While Zoom has witnessed unprecedented popularity in recent weeks, new vulnerabilities, exploits, and privacy concerns continue to surface, with the FBI even issuing a warning over hijacking threats. It's a reliable platform for remote calling, but there's a wealth of highly-capable rivals to consider. When looking to keep in touch with family, friends, or coworkers, we've wrapped up the best Zoom alternatives.
Switching away from Zoom
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While it's been a bigger week than ever for Zoom, its recent surge in users has highlighted a growing list of issues impacting the video conferencing service. The company recently apologized over security and privacy hiccups, even freezing the development of new features to focus on fixing up the service. Its more prominent than ever, but some look to Zoom alternatives for new features or pure peace of mind.
Microsoft's Skype service remains our recommendation for most users, offering a similar suite of video conferencing features, supporting up to 50 participants per call, and ideal for all types of usage. You can even make calls or texts worldwide through the service, with the aid of Skype Credit, starting as low as $10 via Microsoft. It's already ideal for quick chats, family reunions, or even large company group calls, and available for free.
For more personal connections, WhatsApp remains on top for instant messaging, offering free, fast communication with your contact list. It's also perfect for one-to-one voice and video calls, or smaller gatherings, given a restriction to just four participants per call. The cross-platform design works across iOS and Android phones, accompanying much of what iMessage and FaceTime offer on the iPhone.
