I plan to go on a traveling trip for a while and I'm curious about the best, most reliable video chat apps I should try. Can anyone recommend the best free video apps?
Yes, we can! The best free video call apps facilitate remote communication, helping you stay in touch with your colleagues, friends, and family.
Regardless of where you or your people are, you can tap into the best video chat app to communicate with them remotely and visually. Today, we'll discuss the eight best video call apps for Android/iOS you should try.
| Video Chat App | Supported OS | Pricing | Google/Apple Store Ratings |
Best Use Cases |
| Zoom Meetings | Android/iOS | Free | 4.1/4.6 | Centralize communication and collaboration |
| Skype | Android/iOS/ Windows 10 Mobile |
Free | 4.3/4.7 | Group video chats, screen sharing |
| Google Duo | Android/iOS | Free | 4.1/4.9 | Caller identification |
| FaceTime | iOS | Free | 4.2 | Send group video call invitations via web link |
| Discord | Android/iOS | Free | 3.1/4.7 | Create virtual hangouts |
| Microsoft Teams | Android/iOS | Free | 4.6/4.8 | Seamless video calling, real-time collaboration |
| JustTalk | Android/iOS | Free | 4.5/4.4 | Real-time communication with parental control features |
| Android/iOS | Free | 4.3/2.7 | Secure and private video chats |
The 8 Best Video Chat Apps
Below is our hand-picked selection of the best video chat applications with details on supported OS, video chat and call capabilities, key features, pros, and cons.
Zoom Meetings
Best for: Centralizing whiteboard options, meetings, and online team chats in one app
Zoom Meetings is an all-encompassing online workplace app that unifies teamwork, collaboration, and communication. You get a modern solution for online meetings, instant messaging, team chats, phone/video calls, mail, calendar, and scheduling all in one mobile application.
If you prefer face-to-face video calls with one or several contacts, a reliable AI-powered Zoom Virtual Meetings app is all you need to connect and collaborate anywhere on the planet.
Key features
- Connected virtual meeting workflows with chats and invites;
- AI-enabled meeting summarizations and key takeaways;
- HD audio/video meetings with effects, removable backgrounds, and noise suppression;
- Whiteboards, documents, and notes;
- Multi-language captioning and translations;
- Integrated calendar and scheduling;
- Multiple chat channels.
Pros & Cons
Skype
Supported OS: Android/iOS/Windows 10 Mobile
Best for: Group video chats and screen sharing
Skype is one of the most popular video chat apps for staying connected with anyone, anytime, anywhere. The app allows Android and iOS users to make free group video calls, exchange text messages, capture audio recordings, use emojis in conversations, share screen, and more.
In addition, new visually appealing chat filters let you sort your video conversations by active, unread, and recent chats to help you stay on top of your communications and keep your chat list organized.
Key features
- Free Skype-to-Skype calls;
- Personalized chat views;
- Contact syncing;
- Push notifications;
- Use Siri to make calls in Skype (iOS);
- Call calendar with scheduling options;
- Share location;
- Share photos with contacts;
- Take photos and videos during video calls;
- Video call access permissions;
- Group chats with up to 100 people (free version);
- Call forwarding;
- ChatGPT.
Pros & Cons
Google Duo
Best for: Identifying callers before joining a video chat
Google Duo is a secure, fast, user-friendly, cross-platform mobile app for one-on-one video communication.
Aside from an intuitive interface and fast communication options, the app can seamlessly switch between cellular data and Wi-Fi to reduce latency and ensure top audio-video quality during your calls. In addition, the app lets you see who's calling you before taking a video call.
Key features
- HD audio/video;
- Live video preview;
- Video calls across devices like JBL Link View, Lenovo Smart Display, Nest Hub Max, Nest Hub, desktop computers, iOS, and Android;
- Cross-platform conversations (Android and iOS users);
- Leave video messages;
- Group calls for up to 12 people;
- Take a photo with your caller and share it automatically;
- Block unwanted contacts.
