As we are all aware, we are living in a very challenging time due to the COVID-19 Virus outbreak. Colleagues, families and friends are isolating themselves from others on Government advice in an effort to contain the spread of the Coronavirus.
However this isolation creates new challenges, how do colleagues communicate so they can carry on working, how do families and friends keep-in-touch to keep up morale and reduce loneliness in this difficult time?
Luckily we have the power of the internet and video calling at our disposal to keep communication and social iteration flowing!
So, to help everyone out I’ve put together the below list of 25 free video calling apps that you can use with colleagues, family or friends. The list states what you get for free and whether the free tier is on a time-based trial or with limited functionality.
If you’re struggling to make use of these apps and need some training then check out this completely free course developed by one of my amazing clients.
If I have missed any out which you think need to be added then let me know by emailing [email protected]
| App | Free? | People Limit | Screen Sharing | Software Needed | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jitsi | 100% FREE | 50 | Yes | No | Encrypted, no account needed, live streaming | Some features still in Beta mode |
| Skype | 100% FREE | 50 | Yes | No | Up to 50 people in a video call | Not ideal for business use, must have account |
| Cisco Webex | FREEMIUM | 100 | Yes | No | Up to 100 Participants, Unlimited Time & Meetings | For personal use only |
| FB Messenger | 100% FREE | 50 | No | No | Up to 50 people in a video call | Must have a Facebook account |
| Google Hangouts | 100% FREE | 25 | Yes | No | Can be used by anyone on any device | Limited to 25 people per video call |
| Zoom | FREEMIUM | 100 | Yes | No | Smooth calls with many people | 40 min limit on group calls |
| Facetime | 100% FREE | 32 | No | Yes | Up to 32 people in a video call | Only available on Apple Devices |
| Google Meet | FREE with G Suite | 100 | Yes | No | Great freebie if you already have G Suite | Expensive for those not on G Suite |
| Microsoft Teams | FREEMIUM | 80 | Yes | Yes | Great for users of Microsoft products | External guests require an account |
| GoToMeeting | FREE TRIAL | 50 | Yes | No | Admin controls, no time limits | Free on 14 Day Trial, Webinars £15 / pm |
| Lifesize | FREE TRIAL | 25 | Yes | Yes | Great UI, Scalable Solution | Free Trial is for 6 Months Only |
| UberConference | FREEMIUM | 10 | Yes | No | Call recording, mobile apps | 45 Minute call limit |
| Talky | 100% FREE | 6 | Yes | No | Whitelabel product, no account needed | Fairly simple / Limited functionality |
| 100% FREE | 4 | No | Yes | Widely used already, simple UI | 4 people per video call, calls on phones only | |
| Adobe Connect | FREE TRIAL | 25 | Yes | Yes | Great for digital training | Only free for 90-Days then £40 per month |
| Demio | FREE TRIAL | 25 | Yes | No | Webinar features, No account needed | 14 Day Free Trial - Pricey afterwards |
| Video4Sure | 100% FREE | 256 | Unknown | No | 256 Participants for free | Unknown & Un-reviewed |
| RedCoolMedia | 100% FREE | 9 | No | No | Very simple, no frills | Limited functionality, unreviewed |
| FreeConference.com | 100% FREE | 1000* | Yes | No | Whiteboard functionality | *Only 5 people via video call, 1,000 via phone call |
| OnlineVideoCall | 100% FREE | 20 | Unknown | No | Very simple, no frills | Questionable Security, Limited functionality |
| Slack | FREEMIUM | 2 | Yes | Yes | Many Integrations, Great UI | Free for small teams only, 1:1 video calls |
| Signal | 100% FREE | 2 | No | Yes | Fully encrypted and secure | 1:1 Video calls only, must have the app |
| Proficonf | FREEMIUM | 2 | Yes | No | Whiteboard & File Sharing | 2 People per call |
| VSee | FREEMIUM | 2 | Yes | Yes | BAA & HIPAA Compliant | Max 25 calls per month |
| Wherby | FREEMIUM | 2 | Yes | No | Very friendly & easy to use UI | Max 2 people per call, Expensive after free plan |