Want to jump straight to the answer? The best video conferencing services for most people are Nextiva or RingCentral.
Video conferencing software has to work perfectly, or it doesn’t really work at all. If there’s any lag in the video, it’s nearly impossible to have a conversation. If someone doesn’t get the invite, you may have to reschedule.
Below you’ll find my top picks for video conferencing services. These are affordable, reliable, secure options your business can depend on.
The 10 Best Video Conferencing Services
Top Picks: Nextiva, RingCentral, Vonage, Ooma, ClickMeeting, Zoho Meeting, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex, and GoTo Meeting.
All of the video conferencing solutions that I reviewed in this guide are quality options. But these are our four favorites that stand out:
- Nextiva — Best for short video calls with built-in recording
- RingCentral — Best video conferencing service with VoIP business phone plans
- Vonage — Best for healthcare organizations
- Ooma — Best for collaborative video calls
These video conferencing services are not given a numbered rank—they all have pros and cons. Use the in-depth reviews below to compare them and find the one that works best for your needs.
Nextiva – Best for Short Video Calls with Built-In Recording
Nextiva is an all-in-one business communication platform, which is an excellent option if you’re looking to get functional video calling bundled with a VoIP phone system and internal team chat.
The VoIP aspect of this platform comes with unlimited voice calling, toll-free numbers, and unlimited internet faxing.
Nextiva works really well for organizations seeking simplicity. You can schedule and host video meetings and conferences with just a few clicks, and participants can share files and their screens through a secure and encrypted platform. This makes it an excellent choice for teams looking for a private and virtual collaborative workspace.
Nextiva also extends the ability to record video conferences on every plan, whereas other tools on the market often charge an extra fee or force you to upgrade to access this. However, video conferences are limited on most plans, with only the most expensive option allowing for an unlimited number of participants.
Regardless of the plan you choose, it’s worth noting that Nextiva caps its video calls and meetings at 45 minutes. That means this is a great solution for quick huddles between team members, but less so for long brainstorming sessions, strategy meetings, and the like.
Outside of that limitation, Nextiva is a capable solution, flexible enough to work on any device in any work environment. Use its voice and video calling from within your web browser on desktop or mobile, on the Nextiva desktop app, or the mobile app. It’s compatible with iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac devices.
There are three different plans to choose from, with pricing based on your team’s size and the contract length you choose.
Essential
- 1-4 users: $30.95 user per month ($23.95 if paid annually)
- 5-19 users: $29.95 user per month ($21.95 if paid annually)
- 20-99 users: $25.95 user per month ($18.95 if paid annually)
- 100 or more users: $24.95 user per month ($17.95 if paid annually)
Professional
- 1-4 users: $35.95 user per month ($27.95 if paid annually)
- 5-19 users: $33.95 user per month ($25.95 if paid annually)
- 20-99 users: $30.95 user per month ($22.95 if paid annually)
- 100 or more users: $29.95 user per month ($21.95 if paid annually)
Enterprise
- 1-4 users: $45.95 user per month ($37.95 if paid annually)
- 5-19 users: $43.95 user per month ($35.95 if paid annually)
- 20-99 users: $40.95 user per month ($32.95 if paid annually)
- 100 or more users: $39.95 user per month ($31.95 if paid annually)
Nextiva is an affordable option for taking care of your organization’s voice, video, and internal chat communication needs. Get started today by requesting a demo.
RingCentral -Best Video Conferencing Service With VoIP Business Phone Plans
RingCentral is a great choice for video conferencing.
But they go well beyond video conferencing services. They also offer VoIP business phone services.
You can get rid of your traditional phone plan, too. RingCentral provides video conferencing features as an added bonus.
You can always purchase RingCentral Video Pro as a standalone product. Those plans are below:
RingCentral Video Pro — $0 per month
- Up to 100 participants
- Whiteboard, content sharing, annotations
- Collaborative notes
RingCentral Video Pro+ — $0 per month per user
- Up to 200 participants
- Increase cloud storage
- Advanced analytics
- CRM and business app integrations
The free plan is decent if you compare it to others on the list.
RingCentral also has great enterprise solutions. You’ll need to contact their sales team to get a custom quote. But you can save some money by bundling RingCentral Meetings with a VoIP business phone.
Vonage – Best for Healthcare Organizations
Vonage offers a complete unified communications suite to businesses of all shapes and sizes. But one area where it really shines above the crowd is its dedicated healthcare solutions.
With so many healthcare practices offering virtual appointments and consultations, the ability to keep patient data safe is more important than ever before.
Vonage’s video conferencing is HIPAA-compliant and PCI-compliant. The software also has a HITRUST CSF certification, one of the most widely adopted security frameworks for healthcare companies in the US.
