According to a study by Stanford University, remote workers are 13% more productive than their in-office counterparts. This increase in productivity is a major factor in the rising popularity of remote work. As more companies adopt flexible work arrangements, the demand for reliable technology—particularly meeting apps—has grown significantly. These tools facilitate communication and collaboration, enabling productive team meetings among geographically dispersed teams and helping them maintain the high productivity levels associated with remote work.
The 3 Best Online Meeting Apps
- Zoom: Ideal for reliable, large-scale video calls
- Google Meet: Best for Google Workspace users
- Microsoft Teams: Perfect for integrating team chat with video conferencing
What Makes the Best Online Meeting App?
The most crucial aspect of any online meeting app is the quality of its video. This encompasses not only the clarity of the picture but also the stability of the connection, minimizing disruptions like audio dropouts or call disconnections. However, evaluating the best online meeting apps involves more than just video quality; businesses often require comprehensive features for effective meetings.
- Reliable High-Quality Video and Audio: A great online meeting app consistently delivers clear video and audio.
- Easy Meeting Management: Scheduling, initiating, and joining meetings should be effortless. Top apps allow rapid meeting scheduling and calendar integration and provide straightforward access links.
- Collaboration Tools: Essential features include screen sharing and chat. Leading apps extend these with tools like whiteboarding and direct document collaboration to boost teamwork.
- Simple Video Recording: Not everyone can attend every meeting, so the capacity to easily record and share meetings is vital. The best apps make recording as simple as clicking a button, enabling easy capture and review of important discussions.
- Seamless External Participation: Inviting external participants should be uncomplicated. A simple link should suffice for joining, with robust security ensuring only invited participants can access the meeting.
- Built-in Noise Cancellation Tools: Background noise, whether from a bustling office, a café, or home life, can be distracting. While many apps excel in video quality and collaboration tools, noise cancellation is a critical yet sometimes overlooked feature. An app with effective noise cancellation can filter out unwanted sounds, allowing undisturbed focus on the conversation.
Virtual office
Zoom: Ideal for Reliable, Large-Scale Video Calls
Free Features:
- Host group meetings for up to 40 minutes, accommodating a maximum of 100 participants.
- Enjoy local recording, screen sharing, virtual backgrounds, breakout rooms, private and group chat, whiteboarding, TLS encryption, end-to-end encryption, waiting rooms, and filters.
Paid Upgrades:
- Conduct group meetings lasting up to 30 hours.
- Host up to 1,000 participants with the Enterprise plan.
- Benefit from co-hosting, transcription of recordings, live transcription, cloud recordings, and enhanced support options, including ticketing, live chat, and phone support.
Google Meet: Perfect for Google Workspace Users
Free Features:
- Meetings are up to 1 hour long, with a 24-hour limit for one-on-one sessions.
- Accommodate up to 100 participants.
- Utilize screen sharing, virtual backgrounds, chat, whiteboarding with Jamboard, live closed captions, and robust encryption in transit and at rest.
Upgrade for Additional Features:
- Extend group meetings to a 24-hour duration.
- Host up to 250 participants with the Enterprise plan.
- Access hand raising, breakout rooms, polls, Q&A, recordings saved to Google Drive, noise cancellation, live translated captions, stackable video effects, emoji reactions, and 24/7 support.
Microsoft Teams: Best for Integrating Team Chat and Video Conferencing
Free Features:
- Meetings up to 60 minutes each.
- Accommodate up to 100 participants.
- Features include screen sharing, virtual backgrounds, breakout rooms (desktop app), chat, a whiteboard app add-on, encryption at rest and in transit, and a virtual lobby.
Premium Enhancements:
- Extend group meetings to 24 hours.
- Host up to 300 participants.
- Enjoy live captions, recordings, enhanced support, AI-powered meeting recaps, customizable backgrounds, watermarking for sensitive content, and Copilot integration for AI-driven insights and summaries.