Best Online Meeting Software: Organizations rely extensively on online meetings today, whether to talk business with offshore partners or to coordinate with the mobile workforce. In addition, the coronavirus epidemic has increased the importance of online meetings by establishing them as a mainstay of remote work.
However, maintaining the underlying functions, such as audio/video conferencing, invitation sending, and document sharing, with a centralized platform can be manageable. The solution is online meeting software. This guide will delve deeper into this tool’s benefits for businesses.
What is software for online meetings?
Online meeting software enables organizations to arrange and host internet-based meetings. In addition, the application facilitates audio/video conferencing and cooperation between two or more participants.
It also assists users with managing the administrative parts of organizing meetings, such as issuing calendar invitations, asking for RSVPs, and exchanging meeting agendas.
What deployment options are available for online meeting software?
A business must choose a deployment method that corresponds with its requirements. Let’s examine the essential characteristics of the two most prevalent deployment types:
Cloud-based deployment: This deployment technique requires minimal initial expenditure, making it an excellent choice for startups. As the software is hosted on the vendor’s or a third party’s servers, the user is exempt from extensive infrastructure and maintenance costs, resulting in low upfront costs.
Users are required to pay monthly or annual subscription fees. These tools are accessible via internet-connected desktops and mobile devices.
On-premise deployment: This deployment model has higher up-front costs, making it more suitable for businesses that are comfortable owning and managing their servers. All fees associated with hosting, maintenance, and data storage become the user’s responsibility.
On-premises tools are available for a one-time license fee and can be accessed through devices installed within the business’s physical location.
An important question to ask a vendor before purchasing: Which deployment model for your tool will reduce my organization’s long-term costs?
What are some standard features of online meeting software?
By checking out for these standard features, you can guarantee that the tool supports the essential functions of online meetings.
Meeting invites
Send meeting invites and agendas to various attendees. In addition, users can request RSVPs and attach important meeting papers to the invitation.
Scheduling
Schedule meetings and send automated reminders to attendees. Syncing with Google or Microsoft Outlook calendars makes it easy to track meetings.
Video/audio conference
Communicate with attendees through voice and video calls. Some solutions let users adjust the appearance of attendees on-screen, including grid view, focused view, etc.
Collaboration
Permit the host or another participant to share their computer screen with other participants to exchange presentations and other crucial documents. Some technologies additionally include in-meeting document sharing and annotatable virtual whiteboards.
Note: The applications chosen for this article are examples to put a feature in context and are not intended as endorsements or recommendations. These examples were collected from sources that were deemed to be credible at the time that the article was published.
20 Best Online Meeting Software in 2023
Here we list some of the best online meeting software for your personal and business use in 2023;
1. Zoom Meetings
Zoom is a scalable, cloud-based video conferencing and web conferencing platform that facilitates online meetings, webinars, file sharing, instant messaging, and group messaging for businesses of all sizes. It is among the top online meeting software to consider for your business and personal use.
It is founded in 2011 by executives and engineers from Cisco and WebEx, employs HD video and high-quality audio to provide remote teams with an immersive video conference and screen-sharing experience. In addition, zoom’s desktop and native mobile apps allow teams to connect and communicate from any location, regardless of whether they are using Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Blackberry devices, Zoom Rooms, or H.323/SIP room systems.
The software integrates cloud video conferencing, accessible online meetings, wireless content sharing, and group messaging. Users may link numerous conference rooms, add distant participants, and effectively enable “face-to-face” meetings with a single click using Zoom.
Website: https://zoom.us
2. VFairs
VFairs is an exceptional event management platform that delivers Virtual Career Fairs, Job Fairs, Online Trade exhibitions, and Onboarding fairs. This online meeting software promotes event participation by enabling hosts and exhibitors to use interactive features such as text/audio/video chat, webinars, and discussion boards. Moreover, for in-person events, vFairs offers event check-in and on-demand badge printing solutions, event
Website: https://www.vfairs.com
3. TeamViewer
It is remote access, remote support, and online meetings management software developed to keep people and devices linked, enabling users to access their office PC from the road, video conference across the city, and share their screen for remote help from across the globe. In addition, TeamViewer allows users to operate on various devices and operating systems in more than 32 different languages as a multiplatform and multilingual solution.
General TeamViewer features include the administration of computers and contacts, automated discovery, integrated monitoring checks, and management of users and devices. In addition to chat, file transfer, and whiteboard capabilities, TeamViewer has remote audio and video, high-definition VoIP, and session recording technologies. For example, restarting, printing, and installing a computer remotely are remote control functions. In addition, users can record incoming and outgoing connections and discover who did what, when, and for how long. It is among the best online meeting software to consider for your business and personal use.
