Zoom At A Glance
Zoom Video Communications, more commonly known as just “Zoom,” was the brainchild of Eric Yuan, previously an executive and engineer at Cisco Systems. Zoom completed its IPO in 2019 and joined the NASDAQ-100 in 2020.
While it’s true that Zoom saw its usage skyrocket off the back of the global pandemic, the company was always on an upward trajectory. Zoom ultimately owes its success to a robust service that provides excellent video and webinar conferencing tools and other top-quality services.
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Zoom Meetings
Zoom’s Meetings platform is one of the most popular video conferencing systems in the world. This video conferencing software offers excellent video and audio streaming for free. The service is scalable to a degree, beginning with the free Basic plan and upgrading to options that bring vast amounts of integrations and data storage options to the table.
Basic
Zoom’s Basic plan is permanently free; you aren’t required to submit credit card information to use it. With Basic, you get:
- Unlimited group meetings hosted up to 40 minutes
- Unlimited one-to-one meetings, with each session having a 30-hour time limit
- The ability to host up to 100 participants
- The option of private and group chats
Additionally, the free version includes access to a host of business integrations, including Asana, Salesforce, Alexa, HubSpot and Workplace, among many others. Zoom also doesn’t make you pay extra for whiteboard tools, screen sharing, audio and video recordings or the ability to integrate with Google Calendar.
Zoom’s Basic tier may feel complete if you are someone who only needs a single license. However, if you desire unlimited meetings or specific web conferencing tools, you’ll want to consider upgrading.
Pro
With the Pro tier, you get everything in Basic plus:
- Social media streaming
- Co-hosting and alternate hosting
- Ability to designate anyone on the Pro plan to schedule meetings
- A gigabyte (GB) of cloud recording per license
- Skype for Business
- Live transcription
- Live streaming through YouTube, Facebook or a third-party service
- Usage reports
- User management tools
The Pro plan costs $15.99 per license, per month; Zoom recommends it for small teams as you can only buy a maximum of nine licenses.
Business
The Business tier brings everything in the Basic and Pro plan, plus a few crucial additions:
- Ability to host meetings for up to 300 participants
- Recording transcripts
- Admin portal for simplified billing, user management and usage insights
- Language interpreters, who receive their own audio channels
- Single sign-on (SSO)
- Company branding
- Managed domains
This plan is aimed at small businesses that need between 10 and 99 licenses. Although priced at $19.99 per license, you can expect to invest, at minimum, about $199.90 per month. There is also a Business Plus plan that is $25 per user, per month, which is similar to the Business plan, but adds unlimited regional phone, translated captions and workspace reservations. It also adds 5GB of cloud storage space.
Enterprise
Zoom has a large enterprise-ready plan available for businesses with 1,000 or more employees that require more than what’s available at the lower tiers. It also requires a minimum purchase of 50 licenses.
The Enterprise tier is custom-priced and you must contact Zoom’s sales department directly to move forward with a purchase. Enterprise is the only premium tier where annual agreements are mandatory; you can pay the total cost upfront or agree to pay month to month.
This highest tier has everything from the previous plans, with the addition of features like:
- Ability to host up to 500 participants
- Customer success management
- Executive business reviews
- Webinar 500
- Bundled discounts
Enterprise is without a doubt the priciest option available. However, features like unlimited cloud storage make the package enticing for larger teams.
Add-Ons
There are a few extra service options Zoom left out of its premium plans.
| Add-On | Details | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Conferencing | Global toll-free coverage for 100+ countries; call-out options with Zoom Audio U.S. and Canada | Starts at $100 per month |
| Cloud Storage | For storing, streaming and downloading videos from the Zoom Cloud; store up to 3 TB per month | Starts at $10 per month |
| Premier Support | Prioritizes technical resources and helps troubleshoot and resolve any development-related issues; access to Zoom’s secure Developer Support Portal | Contact sales |
| Large Meetings | Host meetings with up to 500 or 1,000 active participants | Starts at $50 per month |
When integrated with your desired tier plan, these add-ons will undoubtedly boost your service. However, Zoom’s decision to create separate charges for options that could come standard with rival tier plans could work against it.
