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The 10 Best Online Meeting Software Tools

Jannik Lindner
Jannik Lindner
  • Last Updated: December 6, 2023

The 10 Best Online Meeting Software Tools are platforms that provide excellent video/audio communication, screen sharing, agenda management, meeting recording, and other collaborative features to facilitate seamless and effective virtual engagements.

Learn more about our top picks for: Online Meeting Software

Online Meeting Software is a technological tool that allows users to conduct meetings, conferences, presentations, or seminars through the internet without the need for physical presence. This type of software provides features such as video and audio conferencing, chat and instant messaging, screen sharing, file transfer, recording, and scheduling appointments. These features enable easy collaboration and communication among teams or individuals, regardless of their geographical location. It is especially useful in the modern business environment where remote work and virtual collaboration have become common.

The Best Products

Our Recommendations: Online Meeting Software

  1. Zoom
  2. Microsoft Teams
  3. Google Meet
  4. Cisco WebEx
  5. Skype
  6. GoToMeeting
  7. Slack
  8. BlueJeans
  9. Zoho Meeting
  10. Adobe Connect

Pick #1

Zoom

Zoom is an online video conferencing and meeting software that is widely used in business, academic, and personal realms. Its versatility allows for one-on-one meetings, group conferences, webinars, and even training sessions to be conducted remotely over the internet. The platform provides high-quality audio and video communication, screen sharing, virtual backgrounds, a chat box feature, and the ability to record and save meetings. In addition to this, Zoom’s ease of use and robust feature set makes it a dynamic solution for remote communication and collaboration.

High-quality video and audio: Zoom is known for providing smooth and high-definition video and audio during meetings enhancing overall communication experience.
Allowance of multiple participants: Zoom allows up to 100 participants in a single meeting in its free version, with an option to upgrade and involve more people, making it versatile for both small and large meetings.
Screen sharing capability: Its robust screen sharing features allow participants to share their entire screen or specific applications, allowing seamless presentations and demonstrations.
Integration features: Zoom integrates with many other services, such as calendar apps, Slack, and Outlook, allowing for easy scheduling and inviting meeting participants.
Breakout rooms feature: This is a unique feature that allows the host to divide meeting participants into separate groups for smaller group discussions, thus promoting an organized way for brainstorming and group work.
Limited Free Version: Zoom's free version allows for meetings up to 100 participants for a maximum of 40 minutes. If you have a long meeting or large group, you'll need to upgrade to a paid plan.
Connectivity Issues: Despite its wide use, Zoom often encounters internet stability issues. Connection lags or dropping out during meetings can disrupt the flow of the communication.
Overwhelming Interface: For first time users, especially those not technologically inclined, Zoom's interface can seem daunting. For example, participants often struggle over how to mute/unmute, share screens, or even find the chat feature.
Required Download: For full functionality, Zoom requires participants to download and install specific software. This can be a challenge for those with limited tech skills, slow internet, or restricted permissions on their devices.
Zoom Fatigue: As a result of the pandemic, many individuals are spending a large part of their day on Zoom, leading to a new phenomenon known as "Zoom Fatigue." This is a specific consequence related to the overuse of virtual platforms, often causing fatigue, worry, or burnout.
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Pick #2

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a unified communication and collaboration platform that comes as part of the Microsoft Office 365 suite. As an online meeting software, it allows users to schedule video meetings, webinars, live events, share files, co-edit documents in real-time, and host virtual chat-based collaborative spaces. It also integrates with other Office 365 applications and third-party software, providing centralized access for team interactions. Microsoft Teams, thus, enables seamless remote communication and collaboration, making it a valuable tool for organizations maintaining a virtual work environment.

