Virtual Meeting Guide: Definition, Best practices and Tools

You have a talented, motivated team with clear goals but when you hold a virtual meeting, something doesn't click. It could be that your meetings aren’t intuitive to join or your platform isn’t interactive enough. Either way, it’s time to reevaluate your tech stack.

To host meetings that are a great use of your teams’ time, you need a virtual meeting platform that actually suits their needs. It should offer quick event creation, intuitive features, and seamless integrations with the apps you already use.

To help you find the right tool, we've analyzed reviews for the best virtual meeting platforms to try. Here’s our top ten shortlist.

What are virtual meetings?

A virtual meeting is when a group of people connect simultaneously online to work together regardless of their physical location. As more businesses take up remote working, virtual meetings have become a vital way for team members to communicate, share knowledge, and strategize.

What are the different types of virtual meetings?

Like face-to-face meetings, virtual meetings can range from spontaneous or informal catch-ups to structured events with official agendas. The type of meetings you wish to hold will have an impact on which virtual meeting platform you decide to use. Here are the three main ways to meet online:

• Teleconferencing refers to the use of a telecommunications channel, such as the internet or a telephone network, to connect people in real-time, regardless of location. It's used in the telehealth industry for instance.
• Video conferencing is when two or more people use virtual meeting software with video capabilities to meet online. Video conferencing is ideal for one-to-one communication, discussions, or collaborative working with smaller groups.
• Web conferencing refers to larger meetings, conferences, or webinars held using an internet connection. Typically, web conferencing is group-focused, which makes it ideal for presentations, onboarding, or training.

Common challenges of virtual meetings

Virtual meetings can have their challenges, but if you’re prepared, you’ll find they’re a simple, time-effective way to communicate with important stakeholders. With the right understanding of your virtual meeting tools, being a meeting facilitator will be stress-free every time.

Here are some common challenges to look out for when hosting virtual meetings:

• Setup. It’s important to try out your virtual meeting software and make sure you understand how to set up the type of meeting you want to host. Is your virtual meeting software reliable and easy to use? Test everything ahead of time to avoid disasters on the day.
• Multiple tools. You might have a foolproof plan for amazing virtual meetings, but can your software pull it off? If you need multiple tools to create the meetings you want, you’re going to waste time and face annoying technical issues. Look out for the virtual meeting software that covers everything, from recurring meetings and calendar integration to screen sharing and participant engagement.
• Invitation management. Manually inviting participants to a meeting via email can be time-consuming and lead to mistakes. Make sure you're using virtual meeting software with built-in invitation tools to help you invite contacts and manage your guest list in just a few clicks.
• Attendee access. There are a few major competitors in the virtual meeting industry, meaning that meeting attendees often have to download and create accounts for several different platforms. Choose a download-free platform that works in your browser, so that you and your attendees will have no difficulty accessing the meeting.
• Engagement. It’s one thing to set up and deliver your meeting online, but another to make sure all the attendees are switched on and participating. Look out for a platform that includes engagement features like media sharing, chat boxes, polling, and emoji reactions to keep things interesting and get the most out of your attendees.

What are the benefits of virtual meetings ?

We’ve done our research when it comes to virtual communication and we believe that, with the right tools, virtual meetings can be even more effective than meeting in person.

Virtual meeting technology has improved significantly lately, becoming more useful than ever. If you were an early adopter of platforms such as Skype, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see the benefits of the latest platforms on the market.

• Connect instantly with your colleagues and onboard clients from all over the world, regardless of time zone. Virtual sales meetings are a dynamic way to engage potential customers and increase sales.
• Join meetings on the go from mobile devices and integrate your calendar for quick, one-click access. The best virtual meeting technology integrates with a range of collaboration tools like Slack to help you keep track of meetings and communicate with attendees.
• Use space efficiently and reduce office costs. Small businesses can be more cost-effective and grow more quickly when remote working. You won’t sacrifice collaboration opportunities either - just set up a virtual huddle room and start sharing ideas!
• Engage your team with visual elements such as graphics, gifs, and video clips. Using interactive tools like polls, chat tabs, and Q&A will keep your team alert.
• Reduce accessibility barriers for attendees with additional support requirements. Virtual meetings require minimal mobility to attend, and individuals with communication challenges can contribute more easily by using the chat function to submit their questions.
• Facilitate training and resolve issues quickly with screen sharing. When delivering training or onboarding sessions, set the meeting to automatically record and add the recordings to training manuals for new employees.

