If you are in a group of more than one person, then this article is for you.
There are plenty of apps out there that can help you collaborate with your team and keep everyone on the same page. In this article, we will be focusing on group meeting apps.
Group meeting apps can be used for any type of group: work, study or personal. They allow people who are not in the same location to communicate effectively and efficiently.
They offer features such as: video calls, live streaming and messaging between members. These features make it easy to communicate with others while still allowing each person to do their own thing at home or at work. They also offer other useful features such as scheduling meetings, sharing files and documents and even setting reminders.
Free Group Meeting Apps
You probably know that there’s no shortage of apps to make one-on-one video calls. But those looking for a conference call app for video chats between multiple people have plenty of choices too.
Nobody wants to worry about a complicated service or pay money to join a group call. So next time you need to video chat with several people, take a look at these conference call apps.
- 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.
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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)
- WhatsApp
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.
Download: Skype for Android | iOS (Free)
Download: Skype for Business for Android | iOS (Free)
- FaceTime
FaceTime was a one-on-one calling app until the release of iOS 12. Now you can use it to make group video calls with up to 32 people. Combined with the fact that FaceTime is preinstalled on all Apple devices, this makes it the best conference call app for Apple users.
Of course, this is only a good choice if you’re looking to call a group of Apple fans. FaceTime is not available for Android or Windows, so anyone without an Apple device will be out of luck.
Download: FaceTime for iOS (Free)
- FreeConferenceCall
Though close in name, this tool is different from FreeConference (mentioned earlier). FreeConferenceCall boasts the largest number of participants by far, with support for a staggering 1,000 people. Screen sharing comes standard, and the service offers several integrations and extra features to expand your experience as well.
FreeConferenceCall is one of the most professional video calling tools you’ll find for free. Features often reserved for paid users, like annotation, switching the presenter mid-call, screen recording, and even radio streaming, all come at no charge.
You’ll probably never have 1,000 people in a call, but this tool is absolutely worth a try if you’re serious about your meetings.
Download: Free Conference Call for Android | iOS (Free)
- GoToMeeting Free
Did you know that popular conference call app GoToMeeting offers a free plan? It’s not as powerful as the paid offerings, but it’s decent if you’re familiar with that service.
The free plan for GoToMeeting allows you to hold 40-minute meetings with up to three participants (not including you). It includes features you’d expect, such as chat, screen sharing, and mobile support.
Its limitations might make it unusable for you, but it’s worth a try if you’re meeting with people who expect a well-known group call platform.
Download: GoToMeeting for Android | iOS (Free)
- Talky
Talky Video Chat
While Whereby has added some extra steps and limitations since its inception, Talky still delivers on the promise of free video conferencing with no sign-up. Simply enter a room name on the homepage, review your audio/video settings, and you’re all set to jump in.
Once in a room, you can change your name, share your screen, use text chat, and invite people with a link. You can also lock your room with a password to keep unwanted guests out. And as a little bonus, while you wait for people to arrive, you can play a basic version of the classic Lunar Lander game.
Give Talky a try when you need to video conference without anyone logging in. The app recommends a maximum of six people for best performance.
- Jitsi Meet
Jitsi Meet Video Tool
While it might not reach the levels of a Gruveo alternative, Jitsi Meet offers a lot of value for a free video calling app. Like Talky, you simply need to enter a chatroom name and allow it to use your webcam and microphone. It doesn’t require an account or any detailed setup.
Once inside, you have access to handy features like raising your hand, live streaming, and recording. You can also take advantage of keyboard shortcuts and even integrations with Slack and Google Calendar. The service has no stated user limit, making it a good fit for semi-professional video meetings.
Download: Jitsi Meet for Android | iOS (Free)
The Best Group Video Call Apps: No Need to Pay!
These tools offer different feature sets for varying user needs. If you just want to hold a quick family call, it doesn’t get much easier than Talky. Skype is great because almost everyone uses it, while FreeConferenceCall and FreeConference bring business-level features to personal calls for free.
free group video calls
When you can’t get together in person, there are countless messaging apps designed to keep us all connected. Group video apps can do that the best, letting us both see and hear a slew of friends, family, or co-workers at once. There are group video apps designed for business, casual, gaming, and collaboration. Here’s a guide to the best group video calling apps.
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FaceTime
The views of FaceTime
What We Like
Easy to use.
Up to 32 participants.
Every iPhone and iPad user already has it.
What We Don’t Like
iOS only for downloads (Android users can join calls in progress).
