10 Best Video Conference Software Tools for 2023

Staying in touch with employees and clients without having to meet in person, building strong working relationships, and closing deals from the comfort of your home office are just a few advantages that video conferencing can bring to businesses of all sizes.

The question is no longer whether your business should be using video conferencing software but rather which software is best for your needs. To make your decision easier, we’ve compiled a list of video conferencing software for businesses and tips on how to choose the right one for you.

What are the 10 best video conferencing platforms in 2023?

The 10 best video conferencing platforms are

1. Livestorm
2. Microsoft Teams
3. Zoom
4. Webex
5. Google Meet
6. GoToMeeting
7. Zoho Meeting
8. BlueJeans
9. BigMarker
10. Whereby

Here’s a quick comparison table to show you why they’re on our list (you’ll get more detailed reviews below).

Best video conferencing platforms (tried and tested)

Here, you’ll find detailed reviews for the best web meeting software on the market, including Livestorm, Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams—to name a few!

Every business has needs based on factors like company size, industry, and budget. You should take these into account when making your choice.

1. Livestorm — Best for boosting and measuring audience engagement

Livestorm is a video conferencing solution that offers everything businesses need to connect with employees and customers, including a wide range of features specifically designed to boost engagement and interaction between participants.

Features and benefits

• Browser-based platform, so attendees don't need to download the software onto their devices to access events or meetings.
• Automatic recordings make it easy to create on-demand webinars, and share meeting recordings with colleagues who couldn't attend.
• Handouts app allows downloadable PDFs and other resources to be shared live so your attendees don’t miss anything important.
• Clickable CTA (call-to-action) buttons means you can direct viewers to your website or landing pages during the call.
• Engagement features like live polls, chat, and live Q&A sessions keep things interactive and help gauge audience interest in real-time.
• Integrations with tools like Salesforce and Zapier make it easy to use Livestorm as part of your existing workflow.
• Customizable registration pages and emails amplify your branding and improve user experience.
• Analytics dashboards give you useful insights like number of attendees, replay views, number of sessions, average duration, traffic data, technical information like browser, operating system version and any other custom field that you’ve added to the form.
• Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption makes Livestorm secure video conferencing software.

Drawbacks

• The free plan restricts the number of attendees and duration of the virtual event.

Best for

Livestorm is ideal for sales presentations, webinars, live product demos, training sessions, podcast interviews, employee onboarding and any virtual events where audience interaction is key.

Pricing

Livestorm offers a free plan with a limitation of 20 minutes duration per event and 10 registrants per event. You can opt for the Pro, Business or Enterprise plan based on your business needs and budget. Check out our video meeting checklist for more tips.

2. Microsoft Teams — Best for project management and document collaboration

As you might expect, Microsoft Teams integrates well with other Microsoft products like Office 365, SharePoint, and OneDrive, so it’s a good choice for businesses that already use these tools and want to avoid learning new software. However, for someone who has never used Microsoft products before, the learning curve can be steep.

Features and benefits

• Integrates with all Microsoft products for easy collaboration.
• Included in Office 365 Business or Enterprise licenses.
• Screen sharing and interactive features like whiteboard make it easy to collaborate remotely.
• Built-in chat features let you communicate with colleagues in real-time and chats are also available after meetings for easy reference.
• Channel organization for specific projects or teams helps to organize your projects and communicate async.

Drawbacks

• The interface can be confusing to use, especially for those who aren’t familiar with Microsoft products.
• Lots of additional features like channels and group chats might be overkill for teams who just want a web conferencing platform.
• The best in-call features are only available on the paid versions.

Best for

Microsoft Teams is suitable for large teams that are looking for an all-in-one collaboration tool, including live document editing and project management.

Pricing

Pricing is based on the number of users rather than the features you use, making it more affordable for businesses that don’t need all the bells and whistles.

3. Zoom — Best for small businesses with a corporate feel

Zoom is one of the most well-known video conferencing platforms. Features such as screen sharing, video recording, and group chat make it ideal for small businesses that need to stay in touch with employees and customers. That said, it has quite a corporate feel and the brand customisation options are limited.