Website: https://www.teamviewer.com
4. Google Meet
Google Meet is a video conferencing tool that allows teams to interact by voice, text, and video. The features include high-definition video and audio conferencing for up to one hundred people, multi-device chat synchronization, chat history storage, real-time captioning, and a conference recording capability.
Google Meet enables users to join meetings from any device via a shared link without needing plug-ins. Guests can join via calendar invites, meeting URLs, Google meeting rooms, and third-party systems such as Skype for Business, Polycom, and Cisco.
Website: https://meet.google.com
5. GoTo Meeting
GoTo Meeting is now included in GoTo Connect, an all-in-one communications platform for SMBs. Leaders can initiate a meeting immediately by choosing “Meet Now,” plan a meeting, or create a recurring meeting that is immediately available for usage. Guests and participants can join meetings for free, and so are the applications. Participants click the meeting link sent through email or instant messaging or enter a meeting ID issued over the phone. The meeting organizer can opt to share their entire screen or only a particular program, such as high-definition video conferencing.
Website: https://www.goto.com/meeting
6. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a chat-based workspace inside Microsoft 365 that lets users see and collaborate on documents immediately within the program, engage in audio and video conference calls, access complete conversation histories and email-style discussion threads, and more. Teams have replaced Skype for Business as the online meeting option for Microsoft.
Microsoft Teams may be tailored to each team’s needs, with users able to create tabs for commonly used documents and cloud management services. Microsoft Teams integrates with Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, SharePoint, Power BI, Delve, and Planner, allowing users to access and work on various files. In addition, Skype for Business integration enables video and voice conference calls between users, pulls in notifications and updates from multiple third-party services like GitHub and Twitter, and supports the Microsoft Bot Framework to introduce intelligent bots to the team environment. It is one of the best online meeting software options for both corporate and personal usage.
Website: https://www.microsoft.com
7. Webex
Webex combines Calling, Meeting, and Messaging forms of communication into a unified, interactive, inclusive, and intelligent experience.
Website: https://www.webex.com
8. Prezi
Like other best online meeting software on this list, Prezi Next, includes a dynamic, adaptable structure that enables you to switch freely between themes and adjust on the go without having to flip through slides. In addition, by altering your delivery to emphasize what interests your audience, you may engage and captivate them through a brand-new mode of communication known as “conversational presenting.” The outcome? More engaging conversations and improved outcomes for both speakers and listeners.
Website: https://prezi.com
9. Doodle
Doodle provide online meeting software that make choosing the perfect day and time for a group meeting almost easy. The basic service on www.doodle.com is the world’s most popular online scheduling application, with more than three million unique monthly visitors. In addition, Doodle enables users to create a “poll” – a tabular representation of various available time slots – to invite attendees and allow them to vote transparently and democratically for their favorite meeting times and activities. This service is free, and registration or downloads are not required. Premium Doodle is the Company’s personalized service for individuals, while Branded Doodle is its business online scheduling solution.
Website: https://doodle.com
10. OnBoard
OnBoard is a board intelligence platform that streamlines board meeting administration and enables better-informed decision-making, more secure remote meetings, and real-time access from any device.
You require board & leadership meeting management that is comprehensive, secure, flexible, and easy to use now more than ever. Streamline meeting preparation and offer accurate, timely information to your executives across all platforms. With Zoom integration, you can reliably govern from a remote location.
Website: https://www.onboardmeetings.com
11. Join.Me
It is an online conferencing and meeting application that allows numerous individuals from different places to connect simultaneously. Whether you are in Singapore or London, using the internet or a phone line, you may join an online meeting with join.me. The application provides various collaboration features and capabilities, including text chat, screen sharing, meeting scheduling and invitations, mobile access, and call recording. You can consider Join me as the reliable online meeting software in 2023.
Website: https://www.join.me
12. Workplace from Meta
Using Chat, video calls, postings, and Groups, Workplace from Facebook link all company members. It interacts with your existing business tools and provides an easy, safe, and more productive method for workers to exchange information, collaborate, and develop linked communities.
By posting to the News Feed or Groups, disseminate company-wide or team-specific updates across the enterprise. Provide immediate feedback through comments and responses. With over 50 connections, you may connect to your favorite tools. Workplace Chat allows for quick messaging and video calls. Conduct surveys, interact with coworkers, and locate like-minded individuals in work or interest-based groups.
Website: https://www.workplace.com
13. Cisco Jabber
Cisco Jabber is a unified communications platform that offers instant messaging, phone and video conversations, voice messaging, and web conferencing to organizations. The available features are file sharing, desktop sharing, persistent chat, active in-call controls, and smartwatch compatibility. You can consider it among the best online meeting software.
