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The 10 Best Video Meeting Software Tools

Jannik Lindner
Jannik Lindner
  • Last Updated: November 27, 2023

The ten best video meeting software tools provide a range of features including high-quality video and audio, screen sharing capabilities, recording options, chat functionalities, and collaborative tools, aiming to enhance virtual interactions and communications.

Learn more about our top picks for: Video Meeting Software

Video Meeting Software is a technological tool that facilitates video communication between two or more people across different locations. It allows individuals or teams to connect virtually in real time using video and audio elements typically through an internet connection. These software often include additional interactive features such as screen sharing, recording, chat, file sharing, and more. Video meeting software is instrumental for remote work, online education, webinars, social interactions, and any other scenarios where face-to-face communication is needed but not physically possible.

The Best Products

Our Recommendations: Video Meeting Software

  1. Zoom
  2. Microsoft Teams
  3. Google Meet
  4. Cisco Webex
  5. Skype
  6. GoToMeeting
  7. BlueJeans
  8. Zoho Meeting
  9. Join.me
  10. Slack

Pick #1

Zoom

Zoom is a video conferencing software platform that facilitates online meetings, interactive video webinars, and mobile collaboration. It provides high-quality, HD video and audio, collaborative tools, chat functionality, and screen sharing capabilities. Zoom also supports large meetings with hundreds of participants, making it ideal for businesses, schools, and organizations to conduct remote meetings, webinars, and online classes. It is widely recognized for its easy-to-use interface and robust features set, promoting virtual collaboration and communication across different geographical locations.

High Quality Video and Audio: Zoom ensures stable and high-quality video and audio reception, even in low-bandwidth environments, which is essential for maintaining professional standards during virtual meetings.
Recording and Transcription Features: Zoom provides integrated recording and transcription services. Meetings can be recorded in entirety, either locally or on the cloud, which aids in accountability and review. Automated transcription is also available, which can save time in manually typing meeting notes.
Breakout Rooms: Zoom includes the feature of breakout rooms, which allows meeting hosts to split up meeting participants into smaller groups for discussions or brainstorming sessions, replicating the experience of working groups in physical meetings.
Virtual Background and Touch-up Features: Zoom includes innovative features such as virtual backgrounds and touch-up my appearance settings. These features can provide a more professional presentation and can help mask any distracting or unprofessional elements in a user’s real-life background.
Integration with Other Tools: Zoom offers extensive integration with popular tools like Office 365, Gmail, and Slack. This interoperability allows users to schedule and start meetings directly from these applications, thereby streamlining workflow and increasing efficiency.
Limitation on Free Version - One of the specific disadvantages of Zoom is the 40-minute timeslot on meetings for their free version. If users wish to have a meeting beyond this time limit, they will either need to restart the meeting or upgrade to a paid version.
Stability and Quality Issues - Depending on each user's individual network conditions and available equipment, there can be variations in video quality, audio clarity, and overall stability of the application, leading to dropped calls or glitched video.
Resource Intensiveness - Zoom tends to utilize significant computer resources, especially in larger meetings. This can slow down performance and drain battery life in laptops and other mobile devices, often leading to system lags.
Complicated Interface - Especially for first-time users, Zoom's interface has multiple functions and features that may be quite overwhelming. It often takes time to navigate and learn how to use these preferences.
Lack of Integration - Unlike some competitors, Zoom does not offer deep-seated integration with certain third-party platforms and applications such as project management tools, calendar apps, and more. This lack of integration may limit workflow syndication and efficiency.
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Pick #2

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a powerful video meeting software developed by Microsoft, designed for businesses and educational institutions to collaborate digitally. It enables group and one-on-one video conferencing, screen sharing, document collaboration, calendar integrations, and chat messaging among team members, both in the departmental and interdepartmental sense. Microsoft Teams incorporates other Microsoft 365 applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, providing users an integrated platform for seamless communication and productivity. With its advanced security measures, it ensures the confidentiality and privacy of your meetings and files shared.

