Just because there are several candidates of the best conference call services out there, it doesn’t always mean that you will have to pay a lot for them. You should keep in mind that the best isn’t always related to being the most expensive. Some of the best apps can be completely free. Even if they are coming as the paid service, they can be quite affordable. Some of them are designed as the apps for small business or small companies, so they are just handy to help you run the business.
Never underestimate the importance of a conference call. It can help you land a job, get the project you want, or nail you the big boss. It’s a good thing that we live in a modern era where such a service is available – with plenty of options. Now, it is up to you to decide. Want to go with the free one or the paid one? Is having a simple app is enough or do you need a sophisticated one? Here are some candidates to help you decide.
10 Best Conference Call Services Free & Paid For Online Meeting
1. Zoom: Video Conferencing
Zoom Video Conferencing
This particular app is now increasing in popularity because people are using it to work from home and to communicate with their friends, colleagues, and others. There are various features to love about this app. First of app, it has its own free version, which can accommodate 100 participants. It also supports HD video communication and it also supports cloud recording abilities and features. This app is quite new in the industry, but it has managed to be a leader in conference calls industry.
Zoom Basic is completely free and it is able to have 40 minutes of duration. It has group collaboration features along with HD and web conferences. But if you don’t want the limitation, you can upgrade it to Zoom Pro that costs you $15 a month. It supports cloud recording, which isn’t available in the Basic. Pro has 24 hours limit, reporting tools, and admin control abilities.
Despite all the great features, there are several downsides about the app. First of all, the audio quality is so-so. It can be unstable sometimes. Second, a lot of users are concerned about the safety and protection features. Well, if you are going to talk about confidential stuff, you should find other apps, not this one. But for general and non-discreet use, this app is just wonderful!
2. FreeConferenceCall.com
best conference call services
This is one of the best conference call services that can even accommodate up to 1000 participants within its free service. It also offers international conference calling, private chat and screen sharing, and also recording ability. No wonder if this app is quite popular. The combination of free operation and expansive service is the main attraction to this app.
You need to sign up and then create your own account, which can be done in seconds. Among the other free services, this one is definitely an interesting option. Aside from offering audio conference, this app can provide video meetings too – and for free too. The various features that come with it include private chat, international call, screen sharing, remote drawing tools, presentations, and also the ability to change the presenters. Feel free to access your recordings or call history too – there won’t be any problem at all. If you want to upgrade the app, you can add some of the paid features such as extra storage (which starts from $3 a month and is able to reach 40 GB of storage), toll-free number ($0.039 a minute for a person), and one number without access codes for $4 a month.
3. GoToMeeting
GoToMeeting
This is one paid version that offers HD video quality. It offers integration with Slack (if you use it) and also mobile app. And the app doesn’t have time limits for meetings, which can provide great offer when compared to other apps. It is a paid service for a reason – it offers high quality service and flawless performance that everyone would love. Unfortunately, this app doesn’t offer Basic plan, but it does offer a trial period for 14 days. It doesn’t hurt to try it, just to see how it goes for you.
The app has 3 different plans: the Professional (starts from $12), Business (starts from $16), and Enterprise (which is about custom pricing). These rates are for monthly basis. The offered features include screen sharing, no limits on meetings or time limits on meetings, HD video conference, business messages, personal meeting rooms, and also salesforce integration – and also the already mentioned features at the beginning of the paragraph. Keep in mind that the app doesn’t have the advanced or sophisticated features, but a lot of people love the simplicity. You should too.
4. Vast Conference
Vast Conference
This isn’t a free service because you will have to pay for it. But if you want a powerful app to help you with business, you should try it. With a starting rate at $12 a month, it won’t hurt your finance. There are tons of features to love about it, such as cloud storage and recording, as well as its ability to have instant conference calls. It isn’t a free service, but it does offer a free trial period for 14 days, so you decide to have it or not.
The app has 4 plans: Essentials, Standard, Professional, and Enterprise. The main difference between these plans lies within the allowed numbers of participants within a meeting, which covers 10 people, 100, 250, and then 500. All of them has unlimited cloud recording. For Essentials plan, however, it isn’t unlimited because the limited storage is only 1 GB a user. This app is easy and simple to use. You can set it up, manage, and then review the conference calls without a sweat.