Integration with Microsoft 365: Microsoft Teams is a part of the Microsoft 365 suite, allowing seamless integration with other Microsoft productivity tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Planner. This feature lets you work on documents directly within Teams without having to switch between different apps.
Rich Collaborative Environment: MS Teams provides real-time collaboration, allowing multiple team members to work on the same document, avoiding issues like duplicate versions.
Effective Communication Tools: Microsoft Teams offers not just video meetings but also chat and call functions, making it an all-in-one communication tool. Teams members can have private or group conversations, share files, plan meetings, and more.
Teams Channels: Microsoft Teams has a unique feature of Teams channels, dedicated sections within a team to keep conversations organized by specific topics, projects, disciplines—whatever works for your team!
Customizable Workspaces: Teams allows for the customization of workspaces with tabs, connectors, and bots to include the key applications you need for your work. This can significantly streamline your workflow and increase productivity.
Limited Integration: While Microsoft Teams is integrated with Office 365, there might be difficulties connecting with external software outside this suite. Users might experience barriers when trying to sync Teams with other tools they use daily.
Overlapping Features: Microsoft Teams offers a range of features that overlap with other applications in the Microsoft suite. This leads to confusion about where to share and store specific types of content because the same tasks can be done in multiple tools, like Skype, SharePoint, and Teams.
Difficult to Navigate: The interface and layout of Microsoft Teams have been cited as confusing, especially for new users. People can struggle to locate specific features and may find notifications hard to control, which could affect productivity.
Steep Learning Curve: Microsoft Teams requires a pretty steep learning curve, especially for non-technical users. Many features are not immediately intuitive or easy to use, which can take time and training to fully utilize.
Limited Customization Options: Microsoft Teams lacks advanced customization options, it doesn't allow users to manage the user-interface layout according to their personal preference. This can be a limiting factor for those who want to modify the interface to suit their specific needs.
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Pick #3

Google Meet

Google Meet is an online meeting software developed by Google, which facilitates real-time communication between individuals or groups. It is an integral part of Google’s business productivity suite of tools, Google Workspace, allowing users to conduct virtual meetings, presentations, webinars, and long-distance education. Google Meet offers video conferencing, screen sharing, and collaborative note-taking capabilities, along with seamless integration with other Google services like Google Calendar and Gmail. It provides a secure and efficient platform for remote work and learning, supporting multiple participants joining from various devices globally.

High-definition Video and Audio: Google Meet supports high-quality video meetings with up to 250 participants without the need for any additional plugins or software. Real-time Captions: Google Meet provides live, automatic captions (currently supported only in English) powered by Google’s speech-recognition technology, enabling greater accessibility for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, or for meetings conducted in noisy environments. Advanced Layout Options: Users can customize how they view and participate in meetings by selecting layouts like tiled, sidebar, spotlight, etc. This helps in better visual engagement. Direct Integration with Google Workspace: Google Meet integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace applications like Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Sheets and Slides, making it easier to schedule, prepare for, and follow up after meetings, all within the familiar Google suite ecosystem. Google Meet Hardware Sync: The synchronization of Google Meet with hardware like Google Meet hardware kit or Chromebox offers an enhanced video conferencing experience. This is especially useful in a professional setup where you might need to convert meeting rooms into video conferencing spaces.
Limited Functionality in Free Version - The free version of Google Meet has limited functionality compared to the paid version. This includes restrictions on meeting length (60 minutes max) and participant count (100 max).
Lack of Breakout Rooms - Google Meet does not natively support breakout rooms. This can be problematic for larger meetings or classrooms, where small group discussion is often necessary.
Integration with Google Calendar Only - Google Meet integrates seamlessly with Google Calendar, but not with other scheduling tools. This could be a hindrance for people or companies who uses other calendar systems like Microsoft Outlook.
Limited Customization - The software offers limited customization options in terms of video layouts, backgrounds, and other visual options, which some other competitors offer. This can limit the user's ability to personalize their meeting experience.
No In-Meeting File Sharing - Google Meet doesn't provide a feature to share files during the meeting straight from the video call interface itself. Users may have to rely on other Google apps like Google Drive or Google Docs to share files, requiring them to navigate away from the meeting.
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Pick #4

Cisco WebEx

Cisco WebEx is a cloud-based software suite for online meetings and collaboration. It offers a robust platform for video and audio conferencing, webinars, trainings, and presentations, with additional integrated tools for screen sharing, chat, and recording. WebEx also supports file sharing and whiteboarding, enhancing team collaboration. It is accessible from various devices, such as desktops, laptops, and smartphones, ensuring users can connect anytime, anywhere. Its advanced security encryption ensures confidential and safe communication making it a preferred choice for businesses of all sizes.