Limited sharing and collaboration.
For many people, FaceTime kickstarted the age of modern video chat. Most folks had little or no experience with video chat until Apple added FaceTime to iOS in 2010, and it quickly became a popular alternative to ordinary audio calls. FaceTime makes it easy to set up group calls with up to 32 people, and you can add people to a call that’s already in progress.
As popular as it is, FaceTime is surprisingly limited. It has few sharing and collaboration tools, which include screen sharing, watching movies, and listening to music together using SharePlay, but won’t let you work together on a document or presentation. You also can’t record the call (though to be fair, many video chat apps don’t allow recording). Finally, FaceTime is Apple device-only, so while those running iOS 15 or later can invite Android-using friends to calls in progress, Windows users can’t get in on these conversations at all.
Download for iOS
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Google Duo
Three views of Google Duo
What We Like
Available for both iOS and Android.
Can connect up to 32 people.
Knock Knock lets you see video of the caller before you answer.
What We Don’t Like
No sharing or collaboration tools.
Google’s answer to FaceTime, Duo also started as a one-to-one video chat app, which has expanded into a group chat service. Google Duo lets you create groups of up to 12 people and conduct video chats (or voice chats, of course). But unlike FaceTime, Google Duo runs on both iOS and Google devices, so it’s a convenient app for having conversations with people regardless of which kind of phone they own.
Your identity on Duo is your phone number, so there’s no need to create an account or even use your Google account, which is what one would expect since this is a Google service. It has the advantage of coming preinstalled on many Android phones, and the app’s Knock Knock feature is popular; it lets you preview video of the person calling you before you answer, without showing yourself. It’s like looking through a digital peephole.
Use Google Duo on the web
Download for iOS
Download for Android
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Facebook Messenger
Three views of Facebook Messenger
What We Like
Virtually everyone you know already has it.
Supports 50 users.
Instant and scheduled meetings.
What We Don’t Like
No business-friendly sharing features.
Odds are you have Facebook, so Facebook Messenger is a natural way to chat with fellow users. Not only does it allow one-on-one chats, but you can create a Room for chats as large as 50 participants at once. You can create an ad-hoc room at any time or schedule it for later, and you can invite specific people or let anyone with a link join in.
Messenger is cross-platform with apps for Android and iOS, as well as Windows and Macs. There’s even a standalone video call device called Facebook Portal.
Use Facebook Messenger on the web
Download for iOS
Download for Android
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Zoom
Three views of Zoom
What We Like
Up to 100 attendees.
Great team collaboration tools.
Meetings can be recorded.
What We Don’t Like
Meetings are limited to 40 minutes.
In 2020, Zoom’s popularity exploded, in large part because of COVID-19 pandemic and because it’s a free way to have high-quality video chats with up to 100 people at once. The service is cross-platform, working on the PC and Mac, web browsers, iPhone and Android. The only significant downside is that video calls are limited to 40 minutes, which might not be long enough for business meetings, and needing to reconnect to a new session can be awkward. Of course, there are paid tiers for users who need unlimited calling.
Zoom includes great sharing and collaboration tools, and you can even record meetings and share them with others. And meetings can be started ad-hoc or scheduled in advance.
Use Zoom on the web
Download for iOS
Download for Android
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WhatsApp
Three views of WhatsApp
What We Like
Everyone you know probably already uses the app.
Supports video chats with up to 50 people.
Easy to find people by their phone number.
What We Don’t Like
You can only video chat on the mobile app.
A surprising fact: WhatsApp is the single most popular messaging app in use today. That’s likely true because it was an early cross-platform communication app that let people use Wi-Fi instead of texting when traveling internationally. Today, the app lets you text, make voice calls, and even video and chances are you and most of your friends and colleagues already have it installed. And finding people on the service is easy because you use your phone number rather than a username to join.
The app can handle group video calls with up to 50 participants by leveraging Facebook Messenger’s Rooms feature (WhatsApp is now owned by Facebook). Unfortunately, that means you can only video chat with users on the mobile app (either iOS or Android), rather than browser or desktop users.
Download for iOS
Download for Android
Download for Windows or Mac
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Skype
Three views of Skype
What We Like
Up to 50 users at once.
Cross-platform compatible.
Excellent HD video quality.
What We Don’t Like
Not completely free. You need to pay to call landlines, for example.
