Top Alternatives for Online Meetings and Remote Conferences

1. WebEx

Cisco’s WebEx with Citrix’s GoToWebinar are one of the most popular solutions used widely to host presentations and meetings online. Used by companies around the world, WebEx can be priced from $49 to $499 per month and allow only up to 1000 participants at the higher price end.

WebEx is a web conferencing program ideal for businesses that enables collaboration between worldwide participants and partners. You can also use this to let customers and suppliers join to online meetings and host presentations online.

The drawbacks about using WebEx to online meetings are for example that you have no eye contact between all the  participants. Every webcam user recognises the same problem here that you can never look straight at each other because you are looking at the monitor not into the webcam.

2. Zoom

Zoom has become one of the most popular platforms for hosting virtual meetings, webinars, and online presentations. Known for its ease of use and robust features, Zoom caters to a wide range of users, from individuals to large enterprises. Here are the key features of Zoom when used for Virtual Meetings.

• High-Quality Video and Audio: Zoom offers HD video and audio, ensuring clear and professional communication.
• Screen Sharing: Presenters can share their screens to show PowerPoint slides, documents, or any other content in real-time.
• Meeting Recording: You can record meetings or webinars to share with participants who couldn’t attend or for future reference.
• Breakout Rooms: This feature allows you to split your meeting into smaller groups, facilitating more focused discussions or activities.
• Virtual Backgrounds: Zoom enables you to use virtual backgrounds, which can be useful for maintaining privacy or adding a professional touch to your meetings.
• Chat Functionality: Participants can communicate via text chat, which can be useful for sharing links, asking questions, or making comments without interrupting the presenter.
• Security Features: Zoom provides robust security options, including end-to-end encryption, waiting rooms, and password protection for meetings.

3. GoToWebinar

GoToWebinar is the Citrix alternative to host online meetings and business conferences. GoToWebinar is a brother of the popular GoToMeeting, and lets you conduct do-it-yourself webinars with up to 1000 people at the same time. It charges you a one flat rate.

• You can set up a webinar in minutes, without IT support.
• Generate more qualified marketing leads.
• Present to hundreds of people from your Mac or PC and using your browser.
• Save with integrated audio conferencing (via computer and telephone).

3. TeamViewer

TeamViewer is a great collaboration tool that not only enables you to host a virtual meeting online, but also let you control remotely any computer that has installed the software. You can use this to bring support to your friends and family, but also (with the commercial version) to host business meetings and conferences online.

You can learn more about how to host meetings with TeamViewer in one of our previous articles.

4. FuzeMeeting.com

FuzeMeeting is a low cost web conferencing service that allows you to have virtual meetings by the day for up to 15 participants for just under $10 or up to 25-100 participants for between $30 & $70 per month.

Depending upon the package you can have unlimited storage space and meeting recording. It is a very unique service and even allows those with smart phones or Skype to connect to the webinar and collaborate online. The web conferences are also in HD High Definition as well which can be very convenient in some industries like design, art, online media as well as video sharing services.

Go to www.fuzebox.com

5. Microsoft Office – Broadcasting Slide Show Office Web Apps

Broadcast Slide Show is a feature introduced in Microsoft Office that enables presenters to broadcast a presentation from Microsoft PowerPoint to remote viewers (participants) using modern web browsers. Broadcast Slide Show provides organizations with a cost effective and low-infrastructure presentation broadcast capability that works through the Web and it is a good alternative to other meeting software and costly solutions.

Originally, PowerPoint was used primarily as a tool for making presentations to an in-person, on-site audience but nowadays you can also take advantage of the broadcasting solutions to present a slide show over a Web or network connection to remote attendees or to mix remote and on-site attendees for the same presentation. You can use this in different industries or even for educational purposes.

6. Talk Fusion Live Broadcast & Video Conferencing:

TalkFusion Video Conferencing solution is a platform that allows you to have up to 15 participants online where you all meet face-to-face on your webcams in a conference like setting.

You’ll be sitting across from each other on a virtual table and you are able to present slides, share videos, talk with multiple presentation participants at the same time, share screens and desktop. All of the functions of GoToWebinar and WebEx and more are present in Talk Fusion, for example the following key features.

• You can also brand yourself or your business.
• You can record your broadcast for later use.
• You can send invites and collect info to follow up.
• You can share any file type for the most part.

It is not free, you will need pay a one-time cost of $250 for the system which actually includes 8 products and professional customized templates and then a low monthly fee of $35.

Go to talkfusion.com

8. AnyMeeting.com

Voice and video web conferencing and free webinar service (for 200 attendees). AnyMeeting is the successor of Freeminar and lets you customize your registrations, surveys that show for attendees after the webinar. You can invite people and collect info to follow-up the meeting. You can also record your webinars.

AnyMeeting (formerly Freebinar) also allows you to create a profile where your webinars will show as well as hook it to your social media where it will let your networks know about your meeting. You can create an account for free and upgrade later for any other paid plan, especially if you need no ads and full access to all features. The most expensive plan allows you to accept 200 participants and attendees for $69.99.

Here are some of the key features:

• Hold Large or Small Meetings. With meeting sizes of up to 200 participants, you can host a large webinar or a small collaborative online meeting, for free.
• Share Your Screen. Your audience will be able to see anything you choose to show them on your screen, so it doesn’t get any easier.
• Send Meeting Invitations & Create Custom Registration Forms. x
• Live Video Conferencing.
• Record Your Meetings.

Go to anymeeting.com

Alternatively you can use advanced video conferencing solutions but this will depend on your company budget.

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