Top 9 Best Virtual Meeting Platforms in 2021

In today’s fast-paced digital world, effective communication has never been more crucial for businesses and organizations. As remote work gains momentum, virtual meeting platforms have taken center stage, allowing teams from all corners of the globe to seamlessly collaborate in real-time. With countless options out there, selecting the ideal platform for your unique needs can be daunting. To lend you a hand, we’ve curated a comprehensive guide featuring the Top 9 Best Virtual Meeting Platforms in 2021. Our selection promises user-friendly interfaces, robust features, and secure environments to fuel your productivity and foster strong connections with your team, no matter the distance. So, buckle up and get ready to elevate your digital communication game to new heights.

Top Best Virtual Meeting Platforms in 2021

1. Zoom

In recent times, Zoom has experienced a meteoric rise in popularity, primarily attributed to its remarkable ease of use, vast array of features, and exceptional video and audio quality. As a platform that seeks to simplify communication and collaboration, Zoom has become an integral part of the professional and social landscape.

One of the key reasons behind Zoom’s widespread adoption is its user-friendly interface which enables even the least tech-savvy individuals to participate in meetings and webinars effortlessly. In just a few clicks, users can create, join, or manage video conferences, making it a convenient solution for people of all ages and professions.

Additionally, Zoom boasts an impressive catalogue of features that cater to the varying needs of its users. One such feature is the ability to share screens, which allows meeting participants to easily present slideshows, documents, and videos during virtual meetings. This capability fosters more dynamic and engaging presentations, boosting the overall efficiency and effectiveness of remote collaborations.

Breakout rooms, another popular feature on Zoom, facilitate smaller group discussions within a larger meeting. This function enables a more focused and organized approach to collaborative brainstorming or problem-solving. Virtual backgrounds further enhance the user experience on Zoom, providing customizable options to conceal the real-life backdrop of one’s video feed—a particularly advantageous feature for users who are connecting from home or any other unprofessional-looking space.

Zoom’s seamless integration with other widely-used tools, like Google Calendar and Slack, significantly contributes to its success. By simplifying the entire process of coordinating and scheduling meetings, these integrations save users considerable time and energy. For instance, with Zoom’s Google Calendar integration, users can effortlessly schedule or join Zoom meetings directly from their calendar, eliminating the need to manage separate tools.

Moreover, Zoom’s continued commitment to improving its platform and addressing user needs and preferences has played a crucial role in its rising popularity. As work and social dynamics continue to evolve, Zoom’s versatility and adaptability have proven to be invaluable assets, making it a preferred choice for both personal and professional interactions across the globe.

2. Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a powerful and comprehensive platform designed to facilitate efficient communication and collaboration within professional settings. With its seamless integration to the acclaimed Microsoft Office Suite, Teams becomes an ideal choice for organizations that heavily utilize Office 365 tools and services for day-to-day operations. This cohesive functionality eliminates the need for separate applications to share files, create documents, or work on joint projects, creating a unified work hub where team members can stay connected and synchronize tasks.

One of the most valuable features offered by Microsoft Teams is file sharing and collaboration. This enables users to effortlessly share files directly within a conversation, making it simpler for colleagues to collectively work on various projects within the platform. This feature allows multiple users to co-author documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in real-time, offering a true sense of teamwork even during remote working conditions, and fostering a more efficient work process.

Additionally, Microsoft Teams empowers organizations to host virtual meetings using its audio and video conferencing capabilities. This feature allows team members to communicate effectively, whether it is face-to-face video calls, audio calls, or simple text chat. Microsoft Teams also provides the ability to record these meetings, helping users capture critical discussion points for future reference or share with those who were unable to attend the session.

Another standout offering of Microsoft Teams is its custom background options, which help users maintain an appropriate and professional appearance during video conferences. By allowing users to customize their video call backgrounds with pre-selected images or personal uploads, Teams maintains a level of privacy regarding the user’s actual environment and ensures that focus remains on the discussion at hand.

Microsoft Teams is constantly evolving to meet user needs by working towards delivering more robust and versatile features that enrich user experience and facilitate seamless collaboration. By integrating with the Microsoft Office Suite and offering a broad spectrum of tools and capabilities, Microsoft Teams has positioned itself as an indispensable resource for organizations across the globe, enabling them to work cohesively and efficiently.

