What is the best platform to organize a videoconference?

Multiple people can attend a virtual event through videoconferencing. Nowadays, its use is democratized in both the private and professional sectors. There are many companies competing in the web conferencing market, from historical players to newcomers. Do all solutions offer the same benefits? Do they all meet the performance and functionality requirements? What is the right platform to organize a videoconference?

What factors should you consider when choosing a videoconferencing platform?

Choosing a solution that fits your practices will ensure that you and your guests are satisfied with your virtual meeting.

Personal or professional, the following criteria should be considered:

• Service pricing: free of charge, monthly subscription, or customized offer?
• Meeting participant limit: how many people can attend simultaneously? 
• Meeting duration: limited or infinite?
• Quality of the video stream: from basic to 4K quality.
• Interaction features and widgets: chat, whiteboard, captioning, document sharing, integrated polling tools - you name it. 
• System security: particularly critical for confidential meetings;
• Ergonomics of the solution: design, ease of use, intuitiveness.

The most suitable videoconferencing platform is one that best meets your needs, based on your constraints and goals. In the end, you need to decide whether their benefits outweigh their disadvantages.

What are the best free video conferencing solutions available to the general public?

Many videoconferencing platforms offer free basic features. In order to unlock the advanced options (such as time and participant limitations), you will need to pay a monthly subscription fee.

You can use these solutions for personal use or for small businesses.

Zoom (free version)

Zoom is certainly the most popular solution since the health crisis. It has a lot to offer as long as you have short virtual meetings.

• Easy-to-use ergonomic interface;
• High-definition audio and video;
• Waiting room filtering system;
• You get all the essential features of videoconferencing: display of the active participant, group chat, screen sharing, customizable wallpaper, and replay recording;
• Extras: 3 whiteboards with 25 MB of storage in the cloud, private messaging between participants, and "virtual hand raising";
• The service is limited to 100 people and lasts for 40 minutes;
• Premium video conferencing services from €14 to €33 per month.

Whatsapp and Messenger (Meta group)

The video conferencing tools offered by Facebook and Instagram are more like group video calls than real video conferencing. This makes them a good choice for small group virtual meetings. They are particularly easy to use.

• Participants are limited to 8 for WhatsApp and 50 for Messenger;
• For WhatsApp, it uses phone numbers, and for Messenger, it uses Facebook accounts;
• In WhatsApp, group video calls are made from chat groups that have been previously created.
• Messenger lets you create rooms and share links.
• WhatsApp does not support screen sharing, but Messenger does.
• Group video conferencing is only available on cell phones for WhatsApp (limited to two people on a computer);
• Chat exchanges (texts, photos, documents) are stored independently of the video.
• Providing practical solutions for long-term discussion groups (associations, groups of friends, or family).

Google Meet (formerly Duo)

Powered by Google, the video platform is simple to use and connected to all aspects of the Google ecosystem. To use Meet for free, you need a Gmail account.

• Easy-to-use ergonomic interface;
• High-definition audio and video;
• Waiting room filtering system;
• You get all the essential features of videoconferencing: display of the active participant, group chat, screen sharing, customizable wallpaper, and replay recording; 
• Extras: live subtitles (in English only), 15 GB of cloud storage; 
• The service is limited to 100 people and lasts for 60 minutes;
• Service plans start at €5.20 and €15.60 per month, and quotes are available for advanced professional features.

Other video conferencing platforms

Several other platforms are available to the general public, such as Microsoft Teams, open source Jitsi Meet, and many others, all of which do not require accounts, have no limitations, and are 100% secure.

Videoconferencing is a valuable tool for companies and administrations. They must be able to organize efficient, secure, and accessible work meetings for a large number of participants. There are professional solutions, sometimes very specific, available for this purpose. Among the most popular are Livestorm, GoTo Webinar, Cisco Webex, and BlueJeans.

Since it is impossible to mention all teleconferencing solutions, we have listed the most popular ones. However, one stands out: Lemon, ours! An innovative platform for monetizing knowledge online through video conferencing.

Lemon video conferencing platform: why should you choose it?

Designed for ease of use

Lemon can be accessed from any web browser. There is no need to install an application. To use our services, you must create an account. After that, it's very simple. Follow the interface!

👉 Create your account and create your presentation with Lemon.

Highest video quality

Lemon's ambition is to provide its users with a high-end solution. We have developed a product that allows 4K video conferencing. What a great virtual event experience!

No latency

With our uncompressed video broadcasting technology, latency is less than 1 second. Your videoconferences will be more interactive with this technical feat!

An unique monetization system

With our integrated monetization system, anyone can monetize live and interactive video content. With our online ticketing system, giving courses, training, masterclasses, or online consultations has never been easier. There is, however, still a free video conferencing option available.

👉 To learn more, create your first virtual classroom on Lemon.

For all its features

Lemon has all the essential features of a video conferencing platform:

• screen sharing;
• document sharing
• replay recording; 
• a messaging system (chat);
• interface customization options;

And additional services such as :

• Managing customers;
• Performance tracking;
• A calendar of your virtual meetings.

And many other tools that we invite you to discover by creating your first videoconference with Lemon.