What are the best platforms for running virtual meetings?

If you’re a meeting facilitator, you’ll need to make sure you choose the right virtual meeting software to achieve optimal results for your business.

Before you reach straight for Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, make sure you’ve explored some of the other great options out there - which might be even more suited to your needs.

The best virtual meeting platforms come with a range of features to make your meetings run smoothly.

When you choose the best platform for your business, you’ll need to consider things like price, functionality, and integration with your other communication and organizational tools.

Livestorm is completely free (no credit card required) and requires no software installation, so your meetings will be up and running in no time.

We’re also hot on video engagement, so you’ll be sure to find useful tools like the chat tab, Q&A tab, and emoji reactions on our platform.

How to run successful virtual meetings

You’ve transitioned to remote working and you’ve chosen your virtual meeting software. Now, how do you make sure you’re getting the most out of your team in a virtual environment?

There are many schools of thought on virtual meeting best practices. Here’s what we suggest when it comes to running successful virtual meetings:

• Choose your format. Remember the different types of virtual meetings? Choose whether to set up a teleconference or video meeting depending on the aims of the session and the number of participants.
• Plan your resources. Whether you’re planning to share your screen, deliver a presentation or play a video clip, make sure your resources are well planned and easy to access to avoid complications on the day of the meeting.
• Share a meeting agenda. Give your meeting a structure by sharing an agenda in advance. This will help your colleagues prepare, follow up on previous actions, and make the session more efficient.
• Establish meeting etiquette. When you're not in a physical meeting room it can be harder to read each other's body language, which can lead to misunderstandings and interruptions. Agree on some simple rules of virtual meeting etiquette, e.g. use the mute button when you're not talking, to help things run smoothly.
• Do a test run. If you’re using a platform you’re not familiar with, or have lots of media or collaboration planned, it’s always a good idea to practice ahead of time.
• Encourage participation. The best meetings aren’t just one long monolog. Make sure everyone is paying attention by encouraging interaction with emojis, polls, and a Q&A.
• Record the session and share it with attendees after the event. Livestorm supports all of the workflows around virtual meetings, including invitations and follow-up emails.
• Collect feedback. No matter what kind of virtual event you host, getting feedback is a must. Use the data you collect to keep improving every time you host.
• Analyze everything. An analytics dashboard will help you analyze participation rates, attendance time, participant behavior across meetings, giving you the data you need to deliver more successful meetings.

Ready to become a better meeting facilitator? Read our complete guide to online meetings.

How to Make Virtual Meetings More Interactive, Fun, & Engaging

At Livestorm, we believe in the power of video engagement. You don’t just want attendees to turn up to your meeting as passive audience members. Effective virtual meetings drive engagement, get things done, and affect change.

While a simple conference call has its place, hosting super interactive virtual meetings is a sure way to get the best out of your team.

Follow these steps to make your virtual meetings fun:

• Turn on your webcam. There are times we'd all prefer to keep the camera off, but when working with a remote team or connecting with new customers, speaking face-to-face helps to create that real human connection. Turning your camera on will help you read each other's body language and communicate more effectively. Here are a few tips to look good on your next video call.
• Use icebreakers. It’s commonly felt that speaking in the first few minutes of a meeting will make attendees feel more confident contributing throughout. Give your team a chance to warm up to the virtual meeting environment by including a quick icebreaker before getting down to business.
• Get things flowing in the chat tab. Some managers mistakenly believe that messaging during a meeting stops their team from paying attention to the business at hand. However, the chat tab is a great way to share additional resources and allow attendees to ask questions or make comments without interrupting whoever is speaking.
• Share media. Keep things interesting with video clips, presentations, and screen shares.
• Use engagement tools. Features like polls and emoji reactions will help your team feel more connected while you get to gauge the mood in the room.
• Use collaboration tools. Does your video conferencing software come complete with useful integrations? For example, tools like Miro whiteboards are great for getting attendees to share ideas and carry out fun tasks during the meeting.
• Keep to time. Nothing will cause your attendees to switch off more quickly than allowing a certain agenda point to run on and on, or eating up valuable time they could spend on other tasks. If you can, keep your meeting short and sweet. Otherwise, make sure to block enough time out in your attendees' calendars and schedule comfort breaks.
• Limit the mute function. The mute button is a handy tool to minimize distracting background noise - especially while team members are working from home surrounded by barking dogs or demanding children. However, if you have one team member who never unmutes, you may wish to call upon them directly to answer questions and get involved.

