10 Best Video Conferencing Software of 2026

This list is for teams buying a paid video meeting plan who want to compare participant caps, meeting length and the price per seat side by side. We compared documented features and published prices on each vendor's own pages, and scored value at 40%, features at 35% and ease of use at 25%. The starting price is the cheapest paid plan in USD per month as the vendor shows it; where a page only showed euros from our location, the price is marked pending instead of converted. Phone-first suites such as RingCentral and Dialpad are included for teams that want calls and meetings on one bill.

1. 01Top value

   

   Microsoft Teams Essentials

   8.8/10

   Microsoft's standalone Teams plan for meetings, chat and calls, sold without the rest of Microsoft 365.

   Price

   $4per user per month

   Microsoft Teams Essentials at $4.00 per user per month, paid yearly

   “Microsoft Teams Essentials Affordable, professional meeting solution for small and medium-sized businesses $4.00 user/month, paid yearly” Quoted from the pricing page, November 12, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   9.6

   Features (35%)

   8.4

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.0

   Best forSmall and midsize teams that want long, large meetings at the lowest per-user price

   Microsoft Teams Essentials ranks first because it pairs the lowest verified price on this list with some of the highest limits. Microsoft's US business comparison page lists Teams Essentials at $4.00 per user per month, paid yearly, and describes it as a meeting plan for small and medium-sized businesses. Microsoft says Essentials lets a team meet for up to 30 hours and host up to 300 participants, with 10 GB of cloud storage per user. Meeting recordings come with transcripts and live captions in English, and chat, file sharing, tasks and polling sit in the same app. The trade-offs are about scope and billing. The $4.00 rate is an annual subscription that auto renews, and Essentials does not include desktop Office apps, so teams that also need Word and Excel should compare Microsoft 365 Business Basic at $7.00 per user per month. For a team that only needs reliable meetings and chat, Essentials covers the most for the least money.

   • ✓$4.00 per user per month is the lowest verified paid price on this list
   • ✓300 participants matches plans that cost five times as much
   • ✓30-hour meetings remove the time limit for any normal workday

   • ✕The $4.00 price is for an annual subscription that auto renews
   • ✕Transcripts and live captions are listed for English only
   • ✕Desktop Word, Excel and PowerPoint need a Microsoft 365 plan instead

   Cheapest paid plan:

   Teams Essentials, $4.00 per user per month, paid yearly

   Participants:

   Up to 300

   Maximum meeting length:

   30 hours

   Cloud storage:

   10 GB per user

   Billing:

   Annual subscription

   Bottom line: Microsoft Teams Essentials is the best choice for budget-conscious teams because $4.00 per user per month buys 300-person, 30-hour meetings. Pick another tool only if you need monthly billing or a free plan.

   Visit microsoft.com ↗

2. 02

   

   Google Meet

   8.7/10

   Google's video meeting service, included in every Google Workspace business plan and free with a personal Google account.

   Price

   $8.40per user per month

   Free with a personal Google account; Google Workspace Business Starter at $8.40 per user per month on the Flexible Plan

   “$8.40 USD per user for Business Starter” Quoted from the pricing page, November 12, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   8.8

   Features (35%)

   8.2

   Ease of use (25%)

   9.2

   Best forTeams that already use Gmail and Google Calendar and want browser-based meetings

   Google Meet ranks second because it runs in a browser with no install and comes bundled with Gmail, Calendar and Drive. Google's billing help page lists the Flexible Plan at $8.40 USD per user for Business Starter, billed monthly for the number of accounts you have that month, which makes it the cheapest month-to-month plan here. Google's Workspace plan comparison lists video meetings for 100 participants on Business Starter, 150 participants with recording and noise cancellation on Business Standard, 500 participants with attendance tracking on Business Plus, and a 24-hour maximum meeting length on these plans. The limits are the catch. A team that needs recordings saved to Drive or rooms above 100 people has to move up to Business Standard at $16.80 USD per user on the Flexible Plan. For teams already living in Google's apps, the Starter plan is the shortest path to scheduled video meetings.

