The services featured here are compatible with multiple platforms, and many are also available as mobile apps.
Check the specifications for each product and choose the one that best suits your needs.
Skype
HD-quality voice and video.
David Malan / Getty Images
Audio and video calls are free to other Skype users.
Easy screen sharing and videoconferencing.
You’re notified by email if you miss a message.
you oughta upgrade if it’s not a Skype-to-Skype call.
Can run slowly on machines with lower specs.
Chat function can run slowly.
Alistair Berg / Getty Images
Skype is one of the most popular apps for voice and video calling.
Video and audio calls are free between Skype users.
A paid subscription is required to make audio calls to landlines.
Skype is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux desktops, as well asAndroidandiOSdevices.
Skype for Web works best with Microsoft Edge and the latest version of Chrome.
Google Meet
Tie-in with Google account makes it easy to use right away.
PeopleImages / Getty Images
Easy screen sharing for presenting documents.
Any user with a Google account can create a meeting.
Audio can drop when there are multiple participants.
Users need a Gmail account to participate.
A connected Google account facilitates login and accesses the contacts you already have stored in Gmail.
Free users can host one-on-one calls for up to 24 hours and group calls for up to 60 minutes.
Google Meet is also available as a video chat mobile app forAndroidandiOS.
Zoom
Alistair Berg / Getty Images
Reliable, high-quality conferencing and meeting tool.
Intuitive and easy to use.
Generous features in Zoom’s free tier.
Host a meeting of up to 100 participants for free.
Look out for “Zoom bombing,” when someone crashes your call.
you gotta download a web app app to use Zoom.
There’s a variety of paid plan tiers to match any organization’s needs.
You don’t need a paid subscription to use Zoom.
Zoom on the desktop requires macOS 10.9 or later, Windows 10 through 7, and various Linux setups.
There are also Zoom apps foriOSandAndroid.
Viber
Easy access to contacts on Windows computers.
Chats have end-to-end encryption.
Share media content easily.
you’re gonna wanna set up a mobile account before using Viber on the desktop.
Not as many users as some of the other platforms.
If you have a Windows computer, Viber might be the perfect free video-calling desktop app for you.
It’s also available for Macs,Androiddevices, andiOSdevices.
Viber for Desktop works on Windows 10 and OSX 10.13 and above.
On mobile devices, you’ll need Android 4.2 or newer or iOS 11 or above.
Viber also works with Ubuntu 64 and Fedora Linux.
Facebook Video Calling
Easy to video call a Facebook friend with just a click.
Start a video chat from a Messenger conversation.
Can have 50 people in a video chat, making for a great family reunion.
Many of your contacts likely have Facebook.
Some people experience a transmission lag.
If a contact hasn’t registered a phone number, you could’t call them.
Making a video call from Facebookis easy, and there are several ways to go about it.
If you use the Facebook mobile app for iOS or Android, select a contact and tap thephoneicon.
You’re taken to Messenger, where you tapVideo Chat.
FaceTime
Easy to create video chats with a few clicks.
No FaceTime for Windows.
If the call recipient isn’t logged in to FaceTime, the call won’t work.
FaceTime offers excellent video and audio quality with an intuitive interface.
Similar to Google Meet, FaceTime lets you search through your phone’s contacts to find someone to call.
If your contacts use FaceTime, it’s shown on their contact screen.
Discord
Fun, quirky, and easy to use.
Channels keep topics and threads organized.
Free version has robust features.
Emphasis on instant communication.
Focus is more on voice chat rather than video chat.
Seen as mostly for gamers.
Discord is free to use and offers a plethora of features, including unlimited file storage.
There’s also a Discord mobile app foriOSandAndroid.
Ekiga
Offers live chat and videoconferencing on a Linux desktop.
Supports call forwarding, transfer, and holds.
Not as many users to connect with as some of the other platforms here.
It supports HD sound quality and full-screen video, with DVD-comparable quality.
