The best 11 programs for video conferencing in 2020

You are running around, forgetting essential documents, and spending time and money in your meetings with your clients. All this is in the past! Thanks to the best video conferencing programs, you will be able to have more efficient meetings. They will also be more comfortable for both your clients and you. Know first-hand its advantages and what are your options to get the most out of your virtual meetings. Video conferencing vs. face-to-face meetings: advantages and disadvantages If you have meetings by electronic means, you will see that these are just some of its benefits: You will reduce your transfer costs. You will use the time to your advantage, since you will avoid the chaos of the city and, even more, the problems that involve travel. You will focus your attention on the problems to be solved, rather than on secondary issues. Who brings something valuable to the conversation, such as other members of your team or specialists who otherwise could not attend. You will create a dynamic of exchanging ideas faster and faster and with the necessary frequency. However, there may be some disadvantages: You may need to train yourself or train your clients on the use of the platform. You will have connectivity problems if you do not have adequate internet speed. You must have a budget for hiring the tool, in case you choose a payment option. Free video conferencing programs 1. Google Hangouts Since many people have a Gmail account, using Google Hangouts is very easy. You can use it in Google Chrome, Firefox, and Safari from the website or through its application, either iOS or Android. How Google Hangouts works Start by clicking "OK" when it asks for access to the camera and microphone. Then, within your contact list, you must click on the icon of those you want to add. Once your video conference starts, you can click on the "Add People" option if you want a multi-party conversation. Advantages of Hangouts In general, it is a powerful tool that provides a good quality in video calls. It is a perfect couple with YouTube, so you can share the sessions with those who were not present. It gives you the option to "Share screen" with which you will facilitate your exposure. Disadvantages of Hangouts Unless you upload it to YouTube, you don't have a direct option to save the video conference. That is, it does not have a downloadable program. 2. Jitsi Jitsi is a program that you can use completely free since it is open source. It promises a premium experience, even if you don't have registrations to get started (and if you're a developer, you can help improve it whenever you want) How Jitsi works Open your video conference home site, where you only have to enter a topic for your conversation. You can integrate your calendar, in addition to having a window to access your history. Once you agree to the use of the camera and microphone, add the contact emails of the participants. They will enter the indicated window just by clicking on the corresponding link. You can also enter from its application for your Android smartphone or iPhone. Advantages of Jitsi It gives you the option to share your calendar. It has a simultaneous screen view for you to display your presentations. It has a side chat with which you can exchange messages quickly. Disadvantages of Jitsi Jitsi has a long way to optimize its interface; however, it is less attractive than other programs. Some users report some glitches in the chat when they access through the application. 3. Skype Although Skype no longer has a program for business video conferencing, its video calling service can still be beneficial for connecting with your collaborators. With Skype, you can access from anywhere you are and have quality communication. How Skype works your contact list for the person you want to call. Select the person and then choose between the "Audio" or "Video" buttons. To make a group call, you have to add all the participants you require. Note: there is no ringtone for group calls with more than 25 participants. The group will receive a call initiation notification and select the "Join Cell" option when ready. Advantages of Skype The limit of people in a video call is up to 50 members. It has the option to activate subtitles to read what a said during a video conference. . You have the option of screen sharing. Disadvantages of Skype you have to pay an extra fee. Voicemail is not free. It is a somewhat heavy application for computers and can consume a large amount of RAM. In its mobile version, it can present problems in the quality of audio or video when making a video conference. 4. ooVoo Thousands of users use ooVoo for its ease of navigation. It works through an application, available on Android and iOS, and a desktop program on Windows and Mac. It allows you to create a live session with up to 8 people, which gives it great dynamism, even when it is a free app. How ooVoo works Download the application and access it through a user with a password. Once you are in, you can connect with the profiles that are already in the program and send invitations for those who still need to register. Add the people you need from its menu, where you can see their images simultaneously. Advantages of ooVoo Its interface is straightforward to use, even for inexperienced video conferencing users. It has excellent image and audio stability. It is a good option for both smartphones and PC or Mac. Disadvantages of ooVoo It is a program focused on personal use, so it is an option only if the meetings with your clients are lighter. It is limited to 8 users per session, so it is not functional for large teams. 5. Zoom It works intuitively, so it will be friendly to everyone you want to include. Also, it has a technical support team that will answer your questions as soon as possible. It has a free plan for up to 100 participants and an unlimited number of meetings. How Zoom works You can create meetings with video off, video on, and others where you only share your screen. Add the meeting topic, and you will get a URL to share. In the button «Invite others,» you can add more participants. Advantages of Zoom Meeting You can include up to 1,000 participants per session in the most comprehensive plans. You can configure different levels of visibility since there is the option of doing sessions where you only share your screen. You have training videos for your team and technical support. Disadvantages of Zoom Meeting Although it is relatively intuitive to use, some participants may need a full induction into the system. "Zoom bombing": this phenomenon consists of the appearance of people not invited to a private meeting. To avoid this, you can create a password or waiting room for your appointment. 