Zoom's creators have made it one of the best web conferencing platforms in the industry. Its video conferencing functionality includes a lot of neat features that put it above the competition. It includes HD video and HD voice, dynamic voice detection to help determine who is speaking, a full screen view of the person speaking and a gallery room of everyone who is in the meeting. There is really only one video stream, but it is expandable to two video streams when you use a second monitor. There is also a "view-only" attendee feature, where users can beam in, but not actually participate in the meeting. There is also a way to join a video conference by dialing in, but this doesn't let the attendee use video with that method. The cross-platform compatibility of Zoom across MAC, Windows, iOS, and Android makes it a powerful collaboration tool. You can easily message people within your group. You can also screen share documents, photos, and other rich media in a chat. The iPhone/iPad option is equipped with a screen share with iOS mirror. Annotation and co-annotation can make this a neat tool to sue in collaboration. White boarding is also available. It is easy to get into meetings without too much difficulty on Zoom. In addition to the desktop and application sharing, each personal meeting gets a meeting ID and URL name. You can make an instant meeting. You can also schedule a meeting on your calendar. There are Google Chrome and Outlook plugins to get you set up for meetings. You can also record with simple mp4 or m4a formats, archiving your meetings for later. The screen entrant tools are simple, yet functional. What we really liked about this platform was the host controls, to control who is doing what in the meeting, as well as the hand raising tool that lets users signal that they are ready to speak. What else did we like about the service? We liked the fact that this was a monthly service. Many companies that sell web conferencing SaaS tend to advertise the monthly price and then add you to a 12-month contract "under the radar." We liked that Zoom was upfront about their prices and did NOT charge you to a year-long commitment.

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The Bad

System confusion
Fees and subscriptions
App integrations
Customizable URL

We weren't really sure quite how the system worked. What is the difference between a host and a user? Does that mean that hosts are people that start meetings and participants are the ones to attend them? With the Business Plan, you can only have a maximum of ten hosts, but 100 people can participate in your conference. This, to us, seems a little bit on the "low end" for the number of people. We had some concerns about the branding for the free and pro subscriptions. Let's say that you are a small business and use the pro account plan. Even though you are paying for the service, a step up from the freemium version, you don't get the option of making your Zoom rooms reflect your company brand. This was somewhat problematic for us. We also couldn't find any app integrations available with Zoom. We wondered if we could use Box, Dropbox, and other cloud storage services. We also couldn't find Sales Force, or any other e-commerce integrations that enhance the functionality of Zoom for different businesses. This was the one area where Zoom disappointed us the most. We also had a problem with a lack of customizable URL for the Pro plan. The customizable URL is advertised on one of the pages in the site, but we had to read the complete features list to see that we couldn't use the customizable URL unless we purchased the Business-level plan. This was also a huge disappointment for us.

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The Bottom Line

We would recommend Zoom to any small- or medium-sized business. Their SaaS model is ideal. You can easily have just one host within your organization and invite users to join within your company if they are away. We also really liked some of the neat features that we saw demonstrated in the product. The only thing that we want to see fixed is with the Pro plan. For a paid service, it does not offer a whole lot more than the free version. We would be willing to pay an increase in price for the Pro subscription to make it more suitable for small businesses.

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User Reviews

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4.5

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362 Reviews

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36%

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2 grade

1 grade

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Mandi Colorado Springs, CO

I have both a free and a business account through my work with Zoom. I have also used the education version of Zoom when doing online school. I definitely prefer the paid accounts for Zoom as they allow for unlimited recording time while the free account limits your time and ability to record meetings. The education version of Zoom is awesome because I really enjoy the break-out rooms feature so that you can have little huddles in teams or get private help from other students or TAs. I like how Zoom lets you either blur your background or use custom backgrounds. I always choose something fun like holiday or themed backgrounds and you are able to find and upload your own images for the backgrounds as well.

4 years ago

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Lynette Jorgensen Herriman, UT

Easy to set up a meeting and easy to join a video conference. Zoom is safe to use. I can set up a waiting room and allow the people that I know join the meeting when I am ready for them. It is great to use as a teacher or student for virtually learning. It connects people together.

4 years ago

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Nyla C. Edison, NJ

Zoom was my go-to for college once the covid-19 pandemic had hit. It was a pretty simple platform to get the hang of without having too much difficulty. I like how it gives you the option to mute yourself and hide your video, which comes in handy.

5 years ago

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Brielle Wright Logan, UT

Zoom has a very simple design so it is easy to navigate and use. It has settings so you can plan for a set meeting before hand and has a set password you create to let people in. You create a meeting then send out your link and your good!

