Best Zoom Alternatives (2026)

Zoom alternatives at a glance

1. 1

   Loom

   Communication

   Async video messaging for work.

   Loom sits mid-pack for async video tools — pricier than scrappy Chrome-extension competitors but way cheaper than bundling video into a full collaboration suite. They're not competing on price at all; they're betting teams will pay a premium because Loom is the default verb for 'send a quick video' the way Slack is for chat.

   Plans: Starter $0/mo per seat · Business $18/mo per seat · Business + AI $24/mo per seat · Enterprise Contact Sales

   From $18/mo Free plan Free trial · Zoom vs Loom → Loom pricing →
2. 2

   Aircall

   Communication

   Cloud phone system for sales and support.

   At $30-50/seat, Aircall sits mid-to-premium in the cloud calling space — pricier than bare VoIP tools like Grasshopper but cheaper than full contact-center suites like Five9 or NICE CXone. They're chasing SMB and mid-market sales/support teams who want call center features without enterprise-grade complexity or cost.

   Plans: Essentials $30/mo per seat · Professional $50/mo per seat · Custom Contact Sales

   From $30/mo · Zoom vs Aircall → Aircall pricing →
3. 3

   Airmeet

   Communication

   Virtual events and webinars.

   At $199/mo, Airmeet undercuts premium webinar tools like ON24 but sits above bare-bones options like Livestorm or StreamYard, positioning itself as the mid-market pick for teams that want polish without enterprise pricing. The custom tiers above that are clearly aimed at competing for large virtual conference and agency business where they're pricing against Bizzabo and Hopin rather than simple webinar software.

   Plans: Premium Webinars $199/mo · Events Contact Sales · Managed Events Contact Sales · Agency Plan Contact Sales

   From $199/mo Free trial · Zoom vs Airmeet → Airmeet pricing →
4. 4

   Bettermode

   Communication

   Customer community platform.

   At $499 as a starting price, Bettermode is firmly a premium play — this isn't competing with cheap forum plugins or Discord alternatives, it's going after mid-market and enterprise teams who see community as core infrastructure. They're betting that buyers evaluating this have budget authority and are comparing against other serious platforms, not bargain-hunting startups.

   Plans: Starter $499/mo · Growth $1750/mo · Premium Contact Sales

   From $499/mo Free trial · Zoom vs Bettermode → Bettermode pricing →
5. 5

   Chanty

   Communication

   Simple team chat with built-in tasks.

   At $4/seat, Chanty undercuts Slack and Microsoft Teams by a wide margin, positioning itself as the budget-friendly alternative for small businesses and nonprofits who want core team chat without paying premium collaboration-suite prices. This is a value play aimed at price-sensitive teams, not enterprises chasing deep integrations.

   Plans: Free $0/mo per seat · Business $4/mo per seat · Enterprise Contact Sales

   From $4/mo Free plan Free trial · Zoom vs Chanty → Chanty pricing →
6. 6

   Circle

   Communication

   Community platform for creators.

   At $89-199/mo, Circle sits mid-to-premium compared to Discourse or Discord-based stacks, but it's cheaper than all-in-one giants like Kajabi once you factor in the community-plus-courses bundle. They're chasing creators and course businesses who've outgrown Facebook Groups but don't want Mighty Networks' complexity or Kajabi's price tag.

   Plans: Professional $89/mo · Business $199/mo · Circle Plus Contact Sales

   From $89/mo Free trial · Zoom vs Circle → Circle pricing →
7. 7

   CloudTalk

   Communication

   AI-powered call center software for sales and support teams.

   CloudTalk sits in the mid-market lane — pricier than bare-bones VoIP tools but well under enterprise contact center platforms like Five9 or NICE, so they're chasing scaling SMBs and mid-size sales/support teams who've outgrown a basic dialer but don't need a full CCaaS suite. The lack of a free plan signals they're not fighting for the bottom-of-funnel self-serve crowd.

   Plans: Starter $25/mo per seat · Essential $29/mo per seat · Expert $49/mo per seat

   From $25/mo Free trial · Zoom vs CloudTalk → CloudTalk pricing →
8. 8

   Demio

   Communication

   Webinars built for marketing.

   Plans: Starter $63/mo · Growth $117/mo · Premium $196/mo

   From $63/mo Free trial · Zoom vs Demio → Demio pricing →
9. 9

   Discord

   Communication

   Voice, video, and text communities.

   There's really no direct competitor charging for chat itself, so Discord isn't fighting on price — it's more of a low-cost add-on play compared to what people already spend on Twitch subs or Spotify. At $2.99 and $9.99, it's priced like pocket change, banking on volume across hundreds of millions of free users rather than premium positioning.

   Plans: Nitro Basic $2/mo · Nitro $9/mo

   From $2/mo · Zoom vs Discord → Discord pricing →
10. 10

    Discourse

    Communication

    Civilized discussion platform.

    This sits firmly in premium territory for community platforms — there's no free plan, and $100/mo as a starting price screams 'we're for serious operators,' not hobbyists. They're chasing companies and organizations that view community as infrastructure, not casual forum runners who'd bounce off the lack of a free tier.

    Plans: Pro $100/mo · Business $500/mo · Enterprise Contact Sales

    From $100/mo Free trial · Zoom vs Discourse → Discourse pricing →

None of these fit? See every communication tool we price →

What is the best alternative to Zoom?

Loom is the closest Zoom alternative we track for communication. Paid plans start at $18/mo, and there is a free plan to start on. Aircall and Airmeet are also worth a look.

Are there free alternatives to Zoom?

Yes — Loom, Chanty offer a free plan, so you can switch without paying up front.

How much do Zoom alternatives cost?

Entry prices range from $2/mo (Discord) to $499/mo (Bettermode). Each product page has the full verified tier breakdown.

Is there a cheaper alternative to Zoom?

Yes — Zoom starts at $14/mo, while Discord ($2/mo), Chanty ($4/mo) start lower.