What are the top Zoom al­ter­na­tives for video con­fer­enc­ing?

The video con­fer­enc­ing software Zoom is very popular. However, there are other providers that offer so­phis­ti­cat­ed tech­nol­o­gy for web-based video calls. We present the leading al­ter­na­tives to Zoom in the field of internet telephony (also known as “Voice over IP” or “VoIP”).

Direct com­par­i­son of Zoom and its al­ter­na­tives

Detailed in­for­ma­tion on the tools listed in the table can be found below (as of November 2025).

De­vel­op­ment, features, and criticism of Zoom

Interest in Zoom Cloud meetings has sky­rock­et­ed due to the COVID-19 crisis. According to the company, in April 2020, 300 million people worldwide par­tic­i­pat­ed in Zoom video con­fer­ences daily (compared to 10 million per day in December 2019). The video con­fer­enc­ing software offers many services for free. One-on-one con­fer­ences have no time limit. Ad­di­tion­al­ly, up to 100 people can join a con­fer­ence if it doesn’t exceed 40 minutes. There is also a user-friendly software and apps that support all main­stream devices and operating systems. Only the organizer of a video con­fer­ence needs to register, download the software, and can invite other par­tic­i­pants via a con­fer­ence link.

Zoom’s cloud-based in­fra­struc­ture is con­sid­ered powerful and stable by users. Video con­fer­ences generally run smoothly with HD sound and picture quality. However, there is negative criticism primarily regarding security and privacy. Although security problems have been quickly addressed, the criticism of privacy remains. End-to-end en­cryp­tion is planned only for paying customers for now.

Features, ad­van­tages & dis­ad­van­tages of Zoom al­ter­na­tives

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams primarily targets use in a business setting, but it is in­creas­ing­ly being used outside of companies as well. According to a Microsoft blog post from March 2020, the user count increased by over 12 million in just one week to a total of 44 million daily users worldwide. Now, Teams has more than 350 million daily users.

The use of the col­lab­o­ra­tion platform is free in its basic version. Microsoft Teams supports common hardware (mobile devices, desktop PCs) and runs on all well-known operating systems, including Linux. The video con­fer­enc­ing func­tion­al­i­ty is part of a more com­pre­hen­sive pro­duc­tiv­i­ty en­vi­ron­ment available after in­stalling software. Some ori­en­ta­tion time is needed to become familiar with it.

All essential video con­fer­enc­ing features are available with this Zoom al­ter­na­tive, such as desktop sharing, instant messaging, and a file transfer during video con­fer­ences. Like Zoom, back­grounds can be cus­tomized during a meeting, for instance with a blur effect. Phone dial-in is possible during a meeting. Up to 49 video feeds can be displayed si­mul­ta­ne­ous­ly on a desktop screen, and up to nine on mobile. In the paid version of this Zoom al­ter­na­tive, white­boards can be used for in­ter­ac­tive col­lab­o­ra­tion, and video chats and con­fer­ences can be recorded.

For ex­chang­ing file at­tach­ments, up to ten gigabytes of cloud storage per account are available. For permanent use of the service, a cloud-based Microsoft account is rec­om­mend­ed for dedicated teams as well as guests. Guests who do not yet have a Microsoft account go through a one-time reg­is­tra­tion process. However, guests can also join group or in­di­vid­ual chats via an in­vi­ta­tion link without a Teams account.

One of the special features of the Zoom al­ter­na­tive is its com­pre­hen­sive in­te­gra­tion into the Microsoft 365 cloud. Work processes benefit from this in­te­gra­tion, and pro­duc­tiv­i­ty can be sig­nif­i­cant­ly increased. Files can be syn­chro­nized and col­lab­o­ra­tive­ly edited in the cloud, and an interface to the online tool Share­Point sim­pli­fies saving, sharing, and managing digital in­for­ma­tion within the company. A more extensive user man­age­ment system with various roles completes the range of features.

In practice, users report that with a poor internet con­nec­tion, par­tic­i­pa­tion in a video chat can abruptly end. Microsoft sets pri­or­i­ties to ensure that online and cloud services within the Microsoft 365 en­vi­ron­ment remain op­er­a­tional. Peak loads can therefore adversely affect users focusing on video con­fer­enc­ing features.

Another downside: Microsoft Teams also faces criticism regarding data pro­tec­tion. Despite Privacy Shield cer­ti­fi­ca­tion and a clear com­mit­ment to high privacy standards, the US company must comply with the pro­vi­sions of the Cloud Act.

Cisco Webex Meetings

The video con­fer­enc­ing software Webex Meetings has been part of the system provider Cisco’s group since 2007; Cisco is based in the United States. Webex Meetings is part of the cloud-based col­lab­o­ra­tion platform Cisco Webex, which positions itself as a complete package specif­i­cal­ly for business customers. The al­ter­na­tive to Zoom supports all platforms and operating systems. Apps are available for iOS and Android.

