Compare 4 Free Web Conferencing Tools! Features, benefits, and how to choose

Due to the promotion of work style reform and changes in social conditions, many companies are currently introducing remote work as a “new work style”.
Web conferencing tools are indispensable for creating an environment where you can participate in meetings from home. Even if you have actually used it, whether or not it is a “web conferencing tool that suits your company” may be a surprisingly overlooked point .

In this article, we will introduce the features, advantages and disadvantages of four carefully selected free web conferencing tools, and how to choose them.

Basics of web conferencing tools

What is a web conferencing tool?

Web conferencing is a video and audio conference that takes place online over the Internet . Web conferencing has become an integral part of remote work because participants do not need to be in the same place.

There is a similar word “teleconferencing”, but video conferencing refers to a meeting held at a place where several people gather, such as a conference room, using a stationary dedicated terminal.

Basic function

Many web conferencing tools not only allow you to make calls and chat online, but also have basic functions that are convenient for business use. Let me briefly introduce a representative example.

Video and audio recording
One of the basic functions is to record the video and audio in use for the minutes of the meeting. If you record seminars and lectures using web conferencing tools, you can use them as on-demand materials .

File sharing
A file sharing function is also provided for sharing documents during a meeting. If the file size is too large, it may interfere with the call , so pay attention to the capacity limit. Sharing is also possible by using an external file sharing site and pasting only the URL in the chat.

Virtual background
As a result of the spread of remote work and the increasing number of people using web conferencing tools at home, virtual backgrounds have been implemented in many tools. From the viewpoint of privacy protection, this allows you to replace the background during a call with a specific image .
When used by companies, there are increasing cases of using a dedicated background with the company name, user name, title, etc. written on it.

Advantages of web conferencing tools

Basically free to use

Various services are provided for web conferencing tools, from free ones to paid ones. Basically, most of the tools have sufficient functions even if they are free, and if you pay, you can use many functions without restrictions on the number of people or time.
It is recommended to use the free version first to check the usability, and if you want to further enhance the functions, use the paid version.

Wide range of uses

The web conferencing tool is a tool that can be used for a wide range of purposes other than internal and external meetings. For example, even if you take only one human resources area, you can easily hold company briefings and interviews on the web using web conferencing tools. It is a great advantage that you can conduct recruitment interviews for overseas personnel while you are in Japan using a web conferencing tool.

In addition, it can be used in various industries depending on your ingenuity, from telework, to webinars, sales, and customer service .
When using it for telework, there is also an example where a web conferencing tool is always connected to simulate an environment where it is easy to talk to someone as if they were working in an office. In addition, for webinars, interactive communication between participants and speakers is possible using the functions of web conferencing tools in the same way as face-to-face meetings. In the case of customer service, there are cases where sales staff at retail stores generate sales equal to or higher than those at stores.

lead to increased productivity

If you use web conferencing tools to improve work efficiency and reduce costs, you can expect improved productivity .
For example, if you can quickly contact members in the company, the speed of decision-making on all matters will be much faster. Even if the base is far away, there is no need to make a business trip, so transportation costs and travel time can be reduced.
Web conferencing eliminates the need to distribute printed materials such as materials. It will be paperless, and the work burden will be reduced.

4 Recommended Free Web Conferencing Tools

From here, we will introduce 4 free web conferencing tools recommended by many users among web conferencing tools. A user manual that can be used immediately is also available, so please take advantage of it.

Zoom

Zoom is a product of an American company established in 2011, and is a representative of web conferencing tools. According to a 2021 survey, about 60% of Japanese companies are using Zoom , and the reason for its popularity is that it is easy to introduce and easy to use for meetings with other companies.

<Benefits>
Since it is a well-known and well-known tool that everyone has used once, the hurdles to introduction will be quite low . It has just the right amount of features for regular meetings.
There are plenty of add-on plans, and if there are necessary functions, you can add the cost and enhance the functions.

<Disadvantages>
The free version has a time limit of 40 minutes, so if you often have long meetings, you will feel inconvenient.
Also, in order to hold a meeting, it is necessary to issue a URL, so it is somewhat complicated if you want to hold a meeting casually within the company. Screen sharing can only be performed by one person, so it is not suitable for collaborative work with multiple people.

<Suitable users>
・Many short online meetings and business negotiations with people outside the company
・Want to talk in a stable communication environment

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform developed and provided by Microsoft and part of the Microsoft 365 application . It launched worldwide on March 14th, 2017.
Previously, Office 365 provided a communication tool called Skype for Business, but due to the end of the service, migration to Microsoft Teams is being promoted.

<Benefits> One of the big advantages
of using Microsoft 365 files, such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, is that multiple people can edit them at the same time .
Another nice point is that if you use Office 365 services, you don’t need to spend additional money.

