12 Video Conferencing Software Tools Worth Switching To in 2027

How many meetings have started late because someone could not find the link, could not connect to the meeting-room system, or simply could not hear the people sitting around the table? 

It happens more often than most businesses would like to admit—and it is why choosing the right video conferencing software matters.

Video calls are no longer just for fully remote teams.

They now support everyday check-ins, employee onboarding, training sessions, customer calls, leadership updates and quick conversations between colleagues working from different locations.

Gallup reports that 52% of remote-capable employees work in a hybrid arrangement, while a further 26% work fully remotely.

That means a large proportion of today's workforce depends on reliable digital meeting tools to stay involved, informed and able to contribute. Gallup's hybrid work data

But not every platform suits every workplace. Some teams need simple peer-to-peer video and screen sharing, while others need virtual workshops, secure internal calls, customer demos, training sessions or better support for meeting rooms.

In this guide, we compare 12 video conferencing software tools that modern teams are switching to.

You will see what each platform is best for, where it may fall short, which options offer free plans, and how to choose a tool your employees will actually want to use.

Why teams are moving beyond the video tool they started with

Video calls have made it far easier for distributed employees to stay connected. A manager can bring together people working from home, the office, customer sites and different countries in minutes. 

Teams can share their screens, answer questions in real time and keep projects moving without needing everyone in the same room.

But the original video tool a business chose a few years ago may no longer fit how the organisation works today. 

As teams grow, they often end up with several meeting apps across different departments, unreliable access for external guests and conference rooms where people can see each other but cannot hear each other properly. 

Remote employees can also feel left out when important conversations happen in the room rather than through the meeting platform.

The practical answer is not always to add another app. It is to choose a core video conferencing platform that fits the organisation's everyday needs, create simple meeting rules and make sure important decisions, recordings and follow-up actions are easy for employees to find afterwards.

The meeting problem is rarely just "we need better video"

Poor video quality is frustrating, but it is only one part of the problem. 

Employees now join meetings from phones, laptops, home offices, customer sites and shared meeting rooms. Their internet connections, devices and working environments are not always the same.

Common issues include:

• Different departments using different video conferencing apps, making it harder for employees and external guests to join.
• Remote workers struggling to hear people talking in a meeting room or missing what has been written on a physical whiteboard.
• Back-to-back calls leaving little time for focused work, preparation or follow-up.
• Employees receiving meeting links through chat, email and calendars, with no clear source of truth.
• Recordings, actions and decisions being difficult to locate after the meeting has ended.
• Unclear rules about whether meetings can be recorded, who can access recordings and how long they should be kept.

A good platform helps, but the best employee experience comes from combining reliable technology with better meeting habits.

What video conferencing software actually includes

Video conferencing software allows people to meet live through video and audio, whether they are working from home, in an office or on the move. Most platforms now offer more than a basic camera call. 

Depending on the tool, teams may also have access to screen sharing, in-meeting chat, file sharing, recording, captions, calendars, virtual backgrounds, breakout rooms, meeting notes and administrative controls.

However, not every tool is designed for the same job.

• Video meeting apps are built for everyday conversations between colleagues, managers, customers and external partners. They are usually best for team check-ins, one-to-one calls and project discussions.
• Webinar platforms are designed for one-to-many sessions, such as company announcements, staff training, product demonstrations and customer events. They often include registration pages, audience controls, polls and reporting.
• Conference-room systems combine video conferencing software with cameras, microphones, speakers, displays and room controls. These are important for organisations running hybrid meetings where some people are in the room and others are joining remotely.
• Digital workplace and intranet platforms support what happens before and after the call. They can help organisations publish meeting guidance, share recordings and updates, store policies, communicate decisions, keep knowledge organised and make information easier for employees to find.

12 video conferencing software tools modern teams are switching to at a glance

The best video conferencing software is not necessarily the platform with the longest list of features.

It is the one that makes sense for how your employees, customers and partners actually communicate.

Some teams need quick peer-to-peer video calls and screen sharing, while others need interactive workshops, client demos, company training or secure meetings across several office locations.

This list of video conferencing platforms includes established alternatives and more specialised video conferencing apps for different workplace needs.

