6 Free Video Conferencing Tools for 2026

Whether you’re working from home or in an office conference room, many of your work meetings are likely held virtually or in a hybrid format. You might have not given much thought to your web conferencing solution before, defaulting to whatever came pre-installed on your computer or work device.

But some video conferencing systems are better than others, and you may find you need to use more than one for different reasons. I checked out six of the top free video conferencing platforms people are using in 2025 to figure out the best use for each.

How we chose these tools

When evaluating the video conferencing software on this list, I looked at:

• Cost (free plans vs. paid plans)
• Available free features
• Meeting length and participant limitations
• Integration with common business tools
• Key features for team collaboration and project management
• Customizable meeting room elements
• AI features like automatic transcription and meeting recording
• Security features and encryption
• Browser and device compatibility

I didn’t analyze each platform’s video and audio quality as your actual results will vary based on your:

• Internet connection
• Microphone quality and distance
• Filming method (standard laptop webcam vs. HD video camera)

Important features

While everyone’s needs vary, most users are interested in a cost-effective video conferencing solution that supports:

• File sharing
• Video recording
• Audio transcription
• AI-generated summaries and recaps
• Ease of use across mobile devices
• Integration with Google Workspace or Microsoft Office

1. Zoom: Best for most people

Zoom is the best all-in-one video conferencing software for most people. 

You can use Zoom to hold one-on-one meetings, record short clips, host webinars, create small breakout rooms, and more. You can use the app across all major device operating systems, and Zoom meetings even work well in a web browser.

Personally, I find that I get relatively high-quality, stable video and audio when using Zoom. I experience far fewer issues with calls freezing or dropping than when I use some competing products.

When to use Zoom

I recommend using Zoom any time you need to host a one-on-one or group call on a general topic.

How much does Zoom cost?

Zoom is free to use; paid subscriptions start at $13.99 per month (billed annually) and give you access to extra AI features, collaboration tools, and cloud storage.

What you can do with a free Zoom account

A free Zoom account allows you to:

• Host online meetings for up to 40 minutes with as many as 100 participants
• Record meetings
• Create editable whiteboards
• Share notes
• Schedule meetings in advance
• Chat with other meeting attendees

Something to know

While you can add Zoom meetings to your Google calendar, you might wind up with two meeting links on every invitation if you’re not careful—your actual Zoom meeting and a Google Meet link that your calendar creates automatically.

Double check your Google Calendar settings and keep an eye out for this the first few times you schedule a Zoom meeting, lest your participants wind up in a Google Meet that you didn’t know existed!

2. Upwork video meetings: Best for freelance projects

Upwork video meetings are AI-powered and full of useful features to help freelancers and clients work together seamlessly. 

If you’re booking consultations, planning projects, or chatting about timeline updates, Upwork video meetings can make your work life easier.

AI features are optional in every call, but if you leave Uma on during your meeting, you’ll enjoy:

• Automatic video recording
• Background noise cancellation
• Meeting transcription
• Video highlight reels
• AI-powered summaries and action items

When to use Upwork video meetings

Use Upwork video meetings any time you’re discussing a project with clients or freelancers on Upwork—the helpful recaps and highlight reels will remain in your account for six months so you can revisit meeting topics as needed.

How much does Upwork video meetings cost?

There’s no charge to use Upwork video meetings. The tool is free, just like regular Upwork messages.

What can you do with a free Upwork account?

There’s lots you can do with a free Upwork account—and we’re the only video calling solution on this list that actively helps freelancers find work (and their clients hire talented freelancers)!

With an Upwork account, you can:

• Host and transcribe video meetings
• Post or apply to jobs
• Work more efficiently with Uma™, Upwork’s Mindful AI
• Grow your freelance income

Something to know

Upwork video meetings are only available to users of the Upwork platform—it’s not a standalone app like Zoom.

3. Slack huddles: Best for busy teams

You might think of Slack as a way to send instant text messages with colleagues ... but did you know it has an on-demand video and audio calling feature called huddles?

I was surprised the first time I got a Slack huddle request (from the video guy on my team, no less). The feature isn’t well known, probably because so many people are already familiar with other video conferencing tools. Turns out, huddles are great! You can seamlessly switch from text to video and back again.

This animation from Slack shows where to start a huddle and how they work:

When to use Slack huddles

There are lots of great reasons to use Slack huddles. Having trouble with Google Meet? Start a huddle. Typing a 13-paragraph message that actually should be a meeting? Start a huddle. Need to hold a quick one-on-one? Huddle time.

How much does Slack cost?

Slack is free to use; paid plans start at $8.75 per month and give you access to larger huddles, unlimited message history, and AI features.

