Things are beginning to open up, except for now, the COVID-19 pandemic remains with us and lots of are still counting on video calls to stay in-tuned with work colleagues, family, and friends. And for many folks — especially those that face financial difficulties — free is best. Zoom continues to top the list of videoconferencing apps, but there are a bunch of applications out there which will allow you to satisfy others online for free of charge .
We’ve listed a couple of of the simplest known videoconferencing apps, along side a few of popular text chat apps that include video calling features. While most of those have already got free versions, some are offering access to additional features for those that are currently performing from home or who want to see abreast of friends and relatives online.
There are variety of apps we've not included, like Facebook, WhatsApp, and FaceTime, that allow you to try to to video chats. We’ve left them out because they require that each one participants be members of a selected social network (Facebook, WhatsApp) or that you simply use a selected sort of device (FaceTime, which is Apple-only). We’ve also tried to consider applications that allow you to participate without having to download the app (unless you’re the host), which allow a minimum of ten or more participants.
A good idea is to undertake one or two out for yourself to ascertain how well they slot in together with your style and people of your friends. This list may be a good place to start out .
Zoom
Zoom has become one of the most well-known videoconferencing apps — in fact, its name is quickly becoming synonymous with video meetings. Before the pandemic hit, the company pushed Zoom mostly for corporate use, but it also provides a free basic version for individuals. At first, because Zoom didn’t expect its sudden popularity among non-business users, there were several missteps involving privacy and security; the company quickly instituted a number of changes and updates to address these issues. The free version of Zoom allows up to 100 users to meet, but there is a 40-minute limit on meetings of more than two people, which can be pretty limiting. As of this writing, Zoom was not offering any special deals for those now working at home, but it does have a page offering help and advice to new users.
FREE VERSION FEATURES
- Maximum participants: 100
- One-on-one meetings: No time limit
- Group meetings: 40-minute limit
- Screen sharing: Yes
- Record meetings: Yes
SKYPE Meet Now
Skype has been the go-to platform for one-on-one conversations since the beta was released in 2003. Its Meet Now feature (which is accessed by choosing the “Meet Now” button on the left side of the app) allows for videoconferencing; up to 50 people can meet with a generous four-hour time limit on meetings. There is also a separate page that lets you create a free video meeting without having to actually sign up for the service. However, you get more features using the app, so if you’re okay with registering for a free account, you’re better off doing that.
FREE VERSION FEATURES
- Maximum participants: 50
- One-on-one meetings: No time limit
- Group meetings: Four hours per call, 10 hours per day, 100 hours per month
- Screen sharing: Yes
- Record meetings: Yes
GOOGLE Meet
Meet offers a very simple and efficient way to video chat with colleagues, friends, and family — assuming they all have Google accounts, which is a requirement for both hosts and participants. In fact, Google is not only pushing people to use its Meet videoconferencing app instead of Zoom, but also instead of its own soon-to-be-sun-downed Google Hangouts app. (We previously included Google Hangouts in this roundup, but Hangouts users are now being actively urged from within the app to use Google Meet for their video chats.) You can find a Meet link in the Gmail app and in every appointment you make using Google Calendar.
FREE VERSION FEATURES
- Maximum participants: 100
- One-on-one meetings: 24-hour limit
- Group meetings: 60-minute limit
- Screen sharing: Yes
- Record meetings: No
MICROSOFT Teams
Microsoft Teams was built as a competitor to Slack and is an especially good idea if you’re part of the Office ecosystem. While the application is mainly focused on business use, Microsoft has stepped out of its three-piece suit and unveiled a free personal version of Teams, which lets anyone chat, talk, or have video meetings — you just have to create an account with Microsoft in order to use it. Currently, due to the pandemic, Microsoft has extended the maximum number of participants from 100 to 300, and it has pushed the time limit from 60 minutes to 24 hours, which gives it an edge over most other free videoconferencing apps.
FREE VERSION FEATURES
- Maximum participants: Normally 100; extended to 300 during pandemic
- One-on-one meetings: Normally 60-minute limit; extended to 24 hours during pandemic
- Group meetings: Normally 60-minute limit; extended to 24 hours during pandemic
- Screen sharing: Yes
- Record meetings: No
GOOGLE Duo
You don’t really expect Google to only offer one simple videoconferencing app, do you? Besides Google Meet, Google also has its mobile app Duo, which was built as a consumer app (whereas Meet was originally designed as a business app). While Duo was first touted as the app to use for one-to-one conversations and could only be used on phones, it now allows you to create groups of up to 32 participants and includes a web app. All participants must have Google accounts.
FREE VERSION FEATURES
- Maximum participants: 32
- One-on-one meetings: No time limit
- Group meetings: No time limit
- Screen sharing: Mobile only
- Record meetings: No
SPIKE
Spike, an expanding email service, offers paid group videoconferencing to its subscribers, but it has also made a basic video meeting web app available to anyone who wants it. It’s quick and easy to use: just go to video.spike.chat, type in a name, and click on “Join Video Chat Meeting.” Spike generates a unique URL for the chat and even lets you share your screen.
FREE VERSION FEATURES
- Maximum participants: 200
- One-on-one meetings: No time limit
- Group meetings: No time limit
- Screen sharing: Yes
- Record meetings: No
TELEGRAM
Telegram is a messaging chat app that, as of June 2021, is offering video group chats also. It’s well set up for that: the app already has a feature that lets you create groups with up to 20,000 members, and you can have either private or public groups. For now, video chats are limited to 30 people; the company says it plans to increase that in the future. While it was a little slow to add this feature compared to some other messaging apps (considering the demand for it during the pandemic), it is a welcome add-on for Telegram users.
FREE VERSION FEATURES
- Maximum participants: 30
- One-on-one meetings: No time limit
- Group meetings: No time limit
- Screen sharing: Yes
- Record meetings: No
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