Several offer a video conferencing software free plan or trial, although free features, participant limits, recording options and admin controls vary by provider. 

Use the table as a starting point, then assess security, integrations, employee adoption and the type of meetings your organisation runs most often.

1. AgilityPortal — best for secure employee video calls inside a complete digital workplace

Best for: Businesses that want employees to make quick one-to-one video or voice calls, share their screens and continue the conversation without jumping between several separate workplace apps. 

 Why teams switch to it

AgilityPortal Vidconnet module will appeal to teams that are tired of using one tool for company news, another for chat, another for documents and yet another for quick video calls.

The peer-to-peer calling experience is useful when someone needs a fast conversation rather than a formal meeting link, calendar invitation and room setup.

What stands out is the context around the call.

Employees can move from a chat conversation into a video or voice call, share what is on their screen, then return to the same workspace where documents, updates and team knowledge already live. It feels more joined up than using a standalone video app for every small conversation.

Key strengths

2. Livestorm — best for browser-based webinars, training and customer events

 Best for: Teams that run webinars, employee training, product demonstrations or customer events and want people to join without downloading an app

Why teams switch to it

Livestorm is a good fit when a normal video meeting starts to feel too informal or difficult to manage. It gives businesses more control over the full event experience, from registration and reminders through to the live session and follow-up afterwards.

The browser-based setup is one of its strongest points. Attendees can usually join from a link, which removes a common barrier for customers, job candidates and employees who are not regular users of the platform. It also gives hosts more tools to keep larger sessions organised than a standard team call.

3. Kumospace — best for creating a more natural virtual office experience

Best for: Remote and hybrid teams that want everyday online conversations to feel less formal than a standard meeting link.

Why teams switch to it

Kumospace takes a different approach to video conferencing. Instead of asking employees to join another grid of faces, it creates a virtual office where people can move between rooms, sit with colleagues and start conversations more naturally.

It is especially useful for teams that miss the quick chats that happen before a meeting, at someone's desk or in a shared office space. The spatial audio experience means people can move closer to a group conversation or step away when they need privacy. 

That makes it better suited to team connection, drop-in discussions and virtual social events than a formal webinar or client presentation.

4. Butter — best for interactive workshops and team collaboration

Best for: Teams that run workshops, planning sessions, training or collaborative meetings where people need to do more than just watch and listen.

Why teams switch to it

Butter is built for meetings that need energy. If your team spends a lot of time running brainstorming sessions, onboarding workshops, retrospectives or training, a standard video call can feel flat very quickly.

Butter gives facilitators more ways to involve people instead of leaving them staring at the same screen for an hour.

The platform is especially useful when someone needs to lead a session with a clear agenda, split people into smaller groups, run polls or icebreakers, and bring everyone back together without losing momentum. It will not be the obvious choice for every everyday call, but it is a strong option when participation matters.

5. Demodesk — best for sales teams running customer-facing video meetings

Best for: Sales teams that want more structure around discovery calls, product demonstrations, coaching and follow-up. 

Why teams switch to it

Demodesk is not trying to be the video platform for every type of workplace meeting. It is built around the sales conversation. 

That makes it a stronger fit for teams that want reps to follow a consistent demo flow, share materials smoothly and capture useful information without spending ages writing notes afterwards.

The platform is most useful when sales leaders want better visibility into how calls are being run. It can help reduce the gap between a strong sales rep and someone still learning the process, while giving managers more material for coaching and follow-up.

6. Sessions — best for AI-supported client meetings and follow-up

Best for: Consultants, agencies, sales teams and client-facing businesses that want video calls, scheduling and meeting follow-up in one place.

Why teams switch to it

Sessions is built around the whole meeting workflow, not just the call itself. It is useful for teams that spend time arranging meetings, sharing screens, taking notes and trying to remember what was agreed once the call is over.

The platform is particularly appealing for client-facing work because it can bring scheduling, branded meeting rooms and AI-supported notes into one experience. That means less switching between calendar tools, video apps and manual follow-up documents.

Key strengths

• Branded meeting rooms can give client calls a more polished feel.
• Scheduling tools help make booking meetings simpler.
• AI-supported notes and summaries can reduce manual admin after calls.
• Screen sharing supports demos, project updates and client presentations.
• Meeting follow-up is easier when notes and actions are captured in the same workflow.