In addition to basic video conferencing, Vonage has advanced communication APIs. This lets you fully personalize the patient experience in a way that works best for your practice. So whether you’re running a small therapist’s office, a large hospital, or something in between, Vonage can be customized to fit your needs.
Beyond the ability to meet with patients through a video call, healthcare organizations can use Vonage to collaborate internally as well. So if a primary care physician wants to consult with a surgeon about a patient, they can do so without having to be in the same building.
Basic Vonage plans start at $17.99 per month per line. To access video conferencing, you’ll need a Premium plan, which starts at $27.99 per month per line.
Consult with a Vonage expert if you’re interested in a dedicated healthcare solution and video API. They’ll guide you in the right direction for your unique needs.
Ooma – Best for Collaborative Video Calls
Ooma is a popular phone solution for small businesses. It’s a great way for smaller offices to get all communications needs under one roof—including voice, video, text messaging, virtual fax, and video conferencing.
All Ooma business phone plans come with over 50 standard features.
In terms of video conferencing, Ooma has one of the most unique features on the market. You can simultaneously share screens with another person on a video call.
This feature is something we wish was available on other business phone systems. It’s a great way to compare notes and share information in a more collaborative way than a single screen share. You can also use it for collaborative presentations.
Meeting hosts can mute participants and add password protection to calls. Ooma also supports unlimited meeting recordings and storage for three months.
I also love that Ooma is compatible with traditional office phones in addition to its mobile and desktop app. This is perfect if part of your team works in a traditional office setting.
Here’s a quick overview of Ooma’s plans and pricing:
- Essentials — $19.95 per user per month
- Pro — $24.95 per user per month
- Pro Plus — $29.95 per user per month
Video conferencing is only available on the Pro and Pro Plus plans. It’s well worth the extra $5 per month, as this plan also gives you access to the Ooma desktop app, text messaging, and call recording. All plans come with a free local or toll-free number.
More Great Video Conferencing Software
ClickMeeting – Best Video Conferencing Service For Webinars
ClickMeeting is a bit different compared to some of the other video conferencing services. This platform has a unique feature: webinars.
It’s a great option for anyone who wants to hold large online events, market products with video demonstrations, and host online courses or training sessions with live video.
ClickMeeting also offers traditional video conferencing solutions for team meetings and business collaboration. However, if that’s all you need, I’d look at other options on this list.
Pricing is complicated too. There are two plans, and each offers different levels and costs depending on how many attendees you have.
Here’s an overview of those price points per month for each plan:
Live
- Up to 25 — $30
- Up to 50 — $45
- Up to 100 — $79
- Up to 200 — $149
- Up to 500 — $179
- Up to 1,000 — $309
Automated
- Up to 25 — $45
- Up to 50 — $55
- Up to 100 — $95
- Up to 200 — $179
- Up to 500 — $229
- Up to 1,000 — $359
For video conferences with more than 1,000 attendees, contact the ClickMeeting sales team for a custom enterprise solution.
You can try ClickMeeting free for 30 days and run webinars with up to 25 attendees to try it out. Save up to 20% with annual billing instead of a month-to-month contract.
The Automated plan is your best option for broadcasting professional video webinars. This plan comes with advanced features like auto-streaming to Facebook or YouTube, automated follow-up emails to attendees, Google Analytics integration, and certificates of attendance.
ClickMeeting is definitely pricey compared to the other options on our list, which is why I wouldn’t recommend it for just basic video conferencing use. But the price is worth it if you plan to use the webinar features.
Zoho Meeting – Most Affordable Video Conferencing Service With Basic Features
Zoho Meeting is arguably the most straightforward video conferencing solution on the market today. There aren’t a bunch of bells and whistles.
Some of Zoho’s top features include:
- RSVP scheduling
- Screen sharing
- Moderator controls
- Embed meeting links
- In-session chat
- Lock meetings
You’ll also have the ability to switch a presenter, give someone control, and remove users from a video conference.
As expected, Zoho Meeting integrates seamlessly with Zoho CRM. So if you’re already using a Zoho product, this will be a top option for you to consider.
This isn’t the most feature-rich video conferencing software out there. But it’s a quality solution for small business owners who just need basic features and already utilize Zoho products.
Pricing is tiered based on the number of participants in a meeting and charged per host per month. Here’s a breakdown of what that looks like:
- 10 participants — $3 per host per month
- 25 participants — $6 per host per month
- 50 participants — $9 per host per month
- 100 participants — $12 per host per month
- 150 participants — $14 per host per month
- 200 participants — $16 per host per month
- 250 participants — $18 per host per month
There’s also a free forever plan with limited features that supports 100 meeting participants and 100 webinar attendees.