Remember, your team meetings will also be more interactive if your team members get on well! Keep things fun at work with these 30 fun virtual team-building activities.

10 Best online meeting software for smooth collaboration

The best virtual meeting platforms bring people together. Before you set your mind on one tool, take a look at what these have to offer:

1. Livestorm
2. GoogleMeet
3. Microsoft Teams
4. Zoom
5. Webex
6. GoToMeeting
7. Adobe Connect
8. BlueJeans
9. ClickMeeting
10. Slack

1. Livestorm: Best all-in-one virtual meeting platform

Livestorm is the best choice for your all-in-one online meeting software because it can be used to host all face-to-face communications (whether that's an intimate sales call or a company-wide all-hands meeting). With Livestorm, you can plan, host, and analyze any kind of virtual event for up to 3,000 attendees.

Livestorm’s key features

• Accessibility. It’s virtual meeting best practice to make it easy for everyone to join, especially non-tech-savvy attendants. Livestorm is browser-based, so all you need is a computer or mobile device and the meeting link (no downloads required). Plus, this tool has live interpretation so people who speak a different language or have a hearing impairment can join too.
• In-room engagement features. Once your meeting is underway, your team can use functionalities like emoji reactions, screen sharing, collaborative whiteboards, live polls, question upvoting, file sharing, and breakout rooms. This keeps meetings dynamic and facilitates smooth collaboration between teams. You can also change your virtual background using one of Livestorm’s templates.
• Calendar integrations. To simplify platform adoption, you can create meetings right from your preferred calendar. Livestorm integrates with Calendly, Outlook, and Google Calendar.
• Live and on-demand sessions. When you work with remote teams it’s hard to find a schedule that fits all your different time zones. Livestorm lets you record the meetings and send out replays automatically to all invitees.
• Access to meeting analytics. Review your engagement metrics to see if the meetings are useful for your team. If these begin to trend down, reevaluate the purpose of the meeting, reduce the duration, or cancel the recurrence.

What can you use Livestorm for?

Livestorm can be used to host all kinds of virtual events, large or small. Here’s a sample of what you can do:

1. Company communications: 1:1s, town halls, all-hands, weekly team meetings, and daily standups.
2. Training sessions: Product demos, customer onboarding, employee training, and e-learning courses.
3. Content creation: Podcast interviews, press conferences, and Twitch streams
4. Live and on-demand events: Q&As, webinars, and hiring sessions

Livestorm’s pricing

Livestorm has a free-forever (no trial period) plan for meetings of up to 20 mins with 30 attendees. You can upgrade for unlimited events, moderators, and registrants (starting at $88 per month) or get in touch for a custom quote.

Does Livestorm have any limitations?

Free users get access to all engagement features but have reduced access to integrations and plugins like Hubspot. It’s free forever, so you’ll never find yourself accidentally paying for a subscription, but it’s best used as a free trial before you upgrade.

2. Google Meet: Best for free team meetings

Google Meet (formerly Google Hangouts) is part of Google Workspace and, like Livestorm, works entirely in your browser. It’s easy to access with no apps to download.

Google Meet’s key features

• Noise cancellation. Google Meet has a great audio quality which makes virtual meetings smoother.
• Recordings and transcriptions. Google Meet lets meeting owners record the session and generate an automatic transcript as an editable Google Doc.
• Security. As this platform is part of the Google Workspace, you get all the security benefits of having a Google account – i.e. anti-abuse features and two-step verification.

What can you use Google Meet for?

Google Meet is the perfect platform for 1:1s and team meetings as it’s reliable and easy to use. However, if you have other video engagement needs like product demos or large virtual conference calls, you might have to pay for an additional, more specialized tool.

Google Meet’s pricing

The free version really stands out, with meetings of up to 1 hour for 100 participants. After that, only companies or people with a custom Google domain can access paid plans as these are part of the Google Workspace. Prices range between $6-18 per user per month, depending on the size and duration of your meetings.

Does Google Meet have any limitations?

Google Meet isn’t developed to integrate with Microsoft, so invitations can be cumbersome to set up outside Workspace apps. Also, third-party attendees usually require the host to admit them into the meeting, which may cause a poor user experience.

