Apps that are strong alternatives to Zoom App

Zoom has gained a lot of popularity in a short time. The reason behind this is that a very large number of people work from home and the Zoom app helps dozens of people to make group video calls simultaneously. You all are aware of the fact that for some time now, many countries including India are facing lockdown-like situations and are working from their homes due to social distancing. Due to this, the Zoom video conference app received more than 200 million daily active users last month. Earlier this figure used to be a maximum of 10 million. However, despite its skyrocketing growth, the app has come under question regarding security. From schools and authorities to many different governments, people have been asked to refrain from using the app. The Indian government also recently warned its officials about Zoom. Also, some of its users have alleged that the app sends data to some third parties based in China.

Some of the key features of this app such as allowing more than 100 people to video-conference simultaneously (up to 500 users in premium subscription) and recording support make it an excellent tool for virtual office meetings. The app is available on all platforms and also supports video calling through mobile devices. But if you don’t trust Zoom and are looking for other alternatives with similar features, then you are in the right place.

Here we have come up with a list of five free video conferencing apps like Zoom app to help you with your video calling needs.

Cisco Webex Meetings

Cisco is offering free access to its Webex Meetings across all countries. The decision to offer free access was taken recently by the company, the reason behind which was to encourage people to work from home during the coronavirus outbreak. Despite being available for free, you will get all the premium features, including unlimited usage with no time restrictions, support for group calls of up to 100 users simultaneously, and a toll dial-in feature in addition to Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) capabilities. All you have to do is sign up on the Cisco Webex Meetings portal and you can start a meeting for free.

Skype Meet Now

Skype is a popular name in almost all countries. It is for those users who want an easy and simple app instead of a business-focused service like Cisco Webex. Microsoft recently introduced Skype Meet Now, which acts as an alternative to Zoom. It can work without the need for an account and can make video calls with up to 50 users simultaneously, that too absolutely free. It also gives you features like the ability to record calls, the option to blur the background before making a call, and screen sharing. For this, you just have to visit the dedicated webpage to get started with Skype Meet Now.

Microsoft Teams

If you don’t want to be limited to just video calls, you can try Microsoft Teams. It’s available for free during the pandemic. The free version offers unlimited chat and search, group and individual audio and video calling, and 10GB of team file storage with 2GB of personal file storage per person. If you already have an Office 365 account, you’ll also get real-time support with Office apps for the web, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.

Discord

The Discord service has emerged as a strong alternative to Zoom. Its video conferencing capabilities allow you to connect with up to 50 users simultaneously. The platform is quite popular among gamers. However, you can also use it to chat with your office team or a few friends. You can also download its mobile app to connect with your contacts via your smartphone. It also has features for screen sharing or making voice calls. Like other free alternatives to Zoom, Discord offers the benefit of video conferencing without any cost.

Google Hangouts

If you don’t want to use Discord for any reason, you can opt for Google Hangouts, which is a good free alternative to Zoom. In this, you can add up to 10 users to a video call or chat with up to 150 users simultaneously. Google also gives you the option of a mobile app to use it on mobile devices. Also, being a Google product, you only need your Gmail account to get started with Hangouts. If you are willing to pay, you can also take its premium subscription, in which you can add up to 25 users simultaneously in a video call.