You can save up to 15% when you sign up for annual billing. Try Zoho Meeting for free with a 14-day trial.
Microsoft Teams – Best Video Conferencing Service For Internal Communication
Microsoft Teams is an instant messaging service with chat, audio, and video capability. The platform is designed specifically for internal comms in the workplace.
With the ability to support group sizes of 10 or 10,000, MS Teams is the ultimate in-house communication solution.
MS Teams shines over competitors like Slack with its superior technology and video conferencing features. But the setup, usage, and onboarding are a bit more complex compared to other options on the market.
MS Teams is best when it’s accessed from a desktop device or web app. Your team can also take advantage of the mobile app version of the software, but it’s not as easy to navigate as the web version.
Let’s take a quick look at the plans and pricing options:
- Microsoft Teams — Free
- Microsoft Teams Essentials — $4 per user per month
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic — $6 per user per month
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard — $12.50 user per month
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium — $22 per user per month
All paid plans are only available with an annual contract.
You’ll still have access to quite a few features with the free version, including video calls. But you’ll need Office 365 Business Premium to get the most out of this software.
Paid plans have 140+ app integrations, 1 TB of storage, scheduled meetings, meeting recordings, and administrative support.
Aside from its complexity, MS Teams does have some limitations. It’s not really a true video conferencing service. Instead, it’s better for one-on-one video meetings or smaller groups.
If you want to host large-scale video conferences and present to clients, you should look elsewhere for a more suitable solution.
Overall, this is a solid option for any business that’s committed to using a Microsoft ecosystem.
Zoom – Best Video Conferencing Service For Scalability
Since launching in 2011, Zoom has quickly become an industry leader in the video conferencing space. The software is trusted by large businesses like Ticketmaster, Uber, Pandora, and GoDaddy, just to name a few.
Zoom shines with its simplicity.
There’s a plan for businesses of any shape and size, including a free-forever option.
Zoom has video conferencing capabilities with up to 1,000 participants and up to 49 videos on the screen simultaneously.
The platform is secure and has role-based user security options, password protection, and waiting rooms. Zoom makes it easy for your team to collaborate with screen sharing, filing sharing, and other interactive features.
Zoom is modern, so naturally, the service can also be accessed from a mobile app. This is perfect for participants who are on the go and unable to reach a computer for a meeting.
Here’s an overview of Zoom’s pricing model:
Basic — Free
- Unlimited one-on-one meetings
- Up to 100 participants
- 40-minute limit on group meetings
- Unlimited number of meetings
Pro — $14.99 per month per host
- All basic features
- 24-hour meeting limit
- User management tools
- Admin feature controls
- Reporting tools
- 1 GB of cloud recording
Business — $19.99 per month per host
- All of the Pro features
- Up to 10 hosts
- Up to 300 participants
- Dedicated phone support
- Company branding
- Cloud recording transcripts
- Admin dashboard
Enterprise — $19.99 per month per host
- All of the Business features
- Up to 50 hosts
- Up to 1,000 participants
- Unlimited cloud storage
- Dedicated customer support manager
- Executive business reviews
- Bundle discounts available for Zoom Rooms and webinars
As you can see, there is a plan for everyone. The free option is an excellent choice for a small team or freelancer who only needs to video chat once in a while for brief meetings.
Beyond personal use, you’ll need to upgrade to the Pro or Business plans to get the most out of Zoom. Fortunately, Zoom makes it easy for you to scale to another plan as your company grows.
Just be aware that your plan will impact the level of customer support you receive. To get premium support, you’ll need to upgrade.
Webex – Best Video Conferencing Service For Cloud Collaboration
Cisco is a brand name that’s synonymous with superior business technology. So it should be no surprise that Cisco Webex ranks so highly on our list for video conferencing software.
With Webex, you can host massive virtual events with up to 100,000 participants and run an interactive webinar for 3,000-person audiences.
Webex is perfect if you need to run on-demand training lessons for large groups as well. This is a great tool for onboarding employees at scale throughout multiple locations.
The Webex mobile app is another standout feature of the platform. Hosting and joining meetings are both simple and accessible from anywhere.
Arguably the best part about this video conferencing software is the cloud collaboration features. It’s easy to share files and screens with other meeting participants to stay organized and make the conference more interactive. That’s what makes them great for teams.
Cisco offers four different plans for you to choose from, including a basic free option.