5 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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Alicia Mesa, AZ

As with many others, I really started to use Zoom during the pandemic and was impressed by how easy it was to use. It worked well for a variety of different situations. I was able to use it to connect with family members and friends. One of the nicest things about it is that I could use it on a variety of different devices, allowing me to have flexibility to move around or even use it on the go if necessary. I would (and have) recommended it to friends and family and plan to use it in the future. I also love that it's a free service.

4 years ago

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Natalie Rousey Riverton, UT

Zoom has been a lifesaver for me, especially over the last 2 years. I have been able to connect with co-workers and family and even church during the pandemic because of Zoom. I like the features that the website offers with comment sections during meetings and the ability to turn the video and sound off and on. I'm grateful for their services. Thank you!

4 years ago

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Carnan Fort Collins, CO

Who ever heard of Zoom before the Pandemic and now how can any of us survive without it? Zoom has been such a huge help in helping us take away good from the pandemic. We can cut commute times and have meetings remotely. I'm also grateful I can have meetings with my church groups for free if the time limit is less than 40 minutes. Sometimes they give you unlimited time if there's a large group. This has been a great resource to have.

4 years ago

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Hijah Smith Tallahassee, FL

As a college student in the pandemic, it was uncertain and new to how we would resume learning while being away from a physical classroom. I am grateful for Zoom allowing teachers and students to still be able to meet and use Zoom as an online classroom. Even outside of the classroom, Zoom is being used to hold online gathering events, panels, seminars, business meetings, watch parties, and holiday get-togethers. Zoom is very easy to use and rarely encounters problems.

4 years ago

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Hailee Coleman Columbia, MO

Zoom is the easiest to use. As a college student, everyone has to be familiar with zoom and understand how to use it. It is easy to learn and effective. Sometimes it can be a little glitchy, but that happens generally because of wifi issues. If you are going to college, zoom is easy to use, and easy to set up. If I could give it a 6/5 stars I would!

4 years ago

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Lisa C Johnson Washington, DC

This is great. I am not great with computers. So when a relative suggested zoom I was uneasy about how to do it. But after some pretty easy instructions I felt comfortable about using it. It is easy to use even for a novice to computers like me. You are able to have talk to multiple people at once. You can mute and if you are having a bad hair day, you can turn the camera off. I have gotten very good at navigating the features. I very much like zoom. I can now initiate zoom meetings!!

5 years ago

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Whitney Wilkins West Valley City, UT

This year with corona I have used zoom for everything. Zoom has made it so easy to call in for class, church lessons/activities, and school. It makes it so easy to join a class and I love that it gives you the option to turn your camera off and mute yourself so you don't have to worry about distractions. It is super easy on any computer or mobile device.

5 years ago

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Paige Ellis Slade Gilbert, AZ

Zoom made my life a whole lot more enjoyable and happy during the pandemic. I actually still use Zoom quite a bit and I’m super grateful for it. Especially love that I get to watch my church meetings on it. I like how I can toggle between screens or just have it pinned to one person. Its interface on my phone is very easy to navigate too. Thanks Zoom!

5 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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daphjohnson Saratoga Springs, UT

I use zoom every day for work. This has been the best way to communicate with co-workers who live afar. I like the features that allow you to change your background or add a filter to your face. Especially with working from home you want to look your best because you are still at work, but be comfortable throughout the day and zoom allows you to look professional, even if you aren't.

5 years ago

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Mary Johnson Flower Mound, TX

Zoom has been a lifesaver this past year and I don't think we'll ever stop using it. It has allowed us to connect as family across the country, made it possible to still meet in church groups, and more. They created a program where it is easy to create a meeting and invite others, while still keeping privacy and safety a priority. I also really appreciate that they kept a free option and feel the 40 minute time limit is very generous.

5 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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Morgan Knight Salt Lake City, UT

Zoom has saved us during the pandemic! Seeing family, work calls, and especially providing service for our autistic daughter. The services (Early intervention) are typically in person but when the shut down happened we were so grateful to have Zoom with her therapists to keep her progress going. The ability to have so many people on at one time has been such a great way to stay connected. Love ho easy it is to be a host and send out the link to everyone, very user friendly! Zoom truly is amazing!

5 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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Raquel San Jose, CA

I use Zoom for the occasional work call and for majority of my virtual health visits. It is easy to connect and I like that over 100 people can be on the same call, all on video with zero drops. Majority of the time my company uses Webex but for large calls, we can rely on Zoom to ensure everyone can connect and not be dropped or have lags. Thank you for being reliable

5 years ago

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Jaci Rhoades Bryant, AR

For the past two years I have been using zoom to have meetings. It's a very easy app to download on my phone and my computer and I can use it anywhere. Which makes my busy life easier.

