Zoom Meetings is a wildly popular videoconferencing solution that was previously mainly known by those who frequent board rooms and business-huddle rooms. Thanks to the social distancing that has become the norm during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, Zoom has entered the national consciousness.
With all the prohibitions against in-person gatherings, most business and education has moved online, and as a consequence Zoom's users have has grown from about 10 million daily to over 200 million, according to the company's blog. And it’s not just businesses, either. A free version lets any group create video rooms for people to socialize in. People are using it to stay in touch with families, hold book club meetings, and even host virtual parties.
The Problem With Zoom
But it hasn't been all good news for Zoom: The service has been criticized for privacy and security issues, and the term zoom bombingzoom bombing—when unwanted interlopers interrupt a group video session—has entered the lexicon. This has particularly been a problem for schools, some of which have actually banned Zoom.
Zoom has been working hard to fix these issues, but if you've been put off by these missteps—or you just prefer another service for your personal video chatting, there are plenty of excellent choices out there, as you'll see below. Note that we aren't talking here about about business videoconferencing services—BlueJeans, GoToMeeting, RingCentral, Webex, and the like. PCMag has reviewed those extensively elsewhere. While several of those are currently offering expanded free service during the current stay-at-home health crisis, here we're concerned with personal group video.
Zoom vs. the World
Zoom lets free users conduct video meetings of up to 100 participants (with up to 49 visible at once) for a maximum of 40 minutes. Organizers can send a meeting link over messaging, email, or social network posts so that participants can easily join.
Some of the services below have lower participant limits, but most don't cut your group off after a specified time. Paid Zoom plans start at just $14.99, increasing the time limit to 24 hours and adding a meeting recording feature.
All the services included below have free accounts for the public to use, but they vary greatly in functionality. Read on for the details on each—how many participants they allow, the platforms they work on, and their special features or requirements.
Facebook Messenger: Best for Facebook Fans
The social network of record just launched a Mac desktop version of its billion-user-plus popular chatting app and updated its Windows store app with goodies like dark mode and a Live Tile in Windows, and group video calling. With Messenger, you can continue text chatting, spice up your chat with stickers, and apply filters that adorn your face.
Messenger works on all major platforms—Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and web—along with the company's own device dedicated largely to video calling via Messenger, Facebook Portal. There's a kid-specific version, Messenger Kids, which also offers group video, but with parental controls like blocking and monitoring.
You can't simply invite participants by sending a link, however; you need to add them individually and they need an account. On the plus side, you can create persistent groups for easy meeting starting. Up to 50 people can join a group call, but only six of them can be seen at a time. You don't need participants' email address or phone number, but you can invite with those as well as using Facebook usernames.
Read our collection of Cool Tricks and Secret Gems Inside Facebook Messenger to help you make the most of your use of the app.
Maximum users: 50 (with six visible at once)
Platforms: Android, Facebook Portal, iOS, macOS, web browser, Windows.
Use type: Personal
FaceTime: Best for iPhone & Mac Users
Facetime is a terrific service with great image quality, but it only works if everyone in your chat group is using an Apple device. Group video came to FaceTime in 2018, and quickly met with a privacy scare that has since been plugged up. Unlike Zoom and the other services here, you can't simply send prospective attendees a link to join your group video call; you have to add them with their phone number or Apple ID.
FaceTime allows up to 32 participants in a group video chat. Only four other participants besides yourself can show on-screen at a time, but those talking get larger images in the interface. FaceTime integrates with iMessage, so you can start a video with a text chat message. You can add text, stickers, or Animoji during group video chats. For more, read Ready to Video Chat? How to Group FaceTime.
Maximum users: 32
Platforms: iOS, iPadOS, macOS
Use type: Personal
Google Hangouts: Best for Web-Based Video Calling
The search ad giant has separated its business and personal video calling services, with the former becoming Google Meet and the latter remaining as Hangouts. Google's consumer video chat service allows up to 25 participants, though only 10 can appear on-screen at once. You need a Google account (normally in the form of a Gmail account), and can invite participants via email or by sending or posting a public link.
During a call, you can continue text messaging and share your screen. It's a very simple, clear interface, though the business-targeted G Suite Meet product offers more features, and Google is increasing the video limit to 250 participants for Basic G Suite subscribers through September. Those accounts start at $6 per person per month.
Maximum number of participants: 25 with 10 visible
Platforms: Android, iOS, web browser
Use type: Personal and Business
Houseparty: Best for Mobile Socializing
Risen from the ashes of failed Twitter Periscope competitor Meerkat, Houseparty is a venture-capital success story, having been gobbled up by Epic games, maker of Fortnight and Gears of War. Unsurprisingly, the "face to face social network" lets you play games while connected with up to seven other users. It notifies your group whenever you open the app. The app's maker, Life on Air, has denied recent accusations that Houseparty was hacked, leaking users' Netflix, Spotify, and bank account details.