Potential drawbacks

• It is more focused on client meetings than broad internal employee communication.
• Businesses that need large webinars or complex conference-room systems may need another platform.
• AI-generated notes still need a human check before they are shared or acted on.
• Teams may need separate tools for company news, internal chat and knowledge management.

Who should shortlist it

Sessions is worth shortlisting for consultants, agencies, account managers, sales teams and service businesses that hold frequent client calls. It is a strong option when the business wants every meeting to be easier to schedule, more professional to attend and simpler to follow up afterwards.

7. Whereby — best for simple, branded client video meetings

 Best for: Businesses that want clients, candidates or partners to join a video meeting quickly without installing an app.

Why teams switch to it

Whereby is a good choice for teams that want to make video calls feel simple from the other person's side. Instead of asking a client to download software, create an account or work out which meeting app they need, businesses can send them a link to a branded meeting room.

That makes it particularly useful for consultations, interviews, customer support, agency calls and client check-ins. It is not trying to replace a full digital workplace or an enterprise meeting-room system. 

Its strength is removing friction from smaller, customer-facing conversations.

8. Pexip — best for enterprises with complex video environments

Best for: Larger organisations that need secure video meetings across different platforms, meeting rooms, devices and existing technology investments. 

Why teams switch to it

Pexip is a different type of video conferencing choice. It is not mainly aimed at replacing every everyday meeting app with another familiar interface. Instead, it helps organisations connect the systems they already use, especially where meeting rooms, external guests, security requirements and different video platforms all need to work together.

This is useful for enterprise IT teams that have invested in several meeting-room systems over time, or organisations that need tighter control over where video data is handled. Pexip can help reduce the friction of asking employees, customers and partners to all use the same video platform before they can join a meeting.

9. TrueConf — best for private-network video conferencing and data control

Best for: Organisations that need video calls, chat and collaboration tools to operate within their own private infrastructure.

Why teams switch to it

TrueConf is aimed at organisations that want more control over where their video communications run and how they are managed. 

Instead of relying entirely on a public cloud meeting service, businesses can deploy it within their own network, which can be important for government, healthcare, finance and other security-conscious environments.

It also combines video meetings with chat, scheduling and collaboration features, so it can work as a broader unified communications platform. The trade-off is that it needs proper IT ownership. A private deployment gives an organisation more control, but it also means the organisation must stay on top of configuration, updates and security patching.

10. BigBlueButton — best for virtual classrooms and employee learning

Best for: Training teams, education providers and organisations running structured online learning sessions. 

Why teams switch to it

BigBlueButton is designed around teaching and learning rather than everyday business meetings. 

That difference shows in the tools available during a session: shared whiteboards, breakout rooms, polls, uploaded presentations, notes and engagement features that help a facilitator see whether people are following along.

It is a strong choice for organisations delivering onboarding, compliance training, workshops or formal learning programmes. It can also work well alongside a learning management system, where employees need a clear place to access courses, attend live sessions and revisit recordings.

11. Jitsi Meet — best for quick, open-source video meetings

Best for: Small teams, technical organisations and privacy-conscious businesses that want a simple video conferencing option without forcing every participant to create an account. 

Why teams switch to it

Jitsi Meet is appealing because it gets out of the way.

Someone can create a meeting, share the link and start talking without the usual download, login or subscription friction. That makes it useful for quick internal calls, interviews, support conversations and smaller remote-team meetings.

Its open-source foundation is another reason teams shortlist it. Organisations with technical capability can self-host Jitsi for more control over their meeting environment, branding and data.

The trade-off is that self-hosting needs real IT ownership; it is not something most businesses should treat as a "set it and forget it" tool.

12. Airmeet — best for interactive virtual and hybrid events

Best for: Organisations running large webinars, company-wide events, online communities, training programmes or virtual networking sessions. 

Why teams switch to it

Airmeet is designed for occasions where a normal video meeting is too limited. It gives event organisers a more complete way to manage registrations, live sessions, audience engagement, networking and post-event reporting.

It is particularly useful for internal communications teams running all-hands events, HR teams hosting learning programmes and marketing teams creating customer events. 

