Short answer
Zoom Workplace has the highest-ranked free plan among the video conferencing tools we rank (93/100): Free plan (40-minute meetings, 100 participants). 6 of the 6 tools in our video conferencing tools ranking list a free plan.
Every tool here comes from our main video conferencing tools ranking, which scores video conferencing tools on 6 weighted criteria. This page keeps only the tools whose pricing page lists a free plan (not just a time-limited trial), in the same order, and shows what each free plan includes and where paid plans start.
Free plans compared
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid plans from | Score |
|---|
| 1 |  Zoom Workplace | Free plan (40-minute meetings, 100 participants) | $14.16/user/mo
Pro, billed annually ($16.99 monthly); Business $18.33 | 93/100 |
| 2 |  Microsoft Teams | Free plan (60-minute meetings, 100 participants); 1-month trial | $4/user/mo
Teams Essentials, paid yearly; Microsoft 365 Business Basic $7 | 90/100 |
| 3 |  Google Meet | Free plan (60-minute meetings, 100 participants); 14-day trial | $7/user/mo
Workspace Business Starter, annual plan ($8.40 flexible); recording from Standard ($14) | 85/100 |
| 4 |  Webex | Free plan (40-minute meetings, 100 attendees) | Free
Free plan; Enterprise by quote (Meet and Suite prices not shown on the page we checked) | 84/100 |
| 5 |  Zoho Meeting | Free plan (60-minute meetings, 100 participants); 14-day trial | From $1/host/mo
Standard, smallest participant tier; price rises with participants (10 to 250) | 79/100 |
| 6 |  Whereby | Free plan (30-minute meetings, 4 participants); 14-day Business trial | $10.99/host/mo
Pro, 1 host; Business $13.99 per host (minimum 3 hosts); 17% off annual | 71/100 |
Starting prices are the cheapest paid plan on each vendor's pricing page on Nov 1, 2026, billed annually where shown. Zoom's Pro product page showed $15.99 billed monthly on the same day; we use the pricing page's $16.99. Webex's US pricing page listed only its free plan and Enterprise (priced by quote). Zoho Meeting's price rises with the participant tier. Whereby's page does not say whether its prices are monthly or annual billing. G2 lists Google Meet under Google Workspace.
The free plans
Free plan: Free plan (40-minute meetings, 100 participants).
When you outgrow it: paid plans start at $14.16/user/mo (Pro, billed annually ($16.99 monthly); Business $18.33).
Zoom Workplace is Zoom's meetings platform, with chat, whiteboards and AI Companion built in. Pro ($14.16 per user billed annually) allows 30-hour meetings for 100 participants with 10 GB of cloud recording per license; Business ($18.33) raises meetings to 300 participants and unlimited whiteboards.
Strengths
- AI Companion included at no extra cost on paid plans
- 10 GB of cloud recording per license from Pro
- 30-hour meetings on every paid plan
Watch-outs
- Free meetings end at 40 minutes
- Pro is capped at 100 participants; 300 needs Business
- Webinars are listed on Enterprise, priced by quote
Read our full Zoom Workplace review →
Free plan: Free plan (60-minute meetings, 100 participants); 1-month trial.
When you outgrow it: paid plans start at $4/user/mo (Teams Essentials, paid yearly; Microsoft 365 Business Basic $7).
Microsoft Teams combines meetings, chat and file sharing. Teams Essentials ($4 per user paid yearly) allows 300 participants, 30-hour meetings and 10 GB of cloud storage per user; Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($7) adds business email and Office web apps, and Business Standard with Copilot ($23.50) adds webinars.
Strengths
- 300 participants and 30-hour meetings from $4 per user
- Business email and Office apps from $7 with Business Basic
- Free plan allows 60-minute meetings for 100 people
Watch-outs
- Paid plans are annual, auto-renewing subscriptions
- Copilot is an add-on below Business Standard
- Trial needs a credit card and converts to paid
Read our full Microsoft Teams review →
Free plan: Free plan (60-minute meetings, 100 participants); 14-day trial.
When you outgrow it: paid plans start at $7/user/mo (Workspace Business Starter, annual plan ($8.40 flexible); recording from Standard ($14)).