3. Microsoft Teams: Best for enterprises using Microsoft apps

Teams (formerly known as Skype for Business), is a Microsoft virtual meeting tool that’s integrated into its business communications platform. That means you can schedule meetings (or start them spontaneously) from the same app you use to manage business documents and instant message your team.

Microsoft Teams’ key features

• Native integration with Outlook. Developed to work as part of that Microsoft ecosystem, it’s easy to schedule meetings through an Outlook calendar or a scheduling app like Calendly.
• Live captions in over 30 languages. Teams let you add closed captions to your live meetings in over 30 languages through the Azure AD identities integration.
• Cast to conference rooms. If you’re joining a Teams meeting from a video conference room, you can cast the call from your computer and have everyone else in the room see it on a big screen.
• In-app features. This platform lets you use virtual backgrounds, shared whiteboards, and breakout rooms.

What can you use Microsoft Teams for?

Teams is mostly used by larger enterprises looking for a single place to manage internal communications. That’s because you can use it for scheduled online meetings and instant chat messaging, but it can also be used to store, manage, and edit documents.

Microsoft Teams pricing

Microsoft Teams is part of Microsoft 365, so business plans come with additional functionalities for your virtual workspace (i.e. OneDrive storage space and Office products). Teams offers a free-forever plan with meetings up to 60 mins in length. Then, annually billed prices go from $4-12.5 per user per month for meetings up to 300 participants.

Does Teams have any limitations?

Microsoft Teams is primarily a messaging and document management app, although a powerful one. As a virtual meeting platform, it’s not very user-friendly and it’s less customizable than other apps for online meetings like Livestorm.

4. Zoom: Best virtual conferencing software for entrepreneurs

Zoom is a high-performance virtual meeting platform. It grew in popularity during the pandemic and now millions of people use it every day.

Zoom’s key features

• Engagement features and collaboration tools. Zoom comes with features like polls, whiteboards, breakout rooms, virtual backgrounds, Snapchat-style filters, and annotation tools.
• Immersive view. This functionality allows users to set every participant on the same virtual background to simulate in-person meetings in a conference room.
• App search. Zoom lets users search for words and find messages shared in past meeting chats. That way, you won’t lose any information shared in the chat as soon as you end the call.

What can you use Zoom for?

You can use Zoom for online meetings, corporate chat, virtual conferences, webinars and events. However, most of these use cases come at a separate cost.

Zoom’s pricing

For Zoom One (meetings, phone calls, and chat), you get access to a free forever plan to host 40-minute meetings with up to 100 attendees. Then, prices for more specialized business plans range from $149.9-199.9 per user per month for meetings up to 30 hours and 300 attendees. Their enterprise-level plan is available for a custom quote.

Does Zoom have any limitations?

Zoom works well in-browser, but it performs best in-app. Its recording storage is very limited outside of the Enterprise plan, at only 5GB per license. If you’re looking for Zoom alternatives, you might want to consider Livestorm or Google Meet.

5. Webex: Best for productive video calls

Cisco Webex is a user-friendly virtual meeting platform that uses machine learning and AI to automate manual tasks like note-taking.

Webex’s key features

• Engagement features. Webex comes with features including screen sharing, breakout rooms, virtual backgrounds, and live polling.
• Real gesture emojis. This means that if you do a real-life thumbs-up gesture in front of your screen, it’s picked up by the platform’s AI and converted into a reaction emoji.
• Automated recording. As with Livestorm, meeting recordings are emailed to attendees (but with Webex, this may take up to 24 hours).

What can you use Webex for?

You can use Webex for meetings, webinars, and huge events with up to 100,000 attendees.

Webex’s pricing

Webex prices change depending on the use case. Webex for Meetings has three different tiers:

1. Free plan: Host meetings of up to 40 minutes and 100 attendees.
2. Meet plan: Host meetings of up to 24 hours and 200 attendees for $14.50 per license per month.
3. Enterprise plan: Host meetings of up to 24 hours and 1000 attendees for a custom price.

Does Webex have any limitations?

Although Webex works as a browser-only platform, some features are only available in-app, like the virtual whiteboard. Unlike Livestorm, users are limited to 10GB of cloud storage for meeting recordings – this is a negotiable limit with the Enterprise plan.