   • ✓Flexible Plan bills $8.40 per user each month with no annual lock-in
   • ✓Meeting length reaches 24 hours on every Workspace business plan
   • ✓Gmail, Calendar, Drive and Docs come in the same subscription

   • ✕Business Starter caps meetings at 100 participants
   • ✕Meeting recordings to Drive are not included in Business Starter
   • ✕Workspace pricing pages showed local currency from our location, so we used Google's USD billing help page

   Cheapest paid plan:

   Business Starter, $8.40 per user per month on the Flexible Plan

   Participants:

   100 on Starter, 150 on Standard, 500 on Plus

   Maximum meeting length:

   24 hours on business plans

   Free plan:

   Yes, with a personal Google account

   Billing:

   Monthly on the Flexible Plan

   Bottom line: Google Meet is the best choice for Google Workspace teams because Business Starter costs $8.40 per user per month with no annual contract. Choose Business Standard if you need recordings or 150-person meetings.

   Visit workspace.google.com ↗

3. 03

   

   Zoom Workplace

   8.6/10

   Zoom's meeting, chat and productivity suite, with a free Basic plan and paid Pro, Business and Enterprise tiers.

   Price

   $15.99per user per month

   Free Basic plan; Zoom Workplace Pro at $15.99 per user per month billed monthly, less on annual billing

   “/month/user, billed annually or $15.99 billed monthly” Quoted from the pricing page, November 12, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   8.0

   Features (35%)

   9.2

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.8

   Best forTeams that host frequent meetings with outside guests and want AI summaries included

   Zoom Workplace scores highest on features in this list, and it lands third because its price sits above the two leaders. Zoom's Pro product page lists $15.99 billed monthly per user, with a lower rate for annual billing, and compares Pro against the free Basic plan: group meetings run up to 30 hours on Pro against 40 minutes on Basic. Zoom's pricing page lists 100 participants per meeting on Pro, 300 on Business and 1,000 on Enterprise, with Large Meeting available to raise the cap. Pro includes AI Companion, unlimited meeting summaries and 10 GB of cloud recording storage per license. The free Basic plan holds 100 participants, which makes it easy for guests to join a Zoom call they already know. If your team mostly needs internal meetings, Teams Essentials or Google Workspace cost less per seat. If you run many client-facing calls and want AI notes in the same plan, Pro is a strong pick.

   • ✓Basic plan is free with 100 participants per meeting
   • ✓Pro moves group meetings from 40 minutes to 30 hours
   • ✓AI Companion is included in Pro at no added cost

   • ✕$15.99 per user per month billed monthly is above Teams Essentials and Google Workspace Business Starter
   • ✕Free Basic meetings stop at 40 minutes
   • ✕Pro still caps meetings at 100 participants unless you add Large Meeting

   Cheapest paid plan:

   Workplace Pro, $15.99 per user billed monthly

   Participants:

   100 on Pro, 300 on Business, 1,000 on Enterprise

   Maximum meeting length:

   30 hours on Pro, 40 minutes on Basic

   Cloud recording:

   10 GB per Pro license

   Free plan:

   Yes, Workplace Basic

   Bottom line: Zoom Workplace Pro is the best choice for client-facing teams because it includes AI Companion summaries and 30-hour meetings for $15.99 per user billed monthly. Teams on a tight budget should compare Teams Essentials first.

   Visit zoom.com ↗

4. 04

   

   Webex

   8.3/10

   Cisco's meeting, calling and events platform with a free tier and per-user paid plans.

   Price

   $12per user per month

   Webex Free at $0; Webex Meet at $144 per user per year, or $12 per user per month

   “$144 /user/year $12 /user/mo” Quoted from the pricing page, November 12, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   8.4

   Features (35%)

   8.6

   Ease of use (25%)

   7.8

   Best forTeams that need 200-person meetings and polling on a mid-priced plan

   Webex lands fourth because Webex Meet gives 200 attendees and 24-hour meetings at a middle price. Cisco's US pricing page lists Webex Meet at $144 per user per year, shown as $12 per user per month, with AI Assistant, 10 GB of AI-powered cloud recording, live polling and Q&A by Slido, and closed captions. Webex Free costs $0 and covers unlimited meetings of up to 40 minutes with up to 100 attendees, screen sharing, whiteboards and local recording, and Webex says it does not take a credit card for the free plan. The step up to Webex Suite at $270 per user per year adds a business phone number and calling. Webex costs more per seat than Teams Essentials or Google Workspace Business Starter. Teams that run larger internal meetings with polls and Q&A get the most from it.

