For years now smartphones have been freeing us from the constraints of face-to-face communication. But now it seems that video chat is trying to do the reverse — put us back on a couch or in a boardroom. There are plenty of things to love about the technology, particularly when it comes to dynamically popping between multiple parties in a conversation.
Table of Contents
Best Apps For Group Video Chat
The best video chat apps you can download today
Zoom video call
(Image credit: Zoom)
- 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.
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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
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
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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
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.
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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
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.
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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
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.
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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.
Group video call app
- Whereby
Whereby (formerly Appear.in) offers simple video conferencing for small meetups. While it’s not quite as easy as it once was, it’s still a quick tool for ad-hoc meetings.
First, you’ll need to visit the site and sign up for an account. Once that’s done, you can create a chatroom with the URL of your choice. Simply send that link to your friends through text, email, or any other means and they can instantly join you (without signing up on their own). There’s no software to download and any modern browser will work fine, making this a no-registration video call for the participants.
The free service allows up to four people in one room. You can “lock” a room if you’re the owner, which requires guests to “knock” when they visit the link. This lets you see who’s trying to join and deny them if you see fit. Whereby also includes screen sharing and text chat features.
While other tools offer more functionality, Whereby is a solid choice for quick, simple meetings with no setup. It’s perfect for chatting with folks who aren’t tech-savvy. You can subscribe to upgrade to the Pro plan, but that’s not necessary for most people.
Download: Whereby for Android | iOS (Free)
- Google Duo
While Google’s Hangouts is a fine conference video call app, we’ve chosen to highlight Duo here because it’s newer, sleeker, and a bit easier to use. You only need to provide your phone number to start using it, instead of signing up for a whole Google account.
Google Duo is a dead-simple group call app for chatting with up to eight people. It works via apps for Android or iOS, as well as the Duo Web interface. This makes it a good fit if you want to start a group call of people on different platforms.
If you need power meeting features, it’s best to look elsewhere. But Duo makes video calls simple, which means it’s worth keeping around.
Download: Google Duo for Android | iOS (Free)
- FreeConference
Looking for sites like Gruveo that offer more features? True to its name, FreeConference offers powerful video conference calls at no cost. You’ll find more business-oriented features on this service than the others, such as dial-in numbers for audio participants.
FreeConference lets you schedule meetings and send out reminders automatically, but you can also start meetings instantly if you don’t need advance notice. Calls feature screen sharing as well as moderator controls to easily mute noisy callers. You can keep track of your meetings with the mobile calling apps.
The free plan is limited to 1,000 audio callers (with free international dial-in) and five users in the online meeting. You’ll have to upgrade to a paid plan to raise those numbers and add features like call recording, but you shouldn’t need them for personal use.
Download: FreeConference.com for Android | iOS (Free)
One of the world’s most popular messengers also doubles as a free group video conferencing app. While its video calls only support four participants, the ubiquity of WhatsApp means you probably know plenty of people who use it. There’s value in being able to make a call without having to install a new app or sign up for anything.
Simply start a video call with one contact, then you can bring additional people into the call. This feature only works on the mobile apps, since WhatsApp Web doesn’t support calls. See our guide to WhatsApp video calling for more information.
Download: WhatsApp for Android | iOS (Free)
- Skype / Skype for Business Basic
No list of free conference call apps could be complete without Skype, if for no other reason than many people you know likely already use it. Using mobile apps for Android or iOS, desktop apps on Windows or Mac, or via Skype’s web app, the service lets you connect with your friends for easy video calls. Screen sharing is supported as well.
A maximum of 50 people can join a group chat. Note that Skype’s fair usage policy holds that a group video call can only last for four hours. You shouldn’t have any problem calling a handful of friends, as long as each has a strong internet connection.
If you need a more business-focused solution, Skype for Business Basic offers more. It includes the fundamentals of the Skype for Business platform, such as Free/Busy statuses and meeting support. For most people, though, regular Skype should be sufficient.
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