The virtual tables and networking areas are a big part of the appeal because they give attendees somewhere to interact outside the main presentation.

What should you look for before choosing a video conferencing platform?

It is easy to compare video conferencing software by looking at pricing pages and feature lists.

The better approach is to start with the meetings your business actually runs. 

A platform that works well for a quick one-to-one chat may be frustrating for employee training, customer demonstrations or a busy boardroom.

The goal is not to find the app with the most features. It is to find one that helps people join easily, communicate clearly and get useful work done without creating another layer of confusion.

Start with the meetings your people actually have

 Imagine a 250-person business with sales calls, weekly team meetings, staff training and boardroom meetings. The sales team needs clients to join quickly. Managers need simple team check-ins. HR needs training sessions where people can ask questions and work in smaller groups. Meanwhile, the leadership team needs a meeting-room setup where remote employees can hear every person at the table.

One tool might handle one-to-one calls brilliantly but struggle with external guest access, interactive training or a conference room with six people sharing one microphone. 

Before choosing a platform, list the types of meetings that matter most in your organisation:

• Internal team meetings and quick employee conversations.
• Customer, supplier and partner calls.
• Company-wide updates and all-hands sessions.
• Staff training, onboarding and compliance sessions.
• Boardroom and conference-room meetings.
• Mobile access for frontline, deskless and travelling employees.

This gives you a much clearer picture of what the platform must do well, rather than what looks impressive in a product demo.

The features that make a practical difference

Once you understand your meeting needs, look beyond basic video quality. 

These features often have the biggest impact on whether employees actually use a platform:

• One-click or browser-based joining: People should not need to download software, create an account or contact IT just to join an important meeting.
• Reliable audio and noise suppression: Poor sound can make a meeting unusable, especially when people are joining from shared offices, homes or busy sites.
• Screen sharing and collaboration tools: These are useful for product demonstrations, problem-solving, training and working through documents together.
• Live captions and transcripts: Captions can make meetings more inclusive, while transcripts can help employees revisit key points afterwards.
• Recording controls and storage: Businesses need to decide which meetings should be recorded, who can access them and how long recordings should be kept.
• Breakout rooms: These matter for workshops, training and sessions where smaller groups need time to discuss an issue.
• Calendar integrations: A good calendar connection reduces missed meetings and makes scheduling less manual.
• Guest access and waiting rooms: External clients and suppliers should be able to join easily, while hosts still need control over who enters.
• Mobile experience: Employees without desks need a platform that works properly on a phone, not a stripped-back afterthought.
• Analytics, admin controls and auditability: IT and internal communications teams may need visibility into adoption, user access and meeting activity.
• Conference-room compatibility: Businesses running hybrid meetings need to know that cameras, microphones, speakers and displays will work smoothly with the chosen software.

Don't ignore accessibility and meeting fairness

A video meeting is not inclusive simply because everyone received the same link. 

Employees need to be able to participate properly, whether they are joining from a laptop at home, a mobile phone on a worksite or a meeting room with colleagues.

Look for live captions, keyboard navigation, readable controls and clear layouts that work for different accessibility needs. Dial-in access can also be important for employees or guests with limited internet connections. 

Time-zone awareness matters too, particularly for international teams, as the same people should not always be expected to join outside normal working hours.

Most importantly, remote employees need to be heard as clearly as people sitting in the room.

If the meeting-room microphone only picks up the person closest to it, or the camera never shows the whiteboard, remote participants are being asked to attend without being fully included.

The right video conferencing software, supported by good meeting habits and suitable room equipment, helps create a fairer experience for everyone. 

Is free video conferencing software enough for your business?

 A video conferencing software free plan can be a sensible place to start. 

For a small team, a freelancer or an early-stage business, there is little point paying for a large enterprise platform before you know how often people will actually use it.

Many free video conferencing apps cover the basics well. 

They can support short internal meetings, quick one-to-one calls, simple screen sharing and occasional conversations with customers or suppliers. If the meeting is small, informal and does not need to be recorded or managed closely, a free option may be all you need.