   • ✓200 attendees on Webex Meet doubles the cap of Zoom Pro and Google Business Starter
   • ✓AI Assistant included in Webex Meet
   • ✓Free plan needs no credit card, according to Webex

   • ✕Free meetings stop at 40 minutes
   • ✕$144 per user per year is three times the Teams Essentials rate
   • ✕Calling a phone number needs the Webex Suite plan at $270 per user per year

   Cheapest paid plan:

   Webex Meet, $144 per user per year ($12 per month)

   Participants:

   200 on Meet, 100 on Free, up to 1,000 on Enterprise

   Maximum meeting length:

   24 hours on Meet, 40 minutes on Free

   Cloud recording:

   10 GB on Meet

   Free plan:

   Yes, Webex Free

   Bottom line: Webex is the best choice for teams running 100 to 200-person meetings with polls because Webex Meet includes Slido polling and 200 attendees for $12 per user per month. Smaller teams can start on Webex Free.

   Visit webex.com ↗

5. 05

   

   Zoho Meeting

   8.2/10

   Zoho's browser-based meeting app with plans priced by host and participant tier.

   Price

   Free plan

   See vendor pricing (USD check pending)

   US price check pending. Vendor pricing page

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   8.6

   Features (35%)

   7.8

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.0

   Best forSmall businesses that want to pay per host and choose a participant cap

   Zoho Meeting earns its place on value: the free plan holds 100 participants for up to 60 minutes, and paid plans are priced per host and by participant tier, from 10 up to 250 participants. Zoho's pricing page lists the Standard plan with meetings of up to 24 hours, 5 GB of cloud recording storage per host, up to 2 co-hosts, a personal room, meeting polls and integrations. Professional adds breakout rooms, a custom domain, multiple co-hosts, API access and recording transcripts. The page also sells extra storage in 25 GB blocks and toll-free numbers for more than 55 countries. Zoho showed prices in euros from our location, so we have marked the USD price as pending rather than converting it, and you should check the US price before you buy. Zoho Meeting suits small businesses that host modest meetings and want the bill to follow their real room size.

   • ✓Free plan meetings run 60 minutes, longer than Zoom Basic and Webex Free
   • ✓Pricing scales with participant tier, so small rooms cost less
   • ✓Toll-free numbers are sold as an add-on for 55+ countries

   • ✕Pricing page showed euros from our location, so the USD price is pending
   • ✕Breakout rooms and transcripts need the Professional plan
   • ✕Standard plan allows only up to 2 co-hosts

   Cheapest paid plan:

   Standard, priced per host by participant tier (USD check pending)

   Participants:

   100 on Free; 10 to 250 on paid tiers

   Maximum meeting length:

   60 minutes on Free, 24 hours on Standard

   Cloud recording:

   5 GB per host on Standard

   Free plan:

   Yes

   Bottom line: Zoho Meeting is the best choice for small businesses that size their plan by room because paid tiers start at 10 participants per host. Confirm the USD price on Zoho's page before buying.

   Visit zoho.com ↗

6. 06

   

   Jitsi Meet

   8.0/10

   Open source video conferencing you can use at meet.jit.si or host on your own server.

   Price

   Free

   Free to use at meet.jit.si and free to self-host; no paid plan for the hosted service

   “Jitsi Meet is a fully encrypted, 100% open source video conferencing solution that you can use all day, every day, for free” Quoted from the pricing page, November 12, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   9.0

   Features (35%)

   6.8

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.0

   Best forTeams that want free meetings with no account, or IT teams that want to self-host

   Jitsi Meet is the free option on this list. The Jitsi project describes it as a fully encrypted, 100% open source video conferencing solution that you can use all day, every day, for free, and its page says there is no need for an account. You can start a call in the browser at meet.jit.si or download the server and run it yourself, which appeals to IT teams that want meeting traffic on their own infrastructure. Audio uses the Opus codec. The trade-off is that you get no paid plan with support, published participant guarantees or admin console on the hosted service. Recording, calendar links and user management depend on how you set it up. For quick team calls, open communities and organizations with an engineer to run a server, Jitsi is hard to beat on price. Teams that need a support contract should pick a paid plan above.

   • ✓Costs $0 and guests never need an account
   • ✓Self-hosting keeps meeting traffic on your own servers
   • ✓Open source code can be audited and changed

   • ✕No paid plan, so there is no vendor support contract on the hosted service
   • ✕Admin tools, recording storage and integrations depend on how you host it
   • ✕Self-hosting needs a server and someone to maintain it

   Cheapest paid plan:

   None for meet.jit.si

   Price:

   Free

   Account needed:

   No

   Self-hosting:

   Yes, server download available

   License:

   Open source

   Bottom line: Jitsi Meet is the best choice for teams with no meeting budget because it is free, open source and needs no account. Choose a paid plan if you need vendor support or admin controls.