Integration with Microsoft Office Suite: Microsoft Teams seamlessly integrates with popular Microsoft Office Suite, allowing users to access applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint without leaving the Teams interface. This makes it incredibly convenient to share and work on documents together during a video meeting.
High-quality video and audio: Microsoft Teams offers high-definition video and audio conferencing, which is capable of supporting up to 10,000 users in a single meeting or event.
Efficient collaboration tools: The platform includes features like screen sharing, meeting recording, live captions, and translation that enhance collaborative discussions during video meetings.
Blurred background and Together mode: Microsoft Teams allows you to blur your background during video calls for a more professional appearance or use 'Together mode' to place all participants in the same virtual setting, enhancing concentration and engagement in the meeting.
Meeting scheduling and calendar integration: Microsoft Teams integrates with Outlook calendar, allowing users to schedule, manage and join meetings directly from their calendar. This aids in better time management and meeting organization.
Not User-Friendly Interface - Microsoft Teams has a complex interface that can be difficult to navigate, especially for new or less tech-savvy users, making it harder to host or join meetings.
Inefficient on Weak Connections - Video quality on Microsoft Teams can be quite poor if the internet connection isn't strong and stable; this can lead to a lower quality meeting experience.
Limited Integration with Third-Party Apps - Although Teams integrates well with Microsoft's ecosystem, it falls short on supporting third-party applications, which may limit users who rely on those services during meetings.
Frequent Updates Can Cause Disruptions - Microsoft Teams has a rapid update and change cycle, often resulting in sudden interface changes or unexpected tool behavior that can disrupt video meetings.
Video Layout - Microsoft Teams restricts its video layout to showing only a few participants at one time. For larger meetings, this can make it hard to see and interact with all participants.
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Pick #3

Google Meet

Google Meet is a video conferencing software developed by Google as part of its Google Workspace suite of productivity tools. It facilitates online synchronous communication, enabling individuals or teams to conduct or join virtual meetings seamlessly. Google Meet offers features like screen sharing, real-time captioning, adjustable layouts, and encryptions for secure meetings. It’s compatible with various devices such as PCs, laptops, and smartphones, making it easy for users to connect and collaborate from virtually anywhere. Additionally, Google Meet integrates with Google’s other tools like Gmail and Calendar, offering a streamlined user experience.

Google Integration: Google Meet is seamlessly integrated with Google's suite of productivity tools such as Google Calendar and Gmail. This makes it easy to schedule, join meetings from these apps and access relevant documents during the meeting.
Live Captioning: Google Meet has a unique feature of providing real-time captions during video meetings. This feature, powered by Google's speech recognition technology, can be a great help for participants with hearing impairment or for those in noisy environments.
Scalability: Google Meet can handle a large number of participants in a single meeting. It supports up to 100 participants in the free version and up to 250 in the paid version, making it suitable for larger team meetings or webinars.
Adjustable Layouts: Google Meet allows users to customize their view settings to focus on the content or people they care about. Users can choose to spotlight a speaker, view in a grid, or go with a sidebar layout that shows the active speaker along with a compact grid of other participants.
Screen Sharing and Presentation: Google Meet allows users to share their screens during meetings. This feature can be invaluable for presentations, demonstrations, or collaborative work sessions, and it comes with the added ability for viewers to request control of the shared screen.,
Lack of Virtual Backgrounds: Unlike some of its competitors, Google Meet does not provide virtual or blurred backgrounds making it less useful in environments where users need to obscure their backgrounds.
Limited Integration with Non-Google Products: Google Meet integrates smoothly with Google's suite of tools, but its integration with other tools like Microsoft Office 365, Slack, or Asana isn't as comprehensive.
No 24-hour Meetings for Free Version: Google Meet provides unlimited meeting times only for the paid version. The free version restricts meetings to 60 minutes, a limit that isn’t present in few other comparable virtual meeting applications.
Limited Interactive Features: Google Meet lacks some interactive features like polling or whiteboard options, which could make collaborative sessions or webinars more engaging.
Layout limitations: Google Meet has limited options for customizing video layout. Some users might find it restricting not being able to control how many participants they can see at once or change the layout according to their preferences.
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Pick #4

Cisco Webex

Cisco Webex is a powerful video conferencing software that provides businesses and organizations with an effective platform for online meetings, webinars, and video conferences. It enables seamless collaboration through features like screen sharing, private chat, and video presentations, among others. With high-quality video and audio, it accommodates large scale meetings while facilitating remote work, online training, and project coordination. Webex’s higher level of security makes it a preferred choice for enterprises that handle sensitive information. Incorporating AI and automation, it simplifies scheduling and managing meetings, enhancing the overall user experience.