A free plan can work well for:

• Very small teams with straightforward communication needs.
• Short internal meetings and quick project check-ins.
• Freelancers and early-stage businesses managing costs carefully.
• Occasional customer, supplier or partner calls.
• Teams testing a platform before committing to a paid plan.

However, the best video conferencing app free for a small team may not be the best choice once the business grows. This is usually where the limitations start to show.

Businesses often outgrow free plans because of:

• Meeting-length restrictions: Free calls may end after a set period, which is not ideal for training, workshops or important customer meetings.
• Participant limits: A free plan may support only a smaller number of attendees, making company-wide updates more difficult.
• Recording and storage limits: Teams may be unable to record meetings, store recordings securely or keep them available for long enough.
• Limited admin and identity controls: IT may have fewer options for managing users, permissions, single sign-on and guest access.
• Fewer compliance, reporting and support options: Growing organisations may need clearer audit trails, reporting, retention controls and reliable support.
• Inconsistent conference-room integration: Free plans may not work as smoothly with dedicated cameras, microphones, meeting-room displays and room-booking systems.

A free plan is not automatically a security risk, but it may not give IT enough control for how your organisation works. 

The right decision comes down to the meetings you run, the information being discussed and how much control your business needs over access, recordings and employee use.

What is the best video conferencing system for a conference room?

The best video conferencing system for a conference room is not simply the app on the screen. 

It is the combination of video conferencing software, camera, microphone, speaker, display, room controller and network connection working properly together.

A business can have a great video platform, but the meeting will still be poor if remote employees cannot hear the people in the room, the camera only shows half the table or staff need ten minutes to work out how to join. 

The right setup depends on the size of the room, how many people use it and the type of meetings the business runs. 

Small rooms

 For a small huddle room or meeting space, simplicity is usually more important than a complicated AV setup. 

An all-in-one video bar or USB camera and speaker device can often cover the basics well, particularly for two to six people.

Look for:

• A camera with a wide enough view to include everyone at the table.
• Clear microphones that can pick up voices without people leaning forward.
• Built-in speakers or a speakerphone that avoids echo and feedback.
• One-touch or simple meeting joining.
• A straightforward room-booking process so employees know when the space is available.

The goal is to make the room easy enough that employees can walk in, join a call and start talking without needing IT support.

Medium and large rooms

Larger meeting rooms need more planning because the distance between people, microphones and cameras becomes more important. A setup that works well for four people may not work for 12 people spread across a boardroom table.

For medium and large rooms, assess:

• Microphone coverage: Can remote attendees hear every person, including those sitting at the far end of the room?
• Camera framing: Does the camera show the whole room, follow the speaker or adjust automatically when people move?
• Wireless presentation: Can employees share content from their laptops without passing cables around the table?
• Multiple displays: Is there enough screen space for remote participants and shared content to be visible at the same time?
• Room controls: Can employees start, join and manage meetings from a simple touch panel or controller?
• Management at scale: Can IT monitor devices, apply updates and solve problems across several office locations?

The best conference-room system is one that gives remote employees the same chance to see, hear and contribute as the people sitting in the room. 

The hybrid-meeting test every business should run

Before committing to a video conferencing system, run a real test with employees in the room, remote attendees and at least one external guest. Do not test it only with the IT team standing next to the equipment.

Ask these questions:

1. Can a remote attendee hear every person in the room clearly?
2. Can they see the speaker, shared presentation and any important visual material?
3. Can an external guest join without needing IT help?
4. Are captions, recording permissions and recording settings working as intended?
5. Can employees enter the room and join the meeting within two minutes?

If the answer to any of these is no, the issue may not be the video conferencing software itself. It could be the room layout, microphone placement, camera angle, network connection or the joining process. 

Testing the full experience before rollout will save employees a great deal of frustration later.

Here's where things get complicated: security, privacy and recording

Video conferencing software makes it easy to connect people, but it can also create a large amount of sensitive information.

A meeting may include employee discussions, customer details, commercial plans, health information, recruitment conversations or financial data. Once a call is recorded or transcribed, that information can remain accessible long after the meeting has ended.

This is why businesses should treat video meeting governance as more than an IT setting. It needs clear rules that employees understand and can follow. 

