Distributed and remote teams have become the norm. With in-person meetings no longer always practical or preferred, virtual collaboration is essential for organizations to thrive. Thankfully, exceptional video conferencing and online meeting platforms now exist to bring teams together.
This definitive guide examines 14 leading solutions on the market in 2023 tailored for every use case and budget.
Covered in this review:
- Zoom
- Microsoft Teams
- Webex
- GoToMeeting
- BlueJeans
- Whereby
- Lifesize
- RingCentral
- Dialpad
- Jitsi
- FreeConferenceCall
- Talky
- TrueConf
- Adobe Connect
Let‘s dive in to explore the leading options and key decision factors as you equip your workforce with best-in-class virtual meeting capabilities for the hybrid age.
Why Video Meetings Matter More Than Ever
Enabled by high-speed networks and smart mobile devices, video meetings bring invaluable benefits for modern organizations:
Increased Engagement & Productivity
Employeesworking remotelycan lack critical face-to-face interactions. But platforms enabling frequent video check-ins and online workshops foster greater engagement. Compared to audio-only, video meetings deliver up to 2.5x more productive outcomes.
Reduced Costs
With less need for travel or office space, businesses can realize major cost savings from remote models. Estimates indicate over $11,000 per employee per year saved from avoided commuting and real estate alone.
Enhanced Collaboration
Thanks to interactive features like screen sharing, digital whiteboards and real-time annotation tools, collaborating over video can be just as productive as working side-by-side.
Flexible & Mobile Talent
Location no longer limits your talent pool. 58% of remote workers say they moved to a new location after starting to work remotely.
Improved Inclusion
Participants who might hesitate to speak up in crowded conference rooms contribute more actively in personal video chat windows. This improves diversity of thought and ideas shared.
As the data shows, video meetings unlock immense advantages. But with the flood of conferencing apps in recent years, selecting the right platform for your specific needs is essential.
Key Evaluation Criteria
With over a dozen solutions profiled here, identifying your organization‘s priorities is crucial before deciding on technology.
Size of Meetings
Will you run more intimate team standups or large-scale all hands and external events? Meeting size impacts costs and platform capabilities required. Small groups may suffice with free tiers offered by certain vendors. But large enterprises will demand advanced features like detailed analytics, custom branding and global dial-in support.
Ease of Use
Frictionless onboarding experiences ensure quick user adoption. Look for one-click meeting joins and minimal prerequisite downloads. Easy learning curves keep participants engaged rather than distracted troubleshooting tech issues.
Team Collaboration Tools
Do you require built-in project management workflows and document sharing to coordinate tasks? Many solutions now integrate directly with apps like Asana, Slack, Dropbox and Google Workspace. Deep integrations avoid constantly switching between apps to find information.
Compliance & Security
Heavily regulated industries have more rigorous compliance demands. Evaluate encryption protocols, country-specific data handling policies and access controls to match security needs. Some offer on-premise deployment options avoiding the public cloud entirely.
Analytics & Reporting
For customer-facing webinars or major internal events, detailed tracking around engagement, attention, feedback and conversions will be critical. Platforms like Webex deliver real-time sentiment analysis by attendee. Compare capabilities to identify gaps vs. essential metrics.
By carefully weighting needs around elements like these, you can determine optimal solutions fitting your current and future use cases. Next let‘s dive into the top platforms available in 2023.
1. Zoom
The incredible rise of Zoom remains one of the biggest pandemic-driven success stories. Their simple and reliable platform made business video meetings mainstream.
Key Features:
- HD video with up to 1,000 participants
- Robust collaboration app ecosystem with over 2,400 integrations
- Enterprise-grade 256-bit AESGCM encryption
- AI-powered conversational intelligence
Ideal For
- All business sizes given scalable pricing from free tiers up to enterprise
- Especially great for webinars, virtual events and large PTA meetings
Pricing
- Free basic plan
- Pro plan from $149.90/year per host
- Custom options for larger deployments
Bottom Line
Zoom continues to lead the industry thanks to an incredibly intuitive interface paired with enterprise-caliber security and integrations.
2. Microsoft Teams
An appealing bundled offering from Microsoft – combining chat, video meetings, shared document collaboration and task management.
Key Features:
- Tightly integrated into full Office 365 suite
- Support for up to 1,000 meeting participants
- AI enhancements like background noise suppression
- Over 300 built-in data security controls
Ideal For
- Organizations invested into broader Microsoft ecosystem
- Distributed teams that already rely on range of Office apps
Pricing
- Free version available
- From $5 per user per month annually for business plans
Bottom Line
One stop shop to chat, collaborate and meet integrated into Microsoft toolchain.
3. Cisco Webex
Webex delivers sophisticated conferencing capabilities tailored for the hybrid work paradigm.
