8 Best Zoom Alternatives in 2026 (Free & Paid)
Mara Whitfield
Mara writes about developer tools, AI and the business of software at Tolodora.
Zoom became a verb for good reason — reliable video that just works. But teams switch for plenty of reasons in 2026: the cost, the meeting time limits on free plans, privacy concerns, or simply wanting video built into a suite they already pay for. There's a deep bench of alternatives now, from free open-source tools to full collaboration platforms. Here are eight, each strong on a different front.
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Google Meet
- Pricing
- 9.0/10
- Functionality
- 8.4/10
- Ease of use
- 9.2/10
- Support
- 8.6/10
What I like
Frictionless browser-based video included with Google Workspace.
Best for
Google users who want reliable video with zero setup.
Google Meet runs in the browser with no downloads, integrates with Calendar and Gmail, and comes with Workspace. It's about as frictionless as video calls get, and for Google teams it adds no extra cost.
Microsoft Teams
- Pricing
- 8.6/10
- Functionality
- 9.0/10
- Ease of use
- 8.0/10
- Support
- 8.6/10
What I like
Full meetings, chat and Office integration, usually already paid for.
Best for
Microsoft 365 organisations.
Teams delivers robust video meetings alongside chat and deep Office integration, included in most Microsoft 365 plans. For organisations already in that ecosystem, it replaces Zoom at effectively no added cost.
Jitsi Meet
- Pricing
- 9.9/10
- Functionality
- 8.0/10
- Ease of use
- 8.8/10
- Support
- 7.2/10
What I like
Completely free, open-source video with no account and no time limits.
Best for
Anyone wanting free, private, no-signup video calls.
Jitsi Meet is free and open-source — start a call from a link with no account, no install, and no time limit, and self-host it if you want total control. For privacy and zero cost, it's the standout.
Webex
- Pricing
- 7.8/10
- Functionality
- 9.0/10
- Ease of use
- 8.0/10
- Support
- 8.8/10
What I like
Enterprise-grade reliability, security and webinar features.
Best for
Larger organisations needing security and scale.
Cisco's Webex is a mature, enterprise-focused platform with strong security, reliability, and webinar capabilities. It's built for organisations where compliance and scale matter more than the lowest price.
Whereby
- Pricing
- 8.4/10
- Functionality
- 8.0/10
- Ease of use
- 9.4/10
- Support
- 8.0/10
What I like
Dead-simple browser video with no downloads and custom room links.
Best for
Freelancers and small teams wanting effortless, branded calls.
Whereby keeps things beautifully simple — branded meeting rooms accessible by link, right in the browser, no app required. For client calls and small teams that value ease and a polished feel, it's a delight.
Around
- Pricing
- 8.2/10
- Functionality
- 8.0/10
- Ease of use
- 9.0/10
- Support
- 7.8/10
What I like
Lightweight, distraction-free calls designed for focused collaboration.
Best for
Remote teams who want casual, low-fatigue video.
Around reimagines video calls with floating heads and a minimal footprint, reducing the fatigue of grid-view meetings. It's designed for working <em>together</em> during a call rather than just talking at a wall of faces.
BigBlueButton
- Pricing
- 9.8/10
- Functionality
- 8.4/10
- Ease of use
- 7.6/10
- Support
- 7.4/10
What I like
Open-source video built specifically for online teaching and webinars.
Best for
Educators and trainers running virtual classes.
BigBlueButton is an open-source platform purpose-built for online learning, with whiteboards, breakout rooms, polls, and screen sharing tuned for teaching. For educators and trainers it beats general video tools on the features that matter.
Signal
- Pricing
- 9.9/10
- Functionality
- 7.2/10
- Ease of use
- 8.8/10
- Support
- 7.6/10
What I like
Free, end-to-end encrypted calls for when privacy is the priority.
Best for
Privacy-first individuals and small groups.
Signal offers free, fully end-to-end encrypted voice and video calls. It's not built for big webinars, but for private one-to-one and small-group conversations where confidentiality is non-negotiable, nothing beats it.
The right Zoom alternative depends on what's driving you away. Want free with no time limits? Go open-source. Already pay for Microsoft or Google? The bundled option costs nothing extra. Care most about privacy? Pick an encrypted or self-hosted tool. Identify your reason for leaving Zoom, then choose the tool built around it.
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