Cohosting Capabilities: With Cisco Webex, hosting duties can be shared among multiple participants. This flexibility allows for more collaborative environments, especially in larger meetings where assigning multiple roles can be beneficial.
Content & Agenda Management: Cisco Webex provides a unique feature where users can prepare an agenda, include files and attachments, prior to the meeting. This helps in carrying forward the discussions smoothly without having to pause to search for files or forgetting to address important points.
Digital Whiteboarding: With this feature, ideas can be brainstormed in real-time directly in the video meeting. The digital whiteboard can be manipulated by various participants simultaneously, improving team collaboration.
Speech-To-Text Transcription & Language Translation: Cisco Webex can generate meeting transcripts automatically and even provide real-time language translation that can help in meetings with multilingual attendees.
Native Integrations: Cisco Webex offers native integrations with many popular tools like Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Google Calendar, enhancing productivity and streamlining workflows.
Video Quality: Users have reported inconsistent video quality at times, which can negatively impact clear communication during a meeting.
User Interface: Some users have reported the user interface of Cisco Webex to be less intuitive and user-friendly compared to other video meeting software. This can potentially complicate the user experience, making the initiation of, or participation in, meetings more difficult.
Compatibility Issues: Cisco Webex has been reported to have compatibility issues with some systems or browsers, which can limit its accessibility to all potential users.
Limited Annotations and Interactive Features: While Webex does have some options for annotations and interactive functions, some users feel these tools are not as robust or as easily accessible compared to other platforms.
Bandwidth Usage: Cisco Webex has been known to consume a considerable amount of bandwidth when in use. This might lead to problems with software performance, especially in environments with an unstable or low internet connection.
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Pick #5

Skype

Skype is a renowned video meeting software developed by Microsoft, designed to facilitate communication through video calls, voice calls, as well as instant messaging. It enables one-on-one or group meetings online, providing a platform for individuals and businesses to connect seamlessly, irrespective of geographical locations. It supports features such as screen sharing and recording, thus optimizing its use for purposes like education, presentations, personal communication, and professional collaboration. It is accessible on various devices such as computers, smartphones, and tablets. The software has played a pivotal role in promoting virtual interactions globally.

Skype Meeting Broadcast: Skype offers a feature named Meeting Broadcast, enabling users to host webinars and public presentations comfortably. Broad meetings can support up to 10,000 attendees, which is excellent for big corporations or virtual events.
Advanced Integration: Skype integrates with Microsoft’s ecosystem, including Office 365, to help users access shared files and schedule meetings directly through their Outlook email client. And this makes it easier and seamless for businesses that are reliant on Microsoft's suite of applications.
Real-Time Collaboration: Using Skype's screen sharing feature, teams can collaborate virtually on projects in real time as if they were in the same room. This functionality extends to PowerPoint presentations, allowing others to follow along slide by slide.
Background Blur: Skype offers a background blur feature that helps to keep the focus on the speaker during a video call, minimizing distractions from the surroundings which is suitable for professional discussions.
Language Translation: Skype's real-time translation for over 60 languages is a unique feature that helps break down language barriers during international meetings. This aids in effective communication and collaboration globally.
Limited participants: On Skype, the maximum limit of participants in a single video meeting is 50. This can pose a limitation for larger meetings, webinars or events which involve larger teams or bigger audience.
Lack of Advanced Meeting Controls: Compared to other video conferencing tools, Skype lacks advanced meeting controls like breakout rooms and hand raising.
Network Dependency: Skype's performance heavily depends on the strength of the network connection. This can lead to difficulties in smooth communication in locations with poor internet connectivity.
Compatibility Issues: Skype sometimes presents compatibility issues with different operating systems or devices which can disrupt the communication process for users joining the meeting from different platforms.
No Built-In Cloud Storage: Unlike some other video meeting applications, Skype does not come with an in-built cloud storage, leading to difficulties in file sharing and storage for long term.
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Pick #6

GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting is a premier, comprehensive video conferencing and meeting software that enables individuals and business enterprises to organize and attend online meetings, webinars, and training sessions. This software provides an all-in-one platform for seamless screen sharing, conference calling, and video conferencing. It offers enhanced security features, high-definition video quality, and range of tools designed to foster collaboration and increase productivity. It supports various devices including desktops and mobile phones, making it easy for users to connect and collaborate from anywhere, at any time.