3. Google Meet

With its seamless coupling to Google Workspace, Google Meet has positioned itself as a top-tier choice for businesses and organizations already leveraging Google’s comprehensive suite of productivity-enhancing tools. This cutting-edge video conferencing platform is built to accommodate modern digital workspaces, providing users with superior video and audio conferencing quality, a crucial factor in enhancing communication and collaboration across teams.

Moreover, Google Meet’s screen-sharing capabilities make real-time presentations and demonstrations a breeze, thereby ensuring colleagues are on the same page and facilitating knowledge exchange across projects. The inclusion of live captions further expands the accessibility of video calls, fostering a more inclusive work environment by accommodating individuals with hearing impairments or those struggling to clearly understand due to background noise.

One of the most significant benefits of Google Meet is its ability to communicate with other Google Workspace tools, such as Gmail and Google Calendar. This interaction streamlines scheduling and management of virtual meetings, making the whole process efficient and hassle-free. By synchronizing with Google Calendar, users can effortlessly send out meeting invites, join meetings with just a click, and receive reminders to ensure they are on track with their schedules.

Additionally, Google Meet provides a diverse range of features that cater to both small-scale virtual gatherings and large-scale webinars, making it a versatile solution regardless of an organization’s specific needs. With security being a top priority for businesses, Google Meet goes above and beyond by implementing enterprise-grade security and privacy measures, ensuring confidential information remains protected during virtual interactions.

In conclusion, Google Meet’s close-knit integration with Google Workspace, along with its array of advanced features, renders it an outstanding option for organizations employing Google’s productivity tools. By boosting collaboration and communication through high-quality audio and video conferencing, screen sharing, live captions, and efficient scheduling with Google Calendar, Google Meet sets the stage for enhanced productivity and success across various industries and work environments.

4. Cisco Webex

Cisco Webex is a highly secure and dependable platform, offering a wide array of functionalities, such as video conferencing, screen sharing, instant messaging, and digital whiteboarding. This comprehensive suite of tools makes it ideal for professionals and businesses that require an all-in-one, user-friendly solution to effectively conduct meetings, brainstorming sessions, webinars, and training courses in a virtual environment.

One of the primary selling points of Cisco Webex is its top-notch security features, which include end-to-end encryption. This ensures that all communication and data exchanged through the platform remain confidential and protected from unauthorized access. Furthermore, the platform also offers robust administrative controls, enabling IT administrators to set stringent security protocols and manage access rights at an individual user level.

Beyond its remarkable security features, Cisco Webex provides users with high-definition video and audio quality during conferences, helping create lifelike virtual experiences that support effective communication and collaboration between teams. With support for both desktop and mobile devices, users have the flexibility to join meetings from any location and with any device, ensuring seamless connectivity and convenience.

Additionally, Cisco Webex offers integration with popular productivity tools and applications such as Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace, Slack, and Salesforce, making it easy for businesses to combine the platform with their existing software ecosystem. This interoperability simplifies workflows and minimizes disruptions across teams during collaborative sessions.

Cisco Webex also comes with powerful analytics and reporting capabilities. Businesses can easily monitor participant engagement, gather feedback, and obtain insights into user behavior, which can be leveraged to improve collaboration and productivity, while also identifying areas for potential optimization.

Moreover, the platform offers scalable pricing plans capable of accommodating organizations of various sizes, from start-ups and small businesses to large enterprises. This makes it a cost-effective solution for those looking to implement a high-quality, secure, and feature-rich collaboration platform without incurring excessive costs.

In summary, Cisco Webex stands out as an exemplary platform for businesses and professionals seeking a secure, reliable, and versatile platform for remote communication and collaboration. With its state-of-the-art security measures, user-friendly interface, and seamless integration into popular productivity applications, Cisco Webex is an invaluable asset for promoting productivity, improving communication, and fostering a collaborative work environment.

5. GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting is a leading video conferencing platform that offers exceptional, high-quality video conferencing features, which enable businesses and individuals alike to connect seamlessly and effectively. The platform’s user-friendly interface facilitates easy virtual collaboration, with advanced screen sharing and recording capabilities that allow users to share presentations, documents, and other digital content in real-time.

One of the significant advantages of GoToMeeting is its comprehensive mobile app, available for both iOS and Android devices. This app allows participants to join meetings from virtually anywhere, ensuring that productivity is never sacrificed even when on-the-go. The mobile app also includes valuable features like instant messaging, which simplifies communication between team members and eliminates the need for constant email exchanges. The app offers numerous collaboration tools as well, helping participants to contribute and engage more dynamically in virtual meetings.

