The Best Conference Call Software for Small Businesses (Free and Paid)

Conference calling – it’s been an essential part of running a business for a long time now. You might need to communicate with partners on the other side of the state or clients on the other side of the world. Conference calling is a powerful tool that enables multiple parties with vested interests in the topic or topics of a conversation to be in the same room, even if they cannot be in the same room.

That’s essentially what conference calling is all about – gathering people together to create a virtual conference room. You can share updates, talk strategy, debut new products or services, address earnings, and so much more.

Once upon a time, conference calls were largely dependent on your business phone and plan from the telephone company. Most desk phones had some sort of conference calling capabilities built into them. Then, video conferencing technology entered the picture. In the early days, conference rooms were outfitted with phones, video screens, microphones, and speakers so that everyone could see, hear, and speak.

Today, none of that is really necessary. You can host a conference with dozens of attendees right from your laptop, with nothing more required than the right software and a decent Internet connection.

However, you may not need to invest in conference call software for small businesses. If you have a VoIP provider, you might already have all the features and capabilities you might need. We’re talking about providers like Grasshopper and RingCentral.

In this guide, we’ll run through the top options in two separate categories – paid conference call software with video conferencing capabilities and free apps that bring many of the same features to the table.

Paid conference call software with video conferencing

While many small business owners and decision-makers will gravitate toward free platforms, you might be better off going with a paid option. Paid conference call software often comes with more features than free options do. Free options also sometimes come with limitations, like conference call member caps, that you might want to avoid.

Some ofthe top paid conference calling options include:  

Zoom

Zoom is one of the most well-known of the video conferencing options in 2021. It is a cloud-based system that offers a free version as well as Zoom Pro, Zoom Business, or Zoom Enterprise. The free version provides video calls for up to 100 participants and 40 minutes per call.  

The paid versions increase the time limit to 24 hours and raise the number of participants and the number of hosts allowed. Zoom is a good option for presenting video presentations and slideshows to team members, potential clients, and others.  

BlueJeans

BlueJeans offers cloud-based meetings and interactive options to improve the effectiveness of meetings. This software also uses artificial intelligence to produce transcripts for meetings, include interactive options (e.g., screen sharing and recording), and provide analytics on team productivity.  

BlueJeans offers plans for meetings, with prices starting at $9.99 per host per month. However, if you are interested in hosting regular webinars or hosting conference rooms, there are plan options for those features as well.

GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting is a paid service with a 14-day free trial. This service is one of the most streamlined options, offering only the most in-demand features and focusing on audio and video quality. It is a good option for managing teams working remotely, regardless of the size of the team. It also provides call recording and automatic transcriptions, integrating with Slack and other technology.    

Microsoft Teams

If you’re planning to host a large conference call, Microsoft Teams can host 250 people or more. It’s designed to integrate with the rest of Microsoft’s offerings, making it easy to accomplish important things, like showing PowerPoint presentations or highlighting information in One Note.

You can sign up and use Teams free of charge, but an Essentials plan will cost just $4 per user per month. Most businesses will appreciate the Business Standard subscription, which increases capabilities substantially over the Essentials and Business Basic plans for just $10.62 per user per month. That gives you desktop versions of 365 apps, built-in webinar hosting, attendee registration and reporting tools, and other features not available with lower-tier plans.

Cisco Webex Meetings

Cisco Webex Meetings offers a free version for up to 50 participants per call with a 40-minute limit on calls. With their paid service, you get additional features, no time limits, and additional participants. Webex is a popular platform that is reliable and provides features ranging from call-in audio for video calls to custom branding.

Vast Conference

Vast Conference provides unlimited conference calls and other call services, such as operator-assisted calls, international conference calls, webinar events, and webcasting for live streams. Set plans range from $13.19 to $35.19 per month or you can contact them for a quote. You can also opt to pay as you go for 2 cents per minute per caller. Vast Conference also offers a 14-day free trial to test out each plan before purchasing.  