Skype has been around for a very long time; older computer users might remember when Microsoft bought the service for a staggering $8.5 billion. It has continued to evolve through the years, though, and today it exists on every platform including smartphones, Web, desktop, and even the Xbox. Not only can you use it to make video calls with up to 50 participants for free, but you can also use it for voice-only calls to other devices and even landlines. It’s a pretty comprehensive communication solution.
It’s equipped for business calls as well as personal video chats; you can use it to share your screen, share files, and even display live subtitles to caption what is being spoken.
Use Skype on the web
Download for iOS
Download for Android
Download for Windows or Mac
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Bunch
Three views of Bunch
What We Like
It’s a great place to play games with friends.
More games are promised.
Eight people can play at once.
What We Don’t Like
A few more people (12, perhaps) would be perfect.
The app tries too hard to get your contacts.
Here’s a fun video chat app that’s focused almost entirely on party games to play with your friends and family (there’s little doubt why it became so popular over the course of 2020). Bunch wants to connect you to your friends, so it’s a little hyper-aggressive during initial setup about getting access to your various contact lists from your phone and social media services.
But once you’re past that, you can set up rooms with up to eight people and choose from among a slew of games to play together. Bunch has, at current count, seven games to choose from including a trivia game, a Flappy Bird clone, billiard, and more.
Download for iOS
Download for iOS
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Instagram
Three views of Instagram
What We Like
Picture-in-picture within Instagram app.
Unwanted users are easy to block.
Easy to invite users within Instagram; not a separate app like Facebook Messenger.
What We Don’t Like
Limited to groups of six.
Mobile app only.
Let’s be honest: There are people who spend a lot of time on Instagram. Whether that’s for work, investigating brands for social outreach, or play, checking out @dogsworkingfromhome, being able to video chat from within Instagram is a powerful feature. Chats can be full-screen or take up just a small window within the app, allowing you to continue to browse Instagram while chatting.
Unfortunately, Instagram tops out at a total of six people, but that’s probably plenty for most situations nonetheless. There’s no desktop or web chat, so it’s limited just to mobile apps though.
Use Instagram on the web
Download for iOS
Download for Android
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Discord
Three views of Discord
What We Like
Up to 25 users at a time.
Easily share your screen.
Cross-platform compatibility.
What We Don’t Like
Overall aesthetic can be off-putting if you’re not a gamer or highly technical.
Discord is something of a contradiction. It’s an excellent team communication tool and commonly used by programmers, special interest groups, and other sorts of clubs, but its roots are in computer gaming and its main demographic remains gamers. The server has a gamer aesthetic and appeals to more technical users. But that aside, it’s a great way for groups to stay connected with text, voice, and video chats. Usually limited to 10 people in a video chat at once, Discord has raised the limit to 25 people due to events in 2020, but that limit might eventually go back down.
Discord remains a great tool, like Slack, to keep running in the sidelines while you game, code, or otherwise collaborate on a project. There’s essentially no platform that’s not supported, from PC and Mac to Linux, iOS, and Android.
Use Discord on the web
Download for iOS
Download for Android
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Marco Polo
Three views of Marco Polo
What We Like
Asynchronous, walkie talkie-like video clips are genius.
Voice effects and camera filters.
Up to 200 people in a video group at once.
What We Don’t Like
HD video is locked behind the paywall.
Think of Marco Polo as sort of like a video chat walkie talkie. Or a video version of email. You choose a person (or a group) and start talking. Your video is left as a clip for the recipients to watch when they check in, at which time they can reply. It’s a way to have a conversation without everyone being available at the same time.
The app supports truly enormous group video with up to 200 people at a time, complete with voice and video filter effects, all for free. There is a Marco Polo Plus subscription; for $5 per month you get a few extra features like HD video support and video playback speed controls, but most people can probably be perfectly happy with the free version of the service.
Download for iOS
Download for Android
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Viber
Three view of Viber
What We Like
Current speaker in a group video takes over the entire screen.
Good cross-platform support.
Built-in community features.
What We Don’t Like
Viber isn’t especially popular, and so your friends probably won’t be on it.
Viber is a superb messaging app that does it all. You can use it for text, voice, and video calls, and it’s a cross-platform service that works with Android, iPhone, Windows, Mac, and even Linux. Not only is it useful for keeping friends and family connected, but the app includes its own online community of message boards you can join in on.
Of course, the app supports group video calling. It can handle up to 20 people at once, and makes great use of the screen by letting the current speaker take over the entire display, so you’re truly focused on whoever is talking. One problem you’ll probably have with Viber is, given the popularity of most of the other apps in this list, convincing enough of your friends and family to try it out.
Conclusion
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