Videoconferencing Guide

Due to COVID-19, many folks are evaluating or using videoconferencing or video chat. This chart compares several popular systems.

Free Paid 1:1 1:many Participant Limit Time Limit Record Share screen Join as guest Join via phone call Text chat Grid View Open Source End-to-end encryption Join via browser Browser extension Desktop Mobile
8x8
8x8 Free✔︎ Paid — 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit50 Time limitno limit Recordfree Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✔︎ Join via phone call✔︎ Text chat✔︎ Grid view≤ 9 Open source✘ End-to-end encryption 1:1 1:1 Join via browser Safari Firefox Chrome (Safari, Firefox, Chrome) Browser extension
  • Chrome
 Desktop Mobile
AnyMeeting
AnyMeeting Free✔︎ Paid $10-13/month 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit4 free
10-30 paid Time limitno limit Recordfree Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✔︎ Join via phone call✔︎ Text chat✔︎ Grid view✔︎ Open source✘ End-to-end encryption ?? Join via browser Chrome (Chrome) Browser extension
  • Chrome
 Desktop Mobile
BigBlueButton
BigBlueButton Free✔︎ Paid — 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit150 Time limitno limit Recordfree Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✔︎ Join via phone call✘ Text chat✔︎ Grid view✔︎ Open source✔︎ End-to-end encryption ✘ Join via browser Safari Firefox Chrome (Safari, Firefox, Chrome) Browser extension
Desktop
Mobile
BlueJeans
BlueJeans Free✘ Paid $10-14/month 1:1paid 1:manypaid Participant limit50-150 paid Time limitno limit Recordfree Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✔︎ Join via phone call✔︎ Text chat✔︎ Grid view≤ 12 Open source✘ End-to-end encryption ✘ Join via browser Safari Firefox Chrome (Safari, Firefox, Chrome) Browser extension
  • Chrome
 Desktop Mobile
Chime
Chime Free✔︎ Paid it's complicated 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit16 desktop
8 mobile
250 (meeting) Time limitno limit Recordpaid Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✔︎ Join via phone call✔︎ Text chat✔︎ Grid view✔︎ Open source✘ End-to-end encryption ✘ Join via browser Firefox Chrome (Firefox, Chrome) Browser extension
  • Chrome
 Desktop Mobile
Discord
Discord Free✔︎ Paid $5-10/mo
$50-100/yr 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit8 Time limitno limit Recordfree Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✘ Join via phone call✘ Text chat✔︎ Grid view✔︎ Open source✘ End-to-end encryption ✘ Join via browser Firefox Chrome (Firefox, Chrome) Browser extension
Desktop Mobile
Duo
Duo Free✔︎ Paid — 1:1free 1:manyfree mobile only Participant limit12 Time limitno limit Recordno Share screen✘ Join as guest✘ Join via phone call✔︎ Text chat✘ Grid view✔︎ Open source✘ End-to-end encryption Multiparty Multiparty Multiparty Join via browser Safari Firefox Chrome (Safari, Firefox, Chrome) Browser extension
Desktop
Mobile
Etherpad
Etherpad Free✔︎ Paid — 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit?? Time limitno limit Recordno Share screen✘ Join as guest✔︎ Join via phone call✘ Text chat✘ Grid view✘ Open source✔︎ End-to-end encryption ✘ Join via browser Safari Firefox Chrome (Safari, Firefox, Chrome) Browser extension
Desktop
Mobile
FaceTime
FaceTime Free✔︎ Paid — 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit32 Time limitno limit Recordno Share screen✘ Join as guest✘ Join via phone call✘ Text chat✘ Grid view✔︎ Open source✘ End-to-end encryption Multiparty Multiparty Multiparty Join via browser — Browser extension
Desktop Mobile
GoToMeeting
GoToMeeting Free✔︎ Paid $12-16/month + enterprise pricing 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit4 free