ClickMeeting

ClickMeeting is a multipurpose conference call service. Users can host meetings, stream live webinars, give presentations, and host online events. Users will also have access to cloud storage and whiteboard functions, and can include branding on their videos (e.g., call-to-action links and event landing pages).  

You can try out ClickMeeting for free in a 30-day trial. Plans start at $26 per month (billed annually), but you can also get a quote for your business after contacting them.  

Small business video conference calling for free

There are some free paid conference call software options that may work for your team. Most of the paid options have a free version with fewer features, or there are some free programs with a limited menu of features that may meet your needs.

Google Meet

Google Meet is Google’s video conferencing option and is free to anyone with a Gmail account. It integrates with the full suite of Google services, including Calendar. It can host up to 100 people per 60-minute call. There are paid options if you would like additional features. These run from $6 per month per user for up to 300 attendees or $18 per user per month for up to 500 attendees.

FreeConferenceCall

FreeConferenceCall does exactly what the name implies – it gives you free conference-calling capabilities. You can even sign up with your Facebook or Google account to make things faster. Your free account will include audio conferencing, video conferencing, screen sharing, recordings, global access, and more. You can even host meetings with up to 1,000 participants, which is significant since this is a free offering.

While you can enjoy free conference calling capabilities for life, the platform does suggest that you pay what you can. There are four tiers - $4 per month, $8.21 per month, $15 per month, and custom contributions (you set the amount).

VoIP services with conference calling

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) allows people to make phone calls without a landline, as this system converts analog technology into Internet data. This allows people to have conversations over the Internet, which can be a convenient alternative that businesses can use to handle their calls.  

Below are some VoIP services that offer conference calling.

Dialpad

Dialpad is a video conferencing software that lets users host conference meetings from anywhere. Conference rooms have easy functions, much like a browser, and can be synced with calendar tools from other apps. Dialpad also uses Voice Intelligence to transcribe conversations and present analytics for businesses to use to enhance their productivity or strategies.  

For video conferencing, Dialpad offers a free trial, which allows unlimited video conferencing (45 minutes per call) and call recordings for up to 10 participants. However, if your business requires more participants, the Standard plan is $15 per user per month. The Pro plan is $25 per user per month and brings additional features.

Nextiva

Nextiva is a safe VoIP option that allows conference calls for up to 200 participants. Nextiva’s security for its conference calls allows it to be HIPAA and SOC-2-compliant, which means any party with confidential and important information can safely use Nextiva to communicate.  

Plans start at $17.39 per user per month. Other features offered by Nextiva include unlimited Internet fax, 24/7 customer support, and voicemail to email notifications.  

Phone.com 

Phone.com is another great VoIP business communication tool. Users can register with Phone.com using their phone number, or they can create a new one with this tool. Each user is able to engage in video meetings, which increase in security as you upgrade. Other tools like moderator controls, screen and document sharing, and audio and video recording are also available.  

Plans start at $12.74 per user per month and can also be billed on an annual basis.

Let our team help you build a plan that supports your goals 

At Smith.ai, we believe small business owners need to delegate, automate, and work with smart technology to offload some of their responsibilities. Our 24/7 virtual receptionists can play a critical role in that. We offer a broad range of essential services, all of which are designed to help small business owners, decision-makers, and teams make better use of their available time.

Our services and solutions can help with 24/7 inbound call answering, making outbound calls, responses to emails and chats, and even setting appointments, including putting conferenc ecalls, callbacks, and meetings on your own calendar. Our services connect with your phone system, including most of the leading systems and conferencing software out there, as well as integrating with your CRM.

If you prefer calling or texting, our team is standing by at (650) 709-2987. Or you can send an email to hello@smith.ai. You can also schedule your free 30-minute consultation. We can explain all the services and solutions we offer and help you create a plan that best fits your company’s needs.