5. UberConference
UberConference
If you only need the best conference call services for a small group of people, this one would be the best option. Not to mention that it has a free service that would be perfect for groups less than 10 people. The free service can accommodate users up to 10 people. It also includes team and analytic management, as well as hold music and custom numbers. And if you ever think about upgrading it, spending $15 a month won’t hurt your wallet. Sure, you will have the extra spending but it is worth it for you, especially if you want to have a smooth and professional business operation.
Even with the free service, you can enjoy screen sharing, HD video, mobile app access, HD audio, and call recording. However, the free call is limited to 45 minutes only. If you don’t want the limited time, choose the paid Business package that will cost you $15 a month and it will be billed annually. Naturally, you can expect extra features and benefits with the paid service. The only downside is the audio quality which can be unstable some times. But it is still good – not a big problem, anyhow.
6. RingCentral
RingCentral best Meeting remotely
Not only this app serves as a conferencing call app, but it also serves as VoIP phone service. This is a great option when you want something modern, aside from your traditional phone plan. And this one has its own free version, which can be handy if you are on a budget. The free service enables you to have 100 participants although the conference has only 40 minutes time limit. If you are ready to make the extra spending, $20 a month shouldn’t be too big for your operational cost – especially if you are making a good investment for the business.
This app offers good collaboration, mobile apps, and call features. The cool thing about it is that it uses cloud system so you won’t have to install anything. The app would take care of the upgrades and maintenance, so you only need to sit back and relax. Simply enjoy the show! This is truly a worthy app if you want to cleverly invest your money.
7. Webex
webex meetings
If you are looking for a free service, this one can help you accommodate 50 people. And you won’t have to worry about the quality or technology. This app is a product from Cisco, so you know how it goes. In terms of video calling and audio calling, this one is truly credible and impressive.
Webex has 4 different plans. The free one is able to accommodate 50 people, but it is only able to have 40 minutes of call and 1 GB of cloud storage. If you want to upgrade it, the Starter plan would do it. By spending less than $14 a month, you can have 50 people without call limitation. And you can enjoy 5 GB of storage on clouds. The Plus package costs you less than $18 a month without meeting limits – and you can assign alternate hosts too. And the Business plan can give you 200 participants and 10 GB of storage on clouds – for less than $27 a month.
8. BlueJeans: Video Conferencing
bluejeans video conferencing
If you’re looking for the best online meeting tool, I would strongly recommend bluejeans video conferencing for your meeting remotely. No, it’s not a part of your outfit, but it’s a paid service for a powerful video conferencing app. Since it is powered by none other than Dolby Voice audio, it has exceptional sound quality. For a small business, the basic plan is quite affordable, around $12.50 a month – a small expense when compared to all the perks you are going to get from it. The basic plan itself can accommodate 50 participants, which should be enough for a small business and the team.
If you want to upgrade it, you can expect to spend less than $17 a month for a service that can accommodate people up to 75 participants. The added features include cloud storage and recording features. From the price section, this app is certainly appealing. However, the app can only accommodate 150 people in total, which is fewer than other apps. But if you don’t need much – and you aren’t ready to spend more – this can be one of the best conference call services to turn to.
9. Skype
Skype
Who doesn’t know it? Skype is the best free call and chat service. This app has been around for a while, known for its reliable international and also video conference calls. You can always call other Skype users for free. As long as other people have Skype account, it would be free to use it. Microsoft is the company responsible for this app. Calling from Skype to Skype would be free, but if you have to call a phone number that isn’t listed in the app, then you will be charged for it.
10. Google Hangouts
Google Hangouts
If you have a Gmail account, then it is free to use Hangouts. You can have a conference with 25 people, max. The app would be connected automatically to your Gmail contacts and account – and you can also enjoy Google Calendar integration too. But as a free app, don’t expect customer support. It doesn’t have any recording ability either. Despite all the perks and benefits that you can get from the app, it still has some flaws. But it’s still good and reliable, and it is good for your small conference needs.
In the overall sense, this list of various apps should give you clearer ideas of which app to choose. Simply narrow down your pick from these best conference call services.