Advanced Collaboration Features: Cisco Webex offers highly efficient collaboration tools such as digital whiteboarding, screen sharing, annotation, and co-editing of documents.
High Quality Audio and Video: Cisco WebEx provides crystal-clear audio and high-definition video which allows for natural and lifelike meetings, improving communication effectiveness.
AI-powered Meeting Assistant: With Webex Assistant, users can utilize AI-powered voice commands to control the meeting, take notes, and provide action items, improving meeting productivity and efficiency.
Integration Capabilities: Cisco WebEx integrates effortlessly with many popular productivity tools such as Microsoft Office 365, Google Suite, Salesforce, etc., providing convenience and facilitating seamless workflows.
Impressive Scalability: Cisco WebEx can support online events for up to 3,000 attendees in a single meeting and webinars for up to 40,000 viewers, making it an excellent tool for large-scale virtual gatherings.
Limited Customization Options: Cisco WebEx doesn't offer extensive customization options. While it serves well as a generic conference platform, businesses requiring specialized branding or nuanced functionality may find it lacking.
Slow Performance with Large Files: When uploading or sharing large files, users often report a significant slowdown. This can disrupt meetings, especially when quick file sharing is necessary.
Complex Desktop App: While WebEx offers a robust platform, the desktop application is believed by some users to be non-intuitive and difficult to navigate. This steep learning curve can deter new users or create inefficiencies for infrequent users.
Audio Quality Issues: Although audio quality can be fair, users have noted issues when many participants join a meeting or when the network is unstable, meaning that the audio quality can be inconsistent.
Limited Integration Capabilities: Unlike some competitors, Cisco WebEx doesn't provide deep integration with a broad range of third-party software. This restriction can pose a challenge for teams using wide-ranging tech stacks.
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Pick #5

Skype

Skype is a communication software owned by Microsoft that provides a range of online meeting solutions. It enables users to engage in real-time video, voice, and text chat with individuals or groups worldwide, establishing a digital environment simulating face-to-face interaction. Apart from interpersonal communication, Skype also offers services such as screen-sharing, document sharing, and remote desktop control features ideal for conducting business meetings, webinars, lectures, and presentations over the internet. Its robustness and user-friendly interface make it a versatile tool in both personal and professional contexts.

Skype has a screen sharing feature, which allows participants in an online meeting to share their desktop or specific applications with the others, facilitating presentations or collaborative work.
Skype offers real-time translation services in various languages, which can be beneficial during international meetings or when language barriers are present.
It also includes a recording feature which allows users to record their meetings for future reference. These recordings are stored for 30 days, providing the ability to go back and review what was discussed.
Skype's integration with Microsoft Office enables users to schedule meetings directly from Outlook, share PowerPoint presentations within the meeting, and easily document meeting notes within OneNote.
Skype offers a chat function within meetings, allowing participants to share links, notes, and other text-based information in real-time, aside from the main video or audio conversation.
Limited Advanced Features: Skype doesn't have some of the advanced features that are prominent in dedicated online meeting software, such as breakout rooms, polling, whiteboarding, or the ability to easily switch between presenters.
Unpredictable Video Quality: Skype relies heavily on the quality of your Internet connection. Thus, even if you have a high-quality webcam, you may experience video lag, dropped calls, or pixelated video feed if your Internet connection is poor, which can be problematic in a professional meeting context.
Limited Scalability: Skype is not ideally suited for large-scale meetings or webinars. Although it can technically support up to 50 participants, performance and stability often decrease as more members join.
No Built-in Scheduling: Skype does not offer a built-in scheduling or calendar integration feature which can cause inconvenience when planning future meetings. One must resort to third-party scheduling or calendar apps.
Lack of Control Over Participants: In a meeting context, there may be times when you want to mute all participants, remove a participant, or control who is speaking. Skype doesn't offer these controls to the same extent as some specialist online meeting software do.
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Pick #6

GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting is an online meeting and video conferencing software that allows businesses and individuals to host or attend virtual meetings, webinars, or training sessions. This robust platform enables users to share screens, use HD video conferencing, draw and highlight on screen, schedule meetings, and record sessions for later reference. Additionally, GoToMeeting provides options for audio conferencing either via phone or computer, depending on user needs. This versatile software enhances collaboration and communication, making it essential for remote teams and businesses worldwide.

