Top 5 Group Video Calling Apps for Desktop, Mobile, and Web
Video calls are quickly replacing the social aspect. In addition, pandemic mandates for social distancing and video calling are great for catching up with everyone. Although there are many applications for making video calls, it is quite difficult to choose the one that suits your needs.
The apps we offer can be used for personal and business purposes to host fast group video calls. If you want to organize a video conference for a large but limited crowd, weigh the options accordingly. Of course, you have to think about everyone’s availability and not limit yourself by using FaceTime.
In this article, we’ll cover the top five group video conferencing apps for communicating with friends, family, and office workers so that none of them are limited by one platform. Let’s start.
1. WhatsApp
We are going to start this list with one of the most popular messaging apps of all time – WhatsApp. Billions of people already use it, and that’s why it wouldn’t really be a problem to try it. Of course, the most basic requirement is to know the phone number of the person you want to call.
One way to start a group video call is to call someone and then add more contacts to the same call. You can also click the video call button icon in group chat, then select the members you want to add to the video call. Although all of this sounds sophisticated, WhatsApp only allows up to four people on a video call. In addition, it uses the least amount of data possible. So don’t rely too much on the overall quality of the video call.
In short, it’s great to meet up with friends or family. So yes, to connect with people, WhatsApp is great. But don’t plan on using it to display content or something that requires good quality.
WhatsApp is available for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and Web.
2. Google Duo
Google Duo comes preinstalled on many Android phones. Once you’ve added your Google Account, it only takes a few seconds to set it up. Duo offers much better video quality compared to WhatsApp.
You can even create custom groups for making video calls. Currently, the Google Duo can support up to 12 people in a group video call. This may be enough to catch up with friends, family and loved ones. Also, it should work to communicate with a small team. One of the best parts is that the Duo offers a simple, no-frills interface. If you’re just starting out, check out our compilation of the best Google Duo tips and tricks.
Google Duo is available for Android, iOS and Web.
Group video calling capacity – 12
3. Skype
There is no way to miss out on the veteran app like Skype. It has been around since 2003 and continues to be one of the most trusted voice and video calling services. Skype gave hiccups to a large number of users initially, but the service works very well on each platform.
Among several features built inside, one of the features we use the most is screen sharing. This makes things smoother and easier while communicating with an individual or a group of people. If you’re looking for location privacy, Skype also has an option to dim your background. Well, Microsoft boasts of using artificial intelligence algorithms to achieve this with any type of camera – internal or external. However, if Skype doesn’t work with your camera on your laptop or PC, check out our guide on how to fix Skype camera that doesn’t work on Windows 10.
Skype is available for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux and the Web.
Group video calling capacity – 50
4. Houseparty
Houseparty is a surprisingly newcomer to video capable apps. The name is clear enough to tell you that it is a fun application and perfectly suited for calling your family and friends. Its popularity has exploded recently due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced nationwide closure in many countries.
One of the best parts of this app is that you can join an existing video call with other people. To top it off, you don’t even need an invitation from the people called. Once you have a list of friends, the app will notify you whenever someone connects. This is why it works very well for a group of friends who want to make a video call. Houseparty also includes games that you can play as a group, which makes it unique among all the apps on this list.
Houseparty is available for Android, iOS and macOS.
Group video calling capacity – 8
5. Zoom
Zoom is one of the fastest growing applications for video calling and hosting video conferences. The app had around 10 million users in November 2019, and the number soared to 200 million users by the end of March this year. When it comes to casual group video calls, Zoom locks the horns with Houseparty and the choice becomes a bit difficult.
Contrary to popular belief, Zoom also offers a free level for everyone. Whether you want to organize a webinar or a group video call, Zoom offers top quality. If you plan to use the free level for a limited time, you can’t even consider reading all the bells and whistles you get with the other paid plans.
The only downside to the free plan is that you get up to 40 minutes for a group call of up to 25 people. This limit can expire quickly and all participants would appreciate the brevity of the meeting. You can also share desktop screens, software or presentation screens, pictures, and other files during a video call.
Note: We strongly recommend that you avoid sharing confidential information, screens and other details when making video calls using Zoom.
Do you feel a little weird to work for the house? Fortunately, Zoom offers virtual backgrounds to make your perspectives a little different.
Group video calling capacity – 25
Bonus: Google Meet
Google Meet is a lesser-known feature of Google Hangouts. Indeed, it is a new entrant in this game and is intended for G Suite users. It is one of the must-have apps for video calling for many people. You can go to meet.google.com and start a meeting.
Invite a few contacts to the meeting and you can even share your current screen using Present mode. Since you are the host, you must have a G Suite (corporate) account to launch Present mode. During this time, participants must have at least one regular Google account to join the meeting.
Security is one of the growing concerns with the lack of end-to-end encryption in video calls. This is what you should look for if you plan to share screens, files and other documents.
Check out the video on the top 5 video conferencing apps from our Guiding Tech YouTube channel:
Now you may be wondering why we haven’t included apps like FaceTime. Well, it is only limited to the Apple ecosystem.
You can always have two different applications where one is for personal use and the other for professional purposes.
Then:
Are you looking for a reliable video calling app with multiple features to beat Zoom? See our list of Zoom alternatives
Last updated April 26, 2020