Furthermore, GoToMeeting provides an array of advanced features, such as crystal-clear audio options, a virtual whiteboard, and meeting transcripts, all designed to enhance the overall meeting experience. With security settings that protect sensitive information, businesses can trust that their confidential discussions remain private.

In summary, GoToMeeting’s comprehensive video conferencing platform enables smooth virtual collaboration, with superior screen sharing and recording features that promote real-time engagement. The platform’s robust mobile app supports on-the-go participation, while offering instant messaging and collaboration tools that streamline communication among team members. With its combination of user-friendly features, exceptional performance, and advanced security, GoToMeeting is an essential tool for enhancing productivity in today’s increasingly virtual work environment.

6. BlueJeans

BlueJeans, a leading video conferencing platform, offers a user-friendly and intuitive solution that effortlessly caters to the demands of today’s digital workforce. Packed with remarkable features such as high-definition (HD) video conferencing, seamless screen sharing, and customizable virtual backgrounds, BlueJeans has been purpose-built to enhance collaboration and communication in both personal and professional settings.

One of the key strengths of BlueJeans lies in its ability to deliver crisp and clear HD video conferencing, ensuring that users can consistently enjoy a lifelike and immersive experience. This not only facilitates better engagement amongst participants but also helps in fostering stronger connections during important meetings and brainstorming sessions.

Additionally, the screen sharing functionality offered by BlueJeans makes it incredibly easy for users to display presentations, documents, or even streaming video content to other participants in real-time, fostering collaboration and promoting better understanding of ideas and concepts. This feature proves to be an indispensable tool for teams working remotely or in different locations, as it allows for efficient knowledge transfer and dissemination.

Another exciting feature offered by BlueJeans is the ability to use virtual backgrounds, which provides users with a unique way to express themselves or create a more professional and visually appealing environment during video calls. These customizable backgrounds enable users to mask their actual surroundings and easily tailor the look and feel of their conference space to better suit their needs.

In today’s interconnected world, BlueJeans goes above and beyond by providing seamless integration with a variety of popular collaboration tools, including Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Facebook Workplace. This powerful integration enables users to maximize the potential of their existing software investments and streamline their workflow – all without having to leave their preferred communication platforms. The ability to unify and synchronize these commonly used applications significantly enhances productivity and efficiency, fostering an ecosystem that supports greater collaboration and teamwork across various platforms.

In summary, BlueJeans presents an easy-to-use and feature-rich video conferencing platform that expertly combines HD video calls, screen sharing, and virtual backgrounds with seamless integration capabilities. These robust features not only improve the overall conferencing experience but also empower users to collaborate more effectively and creatively, fostering a more connected and agile workforce in today’s digital era.

7. Adobe Connect

Adobe Connect is a cutting-edge software solution specifically designed to facilitate webinars and virtual classroom experiences. This powerful platform not only caters to the diverse needs of businesses, educational institutions, and various other organizations but also promotes dynamic and engaging communication between the presenters and participants, regardless of their geographical location.

One of the defining aspects of Adobe Connect is its exceptional level of customizability. This is evident in its ability to be tailored to suit a wide range of unique requirements and preferences. From adapting the look and feel of the virtual environment to incorporating specific engagement tools, users can craft their ideal hosting platform that not only enriches the learning experience but also ensures that attendees remain interested, informed, and stimulated.

Among its numerous features, Adobe Connect boasts an interactive whiteboard that allows presenters to visually demonstrate concepts, ideas, and strategies in real-time. This aids in creating an interactive and collaborative environment where participants can effortlessly share their thoughts, ask questions, or make suggestions. Consequently, the whiteboard can be used for a multitude of purposes, such as brainstorming sessions, live demonstrations, and much more.

Another notable characteristic of Adobe Connect is the availability of breakout rooms – smaller, separate units within the virtual space that can be utilized to split the main group into smaller factions. This feature is particularly useful for promoting more focused and intimate discussions or group activities that might be better suited for smaller teams to tackle. Breakout rooms can also foster team-building exercises and help course attendees to develop essential skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication.

Furthermore, Adobe Connect incorporates advanced analytics features that allow hosts to track participant engagement, attendance, and performance throughout the session. These insights can be invaluable in determining the effectiveness of the content and delivery techniques, enabling presenters to adapt their approach for future sessions. In addition, the data can aid in identifying key areas of interest or concern for the attendees and guiding vital follow-up communications.