4 years ago Edited February 2, 2022

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Luke Swierczynski Troy, MI

Zoom took over during the pandemic and for good reason. Meetings are always clear with very few glitches, i.e. rarely lose video or audio. The feature are great as well with screen sharing and recording.

4 years ago

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Mary Gunn Sherpur, 03

Life saving app during the era of covid-19. Me and my company are now fully dependent on zoom for online meeting. There is no glitches and slags at the of conference . Overall time saving and cost minimizing app

5 years ago

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Sicely Lyn Russell Mesa, AZ

Zoom was very helpful my last semester of high school because that's when school was purely online for me. Zoom was easy to use and I love that you could see everyone in your class.

5 years ago

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Brooklyn Bishop Los Angeles, CA

Zoom has been very helpful to me during COVID-19. We are able to communicate face-to-face while still being able to stay home and stay safe. It’s very easy to navigate. I would definitely recommend!

5 years ago

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Phalda Morris Jacksonville, FL

I love using Zoom for work. Whenever we don't go in to the office, we can still talk and get everything done thanks to Zoom. It is also a great way to work on team projects from a distance. Zoom does not give me connection troubles and I can usually get in to my meetings with no problems.

4 years ago

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darcy sullivan Pensacola, FL

I first started using Zoom for school back in 2020. It has been extremely useful every since then. I have participated in many meetings, classes, and casual video calls using Zoom and it has been nothing but amazing each time. Even whenever I would run into technical problems, they would be fixed very quickly.

4 years ago

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Jaelyn Morris Tallahassee, FL

Zoom makes it so easy to communicate from a distance, whether it's for business, school, or personal reasons. I enjoy having classes on Zoom when in-person classes are not available. It's easy to have conversations with the chatbox, and there are other features that make it a great substitution for class. Zoom is a great communication service.

4 years ago

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Kristiane R Durfey Orem, UT

Used Zoom many times over the last few years because of Covid. Most of the time it worked great and I didn't have any problems with it. Sometimes the images would freeze but I think that had to do with my internet than with the program. It was easy to plan a meeting and to send out the link to the meeting to those who needed to attend.

4 years ago

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Elizabeth Orlando, FL

Zoom has made a huge positive impact in my life the past 2 years. It has made attending my classes possible when I am ill and has been useful for connecting with long distance friends. Zoom continuously comes out with updates that address any issues with the software and have great customer service.

4 years ago Edited March 2, 2022

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Ron Durfey Orem, UT

Zoom has been great with my virtual customer meetings. I sell medical equipment and Covid-19 effected my ability to be with my customers in the hospital. With the ease of use and flexibility of Zoom I was able to maintain my sales and relationships with my customers and their patients needs.

4 years ago

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Janan Grange Pleasant Grove, UT

So Zoom has become a vital part of my kids schooling and for attending our local church while we were required to attend online during COVID. It is easy to use and besides a few hiccups it has worked quite well. The video and sound are great and we are able to still participate in school and church because of this.

4 years ago

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Caroline Fowler Little Rock, AR

I love that Zoom keeps me in touch with colleagues and students when circumstances otherwise prevent us from coming together. I like that it offers a waiting room, options to record and share screens of different types (i.e. document cameras).

4 years ago

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anna blaser CA

As much as I hate having to use it, Zoom is actually a really great streaming service. It’s helped a lot of people as the pandemic hit, and it’s easy to use. There’s many functions, all of which are useful. My favorite part is the chat feature.

4 years ago

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Brynlee Dalton Riverton, UT

I have had such a great experience with Zoom! Whenever I need to have meetings with others, when we can't meet in person, I always turn to Zoom. It has been a huge help to me because I can still meet with others, even if we can't meet in person. I would definitely recommend Zoom to a friend.

4 years ago Edited January 25, 2022

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Shopman Herriman, UT

Zoom is a great way to communicate remotely. I have used it for meetings, to watch special events and to just visit with my family. Is like the chat feature. Being able to ask questions and comment is very helpful. I also like that I can used different backgrounds, so everyone doesn't see if I have cleaned my house!

4 years ago

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Saylor D Herriman, UT

Zoom has made communicating with my friends and coworkers so easy while we're at home because of COVID-19. The mute feature is essential when I have to step out for a minute, as well as the ability to shut off my camera. The break-out feature is also very helpful when I'm guiding a meeting and need smaller groups.

