Here are the best alternatives to Zoom for video-conferencing

Video-conferencing app  Zoom has seen its popularity skyrocket amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Zoom saw US downloads surge by 252% to 4.2 million during the week of March 16, the app has seen similar growth in Europe, with downloads hitting 6.5 million at the end of March, according to Sensor Tower.

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Zoom is struggling to cope with the surge in users amid the coronavirus outbreak, with users complaining of meetings not displaying properly and getting temporarily disconnected.

However, there are many video-conferencing services that can be availed for free during the coronavirus lockdowns. Following are some alternatives:

Google Hangouts

One of the most popular choices for video-conferencing is Google Hangout that is available to use if you have a Google account.

For free Gmail and G Suite Basic customers, the service allows for up to 10 people to chat in a video call while supporting simultaneous voice chat, allowing participants to join a conference via email or a shareable link.

Considering the severity of the situation following the coronavirus outbreak the company has toned down some restrictions for all G Suite and G Suite for Education customers, regardless of tier.

Customers can now hold video conferences with up to 250 participants through to July 1, 2020.

G Suite customers can stream video to up to 100,000 viewers within a domain, and the ability to record and save meetings directly to Google Drive.

You can use Google Hangouts in most web browsers, or via the Google Hangouts apps for iPhone and Android.

Starleaf

StarLeaf is a UK-based company that provides voice and video- conferencing systems for conference rooms and desktops, and software clients for mobile users.

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SLACK
Many businesses across the globe use slack. It is mainly used for text chat but it does give you the option to make voice and video calls. If you have the free version of the service then you can only make an individual call and unfortunately won't be able to host a meeting between several people.

Skype

Skype is a popular VoIP app that is a good option for video conferencing for small teams of up to 50 people (including the host), free of charge.

Skype includes a convenient cloud-based call recording feature that any member of the call can use, it notifies other participants that the call is being recorded, and allows users to save and share the recording for up to 30 days.

Jitsi
This 100% free video-conferencing service that allows users to choose between using the hosted version of Jitsi at meet.jit.si, or hosting their own video conferencing solution.

The service supports screen sharing and has mobile apps for iPhone and Android, with the option to record your Jitsi conference by simply streaming to YouTube and then pass the link around (private or unlisted) and even download the file.

CISCO Webex Meetings

CISCI allows you to host up to 100 participants in a single call, without any time restraint or restriction on number of calls.

Users get 1 GB of cloud storage with their free account along with features such as screen sharing, video recording, and file sharing.

Webex allows users in up to 52 countries to use a standard telephone to join any conference. Participants who want to use their webcams have a choice of website, dedicated desktop apps, or mobile apps for iPhone and Android.