What can you do with a free Slack account?

Free Slack users can create multiple channels, store messages for 90 days, and hold huddles with a maximum of two participants.

To hold huddles with more attendees, you’ll have to upgrade to a paid account; the free version of Slack workspace huddles are capped at two per meeting.

Something to know

Slack offers similar functionality to Microsoft Teams, so if your company is deep in the Microsoft ecosystem, Slack will probably feel redundant.

4. Whereby: Best for data privacy

Whereby is a lesser-known but user-friendly and private video calling solution. 

The Whereby platform is versatile—you can use this tool in your browser, via a mobile app, or even embed it into a product you’ve built.

I’ve used Whereby many times with clients who joined the meeting through their phone browser. Every single person told me, unprompted, how easy joining the call was, how much they liked the experience, and how surprised they were that Whereby worked well in a mobile browser.

When to use Whereby

Whereby is good for one-on-ones and group meetings, but the platform particularly shines when you’re discussing sensitive information. Your guests can join the meeting without logging in, the platform has no built-in AI tools (though you can record calls), and you can even make the platform compliant for use in medical settings.

How much does Whereby cost?

Whereby is free to use; if you need to unlock all of the platform’s features (including adding custom branding to your meeting room, which I think  is nice), you can do so for $8.99 and up per month.

What can you do with a free Whereby account?

Free users can hold 30 minute meetings with small teams—meeting size is capped at four attendees. You’ll also get a dedicated meeting room URL that you can customize with your name or brand.

Something to know

Whereby offers end-to-end encryption on calls and is GDPR compliant, HIPAA compliant, and ISO 27001 certified for information security management.

5. Loom: Best for asynchronous work

Loom technically isn’t a video calling platform—but you can use it in place of traditional video meetings, which is why I’m including the tool on this list.

The tool allows you to record short video clips and share your screen at the same time. You wind up with a “picture-in-picture” type display that others can watch, webinar-style, in their browser.

You can then use Loom’s AI tools to turn your video into docs, messages, reports, and more.

When to use Loom

Finding a time to meet can be hard when you’re working with people across time zones. And sometimes you don’t need to hold a full meeting ... but an email won’t quite cut it, either. This is when Loom becomes handy.

If typing up a written explanation feels arduous, or you’re not sure how you’re going to fill a 30-minute-long department meeting, try filming a Loom video instead

How much does Loom cost?

Loom is free to use. If you’d like to unlock higher usage limits and remove Loom branding, you can do so by purchasing a paid account—options start at $15 per month when billed annually.

What can you do with a free Loom account?

You can film up to 25 videos that are no more than five minutes each, generate transcriptions in over 50 languages, and share your videos with others—they can comment on your video or leave emoji reactions.

Something to know

You can edit videos directly in the Loom app—you don’t need to learn any third-party software. If you want to download and save your videos, though, you’ll need a paid Loom plan. And remember, when working asynchronously, it’s important to be clear and precise in your language so that you reduce, not add, confusion in everyone’s workflow.

6. Zoho: Best for webinars

Zoho Webinar lets you not only host but also analyze group calls. 

You can film a webinar once, then see how many people watch the replay, collect attendee information, and more. Zoho is also suitable for hosting live events.

When to use Zoho Webinar

If you find yourself presenting the same information over and over again, you might prefer to create a webinar that you can distribute multiple times or even sell access to on your website.

Zoho’s webinar tool gives you access to a slate of recording, moderation, and audience engagement tools that are useful when you want to turn your knowledge into reusable video content.

How much does Zoho Webinar cost?

Zoho Webinar is free to use, though paid plans with more features are available for $8 per month (billed annually) and up.

What can you do with a free Zoho Webinar account?

Free users can:

• Host an unlimited number of webinars that are up to 60 minutes long
• Invite up to 100 attendees per webinar
• Moderate speakers and screen sharing
• Collect attendee questions and create audience polls

Something to know

The free Zoho plan only works with live webinars, so if you do want to record and re-use your presentations, you’ll need a paid plan.

Choose the right video meeting software for your needs

Each of the tools on this list has features that are free—so you can try them all out and see which one you like the best. If you’re working on Upwork, though, give our video meetings tool a try. We’ve designed our video meetings to be easily accessible in your workflow, and to help clients and freelancers collaborate in real time. Automatic transcription, recording, and summaries can make working with freelancers and clients much easier … and there’s no charge for any feature. 

The Upwork Video Meetings tool will automatically appear in your Upwork Messages options when it’s available for your account—sign up or log in to Upwork today to start working more efficiently.

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Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the tools or services discussed in this article. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyze and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.

Prices are current at the time of writing and may change over time based on each service’s offerings.