Features and benefits

• Screen sharing makes it easy to collaborate on projects
• You can record meetings to share with those who couldn’t attend or use as training resources
• Integrates with a wide range of business tools including Slack, Google Calendar, Shopify, Discord, LinkedIn and Salesforce.
• Zoom rooms support large audiences to join a virtual conference or webcast
• The mobile app means you can stay connected even when you're on the go.
• Security features such as encrypted meeting, password protection, screen share accessibility, and waiting rooms help keep your meetings.

Drawbacks

• The free version lacks some engagement and interaction features like live polls, live captions and built-in meeting notes unlike some of the other tools on our list.
• Zoom automatically cuts-off your call after a 40-minute duration on the free plan.
• Limited customization options, so your brand won’t stand out.

Best for

Zoom is suitable for small businesses that need an affordable video conferencing tool with some basic features.

Pricing

The free plan offers all basic features that small businesses need to stay connected. Paid plans are also quite affordable, making Zoom a good choice for businesses on a tight budget.

Here's our complete list of Zoom alternatives.

4. Webex — Best for Cisco hardware compatibility

Webex, a service by Cisco, is a collaborative workspace for enterprises. It offers quite basic solutions when it comes to conferencing, message and document sharing, but does have strong security and user experience (UX) design.

Features and benefits

• Webex offers robust security and encrypts all data no matter which plan you’re on.
• The virtual whiteboard feature is great for brainstorming ideas or working on projects together in real-time.
• The tool integrates with all Cisco hardware and lets you dial into a conference from a Cisco phone.

Drawbacks

• Fewer and more basic features than some of the other options on our list like Livestorm, Zoom and Google Meet.
• Integrations with Google Suite and Microsoft tools like Teams, Sharepoint and Outlook enable easy sync to multiple calendars.
• Limited personalization options like color schemes and layout options.

Best for

Webex has multiple use cases including conferences, live webinars, IT support and presentations, but its engagement features and personalization options are limited. It’s best suited for teams with a need for robust security and already use Cisco hardware or video conferencing cameras.

Pricing

While Webex offers a free plan, it's limited to just one user. Overall, the pricing might seem reasonable for the level of security and features on offer, but it's not the most affordable option on our list.

5. Google Meet — Best for no-frills video conferencing

If your business is already using Google products, then Meet is the logical choice for video conferencing. The tool integrates with Gmail, Calendar, and all other Google apps. But to experience all the features you need a subscription to G Suite.

Features and benefits

• Offers live captioning in over 30 languages that can be extremely useful for international businesses.
• The low light mode ensures better visibility even in dimly lit rooms.
• Video conferencing backgrounds, whiteboards, and annotations help make your meetings more interactive.
• The mobile app offers on-the-go accessibility and lets you join or host a meeting from anywhere.
• It's easy to join a meeting with just a link as no login is required for guests.
• Meet integrates with Google products but also works with Outlook and Apple Calendar.

Drawbacks

• To enjoy all the features, businesses need a G Suite subscription which can be quite expensive.
• It lacks interactive features for engaging participants, like live polls, emoji reactions, and Q&A.

Best for

It has a simple interface, and attendees without an account can still access meetings from their browser, but it won’t give you all the features of a dedicated video engagement platform like Livestorm. This web conferencing software is best suited to businesses with an existing G-Suite subscription.

Pricing

While the monthly pricing may seem high, you also get access to all the products within G-suite.

6. GoToMeeting — Best for large businesses

GoToMeeting focuses on remote collaboration with an intuitive interface and a wide range of features. Users can schedule one-click meetings across any device and even record sessions.

Features and benefits

• Great UX design with an intuitive interface and easy controls.
• The smart assistant tool uses machine learning and detects action items and follow-ups from meeting recordings.
• The reporting feature provides detailed insights into meeting performance and helps businesses optimize their strategies.
• The mobile app is feature-rich and offers on-the-go accessibility.
• Virtual whiteboards, drawing tools, and personal meeting rooms make meetings more engaging.
• Some integrations include Microsoft teams, Calendly, Zoho, Slack, and Salesforce.

Drawbacks

• Participants are required to download and install the software to join meetings.
• The transcripts are available only in English which is not suited for international teams.

Best for

GoToMeeting is suitable for large businesses that are looking for an easy-to-use teleconference solution with great features.