The service requires a mobile phone SMS verification to create an account, though I managed to get into the web beta version without this step. Optionally, you can connect your Facebook contacts to add them to your Houseparty calls. You can also create a link to add people to your party, or search for any user on the service and send a request for them to accept your add. Once your chat room is going, you can lock it to prevent anyone else from joining.
Houseparty's Pass a Note feature (can you guess the app's target demographic from that?), lets users send direct messages and the desktop version lets you share your screen. Among the casual party games available, the highest profile is Heads Up, since it was promoted by Ellen DeGeneres, thanks to a partnership with the comedian's Ellen Digital Network.
Maximum group video participants: 8
Platforms: Android, iOS, macOS, web browser.
Use type: Personal
Microsoft Teams: Best for Large Groups and Organizations
The software giant's relatively recent entry in videoconferencing, started as a business-only solution, but now it's free and available to the public at large. Microsoft Teams offers nifty features like background blur (also available in Zoom) and AI-powered noise suppression, so that one participant's rattling bag of chips doesn't upstage what people are trying to say.
Teams will soon become part of the Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscriptions, which also include Office apps and Parental safety features. Those are priced the same as Office 365—$79.99 per year for a family of six, with each getting 1TB cloud storage and downloadable Office applications. The business version of Teams starts at $5 per user per month.
As with Zoom, Teams primarily targets business and educational customers, but the free account (which requires a Microsoft account, such as an Outlook.com email address) also is available for any organization. For friends and family use, you'll be directed to Skype (see next alternative), though there's no verification required. That said, Teams includes a lot of Slack-like business tools, such as file sharing, wiki creation, and a host of third-party business integrations—even, ironically, Zoom.
Maximum group video participants: 250
Platforms: Android, iOS, web browser, Windows.
Use type: Personal and Business
Skype: Best for Loads of Features and Platforms
Skype has been around longer than any other video chat service in this roundup and has evolved a feature-packed but refined interface. The now-Microsoft-owned (though still Luxembourg based) service works on more platforms than most, and it allows free group video rooms with up to 50 participants. You can create a Skype video chat room without a Microsoft account, but if you do have one, you'll be able to save your conversation history and contacts.
The new Skype Meet Now feature lets anyone start an ad hoc video conference. You can start or participate either in a web browser or in the Skype app. Like Hangouts, Skype lets you continue text chatting, along with stickers, file sharing, and desktop sharing. In addition, you can create polls, send money, and even share Spotify tracks. If you haven't used Skype in a while, you may be surprised at how far it's come.
For more enjoyment with the service, read Skype Tips for Cheap and Easy Chats.
Maximum group video participants: 50
Platforms: Alexa, Android, iOS, Kindle Fire, Linux, macOS, web browser, Windows, Xbox.
Use type: Personal and Business
WhatsApp: Best for Private Chats With up to Three Friends
The massively popular texting and calling app allows group video chats of up to four participants. Sure, that's a far cry from Zoom's limit of 100, but maybe it suits your needs, and it doesn't have Zoom's 40-minute time limit for free group calls. Note that you can't access it without a mobile phone, and the desktop apps don't support video calling. Nor is there anything in the way of emoji or text chatting during group video calls.
In a test group call, the image quality on my iPhone X was excellent, with one participant saying she looked better in it than she does in FaceTime sessions. Though WhatsApp allows group chats with up to 256 participants, group video is limited to just four. A big plus for privacy fans: WhatsApp video calls are end-to-end encrypted, according to the company's FAQ.
As an added perk: WhatsApp has added a Coronavirus hub to provide reliable information on the pandemic. For more WhatsApp power, read our Essential WhatsApp Tips.
Maximum group video participants: 4
Platforms: Android, iOS
Use type: Personal
TeamViewer Blizz: Best for No Time Limits
Blizz comes from the well-regarded TeamViewer remote support company. The product will become TeamViewer Meetings in the future. The service uses a simple, friendly, and capable interface. Blizz offers service that's "free for basic private and business meetings" for up to five participants. Educational institutions can get accounts supporting up to 50 participants. Paid accounts allow up to 300 participants and include recording meetings and support. The free service includes chat and screen sharing as well as HD video. You can even schedule meetings and import Outlook contacts. One of the best aspects of Blizz is that there's no time limit, unlike the free version of Zoom.
Maximum group video participants: 5 (300 for paid accounts)
Platforms: Android, iOS, macOS, Windows
Use type: Personal and Business
Epyc: Best for 100 Free Participants, Recording
Epyc is a fairly new group video service from IDrive, a PCMag online backup Editors' Choice winner. The free Epyc account allows up to a generous 100 participants, but meetings are limited to one hour. Meetings can be password-protected and encrypted. You can even record your group session as long as the resulting video file takes up 1GB or less of storage. You can start a meeting instantly from the web, without even setting up an account. The service also offers blurred backgrounds and virtual backgrounds. For a very reasonable $9.95 per year, you get time-unlimited meetings and recording, and participant management. A final unique feature is its 3D Vision, which lets you us AR annotation with a mobile phone's camera.
Maximum group video participants: 100
Platforms: Android, iOS, web browser
Use type: Personal and Business