Articles by Nicole Johnston

Best Overall

Google Meet

Free, From $6/mo at Google

Pros

Free for all to use
Works on all platforms
Real-time collaboration tools
No extra charge for call-in

Cons

Google account required for access
Connection may drop for Mac users

Google Meet is free for everyone to use, including businesses. All you need is your personal Gmail account or a free G Suite Essentials account. Business accounts give you access to all real-time collaboration tools and the ability to record and save your meetings.

For Microsoft 365 Users

Microsoft Teams

Free, from $5/mo at Microsoft

Pros

Use basic collaboration tools for free
Encrypted meetings
Up to 10,000 participants for live streaming events

Cons

Call-ins cost an additional fee
Webinar support also costs extra
Most tools require a Microsoft 365 subscription

Microsoft Teams have tools to hold video meetings with up to 10,000 people. Meetings can be recorded and saved to OneDrive to share or reference later. Teams works …

Best Overall

Google Meet

Free, From $6/mo at Google

Pros

Free for all to use
Works on all platforms
Real-time collaboration tools
No extra charge for call-in

Cons

Google account required for access
Connection may drop for Mac users

Google Meet is free for everyone to use, including businesses. All you need is your personal Gmail account or a free G Suite Essentials account. Business accounts give you access to all real-time collaboration tools and the ability to record and save your meetings.

For Microsoft 365 Users

Microsoft Teams

Free, from $5/mo at Microsoft

Pros

Use basic collaboration tools for free
Encrypted meetings
Up to 10,000 participants for live streaming events

Cons

Call-ins cost an additional fee
Webinar support also costs extra
Most tools require a Microsoft 365 subscription

Microsoft Teams have tools to hold video meetings with up to 10,000 people. Meetings can be recorded and saved to OneDrive to share or reference later. Teams works …

Working from home just got a lot easier.

The global pandemic has forced a lot of us to adapt to new work methods while we stay at home, and a big part of that is teleconferencing with your coworkers.

Google Meet is included as part of your G Suite account, but even those with a personal Gmail account can use Meet for free. However, you will be limited with the number of tools you have access to and each meeting is capped at 60 minutes total. You can find Meet listed under the Google apps after you’ve signed into your account, or download it from Google Play for your mobile device. Here are all the steps to take in order to set up a meeting with Meet

Products used in this guide

Desktop version: Google Meet (See at Google)
Mobile app: Google Meet (See at Google Play Store)

How to set up a video conference in Google Meet

Click the app icon (it looks like a video camera) to open the dashboard and get started.

In the upper right-hand corner you will see the settings icon. C…

Best for quick meetings

Google Meets

From $6/ mo. at Google

Pros

Share screen
Send files through chat
Free for everyone to use
No additional fee for call-in participants
Additional tools with G Suite subscription

Cons

Messy dashboard compared to Zoom
Can host fewer participants
Clunky and unreliable for Mac users

Google Meet comes free with your G Suite subscription for unlimited video conferencing or free to everyone for meetings up to 60 minutes long. This program is pretty basic but has all the collaboration tools you’ll need to conduct productive meetings.

Best for larger groups

Zoom

From $15/ mo. at Zoom

Pros

Collaboration tools
Free account available
Connects to conferencing equipment
Works with all operating systems including Linux
Host up to 500 people

Cons

Call-in access costs extra
Must disable popup blockers to use

Zoom is the best program for connecting to conferencing equipment such as telecoms and webcams to allow several people to join…

So you’re working from home and now you need to check in with teammates, collaborate with colleagues, or address an HR issue — tasks that can’t be easily done through email or instant messaging. Video conference software is the tool you need to conduct face-to-face meetings and interviews even when you and your coworkers are out of the office or spread across the globe. The quickest, easiest, and most cost-effective solution is Google Meet, but there are a few others that work, too.

Best Overall: Google Meet

Everyone can use Google Meet, including its share screen and file sharing features. All you need is a Gmail account to get started. But you get so many more tools and features when you access Google Meet through your G Suite account. Depending on the package you choose, you can invite 100, 150, or 250 to participate in a video conference at a time. Invites are sent through email and, when accepted, are automatically added to Google Calendar and reminders set. Organizers can…