Key Features:
- Event capacity up to 100,000 view-only attendees
- Real-time translation into over 100 languages
- Background noise removal ensures clarity
- Dozens of interactive engagement tools
Ideal For
- Highly dispersed global enterprises needing to coordinate across regions
- Analytics around engagement patterns in large audiences
Pricing
- Generous free tier
- Paid plans from $13.50 per host per month
Bottom Line
Robust suite of audience engagement tools makes Webex platform of choice for global businesses.
4. GoToMeeting
User-friendly conferencing solution catering to small/medium businesses.
Key Features:
- Share up to 4 webcam feeds simultaneously
- Annotation and whiteboard tools
- One-click personal meeting room URL
- Seamless conference call dial-in
Ideal For
- SMBs seeking intuitive video meetings easily blending virtual and in-person
Pricing
- From $12 per organizer monthly for professional plan
Bottom Line
Simple to use yet still powerful. Great balance of price and capabilities for SMBs.
5. BlueJeans
BlueJeans Events excels at delivering immersive virtual event experiences that engage at scale.
Key Features:
- Interactive online events supporting 150,000+ attendees
- Backstage area to coordinate speakers and practice talks
- Command Center oversight of registration, engagement, polling etc
Ideal For
- Marketing and corporate groups running large town halls, workshops etc
Pricing
- From $9.99 per month per host billed annually
Bottom Line
Robust admin controls and audience engagement analytics perfect for high stakes events.
6. Whereby
This flexible browser-based solution excels on accessibility, privacy and ease of use.
Key Features:
- No downloads required for participants to join
- User identities completely protected
- Public or private room URLs
- Virtual backgrounds supported
Ideal For
- Small teams wanting hassle-free and secure video meetings
Pricing
- Generous free tier
- $9.99 per user monthly for all features
Bottom Line
Unique protected experience requiring no logins or software installations.
7. Lifesize
Lifesize offers an enterprise-grade conferencing solution tailored for large global deployments.
Key Features:
- Support for 4K video
- Integrates with existing room hardware
- Multi-screen views with pinning options
- Live stream meetings to unlimited viewers
Ideal For
- Large enterprises with need for high fidelity video infrastructure
Pricing
- Custom pricing starting at $16/month per host
Bottom Line
Robust platform optimized forConsistency and clarity at scale.
8. RingCentral
An end-to-end messaging and video meetings platform built for the mobile workforce.
Key Features:
- Team messaging, video meetings and phone combined
- AI meeting summaries with transcripts
- Over 6 million business customers
- Over 99.999% guaranteed uptime
Ideal For
- Companies wanting integrated voice, video and fax
- Field sales teams requiring mobile collaboration
Pricing
- Starts at $19.99 per user monthly
Bottom Line
Unified communications solution appointed for the flexible hybrid worker.
9. Dialpad
Dialpad sells itself as the first AI-powered business phone system.
Key Features:
- Real-time transcription and note-taking
- Customizable hold music and greetings
- Natural language search across call logs
- Direct integrations with Google Workspace and Slack
Ideal For
- Growing SMBs needing unified business communications
Pricing
- $15 per user monthly billed annually
Bottom Line
AI phone system with integrated meetings catering to hybrid workforces.
Comparison of Top Providers
The table below compares leading vendors across key metrics:
| Provider | Market Share | Ease of Use | Starting Price | Customer Satisfaction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoom | 17.6% | ★★★★★ | Free | 98% |
| Microsoft Teams | 15.6% | ★★★★ | $5/user/month | 93% |
| Webex | 6.9% | ★★★ | $14/host/month | 91% |
| GoToMeeting | 1.9% | ★★★★ | $12/organizer/month | 95% |
| BlueJeans | 0.8% | ★★★ | $9.99/host/month | 88% |
*Statistics from Datanyze market share, G2 satisfaction ratings and vendor public pricing. Updated January 2023.
ZOOM and Microsoft Teams unsurprisingly dominate video meetings, combining ease of use with generous free tiers and bundling into broader productivity suites. But compelling options exist like Webex boasting over 100 language translations out of the box. And BlueJeans‘ specialized virtual event capabilities stand out from the pack.
10. Jitsi Meet
Jitsi Meet offers a flexible and accessible open-source video meetings option.
Key Features:
- Runs natively on all major desktop/mobile
- Fully encrypted with no tracking
- Available on premise or via managed cloud
- Includes conferencing staples like chat, recording and live streaming
Ideal For
- Privacy-conscious users plus cash strapped teams
- Open source developer community – easily self hostable
Pricing
- 100% free tier available
- Paid options for added support, storage etc
Bottom Line
Zero-cost open-source video meetings with generous capabilities. But lacks some sophistication of paid tools.
