Coordinating a team meeting can be difficult when several members are traveling or the entire staff works remotely. You may also need to schedule a virtual session with several clients that can not meet for a local in-person meeting.
As your business grows, your conference calls need more presentation features and can host more attendees than your current platform offers.
These conference call services can make meetings happen when you don’t have the luxury of a local meetup.
Table of Contents
Top Conference Call Service
Compare the different service plans that are the best fit for your conference call structure and company size.
1. Phone.com
Phone.com gives you a business phone number compatible with any smart device, 24/7 live chat support and several conferencing features.
Other standard features for each user include:
- Audio conferencing
- Video meetings
- Receive email attachments for voicemail and faxes
- Send or receive text and image messages (SMS)
Three different monthly plans are available and offer various phone and conference capacities.
Most businesses will benefit from the mid-tier Plus and upper-tier Pro plans to access the most features.
Basic Plan
Monthly cost: $12.99 per user
Calling minutes: 300 shared minutes per user
Video conferencing: Up to 10 participants
Some of the built-in video features include:
- Document sharing
- Screen sharing
- Virtual backgrounds
- Unlimited video meeting duration
The basic plan doesn’t offer video recording, whiteboard or HIPAA-compliant video sessions. Additionally , you also won’t receive security codes or meeting locks for added privacy.
Plus Plan
Monthly cost: $19.99 per user
Calling minutes: Unlimited
Video conferencing: Up to 25 participants
This mid-level plan also provides these features:
- Video recording
- Video whiteboard
- HIPAA-compliant videos
- Voicemail transcription
The HIPAA-friendly video sessions are valuable if you work in a privacy-sensitive industry.
Pro Plan
Monthly cost: $29.99 per user
Calling minutes: Unlimited
Video conferencing: Up to 100 participants
You get video transcription and YouTube live streaming services with this top subscription.
Pros
- 24/7 live chat support
- YouTube live streaming feature
- Receive a business phone number
Cons
- Basic plan lacks several video features
- Smaller video meeting capacity than some platforms
2. GoToMeeting
GoToMeeting is the most affordable of the various GoTo conference call platforms. Consider this service if you only need audio and video conferencing features.
Other platforms are better if you also need a phone system and customer contact tools.
Additionally, two different plans are available and cost either $12 or $16 per month per user. This pricing is competitive and potentially cheaper than similar companies.
Professional
Monthly cost: $12 per organizer
Video meeting capacity: 150
You can schedule meetings with an unlimited length.
The Professional plan features include:
- Screen sharing
- Dial-in conference line
- Video chat
- Personal meeting room
- HIPAA-compliant video
This plan is a great fit if you only need to host video sessions without time limits. Unfortunately, the entry-level plan doesn’t offer special drawing tools, cloud recording or multi-moderator tools.
Business
Monthly cost: $16 per organizer
Video meeting capacity: 250
Upgrading to the Business plan only costs an extra $4 and can be worth it for the customization and cloud recording features.
Also consider this plan if you want to add co-organizers and share keyboard controls when it’s their turn to speak.
Some of the best features include:
- Unlimited cloud recording
- Transcription
- Convert slides into shareable PDFs
- Note taking
- Drawing tools
Pros
- High meeting capacities
- Many customization tools
- Affordable monthly prices
Cons
- No business phone number features
- Toll-free dial-in numbers cost extra
3. GoToWebinar
Consider GoToWebinar when you need video meeting capacity for as few as 100 or up to 3,000 participants. This service also offers more video editing and moderator tools than the GoToMeeting subscriptions.
For example, you might consider this service if you’re pitching a service to potential customers and need personalized logos and email services.
Several webinar features include:
- Unlimited cloud recording
- Online and local recording
- Custom logos and images
- CRM software integration
- Accept in-webinar payments from customers
- Post-webinar polls and handouts
There are currently four plan options:
- Lite (100 participants): $49/month
- Standard (250 participants): $99
- Pro (500 participants): $199
- Enterprise (3,000 participants): $399
The Pro and Enterprise plans (500+ meeting capacity) also offer video editing and transcription services.