In conclusion, Adobe Connect is an impressive and versatile platform that is the ideal choice for businesses, educational institutions, and other organizations seeking a solution for their training and education needs. With its array of customizable options, interactive features, and in-depth analytics, Adobe Connect is an invaluable tool for creating engaging, insightful, and successful webinars and virtual classrooms.

8. ClickMeeting

ClickMeeting is a highly versatile and user-friendly platform designed specifically for hosting webinars and large-scale online events. The platform offers a plethora of sophisticated features such as seamless presentation capabilities, highly interactive whiteboard tools, and real-time audience engagement options. These functionalities ensure both hosts and participants can enjoy an enriching communication experience during the webinars or online events.

Among the many powerful features that ClickMeeting provides, its presentation capabilities stand out as particularly useful for webinar hosts. Presenters are able to easily share their screen, documents, or multimedia files, allowing for a smooth delivery of content during the event. Additionally, ClickMeeting also features a powerful whiteboard tool, enabling users to illustrate their ideas visually and collaborate on concepts in real-time. This further enhances the learning and interactive environment for all participants involved.

Another significant feature of the ClickMeeting platform is its ability to facilitate real-time audience engagement. This is of paramount importance for any event, as it allows the hosts to gauge attendees’ understanding, boost participation levels, and foster meaningful discussions. With the help of built-in tools, presenters can easily create interactive polls, engage in live chats, and allow audio and video communication with attendees.

To further streamline the webinar organization process, ClickMeeting also offers seamless integration with a wide range of popular CRM and marketing automation platforms. This feature proves highly beneficial for businesses, as it simplifies data management and enables efficient lead nurturing from webinars. The integrations also facilitate event promotion, audience targeting, and follow-up communications, making it an all-inclusive tool for managing webinars.

In conclusion, ClickMeeting is a dynamic platform that effectively caters to the needs of businesses and individuals who are looking to host enriching webinars and large-scale online events. By offering features such as advanced presentation capabilities, whiteboard functions, real-time audience engagement options, and seamless integration with CRM and marketing automation platforms, ClickMeeting is the ultimate solution for organizations seeking to connect, educate, and engage their audience in today’s increasingly digital world.

9. Zoho Meeting

Zoho Meeting is an increasingly popular, cost-effective, and user-centric platform that provides a range of essential features catering to the evolving demands of modern businesses. The platform is specifically tailored to support small and medium-sized enterprises in their pursuit of a reliable, budget-friendly virtual meeting solution.

Some of the most sought-after features of Zoho Meeting include high-quality video conferencing capabilities, seamless screen sharing options, and secure audio calling. Video conferencing empowers team members to collaborate efficiently and effectively, regardless of their geographical location. This feature promotes better communication, faster decision-making, and more dynamic teamwork. Additionally, easy-to-use screen sharing options allow team members to present and discuss their work with others, streamlining the process of sharing ideas and fostering creativity.

Moreover, Zoho Meeting’s extensive integration capabilities set it apart from its competitors. The platform can be effortlessly integrated with other popular Zoho products, including Zoho CRM, Zoho Projects, and Zoho Calendar, thus establishing a synchronous ecosystem of tools that enhances overall productivity and simplifies task management. This seamless integration ensures that users can easily access and manage their data, contacts, and projects from a single interface.

In a world where remote work is becoming the norm, it is crucial for businesses to adapt and implement robust, digital solutions that enable them to stay connected and maintain productivity. With features like insightful participant statistics, multi-device support, and advanced moderator controls, Zoho Meeting proves to be a viable choice for small businesses seeking to bolster their virtual collaboration abilities without incurring exorbitant costs.

In conclusion, Zoho Meeting is a versatile and budget-friendly virtual meeting platform specifically designed for small businesses. By offering core features such as video conferencing, screen sharing, and integration with other widely-used Zoho products, this powerful tool empowers organizations to deploy remote work solutions effectively, ensuring continued success in a rapidly evolving business landscape.

Conclusion

In conclusion, 2021 has presented us with an array of exceptional virtual meeting platforms, each designed to enhance our remote communication and collaboration experiences. As we’ve explored the top 9 best platforms, it’s evident that features such as high-quality video conferencing, screen sharing, chat functionalities, and integration opportunities are crucial to cater to the evolving workplace needs. Your choice should be determined by your business’s specific requirements and budget constraints, but rest assured that these top contenders are well-equipped to streamline your virtual meetings and optimize productivity across your team. By selecting the right platform, you can maintain strong connections with your colleagues, partners, and clients, regardless of the physical distance.