11. FreeConference
As the name suggests, FreeConference.com offers a capable video meeting solution at no cost.
Key Features:
- Group video meetings up to 1,000 participants
- Screen sharing, dial-in support and recording
- Custom URLs and branding options
- Secure TLS and SRTP encryption
Ideal For
- Solopreneurs, bootstrapped startups and small teams
Pricing
- 100% free, with reasonable usage limits
Bottom Line
Few strings attached video meetings perfect for capital constrained teams.
12. Talky
Minimalistic video meetings in your browser tab. The no signup experience lives up to the Talky name.
Key Features:
- Zero login whatsoever
- Webcam, screensharing and group chat built-in
- Public community "rooms" enabled
- All features free with reasonable limits
Ideal For
- Quick video huddles and small group conversations
Pricing
- Totally free and open source
Bottom Line
When ease of use trumps all, this one click video platform delivers.
13. TrueConf
TrueConf optimizes high fidelity video specifically for specialized meeting hardware systems.
Key Features:
- 4K Ultra HD video support
- Multi-point conferencing views
- Integrates with video room equipment
- Adjustable speaker spotlight
Ideal For
- Enterprises investing in room systems running mission critical meetings
Pricing
- Custom based on desired features
Bottom Line
Purpose-built to power immersive video in executive boardrooms and auditorium spaces.
14. Adobe Connect
Adobe Connect focuses on enabling complex webinars targeted at large marketing and training audiences.
Key Features:
- Customizable registration pages
- Granular presenter permissions and roles
- Polls, surveys and analytics
- Single sign-on integration
Ideal For
- Marketing and learning teams running large public web events
Pricing
- $50 per host monthly billed annually
Bottom Line
Sophisticated webinar platform perfect for regulated enterprises.
Best Practices for Productive Video Meetings
Beyond just picking a platform, optimizing how you facilitate and participate in video meetings ensures greater productivity.
Lead With Energy & Articulate Clearly
As a presenter, mind your pace of speaking, volume level and diction. Participants lose focus straining to decipher muffled dialogue. Sound energized through your voice inflection, even if not naturally emotive.
Connect With Eye Contact
Training your eyes directly into the camera when speaking gives remote participants a stronger feeling of connection, just like with in-person conversations.
Incorporate Engagement Tools
Interactive elements like live annotation, whiteboarding, surveys and Q&A sessions transform passive viewers into active collaborators.
Use Rules of Order For Decorum
For larger forums, enforce practices like hand raising before speaking to avoid people accidentally talking over one another. Appoint someone as a facilitator.
Limit Monologues
Long speeches without any visuals will inevitably cause remote participants to disengage and multitask instead of actively listening. Break up presentations with external content and discussions.
Circulate An Agenda Beforehand
Ensure everyone understands objective, topics to be covered and any prep work required so they arrive informed and ready to fully participate.
With some forethought into scheduling approaches tailored for the medium, business video meetings can deliver even greater productivity than being together in person.
Key Takeaways on Selecting Your Platform
Remote collaboration platforms now deliver enterprise-caliber security, global accessibility and exceptional reliability – elements historically limiting broader video meetings adoption.
As the recommendations here illustrate, excellent options exist for teams of all types and sizes. Before purchasing licenses, ensure you evaluate tools against key deciding factors:
Integrations – How easily does platform incorporate into your existing technology stack?
Ease of Use – Will onboarding and joining meetings be straightforward for all users?
Data Privacy – Do security, compliance and encryption capabilities satisfy your policy needs?
Analytics & Reporting – Does it provide essential insights around engagement during sessions?
Mobile Experience – Can users join and participate natively from smartphones and laptops?
While elements like HD streaming and annotation tools certainly enhance interactive meetings, double click into elements that align with long-term technology strategy.
And with most vendors offering free trials or demo options, take advantage to experience platforms hands-on instead of just on paper before deciding.
Now Boarding the Hybrid Work Train
With remote collaboration here to stay, embrace these incredible technologies enabling you to productively brainstorm, socialize and mobilize teams from wherever work takes you.
The solutions profiled in this guide help diminish distance barriers to empower continuity in our organizations. And thanks to advances in smart mobile devices, broadband internet and video processing, we can collaborate across screens with nearly the same dynamism experienced shoulder-to-shoulder.
Look forward to the promised land where geographic dispersal is celebrated for the diversity it brings, not condemned for impeding team success. The tools now exist to sustain culture, enable creativity and accelerate growth regardless of physical location.
So pick your platform partner, kick off those virtual introductions & ice breakers, wave hello to boxed-in video participants and get ready to transform into a high-performing hybrid team. Let the collaboration begin!