If you host infrequent webinars, there is also an a la carte GoToWebinar Flex plan. You pay $19 per month and between $149 to $499 per event (500 attendees up to 3,000 attendees).
Pros
- Host up to 3,000 participants
- Several marketing features to convert leads
- Unlimited cloud recording for every plan
Cons
- Lite plan doesn’t offer phone or toll-free dial-ins
- Can be expensive for infrequent meetings
4. GoToConnect
GoToConnect provides a virtual phone system and audio conference call services. This service also supports video conferences but the capabilities are minimal.
You can port an existing landline or mobile number if you don’t want a new business phone number.
Three plan options are available with different system features and international calling abilities.
Each plan has these standard features:
- Call from any device and location
- Local, toll-free and vanity numbers
- Call routing
- Call forwarding
- Unlimited extensions
- Audio conferencing
- Team chat
Here is a closer look at the three plan options.
Basic
The Basic plan costs $22 monthly per user and offers these conferencing features:
- 40-minute meeting duration
- Up to four participants
- Up to four webcams
You will pay $0.03 per minute when customers dial your toll-free number. International calling charges are also by the minute.
Standard
You pay $26 monthly per user for the Standard plan and get more robust video conference and phone system features.
Select benefits include:
- Unlimited meeting duration
- Up to 150 participants
- Up to 25 webcams
- Call recording
- 1,000 toll-free minutes each month
- Free international calls for 50 countries
Premium
The Premium plan costs $39 per month and supports up to 250 participants and 25 webcams.
You also get 5,000 toll-free minutes each month and several manager tools to monitor customer service calls between customers and your support staff.
Pros
- Business phone services
- Toll-free numbers
- Audio and video conferencing
Cons
- Basic plan has 40-minute time limit for meetings
- Limited video conferencing tools
5. FreeConferenceCall
FreeConferenceCall lets you connect up to 1,000 participants at once with audio and video conferencing.
Most audio and video service features are free. However, the platform has a “pay what you can approach” and suggests a $4 monthly donation.
The service states that GoToMeeting and Zoom offer comparable services for approximately $15 per month.
You might try this platform, make a small donation and reduce your overhead.
Some of the free platform features include:
- Audio conferencing for up to 1,000 people
- Video conferencing
- Breakout rooms
- Dial-in by landline, mobile or computer VoIP
- Screen sharing
- Record audio, screen and video
- 1 GB of cloud storage
- Live chat
- App integrations
The conference experience can be similar to Skype or Zoom regarding screen sharing, video recording and breakout rooms. As a result, other services can be better if you want editing tools.
You can purchase add-ons that can give you extra phone and storage features. The prices are reasonable.
Some of the premium features include:
- Toll-free numbers for U.S. attendees: $0.02 per minute per person
- Extra storage (up to 40 GB): Starts at $3 per month
- No access codes for U.S. attendees: $3.95 per month
- Custom greeting: $2 per month
- Virtual phone service: $9+ per month
Pros
- It’s free
- Up to 1,000 participants
- Audio and video conferencing
Cons
- Minimal premium features
- Paid services may offer better service
6. Skype
Skype can be an excellent option for small companies and freelancers that only need a basic video conferencing platform.
The service is free and you can invite up to 99 guests to join your video meetings. As a result, your meeting can last for 24 hours.
Each video session has these features:
- Screen sharing
- Group chat
- Save recordings for 30 days
- 24-hour meeting duration
Larger businesses can benefit by upgrading to Microsoft Teams to unlock more customization and security features.
Pros
- It’s free
- Up to 99 participants
- Group chat
Cons
- Video recordings delete after 30 days
- No customization or editing tools
7. Zoom
Zoom is the darling video conference software from the pandemic as it became the go-to software for many businesses and students.
The service has relatively cheap paid plans that can be a good fit if you don’t need many conference tools or want to use a well-known brand.