6. Slack Slack has become an excellent ally for companies, especially now that remote work has become more than necessary. It also makes video calls efficiently and quickly. How Slack works You can make video calls in Slack in two ways: from a direct message or a channel. We explain each one in more detail. From a direct message: open a direct message and click on the "Phone" icon in the upper right corner. The call will start immediately, and the person you are dialing will receive a notification. (If the team member you want to contact has Do Not Disturb on. Open the medium of your choice and click on the "Details" icon located in the upper right corner. Click "Call" and confirm your call when prompted by the program. At this point, Slack will post a message on the channel for members to join. Video calling with more than one user is disabled on the free plan. Advantages of Slack You have the option to share the screen in case any of the team members must present a presentation. You can work and make a video call simultaneously, without having to pause your activities or interrupt your video. Slack is available for desktop or mobile so you can connect from wherever you are. You can connect Slack to other video conferencing services like Zoom, Webex, or Bluejeans. Disadvantages of Slack It only allows 15 people per video call on any of its plans. If you don't have any of their Pro plans, you won't make video calls. 7. Microsoft Teams Microsoft Teams replaces Skype for Business service. With it, you can invite all the members of your team to a video call no matter where they are. This great bet offers online meetings, live events, audio conferencing, and meeting devices. Their goal is to automate the meeting lifecycle to save time, focus, and have the tools to increase your productivity. How Microsoft Teams works Write the name of your team members with whom you want to have a video call in the "To" field, located at the top of the new chat. Click on "Video Call" or "Audio Call" to start. Advantages of Microsoft Teams You can make video calls with multiple members of your team. It allows you to make video calls with anyone inside or outside your organization. Capture audio, video, and activities to later share with other team members. It has advanced features ranging from screen sharing, background blur (to avoid distractions) download and text transcription to integrated chat, etc. Disadvantages of Microsoft Teams If you have Office 365, the Microsoft Teams tool includes. 8. GoToMeeting GoToMeeting is available for 150 connected users on its Professional plan, while 250 on the Business plan. It offers you a trial period during which you can learn about its functions and become familiar with the platform, which, in general, is easy to use. How GoToMeeting works Once you make your registration, enter the option "Meet now." There you will have a section where you have to add the email addresses of your guests. Choose if you want other people to share your audio, or if you want them to participate only as spectators, so it is beneficial if you will teach a short course to your clients or your team. GoToMeeting benefits It has a Google Calendar plugin, with which you will distribute all your commitments efficiently. You can record lectures, which is a handy option when you don't have time to make notes. It tells you who the user is speaking at any time is, so you will not have problems remembering their names when you are in conferences with many participants. Disadvantages of GoToMeeting It uses more bandwidth than other similar programs (although, thanks to that, the audio and video quality is excellent). 9. Google Meet It is the older brother of Hangouts since it has the same functions, but aimed at meeting the needs of companies. It has a clean interface, with which you will only share a link to get started. How Google Meet works Choose the edition of G Suite that suits you best, with which you can share calendars, have a business email, and a secure application environment. You have to enter your company's username to set up the meeting and share it with attendees. Advantages of Google Meet It allows you to connect all your activities in one place, integrating into the G Suite. Online management and meeting setup are user-friendly and straightforward. Disadvantages of Google Meet You have frequently asked questions to answer your questions on the go, although it is more difficult to contact a technical support representative. 10. BlueJeans BlueJeans is a company specialized in video communications, whose objective is to offer video conferencing for large, medium, and small companies. Its services are compatible with any voice communication software and technology. Its products divide as follows: BlueJeans Rooms, BlueJeans Events, and BlueJeans Meetings. It is a secure and scalable platform that guarantees frictionless communication between all the members of your team. It is the ideal solution for webinars and large-scale events and webcasts. How BlueJeans works To start a video conference, select the option «Create a new meeting» or «Join a new meeting.» You must have an ID and password to access to join and for other members to do so. It's that simple to use BlueJeans. Advantages of BlueJeans Its system is very intuitive and easy to use. Allows HD audio and videos. It allows us to organize and broadcast live events on a large scale. It has a meeting transcript. Disadvantages of Bluejeans Some users mention that you may experience occasional disconnections and interruptions. 11. Cisco Webex Meetings Meet with your work team in a simple way and from the place where you are. With its mobile application, you can organize and attend meetings efficiently. How Webex Meetings Works Click on "Call" select the address, work, or mobile number of the person you want to contact and choose the "Audio or video call." You can activate or deactivate the video and share your screen if you also wish. If you make a call to work or mobile number, you can click to access advanced options, such as call suspension. Advantages of Webex Meetings You can download your video calls. It has a shared screen. It has a chat, survey, and questions and answers during video calls. Provides excellent security and account backup that responds to Cisco security protocols. Disadvantages of Webex Meetings It does not have advanced options for webinars. The content sharing option is only compatible with Chrome and Firefox. Sometimes shared documents are not visible during sharing. For them to see, it is necessary to stop the application and share it again. The "Call from computer" audio option supports Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. Explore the programs that caught your attention, since this way, the meetings with your team, clients and prospects will be more fluid and comfortable; in addition to that, you will achieve an extraordinary level of participation.