HD Video Conferencing - GoToMeeting offers high-definition video conferencing, allowing participants to have crystal clear visual and audio interactions irrespective of their global locations.
Screen Sharing Feature - GoToMeeting has made virtual collaborations easy with its immersive screen sharing feature. Users can share their screens to give presentations, demonstrate software applications, or illustrate points with visuals.
Cloud Recording - With GoToMeeting, users can record the meetings and store them in the cloud. This ensures there is always a reference point for meetings, beneficial for those who couldn't attend or need to revisit discussions.
Commuter Mode - GoToMeeting offers a unique feature called 'Commuter Mode' which conserves data and power when joining meetings from a mobile device. This offers flexibility and convenience to professionals constantly on the move.
Integrated Scheduling - GoToMeeting syncs with various calendar systems like Google Calendar, Outlook, etc., and allows users to schedule, join, or start meetings directly from their calendars. This improves organization and avoids scheduling conflicts.
Resource-Heavy - GoToMeeting can require a high degree of bandwidth, which can lead to lagging if users have weak or unstable internet connections.
Inaccessible/unpredictable recordings - The recording feature can behave unpredictably, and users often experience issues when trying to download or play meeting recordings.
Sub-Par Mobile Experience - The mobile version of the software has a more limited feature-set and isn't as user-friendly as the desktop version.
User Interface - Some users find the interface to be less intuitive and user-friendly compared to rivals, requiring a learning curve. The dated interface could benefit from modernization.
Limited Integration - GoToMeeting lacks extensive integration options with third-party apps and services potentially limiting workflows for some users.
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Pick #7

Slack

Slack is an innovative online communication platform primarily designed for team collaboration. It functions as a hub for team meetings, conversations, and file sharing, providing both direct messaging and team chat channels, each of which can be organized by project, team, or any other category. In regards to being an online meeting software, Slack supports video conferencing allowing for virtual face-to-face meetings, and integrates with a huge range of other applications like Google Drive, Trello, and Zoom. This versatility and integration make it more than just a messaging app, turning it into a comprehensive workspace that improves teams’ productivity and workflow.

Integrated Collaboration Tools: Slack allows integration with a wide range of other tools such as Google Drive, Trello, etc. This makes it easier to share, access, and discuss files and resources during online meetings.
Seamless Communication: Slack's channels, threads, and direct messages make communication during and beyond meetings seamless. Distinct channels can be set up for different topics or teams, allowing for focused discussions and easier information tracking.
Asynchronous Communication: With Slack, team members can catch up on discussions at their own pace. This is particularly useful for remote teams across different time zones, ensuring everyone is in the loop even if they can't attend a live meeting.
In-meeting features: Slack allows screen sharing during meetings and also the option of drawing annotations on the shared screen. This aids in effective visual collaboration and better communication.
Voice and Video calls: Slack offers built-in voice and video calling features, which reduces the need for external conferencing tools. This is particularly beneficial for impromptu or small meetings. The ability to hop on a call directly from a discussion thread makes it highly effective and efficient.
Limited Video Conferencing - Though Slack has video call functionality, its features are quite limited. It doesn't support larger meetings or webinars, and the maximum number of participants in a video conference is quite small compared to other platforms.
Not Best for External Collaboration - While Slack works exceptionally well for internal team communication, it isn't as smooth when collaborating with external organizations or clients, which may require setting up a separate workspace.
Difficult Conversation Tracking - When used for online meetings, users can find it hard to track conversations, especially in large teams. The conversation threads can become overwhelming and important dialogues can get lost in the noise.
Slack's Interface Complexity - Slack's interface, while highly customizable, can be confusing for some first-time users. This can make onboarding and use during meetings more difficult, possibly causing disruptions.
Dependency on Internet Connection - Slack being fully based on cloud, it requires a good and stable internet connection for online meetings. Any issues with the internet connection can disrupt or degrade the quality of the meeting.