On the other hand, if you need more than 40 minutes with 3 or more people, the free plan may not be your best option.
Here are the rates and features of the three paid plans.
Zoom Pro
Monthly cost: $14.99 per license
You qualify for this plan if you only need to buy up to nine licenses.
Other Pro features include:
- Up to 100 participants
- Group meetings have a 30-hour time limit
- Social media streaming
- 1 GB cloud recording (per license)
If you need a higher meeting capacity, the Large Meetings add-on supports up to 1,000 participants. This add-on starts at $50 per month.
Business
Monthly cost: $19.99 per license
You will need to choose this plan if you buy at least 10 licenses ($199.90/month). It’s not possible to choose this plan if you’re purchasing fewer than 10.
Other plan features include:
- Up to 300 participants
- Transcripts
- Company branding
Enterprise
Monthly cost: $19.99 per license
You will need this plan if you buy at least 50 licenses ($999.50/month).
This plan lets you host up to 500 participants and have unlimited cloud storage.
Pros
- Social media streaming
- Cloud recording
- Affordable pricing for video conferencing
Cons
- Expensive add-on features
- Free meetings have time limits
8. Nextiva
Nextiva can be an all-in-one solution for your business if you want more than conference services.
The platform offers these services:
- Phone system
- Video meetings
- Cospace collaboration
- Contact center
Four monthly plans are available. The entry-level Essential plan only offers unlimited phone and video calling for one user.
For unlimited conference calls and video conferences, you will need to use one of the top three plans.
These advanced plans offer different software integrations and meeting capacities. Most businesses will fall into one of the two mid-level Professional or Enterprise plans.
Here are the conference call capacities for both plans:
- Professional
- Audio conference calls: 40 participants
- Video conferencing: 250 participants
- Enterprise
- Audio conference calls: Unlimited
- Video conferencing: Unlimited
Take note that your monthly pricing depends on your company size in addition to the number of employees.
Here are the monthly pricing ranges by company size and plan option:
- 5-19 employees: $25.95 to $65.95 per user
- 20-99 employees: $22.95 to $57.95 per user
You will work with a Nextiva representative to choose the best plan and pinpoint your monthly price.
Likewise, the Cospace collaboration suite can also be valuable and be more productive than using several business apps. This tool lets team members send messages, video chat and complete tasks within the platform. External contacts can join the Cospace platform too.
Pros
- Many cloud business software tools
- Unlimited conference participants capability
- Several plan options
Cons
- May need pricier plans for app integrations
- Entry-level plan doesn’t support conference calls
Why Use a Conference Call Service?
A conference call service allows you to have unlimited meetings with co-workers and clients. Free services may limit the number of participants or restrict your meeting to a 40-minute time limit.
These limitations are frustrating and can be unprofessional with existing or potential clients.
However, these services can also offer more customization tools that can help you achieve a professional-quality presentation to clearly present your information.
Examples include services that offer video storage features to playback the video on-demand for people who cannot attend the live meeting.
Key Components
Most importantly many conference call services can do more than provide a virtual location to talk with team members and clients.
Choosing the right service with relevant features can make it easier to build your business by keeping team members and customers in close contact.
Compare these feature to pick the best conference call provider:
- Meeting capacity: How many people normally jump onto a call?
- Scheduling: Is it easy to schedule upcoming meetings and invite participants?
- Accessibility: Can participants easily access the audio or video conference from their phone or computer?
- Service quality: The service needs clear audio and video with minimal lagging.
- Conference tools: Do you have sufficient control, sharing and editing features?
- Storage: Do you need cloud recording for on-demand playback?
- Security: Is your and the participants’ data and conversation private and secure?
- App integrations: Can you incorporate the software your team uses daily?
- Additional features: Can you purchase necessary add-ons the standard plans do not include?
Most services offer a risk-free trial period to determine if the platform meets expectations.
Summary
Above all when choosing a conference all service, compare other features besides the meeting capacity and monthly cost.
The in-conference customization tools and phone system services can make it easier to communicate with others inside and outside of the conference room.