6. GoToMeeting: Best for having meetings on the go

GoToMeeting is an online meeting platform from the GoTo group, which includes additional products for hosting webinars, online training, and workspace rooms at a separate cost.

GoToMeeting’s key features

• One-click meetings. GoToMeeting comes with an instant messaging app where you can hop on calls with your coworkers with just one click.
• Personalized meeting room. You can create a personal meeting room link and host regular meetings using the same URL.
• Commuter mode. If your team usually takes meetings on the go, this feature allows users to join from their mobile and use less than 90% of regular bandwidth.

What can you use GoToMeeting for?

You can use GoToMeeting for having corporate conferences with up to 250 participants. If you pay for additional GoTo products, you can also use the app for hosting webinars and online training.

GoToMeeting’s pricing

GoToMeeting offers different pricing options according to users’ needs. Plans are billed annually.

• Professional: Host meetings with up to 150 participants for $12 per user per month.
• Business: Host meetings with up to 250 participants for $16 per user per month.
• Enterprise: Host meetings with up to 250 participants for a custom quote.

Does GoToMeeting have any limitations?

Creating meetings in advance requires you to download the GoToMeeting Scheduler or a plug-in. Plus, GoToMeeting doesn’t offer a free trial and subscriptions are billed annually, so, although this is a great platform, you’re making a big commitment when you pay for this app.

7. Adobe Connect: Best virtual meeting platform with custom branding

Adobe Connect is a platform for hosting meetings, webinars, and conferences, with customization options for visual elements. It was mainly developed for online learning in schools and universities.

Adobe Connect’s key features

• Engagement dashboard. Adobe Connect provides a meeting engagement score based on participant activity, allowing you to adjust the meeting agenda in real-time if your colleagues are zoning out.
• On-demand session recordings. You can record sessions as you wish and edit them within the same app.
• Custom branding. Adobe Connect lets you design your meeting layout and room colors. You can create templates to share with your coworkers.

Pro tip: Interested in reviewing your engagement score from past meetings? You can do it without signing up for a new tool, just use this virtual engagement score calculator for free.

What can you use Adobe Connect for?

You can use Adobe Connect for hosting online meetings, onboarding sessions, and automated training programs.

Adobe Connect’s pricing

Pricing for Adobe Connect Meetings starts at $50 per user per month for 25 participants. To access Webinar and Learning preferences, prices start at $130 per user per month.

Does Adobe Connect have any limitations?

Adobe Connect doesn’t have the ability to dial into meetings, so if you’re facing connectivity issues or are on the go, you can’t use your phone to call and join.

8. BlueJeans Virtual Meetings: Best for hosting secure online meetings

BlueJeans by Verizon is a cloud-based and encrypted video conferencing app that lets you host meetings, video calls, and webinars. However, BlueJeans has different apps for meetings vs webinars, which come at different prices, so make sure you get the right one.

BlueJeans’s key features

• Browser-based. BlueJeans works in your browser and, like Livestorm, has brand customization and a meetings analytics dashboard. This makes it easy for third-parties to join meetings
• Highly secure. This platform encrypts all content using AES-256 GCM (advanced encryption) and offers a “restricted meetings” feature for when you need to discuss something sensitive.
• HD video and audio. BlueJeans offer superb audio and video clarity, and this platform has won awards for its high-quality multimedia user experience.

What can you use BlueJeans for?

You can use BlueJeans Virtual Meetings for hosting any type of virtual meeting of up to 200 attendees. You can also host larger events (up to 500 attendees) using BlueJeans Events and Webinars.

BlueJeans’s pricing

BlueJeans for meetings comes at three different prices that vary depending on storage space for meeting recordings (from five hours to unlimited capacity) and number of participants (from 100-200). Pricing for BlueJeans range from $9.99-$16.66 per host per month.

Does BlueJeans have any limitations?

BlueJeans requires a large connectivity bandwidth to operate at peak performance. Users that have a fast internet connection experience no lag, but the ones that do, complain about it on user-based platforms like Capterra.

9. ClickMeeting: Best for remote work online training

ClickMeeting is an easy-to-use platform with features like media sharing, private chat, and polls. It’s mostly used for webinars and large meetings but that functionality comes at a different price.