HD video conferencing: GoToMeeting offers high-definition video conferencing, which enables crystal clear visualization and improved interaction among participants.
Screen sharing and drawing tools: GoToMeeting has advanced features, such as screen sharing and drawing tools which are beneficial for presenting detailed information and engaging participants in interactive discussions.
Integration with other apps and programs: GoToMeeting integrates well with a variety of common business applications including Office 365, Google Calendar, and Slack, making it easier for users to schedule and start meetings directly from these applications.
Commuter Mode: GoToMeeting offers a commuter mode designed to minimize the amount of data used during a meeting, thereby preserving the battery life of mobile devices.
Voice Commands: GoToMeeting is compatible with Siri voice commands, permitting users to schedule and start meetings using voice commands, thereby facilitating multitasking and productivity.
Limited Features in Basic Plan: The basic plan of GoToMeeting lacks some essential features like drawing tools and breakout rooms. This limits the productivity and interactive capabilities during the meeting.
Complex User Interface: The interface of GoToMeeting can be challenging for first-time users to navigate. It offers numerous options and settings which can overwhelm users, leading to a steep learning curve.
Compatibility Issues: GoToMeeting may not work well with certain browsers like Firefox and Safari. This can decrease the software's accessibility for users preferring these browsers.
Limited Customization: GoToMeeting does not offer much room for visual customization compared to other video meeting software. This makes it less flexible for businesses trying to maintain a certain branding or aesthetic during their meetings.
Difficulty in Audio Setup: Some users have reported issues with setting up audio on GoToMeeting, making it challenging to get the audio settings just right. This can disrupt communication during meetings and reduce the effectiveness of the conference.
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Pick #7

BlueJeans

BlueJeans is a cloud-based video meeting software developed by Verizon, designed to facilitate real-time communications through secure, high-quality, and simple virtual meetings. Its suite of tools enables video conferencing, screen sharing, video calls and webinars, providing an efficient and immersive communication platform for businesses. BlueJeans offers features like noise cancellation, meeting recording, and transcription services, along with integration capabilities with various productivity and collaboration tools. Largely used within enterprise environments, it is recognized for its compatibility with numerous devices and operating systems, making remote work more accessible and effective.

Advanced Interoperability: BlueJeans is known for its exceptional compatibility. It allows the integration with other software like Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom, and more. You can join a BlueJeans meeting from virtually any device, providing both flexibility and convenience.
Intelligent Video Communications: BlueJeans uses HD Video and Dolby Voice audio for its meetings which increases clarity and enhances collaborative discussions. It also provides a suite of analytical tools to gauge meeting success.
Recording and Content Sharing: BlueJeans allows users to record meetings, transcribe them, and install whiteboards, which can be crucial for minimizing miss-outs on important information. It also enables smooth screen sharing to improve presentation and discussion efficiency.
Meeting Highlights and Action Items: The software includes a breakthrough feature that allows you to highlight key discussion points during a meeting. Post-meeting, it generates a meeting summary with highlighted points and action items, thus improving productivity and follow-ups.
Smart Meeting Capabilities: BlueJeans provides features like automated alerts, favorite contacts, 'One-Number Dial In', and personalized user profiles to streamline the scheduling and conducting of meetings. This provides an intelligent and customized user experience.
Poor video quality - Some users have reported that the video quality on BlueJeans can sometimes be less than optimal, leading to pixellated or fuzzy video feeds. This can make it difficult for users to effectively communicate or share visual information during meetings.
Limited document sharing - BlueJeans does not necessarily provide an easy way to share documents during a meeting. This can be a significant disadvantage for teams that frequently need to collaborate on documents or presentations in real time.
User interface - Some users find BlueJeans' user interface to be less intuitive and user-friendly compared to other video meeting software. This can result in a steeper learning curve for new users.
Limited integration with other tools - While BlueJeans does allow for some integration with other apps and platforms, it may not provide as many integrations as some competitors. For instance, its integration with Microsoft Teams or Google Calendar is not always seamless and can cause scheduling conflicts and missed meetings.
Limited advanced features - Compared to some other players in the video meeting software market, BlueJeans does not offer as many advanced features. For example, it misses out on features such as breakout rooms, polling, and whiteboading, which limits it's use for more collaborative and interactive sessions.

