The coronavirus pandemic has changed how entrepreneurs communicate within the business world. Conferencing tools like Zoom come in handy for their day-to-day communications. But with the latest news surrounding security breaches, maybe it's time for Zoom alternatives.
If you're on the hunt for a Zoom alternative, stick around for our top recommendations.
2020 Zoom Alternatives for Entrepreneurs
Why Is Zoom So Popular?
When the world screeched to a halt for the pandemic, Zoom met the demand for video conferencing software. Those suddenly working from home loved being able to host 40-minute meetings with up to 100 participants. Doing it for free on their easy-to-use platform was the icing on the cake.
Is Zoom Still Free?
Yes, Zoom offers a FREE plan that covers your basic video conferencing needs. A tiered pricing plan is also available, starting at $14.99.
Does Zoom Show Your Face?
Yes. If your video is on, your face will be visible to all other participants within the meeting. You can toggle between revealing and hiding your face for each meeting.
What Are The Problems With Zoom?
Zoom's popularity has catapulted its way into the mainstream. But the platform is now vulnerable to scrutiny and criticism, which is one reason people are looking for Zoom alternatives. Unfortunately, the latest headlines have exposed some glaring issues. Now, users have concerns raise some concerning questions:
Does Zoom Steal Your Info?
Your personal information is not safe when using Zoom's services. The company is currently facing a lawsuit for sharing user data. They shared users' personal information, emails, and photos with third-party companies like Facebook. Worse, they did so without notifying users.
Is Zoom Safe From Hackers?
No, Zoom is not safe against hackers. Under Zoom's free plan, there is no end-to-end encryption. Laptop Mag also notes how Zooms share links that can compromise your network. When Zoom transforms your meeting URL into a hyperlink, it "also converts URLs into Windows networking Universal Naming Convention (UNC) paths, which can work to access network resources."
Has Zoom Been Hacked?
Sadly, yes. As recently as April 2020, "500,000 stolen Zoom passwords were up for sale," according to Forbes. Moreover, Yahoo! Finance brings attention to 352 verified hacked Zoom accounts. The users' names, email addresses, and passwords posted to the dark web.
How Many Times Has Zoom Been Hacked?
With the recent explosion of Zoom users during the coronavirus outbreak, it's difficult to quantify the number of hackings. But the numbers reported so far are significant. With the personal information of hundreds of Zoom users compromised and even posted on the dark web, there are valid concerns.
This has created a demand for alternative video conference software with better security. This is true not only within the United States but in our global economy. The Indian government has "issued an advisory cautioning against using Zoom app." That concern sparked a video conference app development challenge for Indian companies, according to Gadgets 360.
Until they announce the winner, here are some Zoom alternatives to keep your business running smoothly.
Who Are Zoom Competitors?
In light of Zoom's security breaches, more entrepreneurs are seeking free Zoom alternatives 2020. But you don't need to waste your valuable time in browsing the Zoom alternative Reddit forums. Coming up, we're sharing our free and paid recommendations for when Zoom just isn't working out for you anymore:
Cisco Webex Meetings (Free)
"The Best Video Conferencing & Online Meeting Software."
Free Plan Available: Yes
Pricing: Starts at $13.50 per month
Features:
- Up to 100 participants in a video conference
- 50-minute meeting limit
- Unlimited number of meetings
- Desktop, application, file and whiteboard sharing options
- Webex Personal Room (your own virtual conference space with a unique link and video address)
- Create polls
- Record meetings and save locally to your system
Cisco Webex Meetings vs. Zoom
If you're seeking apps like Zoom free-of-charge, Cisco Webex Meetings is a good start. Cisco Webex and Zoom both offer free plans that are comparable to each other. The former has the minor advantage of holding 50-minute meetings. That's in contrast to Zoom's 40-minute limit.
With Cisco Webex, you also gain the perk of creating a private room with its unique link. You can lock and unlock the room at will. This grants you protections against "Zoom-bombing." That's where strangers intrude and participate in Zoom meetings without authorization.
Google Meet (Free)
"We re-engineered the service we built for secure business meetings, Google Meet, to make it free and available for all."
Free Plan Available: Yes
Pricing: Starting at $10 per month
Features:
- Up to 100 participants in a video conference
- 1-hour meeting limit
- Unlimited number of meetings
- Live closed captions
- Screen-sharing
- Encryption in transit and at rest
- 2-step verification
- Self-help online support
- 15 GB storage via Google Drive
Google Meet vs. Zoom
Originally called Hangouts Meet, Google launched Google Meet to meet the demand for video conferencing. It's a necessary feature in today's social and economic climate. Google Meet is a welcome addition within your Google toolkit. That is, if you already use Google's G Suite applications for your business.
In the Google Hangouts Zoom debate, Google Meet offers many of the features that Zoom offers. You also gain additional security protections. Topping the list is their encryption in transit and at rest, along with their 2-step verification.
Skype (Free)
"Host a video meeting with no sign-ups or downloads."
Free Plan Available: Yes
Features:
- Up to 50 participants in a video conference
- Record calls
- Blur your background
- Get a Skype number and answer incoming calls via Skype app
- Send SMS from Skype
Skype vs. Zoom: Is Zoom Better than Skype?
Zoom outclasses Skype when it comes to meeting room capacity. Skype allows only 50 participants where the Zoom app can accommodate 100 participants. However, Zoom meetings have a 40-minute limit. Skype has no time limit. Also, Tech Radar just reported that Skype no longer requires participants to create a Skype account. This change makes joining a meeting easier than ever.
