Amid all the chaos and harm of the COVID-19 pandemic, one company has done quite well for itself. Zoom couldn’t possibly have known that a massive virus outbreak was going to send everyone home and keep them working from there for more than two years, but they sure were positioned well to benefit from it.
And benefit they did. In the second quarter of 2020, Zoom brought in just under $200 million in revenue. By the third quarter of 2021, that figure was closer to $800 million.
We all understand why that happened, and most of us have used Zoom fairly regularly since the pandemic began. But much like the pandemic itself, Zoom — and the little bugs and inefficiencies it brings with it — is starting to become a little tiring for many professionals.
If that sounds like you, there’s some good news: There are plenty of Zoom alternatives that work better and bring more to your virtual meetings. To learn more about some of the top Zoom competitors and why you should try them, read on.
5 Apps Better than Zoom to Try in 2022
Not all Zoom alternatives are created equal, but the five Zoom competitors we discuss below are better than Zoom in ways that actually matter to companies doing virtual meetings in 2022. Here are the five alternative platforms you should try:
1. Scoot: A Zoom Alternative With Movement and Music
Zoom connects people via video conferencing and screen sharing. Scoot does that, too, but it adds a whole other virtual dimension to the equation: a virtual office in which employees can move from conversation to conversation and join discussions just as they would in a real-life office. Audio proximity means you only hear those closest to you, just as you would at a real event, although hosts can also make a toast or present to the entire room if desired. Scoot allows you to create a personalized room just for your event or meeting — equipped with unique backgrounds, objects, and music. Host an unlimited amount of attendees by connecting rooms!
Scoot fast facts:
- Attendees can move around the room, allowing for multiple simultaneous smaller conversations, or one larger group conversation or presentation.
- Scoot is a certified B corporation, which means it voluntarily meets and exceeds higher standards of performance, accountability, and transparency.
- Scoot allows up to 300 people per room, and you can connect rooms to welcome unlimited attendees for bigger events!
- Hosts can personalize your meeting with music from a variety of playlists, engaging backgrounds, room objects, and more.
2. Google Meet: Let’s Hangout
It seems like any digital product you can think of can also be found somewhere in Google’s suite of products. That’s certainly true for Zoom, for which Google maintains this popular Zoom alternative: Google Meet. Google Meet does pretty much everything Zoom does, but it lets you have group meetings for free for up to an hour. Compare that to Zoom, which caps free meetings at 40 minutes.
Google Meet fast facts:
- Google Meet was formerly known as Google Hangouts.
- The platform integrates with more than 200 additional apps, including PayPal, Trello, and Slack.
- Unlike Zoom, Google Meet offers real-time closed captions during meetings.
3. Cisco Webex Meetings: For Corporations That Go Big
In the business world, Cisco has long had a strong reputation for its business-related applications. That reputation shines through among Zoom competitors, too, because Cisco Webex Meetings can accommodate meetings of up to 3,000 people at one time. Meanwhile, Zoom asks you to purchase a separate large event license to host a maximum of 1,000.
Cisco Webex Meetings fast facts:
- Cisco Webex Meetings features advanced speech enhancement and background noise removal features.
- The platform can automatically transcribe meetings.
- Users can use hand gestures to signal emotions and reactions, and the platform will recognize them.
4. Skype: Old-School Video Platform with New Features
In the 2020s, there are tons of apps like Zoom. But earlier, in the early 2000s and 10s, there were only a few. One in particular — Skype — existed for nine years before Zoom was even founded. Launched in 2003, Skype is the old-school video calling tech, but with the boom in video conferencing, Skype has adjusted to catch up with Zoom and various Zoom competitors.
Skype fast facts:
- Microsoft acquired Skype for $8.5 billion in 2011.
- Skype was originally called “Sky peer-to-peer.” The name was shortened twice to become the name we know today.
- When Skype went public in 2010, it had 560 million users.
5. GoToMeeting: The Mobile-Friendly Zoom Alternative
Zoom and all of the Zoom alternatives offer mobile versions, but GoToMeeting truly doubles down on mobile with features like commuter mode and cloud recording inside its mobile app. Monthly plans tend to offer similar features at lower prices than Zoom, too.
GoToMeeting fast facts:
- GoToMeeting boasts an uptime rate of 99.995%.
- Software development company LogMeIn created GoToMeeting and released the app in 2004.
- The platform was initially meant to display the screen of a single computer on multiple computers participating in meetings — a common feature known today as screen share.
You Can Do Better Than Zoom
To put it simply, you can do better than Zoom. If Zoom isn’t quite doing the trick for your meetings, there’s no reason to wait around for the platform to get better. Why would you wait when there are dozens of Zoom alternatives that drive more engagement, better connect teams, and are simply more fun to use?
At Scoot, we’ve built our entire platform to be better than not just Zoom, but every other Zoom competitor. We believe virtual meetings can — and should — be better, and we work tirelessly to make that the case for people who use Scoot.
To learn more about Scoot and how it works or request a demo today.
