Running an online business? Then you know how powerful video calling is for communicating with team members. The main problem is, however, these apps fail to provide a quality service, given the poor Internet connections and challenges that come with hosting webinars and conferences. But we are here to help you out. We’ve handpicked some of the best apps for group video calls to make your life easier.
Table of Contents
Best Apps For Group Video Calls
- Zoom Meeting
Best all-around video chat and conferencing app
SPECIFICATIONS
Works with: iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, WebMaximum free users: Time limit for 3 or more
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
GET ZOOM
REASONS TO BUY
+Good for friends and colleagues alike
+Comprehensive feature set
+Works on all platforms
REASONS TO AVOID
-Free tier imposes time limits for 3 or more people
The pandemic proved to be a big deal for Zoom, since it became the de facto video chat app for a lot of people and businesses — and with good reason. Zoom’s extensive feature set and extensive platform support has made it a popular choice across the world. Whether you’re on desktop, mobile, or prefer a web client, Zoom offers something for you.
Screen sharing, encryption, and live annotations all come a standard with Zoom, regardless of whether you pay or not. But while a simple one-on-one chat doesn’t have any restrictions, having more than three people in a meeting restricts free users to a 40-minute time limit. If you want un restricted access for up to 100 people, you’ll need to pay $15 a month for the Pro tier, while the pricier Business tier raises that cap even higher.
Zoom suffered from a number of high-profile security issues in the early days of the pandemic, but things have since changed for the better. Calls are protected by end-to-end encryption, there are new privacy-focussed notifications, and an updated privacy policy makes it clear who can save and share meetings recordings. You can read more about the app’s ongoing issues, and measures that have been taken to rectify them, on our Zoom security issues page
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Skype video call on laptop
(Image credit: Skype)
- Skype
Best easy-to-use multiplatform video chat
SPECIFICATIONS
Works with: iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Web, XboxMaximum free users: 50
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
GET SKYPE
REASONS TO BUY
+Max 50 people allowed on video call
+Supports international call and text
+Available on all platforms
REASONS TO AVOID
-Business tier costs money
Skype has been in the video chat business for a very long time, and still offers a robust set of features for up to 50 people at a time. It also costs absolutely nothing to use, and is available on just about every device you might need to use.
What’s more Skype is well known for being able to connect to landlines and basic cell phones, and supports both international calling and texting. You do have to pay for this, but it’s especially useful for keeping in touch with friends and family several countries away.
Skype offers a lot of common features too, including screen sharing, live transcription, and in some cases real-time translation of in-chat audio.
google duo call on tablet
(Image credit: Google)
- Google Duo
Best video chat for Android users
SPECIFICATIONS
Works with: iOS, Android, Windows and Mac via webMaximum free users: 32
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
GET GOOGLE DUO
REASONS TO BUY
+Preinstalled on most new Android phones
+Easy and fun to use
+Completely free
REASONS TO AVOID
-32 person limit is smaller than most
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While Apple has had Facetime for years, Google’s Android operating system lacked its own native equivalent. Instead people had to rely on third party apps that were downloaded from the Play Store, and hope their friends were willing to sign up as well.
Thankfully Duo came along to address that problem, with a video chat app that is remarkably easy to use and accessible within Android’s native phone app. What’s more, Duo supports a lot of fun features, including the ability to record and send video messages that let you connect with friends and family — even if they’re not available at that exact moment.
Duo is even available on iOS, so you can keep in touch with your iPhone-toting friends without having to buy an Apple device for Facetime access. And it even has the same 32 person limit as Facetime, so they don’t have much of an excuse to stay away.
Discord video chatting
(Image credit: Discord)
- Discord
Best video chat for gamers
SPECIFICATIONS
Works with: iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, WebMaximum free users: 25 on video call; 50 while streaming
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
GET DISCORD
REASONS TO BUY
+Great for gaming
+Robust PC and mobile apps
REASONS TO AVOID
-Lacks more work-friendly features
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Gamers already know Discord as a great resource for connecting with their friends over text, but did you know Discord supports video chat, too? Additionally, because it allows for streaming in the app itself, it’s a great way to play some games with friends, by streaming one user’s screen content to the rest of the group.
In fact, the Tom’s Guide staff did exactly that multiple times during the COVID lockdowns, with one user sharing Quiplash from their PC’s display to the rest of us playing along by phone. Thankfully, Discord has even gone so far as to raise its Go Live built-in streaming service from a maximum of 10 people to 50 people temporarily.