Complex software in­stal­la­tions are not mandatory to use the service. Invited guests receive an email with a link and can par­tic­i­pate via browser. The Meetings Web App supports all common browsers.

The al­ter­na­tive to Zoom impresses even in its free version with numerous video con­fer­enc­ing features, like desktop sharing and video recording. Up to 100 people can par­tic­i­pate in meetings up to 40 minutes long. Video con­fer­ences can also be con­trolled with voice commands through Siri or Google Assistant. A dedicated virtual room (Webex Personal Room) for longer projects with regular meetings is included in the free package.

As part of the col­lab­o­ra­tion platform Cisco Webex, the Zoom al­ter­na­tive uses various pro­duc­tiv­i­ty tools and features. File sharing supports the exchange of in­for­ma­tion and documents, and digital white­boards are available in the service’s free version for in­ter­ac­tive teamwork. Ad­di­tion­al­ly, there is calendar in­te­gra­tion (e.g., Google or Outlook calendars). Through in­ter­faces, Webex Meetings can also be in­te­grat­ed and launched from Microsoft Teams and the instant messaging service Slack.

In terms of security, the picture is mixed. Cisco Webex ap­pli­ca­tions and the Webex Cloud com­mu­ni­cate via encrypted channels using the TLS 1.2 protocol and, for example, the Advanced En­cryp­tion Standard in the 256-bit version (AES 256) for video record­ings. The security of chats can be op­tion­al­ly enhanced through end-to-end en­cryp­tion, which, however, limits the software’s func­tion­al­i­ty. Through a Privacy Shield cer­ti­fi­ca­tion, the Zoom al­ter­na­tive guar­an­tees a certain level of data pro­tec­tion. Nev­er­the­less, this US provider also operates within the tension field of the Cloud Act and GDPR.

Users praise the service in comments for its good overall quality and ease of use. However, they par­tic­u­lar­ly wish for more support for free version users and complain about issues with sound quality.

Go­ToMeet­ing

Another Zoom al­ter­na­tive is Go­ToMeet­ing. This software is backed by the American company GoTo (formerly LogMeIn). For video con­fer­ences with Go­ToMeet­ing, all common devices and operating systems can be used.

Meetings in the free version are conducted via the web app, which supports all common browsers. However, the provider rec­om­mends Google Chrome, es­pe­cial­ly for meeting or­ga­niz­ers.

The Zoom al­ter­na­tive offers less in its free version compared to com­peti­tors. Meetings can last up to 40 minutes with a maximum of four par­tic­i­pants. Desktop sharing and the typical split-screen function, which divides the screen and arranges par­tic­i­pants on the display, are part of the free package. Text-based com­mu­ni­ca­tion is handled by an in­te­grat­ed chat function; however, files cannot be trans­ferred.

The paid editions expand the limited func­tion­al­i­ty and primarily aim at increased pro­duc­tiv­i­ty. The time limit for meetings is lifted, and the number of par­tic­i­pants is increased to a maximum of 250. Calendar in­te­gra­tions (e.g., through an Office 365 plug-in) fa­cil­i­tate planning and execution within teams, and unlimited cloud record­ings make sessions available for later review. Ad­di­tion­al business features include a personal meeting room, a lock function for meetings, and an admin center for in­vi­ta­tions and ad­min­is­tra­tive tasks.

Users praise the Zoom al­ter­na­tive in comments primarily for its un­com­pli­cat­ed initial setup, simple user interface, and reliable technical in­fra­struc­ture. However, they criticize the audio quality and support. Regarding data pro­tec­tion, the U.S. company LogMeIn cannot bypass the Cloud Act, despite the Privacy Shield cer­ti­fi­ca­tion. Nev­er­the­less, the provider demon­strates a com­mit­ment to security by using 128-bit AES en­cryp­tion for online meetings. Other providers, however, use the superior 256-bit en­cryp­tion.

Jitsi Meet

The open-source software Jitsi Meet is part of the more extensive open-source project Jitsi. The service is an al­ter­na­tive to Zoom because it puts a strong emphasis on data pro­tec­tion and is con­sid­ered GDPR-compliant. No reg­is­tra­tion is required, and user data is not stored. Chat messages are generally provided with end-to-end en­cryp­tion, as are video calls between two people. Chat rooms can be secured with passwords. The data traffic for the Zoom al­ter­na­tive is handled via European servers.

In the case of technical issues, as well as audio and video calls with multiple people, Jitsi Meet only employs transport en­cryp­tion. This means that tem­porar­i­ly, un­en­crypt­ed data may reside on the server. With strict end-to-end en­cryp­tion, it is sig­nif­i­cant­ly more chal­leng­ing for hackers to access sensitive data.

