Best Video Conferencing Software in 2026: 8 Apps Compared

Zoom is still the default meeting app for many teams, and that familiarity is a practical advantage. Guests know how to join, hosts know the controls, and the feature set covers breakout rooms, whiteboards, recording, webinars and a large integration library. Paid plans include AI Companion summaries on many tiers, which helps teams that meet often. The free plan caps group meetings at 40 minutes, which pushes regular teams to a paid plan starting at $15.99 per user per month. Zoom can also feel feature-heavy for teams that only need simple calls. For all-round use, though, it remains the safest pick.

Teams makes most sense for organisations already on Microsoft 365. Meetings sit beside chat, files, calendars and Office apps, so a call can start from a document, a channel or an Outlook invite without switching tools. Admin controls, compliance features and Copilot AI on higher plans add value for larger teams. The interface packs a lot into one window, and new users sometimes find it busy compared with Zoom or Meet. If your team already pays for Microsoft 365, Teams is usually the cheapest strong option, since meetings come with the suite you own.

Google Meet is the simplest meeting app to join. Guests click a link and join from a browser, with no download for most calls, and Calendar and Gmail integration makes scheduling painless for Google Workspace teams. Live captions, noise cancellation and recording on paid plans cover most everyday needs. Advanced webinar, breakout and moderation features lag Zoom in some areas, and larger meetings need a Workspace plan. For Google-centred teams, schools and small businesses, Meet offers the cleanest balance of ease, price and reliability.

Webex, from Cisco, is built for organisations where security and compliance come first. It offers end-to-end encryption options, compliance certifications and admin controls that suit government, healthcare and finance teams, plus AI translation across many languages and Cisco room hardware for offices. The free plan covers basic meetings for small groups. Small teams may find the interface and pricing heavier than Zoom or Meet, and paid plans start at $14.50 per user per month on some listings. For large or regulated organisations, that security depth is the reason to choose Webex over a simpler app.

GoTo Meeting suits teams that want meetings to just work. The client is lightweight, joining takes one click, and audio quality is consistently good, which matters for client calls and webinars. Hosts get recording, screen sharing and drawing tools without a long learning curve. There is no free plan, with paid plans starting at about $12 per user per month, and AI summaries and whiteboard extras are thinner than on Zoom or Teams. If reliability and simplicity matter more than the latest AI features, GoTo Meeting is a steady, professional choice.

Zoho Meeting is the budget pick that still feels professional. Paid plans start at about $3 per host per month on some listings, far below Zoom or Webex, and meetings run in a browser with screen sharing, recording and moderation tools. Teams already using Zoho CRM, Mail or Workplace get extra value from the shared login and contacts. The integration library is smaller, and advanced webinar tools need higher plans. For small businesses, schools and nonprofits that need reliable meetings at a low cost, Zoho Meeting delivers most of what matters without the premium price.

Jitsi Meet is the only fully free option on this list, with no account needed to start a meeting on the public service. It is open source, so organisations can self-host it for full control of data and privacy, and it covers video, screen sharing, chat and recording basics. For community groups, classrooms and privacy-minded teams, that freedom is valuable. Admin controls, AI summaries and enterprise support are thinner than on paid platforms, and very large meetings can be less stable on the free public instance. Use the public service for small meetings, and self-host or pay for hosting if you need scale and support.

RingCentral suits teams that want one platform for phone calls, video meetings and team messaging. Instead of paying separately for a phone system and a meeting app, you get both with shared contacts, call routing and meeting tools, plus integrations with CRM and productivity apps. Call quality and admin controls are strong. Meeting-only teams will pay more than they need, since plans start at about $20 per user per month. If your team still relies heavily on phone calls alongside video, RingCentral can replace two tools with one, but pure meeting teams should compare Zoom, Meet or Zoho first.