Free Video Conferencing and Webinar Tools
Which video meeting and webinar tools a startup can use for free today, how long a free meeting lasts and how many people can join, whether it records, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, read from each tool's own page.
Free allowances read on each provider's own pages, all checked on or after . Video tools change their free limits from time to time: confirm the terms on the tool's page before you book an important call on it.
Video meeting and webinar tools a startup can use for free today include Google Meet (Free with a Google Account), StreamYard (Streaming with a StreamYard logo, 1 seat), Zoom (Basic plan, free to sign up), Restream (Free plan: 2 channels at once), and Zoho Meeting (Free plan, 100 participants). Each of the 10 free plans below links to the tool's page that states it, with its main limit, whether it records, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs.
Investor calls, customer demos and the weekly team meeting all run on video. Every major meeting tool has a free plan, and several webinar and streaming tools do too.
The headline rarely tells you how far it goes. A free plan can end group meetings after 30, 40 or 60 minutes, cap participants, or keep cloud recording for paid plans. Each tool below shows what is free, its main limit, whether it records, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, quoted from the tool's own page with the date we read it.
Which tools we picked and the order they appear in are our editorial choices; the terms are the providers'. Some of these providers pay us a referral commission when someone signs up through our link: those links are labeled, and they play no part in which tools are listed or where.
Video meeting tools with a free plan
Calls with customers, investors and the team, with a free plan to start.
- 1
Google Meet
Free video calls for anyone with a Google Account
Anyone with a Google Account can host a meeting at no cost, for up to 100 participants and 60 minutes. Mobile calls and 1:1s have no time limit, and recording is on the paid Workspace plans.
Start free at GoogleTerms read on workspace.google.com on Google Meet: the free allowance and how to start - 2
Zoom
Short group calls with a well-known tool
Zoom's Basic plan is free to sign up for, with meetings limited to 40 minutes and 100 participants and local recording. The first paid plan, Pro, is $14.16 a user a month billed annually.
Start free at ZoomTerms read on zoom.us on Zoom: the free allowance and how to start Zoom for Startups: what startups get - 3
Zoho Meeting
Small teams that need 100 participants for free
Zoho Meeting's Free plan allows 100 participants and meetings up to 60 minutes. Recording starts with the paid Standard plan, which costs US$1 per host a month billed annually.
- 4
Cisco Webex
Unlimited short meetings with local recording
Webex Free allows unlimited meetings of up to 40 minutes each, for up to 100 attendees, with local recording. Webex states that no credit card is taken when you sign up for the free plan.
- Payment card
- No card needed (source: pricing.webex.com)
Start free at Cisco WebexTerms read on pricing.webex.com on Cisco Webex: the free allowance and how to start - 5
Jitsi Meet
Open-source calls with no account for guests
Jitsi Meet is free to use with no account needed. Its terms cap free use at 25 active endpoints a calendar month, so it suits light or occasional use.
- What's free
- Free, no account needed (source: jitsi.org)
- 6
Whereby
One fixed room link for short one-to-ones
Whereby's Free plan gives one room URL, 4 attendees per meeting and meetings of up to 30 minutes. Its Pro plan starts at $10.99 a month.
- First paid plan
- Pro: $10.99 a month (source: whereby.com)
Webinar and live streaming tools with a free plan
Webinars, demos and live streams, with a free plan to start.
- 1
StreamYard
Free live streams with 2 hours of recording a month
StreamYard's Free plan includes 2 hours of local recordings a month, 6 on-screen participants and one seat, and streams carry a StreamYard logo.
Start free at StreamYardTerms read on streamyard.com on StreamYard: the free allowance and how to start - 2
Restream
Live streams to two platforms at once, for free
Restream's free plan streams on 2 channels at once, with cloud recordings of up to 6 hours per stream. Its Standard plan is $19 a month.
- First paid plan
- Standard: $19 a month (source: restream.io)
- 3
Zoho Webinar
Small webinars of up to 20 attendees, free
Zoho Webinar's Free plan allows 20 attendees and webinars of up to 60 minutes. Recording starts with the paid Standard plan, at US$8 per host a month billed annually.
- What's free
- Free plan, 20 attendees (source: zoho.com)
- 4
Livestorm
Trying a webinar platform before paying
Livestorm offers a free trial with no credit card needed. The trial is on the Pro plan, which allows up to 4 hours per session and includes recording. The page does not state the trial length.
- Payment card
- No card needed (source: livestorm.co)
Collaboration startup programs
Programs from collaboration companies that give startups free months or discounts on paid plans.
Also useful for meetings and notes
Referral links, picked for fit and ordered by fit (70%) and what a signup earns us (30%), at no cost to you. They never change this page's ranking.
Compare the top options
How this comparison is built
The list covers video meeting and webinar tools a founder can use for free today without applying to a program. The order and the "best for" notes are our editorial reading of each tool's terms. Every term comes from the tool's own pricing or help page on the date shown, never from a third-party list; follow each link for the full conditions. A cap on meeting length or participants, or recording kept for paid plans, can matter more than the headline, so the comparison quotes them wherever the tool states them. Some of these tools pay StartupPerks a referral commission, and their links are labeled as referral links; that decides neither whether nor where a tool appears, and no tool pays for a placement on this page.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
What is the best free video conferencing tool?
It depends on meeting length. By the terms each tool states, Google Meet's free accounts host 100 participants for 60 minutes, Zoho Meeting's free plan 100 participants for up to 60 minutes, Zoom Basic group meetings run 40 minutes with 100 participants, Cisco Webex gives unlimited 40-minute meetings, and Jitsi Meet needs no account.
How long are free Zoom meetings?
Zoom's free Basic plan limits group meetings to 40 minutes with up to 100 participants, and records locally only. Pro costs $14.16 a user a month, billed annually.
What is a free Zoom alternative with longer meetings?
Google Meet and Zoho Meeting both allow up to 60 minutes per meeting for 100 participants on their free plans.
Is there free webinar software?
Zoho Webinar's free plan covers 20 attendees for up to 60 minutes, StreamYard and Restream stream for free within their limits, and Livestorm offers a free trial with no card needed.
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