ClickMeeting’s key features

• Chat real-time translation. Interact with multilingual teams as this feature lets you type a message in your native language and get it translated in real-time through a Google Translate integration.
• All participants’ views. ClickMeeting only allows for 40 participants at a time, but with this feature, you can see them all on-screen at the same time.
• Access and role permissions. Manage attendees by making them presenters, muting, blocking, or logging them out of the call.

What can you use ClickMeeting for?

You can use ClickMeeting for regular team meetings and webinars, but the most common use case is to access its learning platform and conduct virtual training.

ClickMeeting’s pricing

ClickMeeting offers a 30-day free trial for hosting meetings with up to 25 attendees. Then, annual prices range from $25-40 per user per month and change according to the number of attendees (from 25 to 1,000). Enterprises can request a custom quote for hosting massive events of up to 10,000 people.

Does ClickMeeting have any limitations?

Meeting recordings are limited to up to 10 hours in the most premium plan and 2GB of file storage.

10. Slack: Best for small businesses and short ad hoc meetings

Slack is an instant messaging app for online communities and small and medium businesses. People use it to chat through text, but you can also use it for audio and video calls..

Slack’s key features

• Dual screen sharing. Slack lets two people share their screens at the same time in meetings, so you can collaborate and look at different visuals while chatting.
• Asynchronous meetings. Record videos or voice notes directly from the app and share them with your colleagues in the form of async communication.
• Huddles. Slack lets users join and leave active group calls at their convenience, even if they miss the initial notification.

What can you use Slack for?

You can use Slack for chatting, calling up to 15 participants, and meeting with up to 50 people. Most users use Slack for instant messaging and short, unplanned meetings.

Slack’s pricing

Since Slack is an instant messaging app, online meeting benefits don’t change much from plan to plan. The free forever version comes with limited instant messaging storage and allows for 1:1 meetings. Then, prices range from $7.25-12.5 per user per month, based on annual billing, and lets you host meetings with up to 50 participants.

Does Slack have any limitations?

Since Slack isn’t a dedicated virtual meeting platform, it lacks some engagement features like virtual whiteboards. Plus, the user interface makes it hard to host video chats as the huddle button is small and in the left bottom corner.

What to look for in a virtual meeting platform

Choosing a virtual meeting platform isn’t a decision you can take lightly as it can help or hurt your teams’ productivity. To make up your mind, you should pay attention to these features:

Calendar integrations

Meeting attendees may be one-time users, so from the moment they receive your invite, joining and participating in your meeting needs to be fast and intuitive. They need to be able to get reminded through their preferred calendar and join the room with a click. This isn’t a deal breaker if you’re using a platform mostly for internal use, but it’s certainly an added value if your virtual meeting platform integrates with Outlook, Gmail, and iCal calendars.

Recurring events

This feature allows you to schedule multiple sessions for the same recurring event directly from the platform. It’s perfect for regular monthly meetings, training sessions, and demos. If you’re using Livestorm, all team members have to do is enter the registration page and pick the session that suits them best. That way, you don’t need to take additional time to create an event whenever you have a meeting.

Breakout rooms

We’ve all seen the memes about virtual meetings that could’ve been an email. To avoid boring your team members to death, you need breakout rooms. This functionality invites your attendees to chat in a friendlier and more inclusive environment. Break your team into smaller groups and host positive, collaborative, and fun sessions.

A free forever trial

You need to be able to test before you buy any kind of software. Sometimes you can’t do that with a limited 30-day trial. With Livestorm, you get access to a free forever limited version of the tool, so you can test and get used to it for as long as you need without paying a dime.

Meeting software to engage and connect your team

Great virtual meeting software can boost productivity and team collaboration, but it has to be a tool that integrates well with your existing workflows and tech stack. Here's what we recommend:

• If you prefer instant messaging but also want quick, spontaneous video calls, Slack is the right platform for you. The limitation is that you can only host meetings with up to 50 participants.
• If you want a free, easy-to-use online meeting tool or don’t mind paying for more engagement features, then Google Meet will cover your needs.
• If you’re looking for a tool for onboarding employees and customers ClickMeeting might be your best choice.

However, if you only want to pay for one video engagement tool that has it all then Livestorm is your best solution. With Livestorm you won’t need to pay for additional tools for different uses. We want you to express your ideas, collaborate and host engaging virtual meetings all from the same platform, whether that’s a one-to-one event or a one-to-three thousand.

Frequently asked questions about virtual meeting software

What is a virtual meeting platform?