Recording is not a default setting—it is a policy decision

Recording can be extremely useful. It helps employees catch up on training, revisit project discussions and share leadership updates with people who could not attend live. But recording every meeting by default can create unnecessary privacy, storage and security risks.

Before enabling recordings, businesses should decide:

• Which meeting types can be recorded and which should never be recorded.
• Who is allowed to start, stop, download or share a recording.
• How employees, customers and external guests will be told that recording is taking place.
• Whether consent is needed, particularly for external participants or sensitive conversations.
• Where recordings and transcripts will be stored.
• Who can access them after the meeting ends.
• How long recordings should be retained before they are deleted.
• Whether recordings should be excluded from certain conversations, such as disciplinary meetings, health discussions, legal matters or confidential HR conversations.

The same rules should apply to AI-generated transcripts and meeting summaries. A transcript may be easier to search than a video recording, but it can contain the same sensitive information and needs the same level of care. 

What IT, HR and Legal should agree before rollout

 A successful rollout needs shared ownership.

IT may manage the technology, but HR, Legal, Compliance and Internal Communications all have a role in making sure employees use it safely and consistently.

When these teams agree the rules before rollout, employees are far less likely to make their own assumptions about recording, sharing and storing meeting information.

How to roll out video conferencing software without creating more confusion

Choosing the best video conferencing software is only part of the job. 

A platform can have great features, but employees will still struggle if different departments use different video conferencing apps, no one knows the recording rules or meeting-room equipment is difficult to use.

A clear rollout gives employees confidence from day one and helps IT avoid unnecessary support requests later.

A practical rollout checklist

1. Review the tools people already use Find out which video conferencing apps teams are already using for internal calls, customer meetings, training and external events. This will highlight duplicated costs, security risks and employee preferences.
2. Identify the meeting types that matter most Separate quick employee calls from customer demonstrations, training sessions, all-hands meetings and boardroom calls. The best platform for one use case may not suit another.
3. Choose a primary platform and define exceptions Give employees a clear default choice. If the business needs a separate webinar or event platform, explain when it should be used instead of adding another tool without guidance.
4. Test the software with real employees Include remote employees, office staff, deskless workers, managers and external guests. Ask them to join from laptops, mobile phones and meeting rooms before committing to a wider rollout.
5. Check security, privacy and identity settings Confirm single sign-on, guest access, waiting rooms, recording permissions, transcript settings and data-retention rules before employees begin using the platform.
6. Test conference-room compatibility Make sure cameras, microphones, speakers, displays and room controllers work properly with the chosen video conferencing software. A good platform cannot compensate for poor room audio.
7. Create a simple recording and meeting policy Employees should know when recording is allowed, how participants are notified, where recordings are stored and when they are deleted.
8. Train managers first Managers set the tone for meeting culture. Show them how to run inclusive hybrid meetings, use the right tools and avoid unnecessary calls.
9. Publish guidance in one easy-to-find place Keep joining instructions, troubleshooting guidance, room-booking information and recording rules in a central employee hub. This is where a digital workplace platform such as AgilityPortal can help.
10. Measure adoption and improve the experience Track common support issues, meeting-room problems, employee feedback and usage patterns. Review the setup regularly instead of assuming the original rollout will work forever.

A thoughtful rollout helps employees see the new platform as a useful improvement, not just another app they are expected to learn.

Video calls are changing, but good communication still needs a home

Video conferencing software is becoming more useful, not just more advanced. AI summaries can help employees catch up on a missed call. Automated transcripts make it easier to search for a decision or action. 

Real-time captions can make meetings more accessible, while smarter room cameras and better cross-device joining can help remote employees feel less like they are watching from the sidelines.

These improvements matter, especially for hybrid teams. Someone joining from a phone on a worksite should still be able to follow the conversation. A remote employee should be able to hear people in the meeting room clearly. And an employee who misses a training session should not have to rely on a colleague's memory of what was said.

But technology still needs human judgment. An AI summary may miss important context. A transcript can record what people said without explaining what was agreed. A recording can show the discussion, but it does not automatically make the decision easy for someone to find three weeks later.

