Best Conference Calling Apps for Businesses

Over the past decade, conference calling apps have seen a steady rise in popularity. However, in the wake of the events of recent months, many businesses have come to use and rely upon conference calling apps to keep their businesses running. With so many people not stepping outside and working from home, a trend that is likely to continue, it’s more important than ever to pick the app that best suits your business.

With dozens of conference calling apps on the market, each with their features and pricing, it can be challenging to know which app will work best with your business. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best conference calling apps for business available today.

Before we get started, here’s an overview:

Microsoft Teams:

Microsoft Teams – a chat, audio call, and video conferencing app – comes utterly free as part of Office 365. While communication is a vital aspect of businesses, people are increasingly expecting more from conferencing software. Teams app enables seamless presenting and file sharing via the integration of Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and other Office apps. It’s, therefore, the ideal tool for long-distance collaboration.

Up to 250 people can use video chat at once in Teams, while 10,000 people can watch a presentation live. Meetings can be scheduled through Outlook and will be displayed in your Outlook calendar. Another powerful feature of Microsoft Teams is its Public Switched Telephone Network Conferencing capability. This option, when turned on, enables individuals with limited or no internet connectivity to join Teams meetings via a traditional telephone line. Understanding how to turn on PSTN Conferencing in Teams ensures that your communication strategy is inclusive and flexible, catering to the varying needs of your team members. In essence, by leveraging PSTN Conferencing, Microsoft Teams goes beyond being a mere digital platform to bridging the gap with traditional telephony, ensuring no team member is left behind due to technological constraints. For a comprehensive and seamless experience, there is no alternative. Learn more about Teams Tenant to Tenant Migration and how to migrate SharePoint Site to another tenant.

Google Hangouts:

Every Google account has access to Google Hangouts. Free Gmail and G Suite Basic customers can host calls with up to 10 people for an unlimited duration. However, following the recent pandemic, Google is now allowing G Suite and G Suite for Education customers to host video conferences of up to 250 participants, and live streams with up to 100,000 viewers, until September 30, 2020.

Similar to Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts blends seamlessly with other Google-based apps, such as Google Calendar and Gmail, and allows for file sharing and access to meeting recordings via Google Drive.

Free Conference:

FreeConferenceCall.com does precisely what it says, with some of the most generous abilities for a free service. You can host conference calls with up to 100 participants, change presenters, record meetings, screen share, and private chat.

However, additional services are provided in their Starter and Pro plans. With capabilities including, YouTube Streaming, higher security, and Phone Support. If you need a large call with hundreds of participants, a request needs to be placed via their website before the meeting’s start.

FreeConference is also available as a mobile app for iOS and Android.

Zoom:

Since starting in 2011, Zoom has made a name for itself, becoming an industry leader. The app’s basic free plan allows up to 100 participants to join a call for 40 minutes duration, and the app can be accessed via Google or Facebook. Zoom Pro ($14.99 per month) still only allows 100 participants, but with a 24-hour duration limit, you’ll likely never run out of time.

At the top end of the scale, you can host up to 1,000 participants, with 49 videos appearing on screen at once. If you’ve even been on a call and worried about your messy room, you now have the option to present a virtual background. With HelloBackgrounds, you’ll never struggle when choosing the right zoom virtual background – boasting over 390 images and video backgrounds, giving the illusion of stylish boardroom or swanky private office. So other call participants need never see the clutter in the backdrop.

Skype:

For years, Skype was the undisputed king of the conference apps market. Although in recent years it has seen the stiff competition, the video conferencing service is still highly regarded. With calls of up 50 people – a recent improvement on the previous 25-person limit – calls can last for four hours. Yet, while Skype is still famous for a call with friends – being available on iOS, Android, desktop apps, and via the web app, many businesses find the limitations of the service frustrating.

Previously, Skype for Business was the go-to tool for business owners; however, after having been replaced with Microsoft Teams, Skype is struggling from a lack of users. With competitors moving in on its market.

WhatsApp:

When you first think of conferencing apps, WhatsApp probably doesn’t jump to mind. However, the free service supports video calls with up to four participants. Though it can never compete with more comprehensive conference calling apps, it can serve as a useful addendum, allowing colleagues to quickly catch-up with each other. During calls, additional people can be invited into the call. Plus, with WhatsApp being ubiquitous, if you need to contact someone outside the business, they’ll likely have the app.

The app also boasts many more features than people first realize. See our 15+ Best WhatsApp Tricks for more information.

CISCO Webex Meetings:

Of all the entries, Webex has the best reputation for high-quality technology. Nor is the reputation unearned. With every feature you could hope for from a conference calling app, you won’t find a more comprehensive service. For free users, calls can host up to 50 participants with a 40-minute limit. But you also get 1GB of cloud storage. The audio and video quality is flawless, and the set-up is easy. So, no need to faff around with convoluted software that makes you look unprofessional.

Webex Business – the priciest plan – allows up to 200 participants, and 10GB of cloud storage. You have the option to create polls, share files instantly, or annotate share documents while in presentation mode.

With both dedicated desktop apps, or mobile apps for iOS and Android, you’ll be able to dial in anytime, anywhere. Plus, Webex allows users in up to 52 countries to join a conference via standard telephone, for truly flexible service.

Last Words:

You don’t need to spend a fortune to find a service suited to your business. For smaller companies, many free services will suffice. While bigger businesses may want to invest in a paid plan: either way, it’s more vital than ever to have a conference calling app that works for you.

That’s all about the best conference calling apps for small and big businesses that you can use to boost your online productivity and work from home easily. You can easily host meetings, interviews, seminars, and other conferences with these apps. Try them out and let us know which one did you like the most!

If you have any further queries, do let me know below in the comments. I will be happy to help. That’s all for now. Thank you for reading. I will be back soon with more interesting updates. Keep visiting HiTricks for more Business Tips and Tricks. Also, don’t forget to join our Telegram Channel for the latest Tech Updates.

Nirmal Sarkar
Nirmal Sarkar

Nirmal Sarkar is a Biotechnologist from the city of Joy, Kolkata. He is the founder of this blog and covers a wide range of topics from Gadgets to Software to Latest Offers. You can get in touch with him via nirmal@hitricks.com

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