Virtual meeting platforms are applications that allow people to have video calls online. Here are some of the best virtual meeting platforms on the market today: Livestorm, Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams.

Which virtual meeting platform is best?

The best virtual meeting platform is the one that suits your needs and integrates with your existing apps and workflows. In our opinion, the best virtual meeting platforms out there are:

• Livestorm as it’s the only app you need to plan, promote, host, and analyze any type of virtual event of up to 3,000 attendees, including sales calls, internal meetings, and large webinars
• Google Meet as it’s easy to use and the free version can cover most of an individual’s needs, provided you don’t want access to useful engagement features like breakout rooms and polls.
• Microsoft Teams as it’s enterprise-ready and compatible with the Outlook suite. You can also use it as a document management and asynchronous business communications app.

Which free virtual meeting platform is best?

The best free virtual meeting platform is Google Meet because it lets you host meetings with up to 100 attendees for 60 minutes. However, Livestorm is a more elegant and highly versatile video engagement platform that caters to all use cases: virtual meetings, webinars, conferences, interviews, courses, training, and more – and you can use all its features in the free forever plan. The only limit is on event duration and number of attendees.

What’s the best virtual meeting platform for Mac?

The best virtual meeting platform for Mac is Livestorm. As it’s browser-based, Livestorm is compatible with every operating system.

Is Skype a virtual meeting platform?

Skype is a virtual meeting platform that also allows for:

• Instant messaging
• Phone calls
• One-on-one video calls
• Audio-only calls

Is Zoom the same as a virtual meeting?

Zoom isn’t the same as a virtual meeting. Zoom is the name of a platform often used to host virtual meetings. However, many people use “Zoom” as a verb to replace the words “virtual meeting”. For example, saying “I can’t meet you at 3:00 pm, I have a Zoom”is the same as saying “I can’t meet you at 3:00 pm, I have a virtual meeting”.

What’s the most popular feature of Zoom?

The most popular Zoom features are virtual backgrounds and filters because users can inject their personalities virtually.

Is there a Zoom alternative?

There are many alternatives to Zoom, one of which is Livestorm. This tool lets you host virtual meetings, webinars, training sessions, and large events. Plus, just like Zoom, it’s packed with engagement features and is highly secure.

How do I attend a virtual meeting?

The meeting organizer will send you joining instructions in advance. Usually, the meeting invitation will include a web link to the chosen meeting platform (e.g. Livestorm, Zoom, or Google Meet). It’s a good idea to test the meeting platform ahead of time to understand the specific platform controls. Have you found the mute button? Do you know how to use the chat feature?

Make sure your internet connection is stable, and that your microphone and video camera are set up properly. It’s also a good idea to close any other tabs or apps open on your device to avoid accidentally missing parts of the meeting or losing sight of useful control buttons. Once you’re all set up, follow the meeting link in your invitation - and get ready to participate.

What is the best way to have a virtual meeting?

Before setting up your virtual meeting, make sure you have the right software to support your needs. If you’re running a training session, you’ll probably need options to screen share and share a slide deck. It’s always a good idea to use video to establish a strong face-to-face connection with attendees.

Make sure you have a structure in mind or, better yet, share an agenda with attendees. You’ll feel more comfortable if you have your resources prepared ahead of time – and you can guarantee someone will ask you to share your slides after the event!

Before you begin, make sure your attendees have received a meeting invitation. A good virtual meeting platform like Livestorm will support all your meeting workflows, such as sending automatic invites and reminders to chosen contacts so you don’t have to waste time doing it manually.

What are the do's and don’ts of virtual meetings?

Make sure you’re ticking all the boxes when hosting virtual meetings. Follow these dos and don’ts and you won’t go wrong.

Do's

• Choose meeting software with useful features and integrations
• Test your software ahead of time, especially if you’re planning to share media like video clips and slide decks
• Set a meeting agenda
• Turn your video on to really connect with other participants
• Use engagement tools like polls and Q&As to encourage participation
• Record the session or take minutes to share with absentees

Don’ts

• Invite attendees who aren’t directly relevant to the subject of discussion
• Assume your attendees will know how to use the virtual meeting platform
• Ignore the importance of feedback
• Leave yourself on mute for the entire meeting
• Finish the meeting without confirming that attendees understand the outcome or next steps
• Allow the meeting to run over