Pricing

GoToMeeting offers a 14-day trial which lets you explore all the features before committing to a plan.

7. Zoho Meeting — Best for sales and marketing teams

Zoho Meeting is a video conferencing solution from the suite of Zoho productivity tools. Since it’s a browser-based tool, it’s easy to set up and use. That said, it lacks some features compared to other video conferencing platforms, including integrations with third-party business apps.

Features and benefits

• You can create instant meetings or schedule them in advance.
• The mobile app enables easy accessibility.
• The user interface is highly intuitive and easy-to-use.
• Zoho doesn't cut-off your call even after you've passed the time limit (on a free plan), unlike Zoom.
• The integration with Zoho tools enables easy client management with Zoho CRM.

Drawbacks

• The video quality is not as good as other tools in this list.
• It lacks in-video features like recording and transcription
• It has no custom branding options
• It lacks integrations with third-party business apps.

Best for

Zoho Meeting is suitable for small businesses that are already using Zoho productivity tools like Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, Zoho Inventory, and Zoho Sites. It’s ideal for sales and marketing professionals who want to prioritize customer relationship management, nurture leads, and close deals.

Pricing

The pricing is quite affordable and flexible with a 14-days free plan that can be canceled anytime if you're not satisfied.

8. BlueJeans — Best for clear audio quality

If you're looking for top-notch audio quality, then BlueJeans is a contender. It lacks some useful features like custom branding and file sharing but it uses Dolby Voice technology to minimize background noise and deliver super clear audio.

Features and benefits

• Meetings are encrypted with AES-256 GCM protection for a secure video conferencing experience.
• Dolby Voice technology offers a great audio experience.
• M-Score Tool provides feedback statistics on every meeting to help businesses improve performance.
• Dedicated mobile app for on-the-go meetings and virtual events.

Drawbacks

• Users have reported latency issues with the platform.
• The user interface when using the breakout sessions is not robust.
• Integrations with third-party apps like Zoho, Gong, Slack and Microsoft Teams are available only on the paid plans.
• While BlueJeans enables screen and video sharing, it doesn't allow users to share files or documents.

Best for

BlueJeans doesn’t offer some of the basic features that Zoom and Google Meet have, and it lacks Livestorm’s more advanced features like clickable CTAs and Handouts.

However, BlueJeans emphasizes audio quality and security, which makes it ideal for businesses that don't require many bells and whistles.

Pricing

The pricing is fair but can quickly become expensive as you add users, integrations, and meeting analytics.

9. BigMarker — Best for large events and lead capture

If you're looking for a video conferencing solution that’s specifically designed for large conferences and webinars, then BigMarker is the right tool for you. The platform offers features such as live streaming, on-demand webinars, and custom branding.

Features and benefits

• The platform is specifically designed for hosting large conferences and webinars.
• The user interface is highly intuitive and easy-to-use.
• Interactive features like polls, quizzes, call-to-action pop ups, and upvoting ensure high engagement levels.
• Whiteboards can be used for collaboration.
• Users can create personalized event pages that align with their brand identity.
• Integrations include popular platforms like MailChimp, Calendly, Google Analytics, Salesforce, Zaiper and Stripe.

Drawbacks

• The tool has limited CRM integrations which may not be suitable for all businesses.
• It has a steep learning curve as it can be time-consuming to identify the features your events need.

Best for

BigMarker offers event options like live webinars, summits and series, on-demand replay, and live streaming. That’s what makes it great for sales and marketing teams looking to host large events.

Pricing

BigMarker's pricing isn’t readily available on the website, but you can customize a package depending on the number of hosts and attendees you need.

10. Whereby — Best for small, collaborative team meetings

Whereby makes it easy to set up virtual meeting rooms that can be accessed from anywhere in the world. It’s a cloud-based solution, so users and participants don't need to download extensions and supporting files to join a meeting.

Features and benefits

• Users can lock their meeting rooms to prevent uninvited guests from joining.
• Embed custom video calls to apps and websites.
• The tool offers personalization features like custom names for meeting rooms, URLs, and branding.
• Miro's Whiteboard integration enables real-time collaboration.
• Integrations with tools like Miro, Google Docs, Trello, YouTube, Outlook, and Slack.
• Breakout rooms make it easy to segment participants into smaller groups and manage them more effectively.