Other Benefits
- Free plan. Zoom makes many of its most useful web conferencing features, such as screen sharing and whiteboard tools, available to use without a premium subscription.
- Easy to use. Zoom is very easy to install and use, either on desktop or via mobile phone. It’s even possible to join Zoom as a participant without creating a new account.
- Dozens of integrations. Zoom connects seamlessly with many crucial software tools vital to modern businesses, making it easier than ever for organizations to collaborate remotely to complete important projects.
Related: Best Video Conferencing Software
Fine Print
Although Zoom has a lot going for it overall, there are a few things you’ll want to know ahead of time before signing up for a paid plan. First, it’s crucial to take note of how many licenses you’ll need and the tier plan for which you’ll qualify. For example, if you know your company will need 15 licenses, you’ll need the Business plan since that’s too many licenses for the Pro tier.
One particular sticking point with Zoom is how it treats technical support. If you use the Basic plan, the best option you have is the Help Center. As a Pro tier customer, you would be able to submit a ticket and get help via chat, but if you want to speak with an actual person, you must upgrade to Business or higher.
Although monthly contracts are available at the Business tier, it’s at this point that Zoom makes multi-year contracts available. The annual agreement becomes mandatory for the Enterprise-level customer. It may be possible in some cases to edit your plan, switching from annual to monthly or the reverse. If you want to cancel your subscription, you’ll need to do so before the next billing cycle. Otherwise, you will get charged automatically.
Security Concerns
As quickly as Zoom gained popularity, it also gained a fair bit of backlash over its privacy and security issues. As such, while Zoom remains a top-rated web conferencing platform, its spotty security history might make some reluctant to create an account.
During our research, we found that some customers complained about the inability to remove comments created by online trolls who invade meeting spaces in a practice known as “Zoombombing.” Zoom has managed to address most issues within the past year. One way to avoid unwanted guests in your meetings is to have all participants join using a password.
How Zoom Stacks Up
| Zoom | Microsoft Teams | GoToMeeting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Monthly Cost Per User | From $15.99 | From $4 | From $12 |
| Free Version | Yes | Yes | No |
| Meeting Time Limit | 30 hours | 24 hours | Unlimited |
| Max Number of Participants | 1,000 | 300 | 3,000 |
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Is Zoom Right for You or Your Business?
Zoom’s services are competitively priced, and if you’re not looking to spend money, it provides free web conferencing tools. As such, Zoom is great for small and large businesses alike. That said, if you run a large company and you aren’t impressed with mandatory contracts, or you don’t like the idea of having to upgrade for reliable tech support, then Zoom might not be an ideal fit for you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do you need a Zoom account to join a meeting?
No. While the person who starts a meeting and invites you will need an account, participants aren’t required to sign up for Zoom.
How do I set up video conferencing with Zoom?
To join a video conference using Zoom, you need a webcam, microphone and speakers. While you don’t need a Zoom account, you do need to download its software before joining or hosting a call. To set up a conference room in your office, contact a rep with the video conference service.
Is Zoom free to download?
Zoom is free for download and use on desktop computers and other internet-ready devices through the “Basic” subscription plan.
Is Zoom safe to use?
Although Zoom experienced various security and privacy issues during 2020, the brand has since stepped up protection to make the platform safer to use. If you’re worried about online trolls invading meetings, it may be a good idea to have participants join using a password.
What’s a good alternative to Zoom?
Although we highly recommend Zoom, if you’re looking for a suitable alternative, you may consider Google Meet or TeamViewer Meeting. Read our Google Meet vs. Zoom review to learn more.
What kind of peripherals should I have to join a conference call?
In addition to a quality conference calling service, you need to have a high-resolution webcam―either one that comes with your device, such as a laptop or webcam that you can connect to your computer via a USB connection―an external microphone, external speaker or speakers or a quality headset with a built-in microphone and access to the internet, whether from your home or place of business or at a location that offers Wi-Fi access.