Pick #8

BlueJeans

BlueJeans is a prominent online meeting software that provides interactive video communication services for businesses and individual users worldwide. It allows for seamless collaboration through features such as screen sharing, recording, and real-time transcription, with HD video and audio. The platform enables multiple participants to connect virtually in meetings or webinars, regardless of their location. BlueJeans can integrate with various popular tools such as Microsoft Teams, Workplace by Facebook, and Office 365, enhancing its functionality and flexibility for users. Recommended for its user-friendly interface, BlueJeans supports both scheduled and instant meetings on a plethora of devices, promoting productivity and efficiency in the professional sphere.

High Quality Video and Audio: BlueJeans online meeting software provides excellent video quality, even in low-bandwidth environments, and high fidelity Dolby Voice® audio, which ensures clear and uninterrupted communication within meetings.
Intelligent Meeting Features: BlueJeans leverages AI to power smart video conferencing features, such as automated meeting recaps, highlights, and action item tags. This optimizes meeting efficiency and productivity.
Interoperability and Integration: BlueJeans supports a wide range of devices and platforms, facilitating easy integration with various web and video systems. It also integrates well with multiple productivity and scheduling tools such as Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar, Slack, and others.
Control and Moderation Options: With BlueJeans, hosts get comprehensive control features, including the ability to mute/unmute participants, promote participants to presenters, and lock meetings. They also have the opportunity to set up a 'waiting room' for participants.
Content Sharing: BlueJeans offers effective content sharing options where users can easily share slides, videos, and other contents with meeting participants. It also supports both one-to-one and group messaging during the meeting.
Limited Integrations - BlueJeans, compared to its competitors, has fewer integrations with other software tools. This can become a hurdle for businesses that frequently use other productivity tools as part of their workflow.
User Interface - The user interface of BlueJeans is not as intuitive as other platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams. This may lead to a longer learning curve for some users in understanding the full functionality of the software.
Quality Fluctuations - Some users have reported the quality of video and sound to be inconsistent at times. This could potentially harm the effectiveness of a meeting if it can't be relied upon to deliver steady audio and video.
Limited customizability - BlueJeans offers limited options for personalizing the platform compared to its competitors. These restrictions can limit the user experience, especially for businesses that wish to customize the platform to their brand.
Performance with Large Groups – While BlueJeans works well for small to mid-sized groups, as soon as the number of participants increases, it tends to struggle in maintaining connection quality, leading to lagging and voice delays.
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Pick #9

Zoho Meeting

Zoho Meeting is an online meeting software designed to deliver high-quality, seamless and secure virtual communication and collaboration experiences across various platforms. It caters to both single users and organizations, offering functionality for webinars, online meetings, screen sharing, remote support and more. Equipped with user-friendly features such as recording and scheduling, Zoho Meeting supports real-time discussions, interactive presentations, and data-sharing, regardless of the location of participants. Moreover, it emphasizes cybersecurity, ensuring all meetings and information shared within them are encrypted and comply with GDPR and other related regulations.

Integrated Suite of Applications: Zoho Meeting is part of the broader Zoho suite of business applications. This means it can seamlessly integrate with these tools, such as Zoho CRM, Zoho Projects, and Zoho Calendar, allowing for streamlined workflows.
Screen Sharing and Recording: Zoho Meeting allows you to share your screen with participants for better visual communication. It also allows for meetings to be recorded, stored, and replayed at a later date, which can be useful for note-taking and for those who could not attend the live meeting.
Webinar Functionality: Alongside being a standard meeting tool, Zoho Meeting also includes webinar capabilities. This makes it an all-encompassing tool for virtual business meetings and marketing presentations.
Dial-in Access: For participants that have limited internet access, Zoho Meeting provides dial-in numbers for more than 55 countries, ensuring inclusive participation.
In-meeting Chat: Participants can use the in-meeting text chat to share thoughts without disrupting the flow of the meeting. This supports clearer communication between attendees.
Limited Integration: Zoho Meeting doesn't offer as many integration options as some of its competitors. While it does integrate with the Zoho suite of products, it may not interface seamlessly with other tools your organization uses.
Limited Customization: Zoho Meeting doesn’t have as many customization options as other software for issues like branding the interface. This means that businesses can't personalize their meeting rooms to reflect their brand or corporate image.
Absence of Concurrent Meetings: Zoho doesn't allow you to host different meetings at the same time. This could hamper productivity when there's a need for concurrent meetings.
Lack of Advanced Features: There are a few advanced features that are standard in other meeting software solutions but missing in Zoho Meeting. For instance, it does not support whiteboard functionality, which can be crucial for brainstorming and collaborative tasks during online meetings.
Limited Reporting: Zoho Meeting lacks extensive reporting and analytics tools. This means that businesses may not have all the data they want regarding meeting attendance, engagement, and other metrics.
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Pick #10