150-250 paid Time limit40 minutes free
no limit paid Recordpaid Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✔︎ Join via phone call✔︎ Text chat✔︎ Grid view✔︎ Open source✘ End-to-end encryption ✘ Join via browser Chrome (Chrome) Browser extension
  • Chrome
 Desktop Mobile
Hangouts
Hangouts Free✔︎ Paid — 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit10 free
25 paid Time limitno limit Recordno Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✘ Join via phone call✘ Text chat✔︎ Grid view≤ 4 Open source✘ End-to-end encryption ✘ Join via browser Safari Firefox Chrome (Safari, Firefox, Chrome) Browser extension
  • Chrome
 Desktop
Mobile
Hangouts Meet
Hangouts Meet Free✘ Paid $6/12/25/month 1:1paid 1:manypaid Participant limit100-250 paid Time limitno limit Recordfree Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✔︎ Join via phone call✔︎ Text chat✔︎ Grid view≤ 16 Open source✘ End-to-end encryption ✘ Join via browser Safari Firefox Chrome (Safari, Firefox, Chrome) Browser extension
Desktop
Mobile
Houseparty
Houseparty Free✔︎ Paid — 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit8 Time limitno limit Recordfree Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✘ Join via phone call✘ Text chat✔︎ Grid view✔︎ Open source✘ End-to-end encryption ✘ Join via browser Chrome (Chrome) Browser extension
  • Chrome
 Desktop Mobile
Jami
Jami Free✔︎ Paid — 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limitno limit Time limitno limit Recordfree Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✘ Join via phone call✘ Text chat✔︎ Grid view✔︎ Open source✔︎ End-to-end encryption Multiparty Multiparty Multiparty Join via browser — Browser extension
Desktop Mobile
Jitsi
Jitsi Free✔︎ Paid — 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit75 participants Time limitno limit Recordfree Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✔︎ Join via phone call✔︎ Text chat✔︎ Grid view✔︎ Open source✔︎ End-to-end encryption 1:1 1:1 Join via browser Safari Firefox Chrome (Safari, Firefox, Chrome) Browser extension
  • Chrome
 Desktop Mobile
Lifesize
Lifesize Free✔︎ Paid $13-17/month 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit25 free
300 paid Time limit90 minutes free
24 hours paid Recordpaid Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✔︎ Join via phone call✔︎ Text chat✘ Grid view≤ 13 Open source✘ End-to-end encryption 1:1 1:1 Join via browser Chrome (Chrome) Browser extension
  • Chrome
 Desktop Mobile
Messenger
Messenger Free✔︎ Paid — 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit50 Time limitno limit Recordno Share screen✘ Join as guest✔︎ Join via phone call✘ Text chat✔︎ Grid view✔︎ Open source✘ End-to-end encryption ✘ Join via browser Firefox Chrome (Firefox, Chrome) Browser extension
Desktop
Mobile
Signal
Signal Free✔︎ Paid — 1:1free 1:many✘ Participant limit1 Time limitno limit Recordno Share screen✘ Join as guest✘ Join via phone call✘ Text chat✔︎ Grid view✘ Open source✔︎ End-to-end encryption Multiparty Multiparty Multiparty Join via browser — Browser extension
Desktop Mobile
Spike
Spike Free✔︎ Paid $6/month 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit500 Time limitno limit Recordno Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✔︎ Join via phone call✘ Text chat✘ Grid view✔︎ Open source✘ End-to-end encryption 1:1 1:1 Join via browser Firefox Chrome (Firefox, Chrome) Browser extension
Desktop Mobile
Skype
Skype Free✔︎ Paid — 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit50 Time limit10 hours per day, 4 hours per call Recordfree Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✔︎ Join via phone call✘ Text chat✔︎ Grid view✔︎ Open source✘ End-to-end encryption 1:1 1:1 Join via browser Chrome (Chrome) Browser extension