Pick #8

Zoho Meeting

Zoho Meeting is a comprehensive video conference software designed to facilitate online meetings, webinars, and live collaboration for businesses. It offers a robust set of features including screen sharing, recording, scheduling, in-meeting chat, and mobile applications to connect and interact with teams and clients across the globe. Its strong emphasis on security, with encryption and compliance measures, ensures secure communication. Zoho Meeting is integrated within the Zoho ecosystem, allowing it to easily sync with other Zoho applications, offering a seamless, unified experience to its users.

Contextual Collaboration – Zoho Meeting promotes effective team communication by integrating with other Zoho apps like Zoho CRM and Zoho Projects. You could discuss a sales deal or a project task directly from the respective Zoho app without switching your application tabs.
No Downloads for Participants – One of the key feature is that attendees don't need to download any software or need any specific hardware to join a meeting. They can join directly via browser, making it easily accessible and saving time.
Interactive Webinars – Zoho Meeting provides extensive features for hosting webinars. This includes screen sharing, polling, Q&A sessions, raising hand, and recording the session, all of which make webinars more interactive and engaging.
Embed Meeting Links – Zoho Meeting allows users to embed meeting links in their website, email signatures, or other marketing materials. This allows guests to join a session with a single click without having to navigate away from the webpage or email they are currently on.
Responsive Tech Support - Zoho Meeting offers excellent customer service and technical support to help customers troubleshoot issues, ensuring smooth and uninterrupted meetings.
Limited features in comparison to competitors - Zoho meeting lacks some advanced features such as breakout rooms and in-meeting surveys that competitors like Zoom or Teams offer.
Interface Usability - Some users report that the interface can be confusing and not as user-friendly as other platforms. This can lead to inefficiencies or frustration during meetings.
Audio and Video Quality - Despite having a solid infrastructure, users occasionally report issues with audio and video quality during meetings. This could be due to network instability or software performance.
Limited Integration Capabilities - Zoho Meeting doesn't offer wide integration possibilities with popular tools and calendars. This might slow down planning and coordination of meetings.
Mobile App Functionality - The mobile application of Zoho Meeting has been reported to have more limitations in terms of features and functionality when compared to its desktop version. This might limit the user-experience of those who prefer to join meetings from mobile devices.
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Pick #9

Join.me

Join.me is a comprehensive video conferencing and meeting service software that facilitates online meetings, team collaboration, and business presentations. This user-friendly software supports both video and audio meetings, providing features such as screen sharing, recording capabilities, scheduling, and participant management tools. It enables users to host or participate in meetings from various devices, including computers and mobile devices. The platform is designed to streamline communication and improve the efficiency of corporate meetings, presentations, or webinars in a virtual environment. Its simplicity and versatility make it suitable for businesses of all sizes.

Simplified Interface: Join.meboasts an incredibly user-friendly and intuitive interface. The straightforward design makes it quick and easy for users to start or join video meetings, thus reducing the time spent on navigating complex functionalities.
One-Click Screen Sharing: Join.me's video meeting software offers one-click screen-sharing capabilities, which makes it remarkably convenient for presenters to share their screens, aiding in effective presentations or demonstrations.
Personalized User Experience: Join.meallows users to personalize their meeting rooms with customized URLs. This unique feature can support branding initiatives and make the room easier to find for participants.
Integrations with Other Tools: Join.meprovides seamless integrations with popular calendar apps (like Google Calendar and Outlook) and workflow applications (like Slack). This interoperability can improve coordination, increase productivity, and eliminate the need for juggling multiple platforms.
Interactive Whiteboard Feature: Join.meoffers a digital whiteboard for interactive brainstorming sessions during video meetings. This can significantly enhance creativity, engagement, and collaboration among participants.
Limited Integrations - Compared to other leading video meeting software, Join.me lacks in-depth integrations with other business software. This can cause difficulty in managing tasks, sharing documents, and communication.
Limited Customization - The lack of advanced customization features can be a disadvantage for some organizations. This can limit the way meetings are conducted and how data and information is presented during presentations.
Video Quality - Join.me often receives complaints about the inconsistent video quality. The video can sometimes be pixelated or laggy which can disrupt a meeting or presentation.
UI/UX Concerns - Some users find the user interface not as intuitive or user-friendly when compared to similar video meeting platforms. This can lead to difficulties in navigation and overall user experience.
Limited Participant Interaction - Join.me lacks interactive features such as polling or questioning that are common in several other video meeting platforms. This could limit participant interaction during a webinar or a large meeting.