Adobe Connect

Adobe Connect is an online meeting software that provides comprehensive solutions for web conferencing, webinars, and eLearning through its interactive and customizable interface. This software is designed to facilitate dynamic online collaboration experiences, including virtual meetings, digital training or webinars. It supports audio, video, interactive presentations, chat features, screen sharing, and whiteboards, all combined within virtual rooms that can be customized and reused. Its capabilities extend to recording and analytics, making it a robust tool for remote communication, learning, and team collaboration.

Persistent Virtual Rooms - Adobe Connect allows the creation of permanent meeting rooms with customizable URLs. This means that settings, layouts, and content persist between meetings, improving efficiency and saving preparation time.
Advanced Interactive Features - Adobe Connect supports a wide range of engagement features beyond typical video conferencing software. This includes multi-user whiteboards, integrated quizzes/polls, breakout rooms for small group discussions, and custom app integration, ensuring a highly interactive online meeting experience.
High-Quality Video & Audio Features - Adobe Connect delivers exceptionally sharp and syncronized video and audio. It supports up to 100 live video feeds per meeting and VoIP, integrated telephony or bring your own carrier options, ensuring clear, high-quality communication.
Comprehensive Mobile Support - Adobe Connect has full-featured mobile applications for iOS and Android which support document sharing, video conferencing, whiteboard and chat interactions. This ensures participants can join meetings, webinars or training sessions effortlessly from any location.
Robust Content Library & Content Management - Adobe Connect has a central content library for storing, managing, and reusing content across various meetings. Whether it's presentations, videos, polls,or images, they can be readily accessed and reused for future meetings, contributing to streamlined content management and consistency.
Adobe Connect often requires installation and configuration of Flash Player, which may prove challenging for some users, especially those who are not technologically inclined. This may prevent some participants from joining a meeting on time.
The user interface is often considered to be cluttered and not user-friendly, especially for first-time users. This may result in time wasted in navigating through the software, which could be detrimental in a business meeting environment.
Adobe Connect's video compression and transmission can sometimes lag or experience quality issues, especially when there are a large number of participants or when the network isn't optimal.
The software lacks certain built-in features that are commonly found in other similar software, for example, simultaneous document editing, calendar integration, and in-built surveys or polls.
For mobile users, the Adobe Connect app doesn't provide as smooth an experience as the desktop version. Some features are missing or harder to navigate, which may impact the productivity of meetings if participants are using mobile devices.
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FAQs

What are some features of online meeting software?

Online meeting software often include features such as screen sharing, video conferencing, instant messaging, recording ability, scheduled meetings and multi-user collaboration. Others may include interactive whiteboards, polling and voting capabilities, and real-time editing.

How many people can join an online meeting?

The number of people that can join an online meeting varies depending on the software used. Basic versions often allow a few participants while professional-grade ones can accommodate hundreds or even thousands at once.

Is it possible to conduct an online meeting via mobile devices?

Yes, most online meeting software are compatible with various devices including mobiles and tablets. Apps are usually provided by the software makers for Android, iOS, Windows and other platforms.

What kind of internet connection is needed for online meetings?

The quality of an online meeting often depends on the stability and speed of your internet connection. A broadband connection is typically recommended. Slow connections may lead to lagging video or audio.

Is it necessary to have a webcam for an online meeting?

It depends on the nature of the meeting. If a presentation is being given or if viewing the other participants is not crucial, a webcam isn’t necessary. However, it is typically recommended for more interactive meetings that could benefit from visual cues and communication.

Overview