meet has two pricing options:
- Google Meet (free):
- 60-minute group meetings
- 24-hour
one-on-one meetings - Maximum of 100 meeting participants
- Unlimited meetings
- And more
- Google Workspace Essentials ($8/active user per month):
- 24-hour group meetings
- 24-hour one-on-one meetings
- Maximum of 150 meeting attendees
- Hand raise feature
- And more
2. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams
is a cloud-based group messaging platform for Office 365 users.
If you’re looking to chat, meet, call, and share files with remote teams , then hopping on a Microsoft Team meeting is a good choice.
Key features
- Supports 250 meeting room participants
- Screen sharing and presentation streaming features for detailed explanations
- Recording function for recording important conferences
- Message channels help keep conversations organized
Pros
- Users can join a conference call directly without requiring a download
- Available versions include a mobile app, iOS app, and desktop app. It’s also supported across browsers like Firefox, Chrome, Edge, and Safari
- Managers can view their team’s work calendar and track their availability
Cons
- Sometimes messages don’t sync across different devices
- MS Teams’ interface can get confusing
- Screen freezing is a commonly reported issue
User ratings
- G2: 4.3/5 (9000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (4000+ reviews)
Pricing
Microsoft Teams offers three pricing options:
- Free
- Voice and video calls
- 100 participants
- 60-minute meetings
- Screen sharing
- And more
- Microsoft 365 Basic Business ($5/user per month when paid annually):
- 300 participants
- 24-hour meetings
- Meeting recordings
- Chat and collaboration
- And more
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard ($12.50/user per month when paid annually):
- 300 participants
- 24-hour meetings
- Customized backgrounds
- Scheduled remote meetings
- And more
3. Livestorm
Livestorm
is a video engagement platform that makes it easy to manage every part of your meetings, webinars, or video conferences.
As a browser-based platform, Livestorm is super easy to use. All you need is a link.
Key features
- Registration pages help you optimize registration rates with fully customizable and pre-built landing pages
- Engagement features such as emoji reactions, team whiteboards, live polls, and question upvotes
- Analytics make it easy to analyze all of your data with our powerful reporting tool built into the dashboard
Pros
- Registrant profiles let you access detailed information about any registrant
- Invitation emails can help you improve attendance with customizable reminders and follow-up emails
Super adaptable for any event, like all-hands meetings
Key features
- Can record an online meeting
- Audience poll and raise hand features to engage an attendee or the whole audience
- Advanced features like moderator controls to mute distractions and lock online meetings
- Allows up to 100 participants in any meeting in the basic pricing plan
Pros
- User-friendly platform supported across desktop, Android, and iOS devices
- For live streaming webinars, you can assign co-organizers for extra support and moderation
- Integrates with other Zoho apps like Zoho Projects
- Can enable the ECO mode (audio-only) to save bandwidth
Pros
- Only need to click a meeting link to join it
- Allows you to create multiple meeting rooms for better organization and meeting cadence
- Can check your past video calling history
Cons
- Limited to nine people on camera
- Has no whiteboard feature for video collaboration
- No free plan available
User ratings
- G2: N/A
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (17+ reviews)
Pricing
Eyeson has two pricing options:
- Pro ($9/host per month):
- Unlimited meeting time
- Unlimited number of meetings
- Unlimited meeting rooms
- And more
- Corporate (custom quote):
- Optional domain license
- Cloud provider on demand
- A dedicated
customer success
manager - All features included
- And more
9. Jitsi Meet
Jitsi Meet is an encrypted, open-source video conferencing service. You don’t even have to create an account to join a meeting room in Jitsi Meet!
Key features
- Collaborate on documents using Etherpad feature
- Customizable URLs for any meeting
- Integrated chat app for video meetings
- Supports up to 100 meeting participants
Pros
- A guest can quickly join a meeting room with an invitation link (no signup or download is required)
- Multiple users can share their screen simultaneously
- Since it’s open-source software, it’s developer-friendly and customizable
Cons
- Several user reviews report stability and bandwidth issues
- Can’t record meetings
- When you share your screen, you can’t see your camera or any meeting members’ cameras
User ratings
- G2: 4.3/5 (40+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.1/5 (40+ reviews)
Pricing
Jitsi Meet is a free video conferencing solution.