McKinsey has estimated that knowledge workers can spend around one-fifth of their working time searching for and gathering information. That is a major productivity problem when important updates, meeting recordings, chat messages and documents are spread across different systems. McKinsey research

The practical answer is to capture the outcome of important meetings and give it a clear home. For example, a manager can share the final decision, key actions, relevant documents and recording link in a central employee space rather than leaving everything buried in a calendar invite or chat thread.

This is where a digital workplace platform such as AgilityPortal can add value. Video calls, voice calls and screen sharing help employees have the conversation. Employee spaces, announcements, documents, knowledge pages and search help the organisation keep the outcome visible, useful and easy to find afterwards. 

Other free and open-source video conferencing tools worth considering

 If you are looking for video conferencing software free, there are plenty of options beyond the platforms reviewed above. 

Some offer a free plan with limits, while others are open-source tools that give technical teams more control over hosting and configuration.

We have put together a list of video conferencing platforms includes tools for quick team calls, browser-based meetings, virtual classrooms and self-hosted deployments.

Which Video Conferencing Software Should You Choose?

Choosing video conferencing software is a bigger decision than it first appears. 

The wrong platform can mean employees wasting time joining calls, clients struggling to access meetings and IT managing tools that do not fit the business. With so many options available, it is worth taking a step back before committing.

Most platforms now offer reliable video and familiar meeting controls. The real difference is how well they support the way your organisation works. Start by looking at your most common meeting types: quick internal calls, client demonstrations, employee training, company-wide events or formal conference-room meetings.

Meeting size and budget are a useful first filter. A small team may be well served by a free or lower-cost plan, while a growing business may need stronger admin controls, recordings, analytics or support. Look beyond the headline price too. Premium support, storage, webinar features, meeting-room hardware and additional licences can all increase the overall cost.

Next, decide which features matter most. If your business needs tighter control over private deployments and complex video environments, a platform such as Pexip or TrueConf may be worth considering. 

If you run training and interactive workshops, BigBlueButton or Butter may be a better fit. For customer events, webinars and networking, Livestorm or Airmeet may be more useful than a standard meeting app.

Also consider the software your employees already use. A platform that works naturally with your existing calendar, documents, identity system and communication tools is easier to adopt. Just as importantly, think about where employees will join calls: from laptops, mobile phones, customer sites or meeting rooms.

Whichever provider looks right on paper, test it with real employees before making a final decision. Use a free plan, trial or product demo where available, and include remote workers, office staff and external guests in the test.

That is the quickest way to find out whether a platform will genuinely make meetings easier.

Common problems to look out for when choosing video conferencing software

 Choosing video conferencing software is not only about video quality or the monthly price. 

Many businesses choose a platform that looks good in a demo, then discover that employees struggle to join meetings, external guests cannot access calls easily, or the meeting-room setup does not work properly.

Before committing, look out for these common issues:

• Difficult joining experience: If employees or guests need to download software, create an account or follow several steps just to join a call, adoption will suffer.
• Poor audio in meeting rooms: Video quality gets attention, but bad audio is often the bigger problem. Test whether remote participants can hear everyone in the room, not only the person closest to the microphone.
• Free-plan limits that interrupt meetings: A free plan may have time limits, participant caps, limited recordings or restricted admin features. Check these before relying on it for customer calls or employee training.
• Weak mobile access: Frontline and deskless employees may need to join from a phone. Make sure the mobile experience is easy to use and not missing important features.
• Limited guest access: Customers, suppliers and job candidates should be able to join without needing help from IT. Waiting rooms and guest permissions should be simple to manage.
• Recording and privacy confusion: Employees need clear rules around recording, AI transcripts, sharing and retention. Without them, businesses can create unnecessary privacy and compliance risks.
• Poor integration with existing tools: Check whether the platform works with your calendar, single sign-on, document tools, employee directory and meeting-room equipment.
• Hidden costs: The starting price may not include webinar capacity, larger meetings, recordings, cloud storage, premium support or conference-room hardware.
• Too many features and not enough guidance: A complex platform can overwhelm employees if there is no clear rollout, training or guidance on when to use each feature.
• No central place for follow-up: A meeting recording is not enough. Teams need somewhere to store the final decision, actions, documents and important updates so people can find them later.

The best video conferencing software should make communication feel easier, not create another system employees need to work around.

