video conferencing comparison
Video conferencing platform
Written by Cam and Shauna Hamelin
With covid-19 taking the world by storm, people are having to learn how to carry on with life from the comfort of their own home. This has been great for a lot of the already standing video conferencing platforms, while others have struggled to catch up. But which one is the best to work with? Zoom is currently # 1 for video conferencing but there are a few that follow close behind. Lets take a closer look at all of the optionsÂ
Zoom
Zoom allows 100 member at a time but only 50 on screen; It has simultaneous screen sharing; Virtual backgrounds; Poling; is Recordable and has Breakout rooms. The negatives to zoom are that there is a 40 minute time limit, and there are a lot of bells and whistles so it can be overwhelming for people who like things simple. The cost for zoom can range from free -$2000.00 depending on the package. Honestly for $2000.00 it had better cook me dinner too!
Google hangouts
One of the positives to this platform is that it is simple, and easy to use. You don’t have to download any apps. You just need a google address so that make very user friendly. You can screen share easily and there is no time limit, however; there is a 10 person limit and only one person can share their screen at a time and it is free.
Google meetÂ
Is the premium version of google hangouts. It can support up to 250 people so it is good if you have a large work force.Â
Skype
Not the best because it is Unreliable, it lags and drops calls often.Â
But it can support up to 50 people and there is no time limit. They do have a 10 way conference calling capability as well, and they are powered by Microsoft.
Web x by cisco
They can handle up to a 100 people, for an Unlimited time. It has a lot of the same functionality as zoom, including emojies and you can record on free version. There really is no lagging or delay and there’s not really much that is negative. So if your looking for a zoom alternative this could be it. Facebook Msnger it is easy to connect, however there is a lot of lag and static, and voice feedback. But it can handle multitasking; notifications; device switching; Gif’s, emojis and dark mode. You can create up to 50 private groups to securely share documents, and it allows up to 50 people on screen at a time. Free, $4 and 8$is the highest for their enterprise package. Whats app can handle up to 8 people. And really doesn’t have anything else worth mentioning.