10. Cisco Webex Meetings
Cisco Webex Meetings is a videoconferencing app that lets you hold group video calls, audio calls, and more.
This video conferencing app even provides real-time translations of your meetings into 100+ languages, which is super helpful when you need to hop on international calls in a reality show via a computer program.
Key features
- Access to group chats and personal chat rooms
- Turn your shared content into custom backgrounds
- Whiteboard feature that lets teams brainstorm together
- Record meetings and get transcripts immediately
Pros
- Host and join meetings on your web browser, desktop app, or mobile device
- Use the Google or Microsoft calendar integration to manage schedules
- The app has an audio and video calling feature that silences all background noise
Cons
- The desktop app isn’t as robust as the web version
- More expensive than most Zoom alternatives
- No video recording and file-sharing options .
In the show, contestants need to communicate with the other cast members via a computer program. There’s no way for them to interact in person.
Which begs the question:
How do project managers communicate effectively?
Spoiler alert: regular emails and texting don’t cut it.
Sure, you can try to send emails or texts to discuss a project. But it’s going to be impossible to keep track of everything.
In fact, there are so many issues with just using messaging tools like Slack for task management that we dedicated an entire article to Slack project management .
If you really want in-depth discussions and explanations, you need to use video chat for your project meetings.
And once you pick the right video conferencing tool, you’re already halfway there.
There is one more thing you absolutely need.
Just like The Circle’s computer program, you need an all-in-one solution like ClickUp to cure all your project management problems .
But wait… what’s ClickUp? ClickUp is one of the world’s highest-rated project management software used by super-productive teams in small and large companies.
Here’s how ClickUp has the functionality to work with your preferred video-calling tool to create the perfect project management process:
Step 1: Integrate your video tool with ClickUp
Before starting any project, you need to keep your tools locked and loaded.
For example, if you’re using a conferencing tool like Zoom, you can easily integrate it with ClickUp to get everything ready.
Here’s how:
A. Enable the Zoom ClickApp
Here are the steps to do this:
- Open the Workspace
- Find the Zoom ClickApp
- Once you’ve enabled it, a Zoom icon will pop up on the top of each ClickUp task and ultimate objectives to ensure they know what they’re targeting. For that, conduct a video conference with your team and brief them about the planning process.
- Find the Zoom ClickApp
Use these ClickUp features to set everything up to make the project easier to attempt:
- Goals
: break down your entire project goal into smaller quantifiable targets - Subtasks
: split complicated tasks into shorter, easier subtasks for better task management - Assignees
: assign one or multiple team members- Screen recording
: with ClickUp’s inbuilt screen recorder, Clip , and scrum teams do. And they’re known to be some of the most effective teams in the world.
- Screen recording
But remember, just checking in with your team via a video call isn’t enough. You need a lot more to keep track of your projects and track your meeting minutes ! Let’s see how ClickUp can help you with this:
- Gantt charts
: get a visual overview of your project progress using ClickUp’s automated and interactive Gantt charts- Statuses
: know the progress status of any task or subtask at all times
- Statuses
- Box view
: display project tasks by the assignee to get an overview of who is working on what - Profiles
: get a detailed overview of every member’s task assignments and responsibilities - Dashboard
: look from a birds-eye view of everything going on in your Workspace ### Step 4: Have a final video meeting after the project is completed
Congratulations, you finished your project! But you’re not done yet.
It’s time to get on a video call with your team and discuss:
- What went smoothly?
- What went wrong?
- What difficulties did they face during the process?
Going over all this will help you make the changes you need to your work process to ensure that all your future projects go smoothly.
Bonus: read more on how to manage meetings in ClickUp and get our list of best ClickUp alternatives .
Time to Zoom Over to an Alternative 🏃
Having the right video conferencing tool is one of the most essential things for modern remote teams. And while Zoom is still a decent tool, there are tons of other video conference solutions out there.
But that raises the question: with so many options, which Zoom alternative do you choose?
Don’t worry.
Just go through our list of video conferencing software to find the perfect choice for your business needs. But remember, if you want to tackle remote project management , you’re going to need more than just a video conferencing tool.
ClickUp has everything you need to manage your team members, create tasks, and track your progress remotely. So why not zoom on over to ClickUp for free today?