Users may build several team areas with powerful file sharing and search capabilities using Cisco Jabber persistent chat. Members can be added from internal contact databases or other sources, and specific authorization levels can be assigned to ensure data security and protection. With end-to-end encryption, conversation history, and call forwarding, including shared files and participant activity, are safely stored for future reference. Users can view the activity-based presence of all contacts inside a team space, such as active, in a meeting, presenting, out of the office, and on a call.
Website: https://www.cisco.com
14. 365 Microsoft
Microsoft 365, formerly Office 365, is a cloud-based collaboration tool that provides a private and secure space for storing, sharing, and editing files and documents, connecting geographically dispersed teams with shared calendars, messaging, and conferencing tools, and enhancing your brand experience with branded emails and online websites.
Microsoft 365’s business-class email offers 50 GB of storage per user and the capacity to send messages up to 25 MB in size. In addition, this online meeting software allows you to send photos and add custom formatting to emails. To assist in prioritizing tasks, you may modify your inbox rules and notifications, as well as your calendar and to-do list. Effectively communicate with coworkers using online availability statuses to initiate online chat, instant messaging, and one-to-one or one-to-many phone and video calls.
Website: https://www.microsoft.com
15. GoTo Connect
GoToConnect is an easy, dependable, and adaptable solution that combines the strength and dependability of Jive’s cloud VoIP phone systems with GoToMeeting’s web, audio, and video capabilities. With capabilities ranging from secure video conferencing and screen sharing to virtual voicemail and call forwarding, users can quickly meet, communicate, and cooperate via web browser, desktop program, or desk phone.
Website: https://www.goto.com/connect
16. MVP RingCentral
RingCentral MVP is a unified communications system that enables users to make and receive business calls, voicemails, faxes, and texts from any location. As a result, organizations may empower their staff to increase communication with customers, partners, and coworkers by enabling them to work with any device, anywhere. It is a leading online meeting software for business and personal needs.
Website: https://www.ringcentral.com
17. Adobe Connect
Adobe Connect is a web conferencing tool that helps corporations, government organizations, and educational institutions plan meetings and training sessions. Features include brand customization, team collaboration, analytics for engagement, remote access, reporting, and document sharing.
The online meeting software enables speakers to construct bespoke virtual rooms by using graphics, material, layouts, and unique capabilities such as a countdown timer, hands-up, and more. Adobe Connect allows administrators to produce, modify, and share recordings of webinars and meetings and automate indexing to assist users with content searches and bookmark creation. The system enables instructors to design interactive sessions with polls, quizzes, chat pods, games, simulations, and more. In addition, attendees may use the centralized content library to submit or alter the content and manage team member access privileges.
Website: https://www.adobe.com
18. BlueJeans
BlueJeans provides a video conferencing solution for corporate meetings that supports content sharing, recording of meetings, text chat, and numerous participants. You may connect to a Blue Jeans conference from any platform or device, including Google Hangouts, Cisco Jabber, Avaya Scopia, Microsoft Lync, and others.
BlueJeans enables meetings with up to 25 audio or video participants in the primary meeting mode and 100 with the Large Meetings add-on. Participants may exchange high-definition material and videos with the entire group simultaneously. In addition, you may record, save, distribute, and replay meetings. Finally, you may exchange links, queries, and other text interactions through group chat.
Website: https://www.bluejeans.com
19. Twilio
Twilio online meeting software offers a robust API for phone services that enables businesses to send and receive phone calls and text messages. In addition, it allows programmers to combine many communication channels and leverage their existing web development abilities and codes to handle communication issues.
Website: https://www.twilio.com
20. Dialpad
Dialpad is a cloud-based VoIP telephone platform and corporate phone system driven by artificial intelligence that keeps teams connected and productive. The platform consists of three connected products: Dialpad Talk for calling, Dialpad Contact Center for managing contact centers, and Dialpad Sell, an automated sales dialer. Dialpad is an internet-accessible platform that integrates audio, text, video, and meetings. In addition, it uses cutting-edge cloud telephony technologies, such as WebRTC and Opus codec, to give unmatched VoIP call quality.
Website: https://www.dialpad.com
Final Words
Here we list some of the best online meeting software for your personal and business usage. With more people working remotely, traveling, and enjoying flexible schedules, the desire for more intimate encounters can only be done through video conferencing software. Fortunately, there’s a big industry full of countless possibilities for different video conferencing software. But, of course, the ideal one for your organization will rely on various aspects, such as your number of employees, your budget, and any particular features you may require.