Unfortunately, both Zoom and Skype fail on the security front. We've already shared how hundreds of Zoom accounts got hacked. Skype also does not use end-to-end encryption. That means your communications are vulnerable to Microsoft's peering eyes.
Microsoft Teams (Free)
"Instantly go from group chat to video conference with the touch of a button. Teams of 10 or 10,000 can meet in one place, no matter how many places they're in."
Free Plan Available: Yes
Pricing: Starting at $5.00 per month
Free Features:
- Up to 20 participants in a video conference
- Screen sharing
- Customized backgrounds
- Web versions of Word, Excel, and Powerpoint
- Microsoft data encryption at rest and in transit
Microsoft Teams vs. Zoom
Both Zoom and Microsoft Teams offer your basic communication needs. They include video conferencing and screen sharing. Microsoft Teams' disadvantage is that their free plan only enables up to 20 participants in a video conference. That's compared to 100 participants for Zoom. It's worth noting that many small businesses run on Microsoft Office. It may be more practical to keep all your software, including your video conferencing tool, under the Microsoft umbrella.
Whatsapp (Free)
"With free video calls, you can have face-to-face conversations for when voice or text just isn't enough."
Free Plan Available: Yes
Features:
- Up to 8 participants in a video conference
- Simple, intuitive messaging interface
- Video chat with people in different countries for free
- Sync all your chats from your phone to your computer
Whatsapp vs. Zoom: Is Zoom Better than Whatsapp?
With Whatsapp, group video calls have only an 8-participant limit. Whatsapp does gain points because they now offer end-to-end encryption with their latest versions. Zoom's most glaring flaws revolve around their security. Therefore, Whatsapp can be a viable Zoom alternative if you're seeking more security.
Jitsi (Free)
"The world's best video conferences are built on Jitsi."
Free Plan Available: Yes
Features:
- Up to 75 participants in a video conference
- Blur background
- Integrates with Slack, Google Calendar, and Office 365
- Compatible with WebRTC, the open standard for Web communication
- Advanced video routing support
Jitsi vs. Zoom
Amid the recent news surrounding Zoom's security issues, Jitsi has recently "achieved 20 million unique monthly participants," according to The Next Web. Their security protections can testify to this spike in users. Jitsi offers end-to-end encryption if you are using Jitsi Meet on a browser. Also, Jitsi doesn't require any users to create an account. Any information submitted during a meeting is optional. That info gets destroyed after the meeting concludes.
Facebook Messenger Rooms (Free)
"Messenger Rooms is a new way to hang out with your favorite people on video chat."
Free Plan Available: Yes
Features:
- Up to 50 participants in a video conference
- Anyone can hop into a meeting, even if they don't have a Facebook account
- AR filters
- Virtual backgrounds
- Leverages their already intuitive Facebook messenger chat
- Compatible across mobile devices and desktop platforms
- No time limits
Facebook Messenger Rooms vs. Zoom
Facebook is also meeting the demand for video chat functions during these times of social distancing with Facebook Messenger Rooms. The Verge describes this business move as an opportunity "to reposition its messaging products as more familiar and well-polished versions of popular video chat alternatives." Unfortunately, Messenger Rooms does not end-to-end encrypt your meetings. Facebook says that they will not view or listen in — if you want to take Facebook at its word.
GoToMeeting by LogMeIn (Paid)
"LogMeIn has everything your organization needs to work remotely and stay connected."
Free Trial Available: Yes
Pricing: Starting at $14.00 per month
Features:
- Up to 150 participants in a video conference
- Screen sharing
- Conference calling
- Video conferencing
- Mobile conferencing
- Meeting recording and transcription
- Conference room equipment
GoToMeeting vs. Zoom
GoToMeeting gets props for being the one-stop platform for all your virtual business tools. In terms of video conferencing, GoToMeeting is a more secure competitor than Zoom. It has SSL encryption, AES-256 bit encryption, and SOC2 certified data centers. Starting at $14, you gain access to a higher video conferencing participant limit and additional securities.
Zoho Meeting (Paid)
"Conduct online meetings and host webinars using a single tool."
Free Trial Available: Yes
Pricing: Starting at $8
Features:
- Up to 100 participants in a video conference
- No downloads, launch meetings straight from your browser
- Screen sharing
- Record meetings and store them
- Sync meetings to your calendar
- Secure communication via SSL/128-bit AES encryption protocols
Zoho Meeting vs. Zoom
Zoho Meeting offers an affordable plan with a low monthly subscription fee of $8.00. Under this plan, you can hold meetings with up to 100 participants. That's likely more than enough if you run a small to medium-sized business.
When participating in a Zoho Meeting, you gain some protections. All transmissions go through SSL/128-bit AES encryption protocols. Moreover, any data the users share gets encrypted and securely saved.
The Bottom Line on Zoom Alternatives
COVID-19 has thrown a wrench into our economy. This disruption will separate the "dabblers" from the true entrepreneurs. Owning a business is never dull - that’s for certain. Success demands that we learn how to pivot, recognize opportunities, and keep going no matter what.
But pivoting doesn't mean you have to settle. Zoom may have been the go-to platform for video conferencing. But its security issues pushed entrepreneurs to seek alternatives. We hope our recommendations will help you find a video conferencing platform that is intuitive and secure for your business needs.
If you’re in the thick of it, working to build and grow your business in 2020, you could probably use some help. That’s why we’ve just released this video training to help you whatever stage you’re in as you build a business, invest the profits, and create change in the world. (And boy, there’s never been a time when the world needs you more than now!) Watch it for free right here.