  • Chrome
 Desktop Mobile
Slack
Slack Free✔︎ Paid $6.67-12.50/mo + enterprise pricing 1:1yes 1:manypaid Participant limit15 Time limitno limit Recordno Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✘ Join via phone call✘ Text chat✔︎ Grid view✘ Open source✘ End-to-end encryption ✘ Join via browser Chrome (Chrome) Browser extension
Desktop Mobile
Teams
Teams Free✔︎ Paid $5-12.50/user/month 1:1free 1:manypaid Participant limit250 paid Time limit8 hours / 60 days Recordfree Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✘ Join via phone call✔︎ Text chat✔︎ Grid view≤ 4 Open source✘ End-to-end encryption ✘ Join via browser Chrome (Chrome) Browser extension
  • Chrome
 Desktop Mobile
UberConference
UberConference Free✔︎ Paid $15/month 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit50 free
100 paid Time limit45 mins (free)
5 hours (paid) Recordfree Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✔︎ Join via phone call✔︎ Text chat✔︎ Grid view✔︎ Open source✘ End-to-end encryption ✘ Join via browser Safari Firefox Chrome (Safari and Firefox audio only) (Safari (audio only), Firefox (audio only), Chrome) Browser extension
  • Chrome
 Desktop
Mobile
Webex Meetings
Webex Meetings Free✔︎ Paid $13.50-27/month 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit100 free
200 paid Time limit50 mins (free)
24 hours (paid) Recordpaid Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✔︎ Join via phone call✔︎ Text chat✔︎ Grid view✔︎ Open source✘ End-to-end encryption Multiparty Multiparty Multiparty Join via browser Safari Firefox Chrome (Safari audio only) (Safari (audio only), Firefox, Chrome) Browser extension
  • Chrome
  • Firefox
 Desktop Mobile
Wire
Wire Free✘ Paid €4-8/month 1:1paid 1:manypaid Participant limit4 Time limitno limit Recordno Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✔︎ Join via phone call✘ Text chat✔︎ Grid view✔︎ Open source✔︎ End-to-end encryption Multiparty Multiparty Multiparty Join via browser Firefox Chrome (Firefox, Chrome) Browser extension
  • Chrome
 Desktop Mobile
WhatsApp
WhatsApp Free✔︎ Paid — 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit8 Time limitno limit Recordno Share screen✘ Join as guest✘ Join via phone call✘ Text chat✔︎ Grid view✔︎ Open source✘ End-to-end encryption Multiparty Multiparty Multiparty Join via browser — Browser extension
Desktop Mobile
Whereby
Whereby Free✔︎ Paid $10-60/month 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit4 free
12-50 paid Time limitno limit Recordyes Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✔︎ Join via phone call✘ Text chat✔︎ Grid view✔︎ Open source✘ End-to-end encryption Multiparty ≤ 4 Join via browser Safari Firefox Chrome (Safari, Firefox, Chrome) Browser extension
  • Chrome
 Desktop
Mobile
Zoom
Zoom Free✔︎ Paid $15-20/month 1:1free 1:manyfree Participant limit100 free
300-500 paid Time limit40 mins (free)
24 hours (paid) Recordpaid Share screen✔︎ Join as guest✔︎ Join via phone call✔︎ Text chat✔︎ Grid view≤ 49 desktop ≤ 9 tablet Open source✘ End-to-end encryption ✘ Join via browser Chrome (Chrome) Browser extension
  • Chrome
  • Firefox
 Desktop Mobile

Notes

  1. Lifesize has a text chat in the app, but no per-meeting text chat.
  2. With Skype, you can call phones, but you cannot call in to Skype meetings from a phone.

About

No affiliate links or compensation of any kind was involved in the preparation of the guide. Last updated 2020-07-15. Revision 0.9.7. By Paul Schreiber. Research assistance from Jacob Hoffman-Andrews and Yael Grauer. Send suggestions, corrections, to [email protected]. Video Chat by Gregor Cresnar and People by Alice Design from the Noun Project.