Video conferencing has consolidated around four major players in 2026, with whittled-down differentiation. Choose based on your existing stack and team size.
Quick Picks
- Already on Google Workspace→Google Meet
- Already on Microsoft 365→Microsoft Teams
- Best webinar features + general use→Zoom
- Enterprise / regulated industry→Webex
- Open source / self-hosted→Jitsi
Pricing Snapshot (May 2026)
| Tool | Free Tier | Pro | Business/Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoom | 40-min limit | $14.99/host (Pro) | $21.99/host (Business) |
| Google Meet | 60-min, 100 participants | $6/user (Workspace Starter) | $18/user (Plus) |
| Teams | 60-min, 100 participants | $4/user (Essentials) | $22.50/user (E5) |
| Webex | 40-min, 100 participants | $14.50/host (Starter) | $25/host (Business) |
| Jitsi | Unlimited (free) | Self-hosted free | Custom hosting fees |
What Each Wins At
Zoom — The Default for a Reason
Zoom's reliability, breakout rooms, and webinar features (up to 1,000 attendees, 10K with Events) keep it the leader. Zoom AI Companion (free for paid users since 2024) generates meeting summaries, action items, and chat compose. Best for: webinar-heavy use, mixed external participants.
Google Meet — The Workspace Default
Google Meet integrates seamlessly with Calendar, Gmail, and Drive. Gemini integration (Workspace Plus tier) translates 70+ languages live, summarizes meetings, and drafts follow-ups. Best for: Google Workspace customers — no separate purchase needed.
Microsoft Teams — The Enterprise Bundle
Teams ships free with Microsoft 365 Business plans. Copilot integration is the deepest of any platform — pulls context from your Outlook calendar, Word docs, Excel files. Best for: enterprise Office users; everything is in one window.
Webex — Compliance + Voice
Webex (Cisco) leads on regulatory compliance — FedRAMP, HIPAA, FINRA. Built-in PSTN voice calling at scale. Best fit for highly regulated industries (banking, healthcare, government).
Jitsi — Open Source Freedom
Jitsi Meet is free, open-source, and self-hostable. End-to-end encrypted (with Jitsi as a Service paid tier). No account needed for guest meetings. Best for: privacy-focused, technical teams, EU compliance.
The AI Differentiator
All four major platforms now ship AI meeting summaries. Quality differences are subtle:
- Zoom AI Companion:Best summary quality, weakest CRM integration
- Google Meet (Gemini):Best translation, second-best summary
- Teams Copilot:Best CRM integration, deepest Office context
- Webex AI Assistant:Best for sales teams, weakest for general use