   Visit jitsi.org ↗

7. 07

   

   GoTo Meeting

   7.9/10

   GoTo's long-running meeting product, priced per organizer with dial-in included.

   Price

   $12per organizer per month

   Professional at $12 per organizer per month billed annually, or $14 monthly

   “$12 /organizer /month, billed annually Included: 150 Participants” Quoted from the pricing page, November 12, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   7.6

   Features (35%)

   8.2

   Ease of use (25%)

   7.8

   Best forTeams that need phone dial-in and per-organizer pricing for 150 to 250 people

   GoTo Meeting sells plans per organizer, which suits teams where a few people host and many people join. GoTo's pricing page lists Professional at $12 per organizer per month billed annually, or $14 monthly, with 150 participants, and Business at $16 billed annually, or $19 monthly, with 250 participants. Every plan lists a dial-in conference line, unlimited meetings, breakout rooms, closed captioning, hand raising, quick polls, unlimited cloud recording, transcription and an AI meeting summary. Integrations cover Office 365, Google Calendar, Slack and Salesforce, and the security list includes AES-256 bit encryption and SOC 2 certified data centers. GoTo has no free plan, and its 250-participant ceiling stays the same on Enterprise. If only two or three people in your company host meetings and many guests dial in by phone, the organizer model can cost less than per-user plans.

   • ✓Priced per organizer, so attendees never need a seat
   • ✓Dial-in conference line included for callers without internet
   • ✓Unlimited cloud recording is listed on the plans

   • ✕No free plan, only a free trial
   • ✕$12 per organizer is triple the Teams Essentials price
   • ✕Caps at 250 participants even on Enterprise

   Cheapest paid plan:

   Professional, $12 per organizer per month billed annually

   Participants:

   150 on Professional, 250 on Business and Enterprise

   Dial-in:

   Conference line included

   Free plan:

   No, free trial only

   Monthly billing:

   $14 per organizer for Professional

   Bottom line: GoTo Meeting is the best choice for teams with a few hosts and many dial-in guests because it charges $12 per organizer and includes a conference line. Teams where everyone hosts will pay less with per-user plans.

   Visit goto.com ↗

8. 08

   

   Whereby

   7.7/10

   Browser-based video rooms with fixed room URLs, priced per host.

   Price

   $10.99per host per month

   Free plan for 1 host; Pro at $10.99 per month

   “Pro For professional individuals $10.99 per month 1 host” Quoted from the pricing page, November 12, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Free trial

   14 days

   Value (40%)

   7.6

   Features (35%)

   7.0

   Ease of use (25%)

   9.0

   Best forConsultants and coaches who want a permanent branded room link

   Whereby keeps meetings simple: each host gets fixed room URLs that guests open in a browser. Whereby's pricing page lists Pro at $10.99 per month for 1 host with 3 room URLs, 100 attendees per meeting, no time limit, custom branding and unlimited recording. Business costs $13.99 per month per host with a 3-host minimum and adds unlimited room URLs, 200 attendees, shared and flex rooms and a custom subdomain, with a 14-day free trial. The free plan gives 1 room URL, 4 attendees and meetings of up to 30 minutes. Whereby states that prices are in USD, excluding VAT. It does not try to replace chat or phone systems, so teams that want everything in one app should look at Teams or Zoom. For a coach, therapist or consultant who wants one branded link that clients always use, Pro is easy to set up and fairly priced.

   • ✓Guests join a fixed room link in the browser
   • ✓Pro removes the meeting time limit for $10.99 per month
   • ✓Prices are shown in USD, excluding VAT

   • ✕Free meetings hold only 4 attendees for up to 30 minutes
   • ✕Business plan needs at least 3 hosts at $13.99 each
   • ✕Fewer admin and calling features than suite products

   Cheapest paid plan:

   Pro, $10.99 per month for 1 host

   Participants:

   4 on Free, 100 on Pro, 200 on Business

   Maximum meeting length:

   30 minutes on Free, no limit on Pro

   Room URLs:

   1 on Free, 3 on Pro, unlimited on Business

   Free trial:

   14 days on Business

   Bottom line: Whereby is the best choice for solo professionals because Pro gives a branded room with 100 attendees and no time limit for $10.99 per month. Larger teams get more per seat from Teams or Google Workspace.