<Disadvantage>
One of the complaints about Teams is that the operability is not intuitive and requires getting used to. Also, compared to other companies’ tools, the amount of communication data is large, and it seems that there are many cases where communication becomes unstable depending on the usage environment.

<Suitable users>
・Has already installed Office365
・Frequently performs collaborative work using Office products

Google Meet

Google Meet is an online meeting tool provided by Google. Previously, the service was available only to paid G Suite users, but from May 2020, free Google account users can also use it.
Google Meet can be used by anyone with a Google account, and there is no need to install a dedicated application. The big advantage is that it is easy to introduce online meetings .

*1 Paid version uses Google Workspace (formerly G Suite)
*2 60 minutes if there are 3 or more participants

<Benefits>
Google Meets is one of the functions that can be used with a Google account, and works seamlessly with other calendar, storage, and email functions. If you are familiar with Google’s functions, you will be able to use it without any discomfort. Another advantage is that all functions can be used only on the browser .

<Disadvantages>
For the free plan, meetings with 3 or more people are limited to 60 minutes, and the recording function is not available. In particular, the recording function is often necessary, so it is recommended that you consider switching to a paid plan when using it for business.

<Suitable users>
・Use Google accounts frequently
・Want to use web conferencing tools in a browser

Webex Meetings

Webex Meetings is a product of Cisco Systems, USA. The company is well-known as the largest manufacturer of network equipment, and Webex meetings are so popular that it is said to be the most used in the world .
The communication is highly stable, and the free version has a lot of functions such as whiteboard function and recording function, and it is popular because you can participate from any terminal.

<Benefits>
Webex Meetings is characterized by high quality audio and video and stable communication . It also supports multiple languages, and can translate more than 100 languages ​​in real time. It also has a transcription function after the meeting.
In addition, since we are focusing on security, various information is encrypted, so you can use it with confidence.

<Disadvantage>
In the case of the free plan, the number of participants is 100, but the maximum time is 50 minutes. Also, although the connection is stable, the demerit is that the behavior is a little slow, and the operation and settings are somewhat complicated.

<Suitable users>
・Want to use web conferencing tools in a secure environment
・Use in a multinational team

Compare 4 recommended free web conferencing tools

The table below summarizes the differences in the functions of the four recommended free web conferencing tools. Choose the appropriate web conferencing tool according to the purpose of use.

*Comparison of free version

Points for choosing a web conferencing tool

Finally, here are five points to consider when choosing a web conferencing tool. What is particularly important is whether it is suitable for the intended use and scale of the company . Let’s examine each point carefully.

Number of users and usage time

Depending on the web conferencing tool, the number of users and usage time are limited, so it is a very important factor how much time you plan to use it at what scale .
When using it for a short meeting like a regular meeting, the convenience of usable functions is important. to select.

Security

Risk management measures in meetings are an essential element for companies.
All of the four web conferencing tools introduced this time have security measures in place, but if you use a tool that does not have security measures just because it is cheap, you will be exposed to information leaks and hacking. You may lose it. Make sure you use reliable tools.

For example, in the case of a tool that allows participation by issuing a URL, there is a risk that unintended users will participate if the URL is leaked.
Depending on the tool, you can set a password with a waiting room to restrict entry to the meeting room, so be sure to check how much security measures are available.

Other security features include:

• Encryption function
• Connection ID setting
• Specifying an IP address
• Terminal authentication

Ease of use

Many companies use web conferencing not only internally, but also for business negotiations with business partners and customers. If you choose a web conferencing tool that is used by as many companies as possible, you will be able to hold a meeting smoothly .
If you use a tool that is too niche, if you need to install the app or register as a member in advance, it will take time to hold the meeting.
We recommend that you use the same web conferencing tool, especially if your group companies or business partners with whom you have a lot of relationships are already using a specific web conferencing tool.

price

Depending on the usage frequency and purpose of the web conferencing tool, it is necessary to use a paid plan. At this time, carefully examine whether the functions that can be used in the paid plan and the actual usage are in balance. It is also safe to check in advance whether you can receive support if you have
any trouble using the tool .

function

As introduced in this article, web conferencing tools are equipped with various useful functions. Consider how your company will use the web conferencing tool, and list and clarify the necessary functions in advance.

For example, if there are many internal meetings and minutes are required, we recommend a tool with an automatic minutes creation function that can even transcribe. If you have many meetings with foreigners, the simultaneous interpretation function is convenient, and if you are holding a briefing session or seminar, having a voting and questionnaire function will expand the range of use.

summary

This time, we introduced a web conferencing tool that can be used for free. Meetings, especially in business, often last for a long time, which has a significant impact on productivity. In order to have a comfortable meeting, why not take this opportunity to review the web conferencing tools you are currently using?