6 Best Free Video Conferencing Apps, Services & Tools

It’s hard to beat free as a price point, even if it does mean fewer features and less support. In my humble opinion, coupling free with web conferencing is a potent cause for joy!

So when we say free video conferencing, what do we actually mean? Well typically a free conference service, like those listed below, are applications that you download and install on your computer. However, some of these free solutions are browser-based, meaning you just visit the service’s website with your camera plugged in and turned on, invite some friends to a meeting room and get started.

Just because these are free doesn’t mean they can’t be used in business or the enterprise. However, if you are looking for tools that let you whiteboard, annotate and share specific applications then it’s probably worth thinking about a paid option designed with businesses in mind.

On with the best free video conferencing apps!

Skype [Recommended]
This ubiquitous softphone offers VoIP, IM and video chat in one application. Skype offers free person-to-person video conferencing, but for a fee you can upgrade to host a video conference of up to 5 people. Video calling with Skype is extremely easy, and because it works between Windows, Macs and Linux computers, as well as smartphones like the iPhone, you can video conference from practically anywhere with an internet connection. Lastly, many of your friends, family and contacts will already have Skype installed, which makes organising your conference even easier!

ooVoo
It might have one of those abstract Web 2.0 names, but ooVoo is a free video conferencing service not to be laughed at. It’s a free download that can run on Windows and Mac OS X (with a Linux version in the offing). The free version of ooVoo lets you video conference with up to 2 people or you can upgrade to chat with up to 6 people. If your contact isn’t online you can also leave a recorded video message, which is a very handy feature. Other non-video features in ooVoo include VoIP calls, IM, text chat and person-to-person file transfer. In all, ooVoo is most definitely worth trying out especially if you can foresee yourself only ever video conferencing with one or maybe two other people at a time.

SightSpeed
I’ve been a longtime fan of SightSpeed, even in the face of stiff competition from arch rival Skype. What I like about SightSpeed is that this application, which runs without issue on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, offers so much: IM, VoIP and, of course, video chat all come as standard. Free video conferencing with SightSpeed is a real highlight; it’s fast, crisp and responsive. The free version allows person-to-person video conferencing only but this can be upgraded to a 4-way video conference by signing up to the monthly plan.

PalBee
The great thing about PalBee is that it is completely web-based, therefore there are no downloads or installs: all you need is an account with PalBee and a webcam connected to your computer. Once you have got your meeting room setup it’s just a matter of sharing the URL with up to five of your friends. The one caveat is that there is a one hour time limit on using the meeting room. PalBee has a great recording capability built right in that lets you record a conference and then embed it on your blog or profile, or simply share with contacts. If you don’t mind the one hour limit and plan on conducting relatively small conferences (< 5 participants), then PalBee is definitely worth a shot.

Wengomeeting
The Wengomeeting audio and video conference service is developed by the same French company behind the well known Skype alternative, WengoPhone. Like PalBee, Wengomeeting is a browser-based service that uses Flash technology, which means that it can run on Windows, Mac OS X or Linux. Getting a meeting organised is fairly easy: simply use the online form to enter contact details and they will be given all information pertinent to the conference. Just as with PalBee, Wengomeeting will accommodate up to 5 users simultaneously.

iChat
What list of free video conferencing apps, services and tools would be complete without Apple’s iChat? While it may only run on Mac OS X, iChat lets you chat, talk and video conference with contacts on the AIM network. While iChat is an accomplished text and voice app, it excels at video. You can video conference with up to 3 others simultaneously with iChat, and it doesn’t cost a thing. That sounds great, but iChat has other tricks up its sleeve. For instance, you can apply custom backdrop images or video to make it look like you are in a meeting room or on the beach. As well as this, iChat also has built in screen sharing support and capability to share any file supported by their Quick Look technology. Do I like iChat. Yep, I most certainly do. Is it the panacea of free video conferencing? No, not for everyone. But if you are looking for free multi attendee video conferencing on a Mac, iChat is pretty good indeed!

If you are still looking for more options and have some budget to spend, check out these cheap video conference services.