Free — $0 per month
- Up to 50 participants
- 40-minute limit on meetings
- Unlimited meetings
- 1 GB of cloud storage
Starter — $16.95 per month per host
- Up to 50 participants
- Unlimited meeting duration
- 5 GB of cloud storage
- Recording transcriptions
- User management
- Application and file sharing
Plus — $22.95 per month per host
- Up to 100 participants
- Assign alternate hosts
- Allow others to schedule meetings for the host
- Customizable Webex URL
- Admin portal
- 24/7 customer support
Business — $32.95 per month per host
- Up to 200 participants
- 10 GB of cloud storage
- Branding and custom options
- Single sign-on
- Active Directory sync
- Minimum five licenses per month
At first glance, Webex prices appear to be higher than Zoom. However, you can save 20% per month with an annual contract.
It’s also worth noting that the Webex Plus plan doesn’t have any host minimums, and the business plan has just a five-license minimum. Zoom has a 10- and 50-host minimum for their plans at similar price points.
So Webex will be a better option if you want those business or enterprise-level features for a smaller team.
GoTo Meeting – Best Video Conferencing Service For Small Businesses
GoTo Meeting makes it easy for you to turn any video conference into a highly collaborative workspace.
It’s a fantastic choice for remote workers, from sales managers to business owners to IT teams.
Why? GoTo Meeting easily integrates with the systems your business is currently using.
It also offers an all-in-one hardware and software kit for those of you who want to transform your physical conference room into a digital one. This hardware is more advanced than the built-in cameras, microphones, and speakers on your current devices.
Some other top features and benefits of using GoTo Meeting for video conferencing include:
- Cloud collaboration
- Automatic bandwidth adjustments
- Available on Mac, PC, iOS, and Android
- Single-click start and join sessions
- Multi-channel support
- Integrated scheduling
GoTo Meeting offers three plans to choose from:
- Professional – $12 per organizer per month billed annually
- Business – $16 per organizer per month billed annually
- Enterprise – Contact sales to request a quote
The Professional and Business plans are very similar. You get unlimited meetings and unlimited meeting durations with either plan. You’ll also benefit from Salesforce integration, Slack meeting launcher, and an admin center with both plans.
The significant difference is the Professional plan can host up to 150 participants while the Business plan supports up to 250 participants. In addition, the Business plan also offers extra video meeting features like transcripts, keyboard and mouse sharing, unlimited cloud storage, drawing tools, meeting lock, note taking, and mobile cloud recording.
I think signing up for the Business option instead of Professional is a no-brainer. The added benefits are worth the extra $4 per month.
GoTo Meeting also offers enterprise-grade plans for up to 3,000 participants. But those prices aren’t available online. You’ll need to speak to a sales rep for a custom quote.
Save 16% on your GoTo Meeting plan with an annual contract.
You can try GoTo Meeting for free with up to 250 participants for 14 days.
How to Find the Best Video Conferencing Services
Now that you’ve had a chance to review the top solutions on the market, how can you find the best option for your unique situation? This is the methodology that I used to come up with this guide.
I’ve identified each feature set that matters the most and why you need to take it into consideration when you’re evaluating prospective platforms.
Conference Size
In the world of work-from-home and distributed teams, video conferencing sizes are a very important consideration.
Make sure you choose a service and plan that can accommodate the number of people you need for your video conferences. You don’t want to overpay for a plan that has participant limits that you’ll never reach. But more importantly, you don’t want to be in a situation where your participant list is too large for your platform and plan.
Meeting Length
With the global pandemic putting a ton of people into remote work, businesses and schools need to be able to take as long as they need for certain calls.
That’s why we took a close look at how long each plan allows you to meet when determining this list. Often, they had to be counterbalanced with how many participants are allowed in a plan as well.
After all, a plan that offers unlimited time but with only a dozen participants might not be helpful for larger teams.
Scheduling Options
Good video conferencing tools allow you to schedule easily and across a wide breadth of calendar apps.
When looking at scheduling options, see if they integrate with common planning and calendar services such as Google Calendar, iCal, and Office 365.
Video Streams
You might be able to have a large number of participants in a conference, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that every user will be able to broadcast a video stream.
For example, RingCentral plans have up to 100 participants per meeting but limit you to just ten simultaneous video streams.
So don’t be swayed by the participant limits alone. Always check to see how many users can actually stream a video at the same time.
Collaboration Tools
Collaboration tools are crucial for groups and teams.
Features like screen sharing, built-in chat, file sharing, and cloud collaboration are very useful for presentations and group projects. It’s also helpful when a video conferencing service integrates with existing tools and platforms that you’re already using to run a business. You can look for features like Salesforce integration or Google Analytics integration.
The Top Video Conferencing Services in Summary
Video conferencing software has become the new normal for business use, especially with remote work and dispersed teams trending upward. For daily standups, interviews with prospective hires, and quick calls to prevent long email chains, video conferencing improves efficiency in the workplace.
It’s worth noting that your internet connection will impact the quality of your video conferencing calls. So you should always test your connection or sign up for a free trial to see how the quality holds up.