   Visit whereby.com ↗

9. 09

   

   RingCentral RingEX

   7.6/10

   RingCentral's business phone, messaging and video meeting plan in one app.

   Price

   $20per user per month

   Core at $20 per user per month paid annually, or $30 paid monthly

   “$20 Price when paid monthly: $30 /user/month * paid annually” Quoted from the pricing page, November 12, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   6.8

   Features (35%)

   8.6

   Ease of use (25%)

   7.4

   Best forCompanies that want phone lines and 300-person meetings on one bill

   RingCentral RingEX is a phone system first, with video meetings built into the same app. RingCentral's US plans page lists Core at $20 per user per month paid annually, or $30 when paid monthly, with unlimited domestic calling, on-demand call recording, 100 toll-free minutes, 25 SMS per user per month and HD meetings with 300 participants. Advanced costs $25 per user per month paid annually and adds CRM integrations, multiple sites and core reporting; Ultra costs $35. The AI Virtual Assistant is included, and RingCentral lets existing RingEX customers add free video users. As a pure meeting tool RingEX is expensive, because most of the price pays for phone service. For a company replacing both its desk phones and its meeting tool, putting both on one bill with 300-person meetings can simplify things. Everyone else will find better value higher on this list.

   • ✓Phone system and video meetings in one app
   • ✓300 participants on the entry Core plan
   • ✓Advanced plan adds CRM integrations and multi-site support

   • ✕$20 per user per month annually is the highest entry price here
   • ✕Monthly billing raises Core to $30 per user
   • ✕Phone features are wasted if you only need meetings

   Cheapest paid plan:

   Core, $20 per user per month paid annually

   Participants:

   300 on Core

   Monthly billing:

   $30 per user for Core

   Calling:

   Unlimited domestic calling

   Next tier:

   Advanced, $25 per user per month paid annually

   Bottom line: RingCentral RingEX is the best choice for companies replacing desk phones because Core bundles unlimited domestic calling with 300-person meetings for $20 per user per month paid annually. Teams that only need meetings should pick a cheaper plan.

   Visit ringcentral.com ↗

10. 10

    

    Dialpad Meetings

    7.3/10

    Dialpad's browser-based video meetings with AI transcription, sold inside the Dialpad Connect plans.

    Price

    $15per user per month

    Dialpad Connect Standard at $15 per user per month

    “Standard $15 user/month Seamless customer and team communication with unlimited calls, AI-powered meetings, and built-in messaging” Quoted from the pricing page, November 12, 2026.

    Free plan

    No

    Free trial

    14 days

    Value (40%)

    6.8

    Features (35%)

    7.6

    Ease of use (25%)

    7.8

    Best forTeams that want AI transcripts and call summaries alongside a business phone

    Dialpad Meetings is the video part of Dialpad's communications platform. Dialpad's meetings page describes one-click meetings from the browser or app with no downloads or PINs, live AI transcription and call summaries, screen and file sharing, scheduling from Microsoft 365 or Google Calendar and activity logging in Salesforce. A Large Meetings add-on raises the participant limit to 1,500 and adds moderator tools, and hosts get an alert when five minutes remain. Dialpad's pricing page lists Dialpad Connect Standard at $15 per user per month with unlimited calls, AI-powered meetings and messaging, and Pro at $25 with CRM integrations and 24/7 support, plus a 14-day free trial. The meetings page does not state the base participant limit, which makes plans harder to compare. Dialpad fits teams that want AI notes on both phone calls and meetings; meeting-only buyers get more for less from Teams or Google Meet.

    • ✓AI transcripts and summaries are part of the product
    • ✓Large Meetings add-on reaches 1,500 participants
    • ✓Calls, messages and meetings share one plan

    • ✕Base participant limit is not stated on the meetings page
    • ✕Salesforce and CRM integrations sit on the Pro plan at $25 per user
    • ✕Meeting pricing is bundled with phone service

    Cheapest paid plan:

    Dialpad Connect Standard, $15 per user per month

    Large meetings:

    Up to 1,500 participants with the add-on

    AI features:

    Live transcription and call summaries

    Free trial:

    14 days of Dialpad Connect

    Next tier:

    Pro, $25 per user per month

    Bottom line: Dialpad Meetings is the best choice for phone-heavy teams because Connect Standard adds AI transcripts to calls and meetings for $15 per user per month. Meeting-only teams have cheaper options.

    Visit dialpad.com ↗

Questions or corrections: editorial@rankozo.comSee our disclosure. Prices change; confirm on the vendor page before buying.