Choosing video conferencing software that people will actually use

The best video conferencing software is not necessarily the tool with the longest feature list or the most recognisable name. 

It is the platform that works reliably for your employees, fits into the systems your business already uses and makes meetings easier rather than more complicated.

Start with the reality of how your people work. 

A small remote team may need fast browser-based calls and screen sharing. A growing business may need stronger admin controls, recordings and secure guest access. 

HR and learning teams may need breakout rooms, polls and training tools, while larger organisations may need reliable conference-room setups and tighter control over data.

Technology matters, but it cannot fix every meeting problem on its own. 

A feature-rich platform will not solve poor room audio, unclear ownership, unnecessary calls or a culture where key decisions are never written down afterwards. Businesses still need simple meeting rules, clear recording policies and a central place to share important outcomes.

When employees can join easily, hear and be heard clearly, contribute on equal terms and find the decisions that matter after the call ends, video meetings become a useful connection point. 

That is when video conferencing stops feeling like another workplace frustration and starts helping people work together properly. 

Frequently asked questions about video conferencing software

What is video conferencing software?

Video conferencing software lets people hold live online meetings using video, audio and chat. Most platforms also include screen sharing, meeting recordings, captions, breakout rooms and calendar integrations.  

What are some video conferencing software examples?

 Common video conferencing software examples include AgilityPortal, Livestorm, Kumospace, Butter, Demodesk, Sessions, Whereby, Pexip, TrueConf, BigBlueButton, Jitsi Meet and Airmeet. 

Each is designed for a different type of meeting, from quick employee calls to training and large virtual events.

What is the best video conferencing software?

 The best video conferencing software depends on your business needs. 

AgilityPortal is a strong choice for secure employee video calls inside a complete digital workplace, while Livestorm suits webinars, Butter works well for workshops, and Pexip is better suited to complex enterprise video environments.

Which are 5 video conferencing software options?

Five video conferencing software options worth considering are:

• AgilityPortal for employee video calls, voice calls and screen sharing.
• Livestorm for webinars and training.
• Whereby for simple client-facing video meetings.
• BigBlueButton for virtual learning and onboarding.
• Jitsi Meet for free and open-source video calls.

What is the best software for video meetings?

 The best software for video meetings is the one that suits the type of meeting you run most often. For quick internal conversations, prioritise easy joining, chat and screen sharing. 

For customer calls, look for branded rooms and simple guest access. For training, choose tools with polls, breakout rooms and recordings.

Is there video conferencing software free for businesses?

Yes. Video conferencing software free options include Google Meet, Zoom Workplace, Microsoft Teams Free, Cisco Webex, Jitsi Meet and BigBlueButton.

Free plans can work well for smaller teams, but check meeting limits, recording options, user management and security controls before relying on one for the whole business.

What is the best video conferencing app free?

The best video conferencing app free depends on your priorities. 

Jitsi Meet is useful for quick browser-based calls and open-source flexibility. 

Google Meet is convenient for Google Workspace users, while Microsoft Teams Free can suit small businesses that already use Microsoft tools. 

What are some video conferencing examples at work?

Practical video conferencing examples include a manager running a weekly team check-in, a sales rep delivering a product demonstration, HR hosting onboarding training, a leadership team holding an all-hands meeting, or a remote employee sharing their screen to solve a customer issue. 

What is the best video conferencing system for conference room use?

The best video conferencing system for conference room use combines the right platform with reliable hardware. This normally includes a suitable camera, microphone, speaker, display, room controller and stable network connection. 

The key test is whether remote participants can hear and see everyone in the room clearly.

What is replacing Zoom?

Nothing is replacing Zoom for every business, but teams are increasingly choosing more specialised tools. 

For example, Livestorm is popular for webinars, Kumospace for virtual offices, Butter for workshops, Demodesk for sales demonstrations and Jitsi Meet for open-source video conferencing. 

The right replacement depends on what Zoom is not doing well for your team.

Where can I find a list of video conferencing platforms?

This article includes a detailed list of video conferencing platforms, including paid, free and open-source options. 

When comparing platforms, look at your meeting types, employee needs, guest access, room compatibility, security requirements and total cost—not only the headline price.