Pick #10

Slack

Slack is a team collaboration software that integrates text, voice, and video communications into a unified platform. As a video meeting software, it allows users to seamlessly initiate or join high-quality video calls directly from their ongoing conversations with colleagues. These video calls may include multiple participants, depending on the user group’s size. Slack’s video meeting feature also supports screen sharing and real-time messaging, enhancing team collaboration and productivity across geographically dispersed teams. It is particularly beneficial for remote work or telecommuting scenarios.

Integrated Workspace: Slack is not just a video meeting platform. It combines team collaboration tools and video conferencing in one place, therefore, enhancing productivity during the meetings.
Screen Sharing: During video meetings, Slack allows users to share their screens for better communication. This is an invaluable tool for presentations, demonstrating tasks or troubleshooting issues live.
Multi-Channel Communication: With Slack, you can organize your meetings in different channels. This means you can have separate channels for different projects or departments, keeping conversations organized and easy to navigate.
In-Meeting Chat: Even during a video meeting, Slack users can continue to use the chat functionality. This allows for additional conversation, questions, or comments to take place without disrupting the speaker.
Integration with Other Tools: Slack has extensive integration capabilities with many popular tools like Google Drive, Office 365, Trello etc. So, you can easily share files and documents during the video meetings.
Slack only supports one-on-one video calls in the free version. For group video meetings, you have to upgrade to a paid plan which is not as gracious as the offerings of some of its competitors like Zoom or Microsoft Teams, where they offer group meetings even in their free versions.
The video quality in Slack can sometimes be inconsistent and not as high definition compared to other video meeting software. This can adversely affect the quality of the video meetings and presentations.
Another disadvantage of Slack as a video meeting software is that it lacks advanced features like background blur or virtual backgrounds. This can be a drawback for users who rely on these features for privacy or to maintain a professional image during video meetings.
The interface for video calls in Slack is simple but not as intuitive as other services. For example, controls for screen sharing and managing participants are not quickly accessible which can lead to awkward moments during an ongoing meeting.
In Slack, participants can't join a video meeting before the host starts it. In a formal setting, this lack of a 'waiting room' or 'lobby' feature can lead to disruptions or delays in the workflow.
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FAQs

What features should I look for in a video meeting software?

When selecting video meeting software, some key features should include reliable connectivity, high-definition video and audio, screen sharing capabilities, record functionality, chat or messaging options, attendee management, and tools for collaboration such as whiteboard or annotation options.

How secure is video meeting software?

Security in video meeting software usually includes end-to-end encryption, meeting passwords, and waiting rooms, allowing hosts to control who joins the meeting. However, the level of security varies between different platforms and it is always advised to review the provider’s security policy.

Can video meeting software accommodate large meetings or conferences?

Yes, many video meeting software platforms offer options to host large meetings or webinars. The maximum number of participants will depend on the specific software and the plan you subscribe to.

Does video meeting software require a lot of bandwidth?

Good video conferencing requires a stable internet connection. However, most video meeting software also offers options to adjust the call quality to adapt to slower internet speeds. Usually, an upload and download speed of 1.5 Mbps is enough for a one-on-one video call.

Can video meeting software be used on different devices?

Most video meeting software is compatible with a range of devices including desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Many providers offer apps that can be downloaded to these devices making it easier to join meetings from any location.

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