4 years ago Edited January 13, 2022

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Spencer M Meridian, ID

Zoom has always worked really well for me. It is really easy to navigate and set up. The only thing I don't like about it is that in order to host meetings they make you create an account. Free but a bit of a hassle. And it only lets you hold meetings for forty minutes unless you upgrade to premium.

4 years ago

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Nashali Vescovacci FL

Zoom is a great company because it is easy to work and very convenient. It is the best company compared to its competitors. It also has very helpful features such as the record and share your screen option, making it great for meetings.

4 years ago

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Jec Canby, OR

A life savor when Covid hit. Wow, we used zoom a lot. and for so many different reasons and events. School, church, work, group dates, activities, etc.... Now that we no longer need to meet via Zoom we still use it occasionally for convenience and time saving. Easy to learn, free options, secure options, well know.

4 years ago

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Rocio Diaz Tallahassee, FL

Zoom has been a life-saver during COVID times. Zoom sometimes has small technical issues but nothing a quick update can't solve. Easy to use, largely accessible, and unmatched features such as backgrounds and screen sharing. Largely recommend.

4 years ago

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Karen Torino Tallahassee, FL

I have used Zoom many many times for my university and for other meetings. It is a great way to meet with many people at once and being able to share the screen is a great convenience. I think Zoom has a lot of great options that make video calls simple and enjoyable.

4 years ago

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roberto arcia Columbia, MO

We are living in a new age. Without the powers of Zoom, our life would have not been able to transition into a healthier alternative. I am very appreciative of Zoom and the way it has shaped life as we know it. I will be continuing to use Zoom in my daily life, as it makes meetings much easier and effective.

4 years ago

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Kaylee Gay Columbia, MO

Zoom is such an easy tool to use for all ages that even my grandparents can use it. Zoom provides a way for me to stay connected with my family during this pandemic! As well as it helped me do all of my school work and interviews for jobs. Zoom is a reliable system that keeps everyone connected and helped me graduate last year!

4 years ago

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Michelle Bray Pleasant Grove, UT

Zoom made their platform available to the world during the pandemic. When my scout troop was no longer able to meet in person last year, we used Zoom. Zoom helped us to stay in touch and helped us keep our human connection alive. Thank you Zoom!

5 years ago

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Erin Williams Midvale, UT

Great tool for all sorts of online meetings! It's nice to have a quality option that's free, at least for meetings an hour or less long. The one thing I don't like is how it automatically turns to full screen whenever anyone shares their screen, but that's only a minor annoyance.

5 years ago

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Molly Smith Herriman, UT

It works, it gets the job done. I've spent so much time on it that I kind of hate it, but I'm definitely not the only student who feels that way. It's decently easy to navigate most of the time, as long as you're not trying to pull off anything too complicated.

5 years ago

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Mark Benson Nakhon Sawan, 60

COVID has mad my job very difficult over the past year. Although, not being able to hold in person meetings and conferences has been the least of our issues because of zoom. It is easy to set up and has fair good audio. It has made COVID easier to get through.

5 years ago

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Pauline Causse Draper, UT

I have used many video conferencing platforms over the last year, but I feel like zoom offers the most features. It's easy to record a meeting, share your screen, break up the meeting into different rooms, chat,... It's also easy to use and easy to set up

5 years ago

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Madisen Cluff Los Angeles, CA

During the past few weeks I have been teaching English to children in Thailand. For a period of time, due to COVID-19, we had to move classes online. The transition was actually way easier than I thought it would be because the layout of the site was very easy to navigate.

5 years ago

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Dave Spokane, WA

Like most people, I presume, I had never heard of Zoom before 2020. But it has been the go-to video-conference product for home, church, and school for over a year now. The phone and tablet apps are great as well as the PC version. It's easy to set up your own meetings or join meetings set up by others.

5 years ago

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Tiffany I Gaithersburg, MD

My children utilize Zoom for all of their class conferences. It’s great that they get to see their classmates while listening to the teacher. All instructions are on the primary screen and they can ask questions through the chat option.

5 years ago

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Msdaisy70 Clarksburg, MD

I thought that it was absolutely wonderful when the company extended free time during covid during holidays si that families could connect. To me this is excellent customer service. The zoom meeting product itself offers clear communication and easy to use.

5 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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Christina Lockett Frederick, MD

Zoom website helped me book conferences with my kid's teachers and I love how the website gives you a reminder when your having your next meeting. I usually forget what I am supposed to do if I don't have reminders and this feature really helps.

5 years ago