Google Meet is the video meeting app in Google Workspace and runs in the browser with nothing to install. Business Starter ($7 per user on the annual plan) allows 100 participants and 24-hour meetings; Business Standard ($14) adds recording to Drive, noise cancellation, breakout rooms, polls and Q&A; Business Plus ($22) raises meetings to 500 participants and adds attendance tracking.
Strengths
- Browser-based, nothing to install
- Email, Drive and Docs included in every plan
- Free plan allows 60-minute meetings for 100 people
Watch-outs
- No recording, breakout rooms or polls on Business Starter
- Attendance tracking needs Business Plus ($22)
- Starter caps meetings at 100 participants
Read our full Google Meet review →
Free plan: Free plan (40-minute meetings, 100 attendees).
When you outgrow it: paid plans start at Free (Free plan; Enterprise by quote (Meet and Suite prices not shown on the page we checked)).
Webex is Cisco's meetings, calling and messaging platform. The free plan allows unlimited meetings of up to 40 minutes for 100 attendees with local recording; Enterprise, priced by quote, raises meetings to 1,000 attendees and adds unlimited cloud recording and the AI Assistant. Webex also sells Meet and Suite plans.
Strengths
- Up to 1,000 attendees and unlimited cloud recording on Enterprise
- AI Assistant on Enterprise
- Free plan needs no credit card
Watch-outs
- Free meetings end at 40 minutes, with local recording only
- Its US pricing page showed no self-serve paid prices on the day we checked
- Heavier admin setup than browser-first tools
Read our full Webex review →
Free plan: Free plan (60-minute meetings, 100 participants); 14-day trial.
When you outgrow it: paid plans start at $1/host/mo (Standard, smallest participant tier; price rises with participants (10 to 250)).
Zoho Meeting is a meetings and webinar tool from the Zoho suite, priced per host by participant tier (10, 25, 50, 100, 150, 200 or 250). Standard and Professional allow 24-hour meetings and 5 GB of recording storage per host; Professional adds recording transcripts and meeting keynotes.
Strengths
- Paid plans from $1 per host per month
- Free plan allows 60-minute meetings for 100 participants
- 14-day trial with no credit card
Watch-outs
- Price rises with the participant tier you pick
- Free plan has no recording, co-hosts or breakout rooms
- Transcripts need Professional
Read our full Zoho Meeting review →
Free plan: Free plan (30-minute meetings, 4 participants); 14-day Business trial.
When you outgrow it: paid plans start at $10.99/host/mo (Pro, 1 host; Business $13.99 per host (minimum 3 hosts); 17% off annual).
Whereby runs meetings in permanent browser rooms that guests join from a link, with no download or account. Pro ($10.99 per host) gives 1 host 3 rooms, meetings of up to 100 participants with no time limit and unlimited recording; Business ($13.99 per host, minimum 3 hosts) raises meetings to 200 participants with unlimited rooms.
Strengths
- Guests join from a link with no download or account
- No meeting time limit on paid plans
- Unlimited recording from Pro
Watch-outs
- Free plan is limited to 4 participants and 30 minutes
- Business needs at least 3 hosts
- Fewer admin and enterprise controls than Zoom, Teams or Webex
Read our full Whereby review →
FAQ
What are the best free video conferencing tools?
Zoom Workplace (Free plan (40-minute meetings, 100 participants)) ranks highest among the video conferencing tools we rank that offer a free plan. Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Webex also have free plans.
Is there a completely free option?
Yes, each tool on this page lists a free plan on its pricing page. Free plans have limits, shown in the table above, and paid plans add more users, usage and features.
What do free plans usually leave out?
Free plans typically cap users, records or monthly usage and leave out advanced automation, reporting and admin controls. Check each tool's limits against your team size before you commit.
When should I move to a paid plan?
When you hit a limit in the free plan or need a feature it leaves out. The table shows where each tool's paid plans start; our full video conferencing tools ranking compares the paid tiers.
Vettlo Editorial TeamResearched and written by the Vettlo editorial team using our methodology. Prices and plan details come from each vendor's public pricing page.