If you upgrade to Nitro, which costs $10 per month, you can raise the streaming quality to 1080p/60 fps, up from a max of 720p/30 fps for the free tier.
facetime calls on videos
(Image credit: Vincenzo Pinto/Getty Images)
- FaceTime
Best video chat app for iPhone users
SPECIFICATIONS
Works with: iOS, MacMaxmium free users: 32
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
GET FACETIME
REASONS TO BUY
+Supports up to 32 people on a video call
+Built into every iPhone, iPad and Mac
+FaceTime Audio makes voice calls easy, too
+SharePlay lets you watch or listen to streamed content with other callers
REASONS TO AVOID
-Android and Windows will only get limited access va a web browser
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It’s no surprise that FaceTime should appear on this list of the best video chat apps. Apple’s software wasn’t the first in video chatting, but it was the one that started it all for mobile users, and led the industry toward making video chat easier and more accessible.
Today, FaceTime is preinstalled on all Apple hardware and supports a number of really fun and useful features, from cute Animojis, Memojis and stickers to allowing up to 32 people on a single call. And because FaceTime also has a voice call component — FaceTime Audio — you can easily route calls over data or Wi-Fi whenever you like, where your conversations will sound infinitely better than they do over your cellular provider’s voice network.
The only downside to FaceTime is of course that you’ll only get the full experience on Apple hardware, including iPhones and Macs. Android and Windows users can join in calls from a web browser, but they can’t actually host them. Still it’s better than being completely locked out, as was the case before.
Best video calling app for android
Best Video Call Apps for Android
Video call apps have really transformed the way people from all over the world communicate and interact. Gone are the days when one had to sit in front of a PC with a huge webcam in order to make a video call. Nowadays,people can conveniently interact with family and friends via live video streaming from their mobile devices. Whether one is using Android,Windows or iOS,access to video call apps and services is now way easier.
Businesses have even taken advantage of this valuable technology to connect employees working in different locations. Through android video call apps,employees can actually communicate and collaborate effectively when discussing an important business project. Video calling is simply bringing the world closer as people can enjoy on-screen face-to-face communication from anywhere in the world.
The following are top 5 best video call apps for android available in the market today:
- Google Hangouts
Google Hangouts is among the top video call apps for android celebrated by users today. With this app,a user can enjoy voice or video calls together with text chats from anywhere and at any time. Google Hangouts can allow up to 10 participants to join in a video call simultaneously. It also works cross-platform,which means,a person can make video call on Android and the recipient can answer it from their computer. The app is usually pre-installed on most android devices and it’s totally free. All a user needs is a Wi-Fi or mobile network connection to be able to communicate with others. - Skype
Skype is undoubtedly one of the most popular video call apps android in the market. With a user base of more than 250 million people,the app has managed to stand its ground for a while. Its design may not be that perfect but it comes with a number of features that might interest any user. With Skype people can enjoy unlimited free one-on-one and/or group video calls from any location in the world. The app also allows for free instant messaging and sharing of photos,emotions and emojis.
Skype can also allow up to 25 people to participate in a group video call. That makes it more superior in terms of meeting capacity compared to Google hangouts. Skype to Skype call service is always free but calling mobile and landlines can also be done at very low rates. The latest versions of Skype are designed to offer impressive video quality and greater stability. That ensures the VoIP; video and messaging needs of the users are well met.
- ezTalks Cloud Meeting
While most of the apps discussed above are mainly designed for casual use,ezTalks Cloud Meeting offers a more professional approach to video calling. Using this app,employees can interact with one another on a live video from their android-based phones or tablets. With ezTalks Cloud Meeting,a business can host up to 100 participants in a meeting for free. Those opting for paid plan can enjoy a meeting capacity of up to 500 participants at once. The software also comes with powerful collaborative features like screen sharing,file & application sharing and interactive whiteboards. Users can also enjoy recording and playback abilities,meeting arrangement & scheduling and cross-platform chats. Subscription to the paid offers more advanced features like user management,reporting,unlimited meeting duration and more.
- Viber
Viber was initially designed to be a messaging app but later video calling features were added onto the platform. The 2014 Viber update particularly set the stage for users to make free international video calls. With the app,users can enjoy communicating through voice calls,video calls and instant messaging. Viber,who is Skype’s main competitor,has really put some effort into making its app more superior. Both Android and iOS software users can use the app to communicate effectively. It also offers unique stocker sets,emoticons and location-sharing features. Viber can support up to 40 people in a video call at a time,making it an ideal choice for those who need more meeting capacity.
- ooVoo
ooVoo is among apps that offer the best quality of video and audio calls. Just like the other apps discussed above,ooVoo facilitates video communication through the use of Wi-Fi,4G or 3G connections. The app also allows users to integrate their Facebook and Twitter accounts for an even more interactive chatting experience. With OoVoo,up to 12 people can simultaneously join a video call. That makes it one of the best apps to install on an android phone.
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