Windows, macOS, and Linux are supported. The program works best and most reliably with the Google Chrome browser—this is a minor drawback from a privacy per­spec­tive, as Chrome users must accept Google’s privacy policies. Mobile device owners can also use the apps for iOS and Android. However, the apps contain trackers that analyze user data for various purposes. Those who are par­tic­u­lar­ly security-conscious can access the al­ter­na­tive to Zoom on the go via the browser or download a tracker-free Android version from the F-Droid Store.

Jitsi Meet is ideal for simple chats between two people. Smaller groups also benefit from secure online com­mu­ni­ca­tion. A con­fer­ence in­vi­ta­tion only requires an email with a specially generated URL. During a meeting, the Zoom al­ter­na­tive is limited to basic functions like text-based chatting, screen sharing (sharing the desktop or in­di­vid­ual program windows), and muting par­tic­i­pants by the moderator.

The video trans­mis­sion is usually rel­a­tive­ly stable, but users re­peat­ed­ly criticize the mediocre quality and stability of video con­nec­tions. For important upcoming con­ver­sa­tions, it’s rec­om­mend­ed to conduct a pre­lim­i­nary test to ensure the con­nec­tion is suf­fi­cient­ly stable.

The quality is in­flu­enced by the different providers of Jitsi Meet. As so-called hosts, they provide the service with in­fra­struc­ture and decide what ca­pac­i­ties they make available to Jitsi Meet on their server. The hosts also influence the range of features and the maximum number of con­fer­ence par­tic­i­pants.

Wire

Wire is a secure, open-source com­mu­ni­ca­tion platform based in Switzer­land designed for both private users and busi­ness­es. Unlike many other Zoom al­ter­na­tives, Wire con­sis­tent­ly employs end-to-end en­cryp­tion (E2EE). It is available for text messages, voice calls, video calls, and file transfers, and is based on the Proteus protocol. This ensures all content is protected by default, even in group chats. Using Wire is GDPR-compliant and meets the ISO‑27001 standard.

The al­ter­na­tive to Zoom is available cross-platform. A suitable app is offered for mobile devices. Wire supports features like mentions, threading, team and guest accounts, file sharing, screen­cast­ing, group calls with up to 150 par­tic­i­pants, syn­chro­niza­tion across all devices, and multi-login. Es­pe­cial­ly in companies, users ap­pre­ci­ate the ability to operate their own servers (on-premise) or book dedicated EU cloud instances—complete with enhanced admin and com­pli­ance functions.

In addition to the features of video con­fer­enc­ing software, Wire offers several ad­van­tages for con­fi­den­tial, chat-based com­mu­ni­ca­tion, such as self-de­struc­t­ing messages, two-factor au­then­ti­ca­tion, session man­age­ment, and role man­age­ment.

A minor drawback: Even though Wire is open source, some team features are only included in the business plan, and the reg­is­tra­tion process (email, SSO, or phone number) contrasts with com­plete­ly anonymous tools like Jitsi. Ad­di­tion­al­ly, group calls on older devices or with weak con­nec­tions may oc­ca­sion­al­ly ex­pe­ri­ence per­for­mance issues. However, for security-conscious users or or­ga­ni­za­tions with com­pli­ance re­quire­ments, Wire remains one of the most mature Zoom al­ter­na­tives on the market.

Big­Blue­But­ton

Big­Blue­But­ton is an open-source solution for video con­fer­enc­ing, webinars, and online training, developed specif­i­cal­ly for the education sector. The Zoom al­ter­na­tive orig­i­nal­ly comes from Canada and is now used worldwide by schools, uni­ver­si­ties, and ed­u­ca­tion­al in­sti­tu­tions. Unlike general video con­fer­enc­ing tools such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, Big­Blue­But­ton focuses on in­ter­ac­tive learning formats: the platform offers digital white­boards, polls, breakout rooms, multi-user an­no­ta­tions, shared notes, and powerful pre­sen­ta­tion man­age­ment. Teachers can mute par­tic­i­pants, divide them into groups, or specif­i­cal­ly activate them.

The ap­pli­ca­tion runs entirely in the browser (based on HTML5) and does not require ad­di­tion­al software in­stal­la­tion. Current versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge are supported. Audio and video quality is stable, es­pe­cial­ly for small to medium-sized groups. Big­Blue­But­ton can be run either on a dedicated server (self-hosting) or via hosting providers with GDPR-compliant in­fra­struc­ture. Com­mu­ni­ca­tion is encrypted via transport en­cryp­tion (TLS/HTTPS). However, con­tin­u­ous end-to-end en­cryp­tion is not included by default.

The deep in­te­gra­tion into learning man­age­ment systems like Moodle or ILIAS is es­pe­cial­ly ap­pre­ci­at­ed. Educators can plan, record, and manage their sessions directly within the course. The record­ings include not just the video image, but also shared content and chat histories. Big­Blue­But­ton is less suited for large con­fer­ences—the optimal use is up to 100 par­tic­i­pants per room.