Drawbacks

• The features offered are quite basic compared to other video conferencing tools on the market.
• The recordings are stored as a WEBM file rather than MP4, so users need to convert the recordings into MP4 every time to make it shareable.

Best for

Whereby is designed for team collaboration and is best suited for small businesses that are ready to integrate with their existing tech stack to get more out of their meetings. It's not the best tool for hosting large conferences or webinars.

Pricing

The pricing modules offered are affordable and users only pay for what they use.

How did we choose the best video conference software for 2023?

At Livestorm, we're experts in video conferencing because it's the core of our business. Here are some of the most important considerations that we took into account while creating this list:

1. Video conference security for data protection

The platform you choose should have robust security features in place such as end-to-end encryption, password protection, and the ability to lock meetings.

For example, a platform like Zoom offers end-to-end encryption for all its paid users. But sometimes that's not enough. It's not uncommon for hackers to "Zoom bomb" meetings by crashing them and flooding the chat with offensive content.

To give our users peace of mind, at Livestorm, we implement Transport Layer Security (TLS) protection to encrypt video and audio streams. And since Livestorm is a browser-based video conferencing tool, the WebRTC protocol establishes a secure connection and data exchange within a browser without any downloads.

2. Reliable software for video calls

The best video conference software should be able to handle a large number of participants without any lag or interruptions. You wouldn't want your meeting to be interrupted by technical issues or drop off simply because the duration of the call exceeded the limit.

Video conferencing tools like Google Meet, Zoho Meetings and Microsoft Teams are built for enterprise-level businesses and can accommodate a large audience. However, you would need to buy their subscriptions as a part of the product suite and can have steep learning curves for someone who's never used Zoho or Microsoft Teams.

3. Engagement and interactive features for engaging webinars

The best way to keep attendees interested is by using interactive features that'll make the experience more engaging.

Live polls, surveys, and Q&A features are built into Livestorm’s webinar software to help you get instant feedback from your attendees. You can also use our live chat feature to address any questions or concerns they might have in real-time.

4. Versatility for different types of events

Some businesses might want to use the same software for sales presentations, customer demos, webinars, and training sessions. In that case, it's essential to consider how versatile the tool is. Does it offer features like live streaming, recording, and transcripts that can be used for different types of events?

For example, Livestorm offers a live streaming feature that lets you reach a larger audience. You can also record your events and save them later for on-demand sessions, showcase product demos, host company meetings, group discussions, or presentations.

5. Understand what features match your use case

Do you need a tool that offers screen sharing and live streaming? Or do you simply need something for quick one-on-one calls? Perhaps you're looking for a tool that integrates with the rest of your business software stack.

Whatever your needs, it's important to understand which features are must-haves and which ones you can live without. That way, you can narrow down your options and choose the best video conference software for your business.

Choose the video conferencing solution for your business

Choosing the best video conference software is a matter of knowing your needs and understanding which features are the most important to you. If you're looking for a video conferencing solution with a product suite, then Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, or Zoho Meetings might be a good fit.

But if you're looking for a tool that can do it all without the steep learning curve, Livestorm is the best video conference software. Livestorm is packed with features to facilitate impactful virtual events,engage audiences, and leverage analytics to track your success.

Frequently asked questions about the best video conferencing software

What are the best video conferencing companies?

The best video conferencing companies are:

• Livestorm
• Microsoft Teams
• Google Meet
• Zoho Meetings
• Zoom
• Webex
• GoToMeeting
• BlueJeans
• BigMarker
• Whereby

What are the best video conferencing platforms for large groups?

The best video conferencing platforms for large groups are:

• Livestorm
• Microsoft Teams
• Google Meet
• Zoom
• BlueJeans

What’s the best free video conferencing software?

The best free video conferencing software are:

• Livestorm
• Microsoft Teams
• Zoho Meetings
• Zoom
• Webex
• Whereby

What’s the best video conferencing app?

The best video conferencing apps are:

• Livestorm
• Microsoft Teams
• Google Meet
• Zoho Meetings
• Zoom
• Webex
• GoToMeeting
• BlueJeans
• BigMarker
• Whereby