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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.
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.
Yes, Zoom offers a FREE plan that covers your basic video conferencing needs. A tiered pricing plan is also available, starting at $14.99.
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.
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:
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.
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."
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.
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.
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:
"The Best Video Conferencing & Online Meeting Software."
Free Plan Available: Yes
Pricing: Starts at $13.50 per month
Features:
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.
"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:
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.
"Host a video meeting with no sign-ups or downloads."
Free Plan Available: Yes
Features:
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.
"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:
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.
"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:
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.
"The world's best video conferences are built on Jitsi."
Free Plan Available: Yes
Features:
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.
"Messenger Rooms is a new way to hang out with your favorite people on video chat."
Free Plan Available: Yes
Features:
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.
"LogMeIn has everything your organization needs to work remotely and stay connected."
Free Trial Available: Yes
Pricing: Starting at $14.00 per month
Features:
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.
"Conduct online meetings and host webinars using a single tool."
Free Trial Available: Yes
Pricing: Starting at $8
Features:
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.
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.
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