Pros & Cons
FaceTime
Supported OS: iOS
Best for: Inviting people to group calls with a web link
FaceTime is an iOS video call app for streamlining audio/video calls. The app lets you share your screen across all Apple devices, collaborate on presentations and documents with your contacts, create shareable invitation links, chat with up to 32 people at once, clear the audio, use reactions and emojis in your conversations, etc.
Key features
- Share your screen;
- Audio and video messaging;
- Group calls for up to 32 participants;
- SharePlay lets you listen to music or watch videos with your contacts;
- Voice isolation lets you filter out background noise;
- Portrait mode to eliminate background distractions;
- Choose the input device;
- Switch the camera view;
- Turn on full-screen mode;
- Turn their cameras on and off;
- Mute and unmute their microphones;
- Chat rooms;
- Live captioning with subtitles.
Pros & Cons
Discord
Best for: Creating virtual hangouts with your contacts
Discord is the best online video chat app for creating a virtual video call environment for you and your contacts. Thanks to Discord's user-friendly interface, intuitive navigation, and transparent features, you can make your video calls more effective and organized.
The app also provides cross-platform support so you can stay in contact with your people across mobile and desktop devices.
Key features
- Organize your video calls using separate custom communication channels;
- Share voice and video calls with your contacts;
- Personalize your virtual conversations with custom emojis and reactions;
- Turn video snippets into emojis;
- Voice and text chats;
- Customize Discord servers with options like permissions, roles, and channels;
Pros & Cons
Microsoft Teams
Best for: Facilitating real-time team collaboration via seamless video calling
MS Team is an all-in-one mobile app for Android and iOS devices with voice, text, and video calling capabilities. The app is compatible with smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers.
With MS Teams, you can make and receive voice and video calls, collaborate with your team in real-time, share your screen, customize your calls with custom-made backgrounds, use live reactions in your conversations, record your conversations, and more.
Key features
- Share your screen during calls
- Share content like a whiteboard, PowerPoint file, etc.;
- Record your video chat;
- Create shareable audio/video recordings of conversations;
- Customize, change, or blur the background in your video calls;
- Instant feedback via live reactions;
- Gallery view or together mode to show multiple contacts or view everyone in your conversation.
Pros & Cons
JusTalk
Best for: Turning video calls into social media experiences
JusTalk is a free mobile video chat app with a social media networking interface. The app provides an interactive video chatting platform with many useful features, including instant messaging, voice calls, group video chats, one-to-one and group texts, and more. The app is also available for Android and iOS devices, ensuring cross-platform support.
Key features
- Group video calling for up to 50 members;
- One-to-one texting or send text to up to 200 members;
- Share videos, voice messages, and images;
- Share your location;
- Gamification and interactive doodles;
- Capture video snaps;
- Instant messaging;
- Cross-platform support;
- Record and save calls within the app (premium access).
Pros & Cons
Best for: Improving the security and privacy of your video calls
WhatsApp is one of the best free video chat apps if you prefer simple, reliable, secure video calling and messaging. The app gives you everything you need to stay in touch with your contacts on the go.
From one-to-one text and voice conversations to group chats and video calls, WhatsApp protects your privacy and data with end-to-end encryption, ensuring your calls and private messages are always safe.
Key features
- Instant messaging;
- Voice and video calls;
- Chat lock with password protection;
- Disappearing messages;
- Customizable privacy settings;
- Custom notifications;
- Cross-platform support;
- Audio messages;
- Send stickers and GIFs;
- Post messages, photos, and videos on Status.
Pros & Cons
Things to Look for in a Video Chat App
Video chat apps should be easy to use, navigate, and manage according to your needs. Their purpose is to make visual communication as simple and accessible as possible. However, it's easy to lose yourself in all the options you have at your fingertips.
With that in mind, we'll help you narrow the selection to the best video chat apps by looking into the essential capabilities and features:
- UI and UX - a video chat app should be intuitive enough to help you use it seamlessly without too much hassle. Look for an app with a user-friendly interface, streamlined navigation, and an array of customization options to ensure you have the best user experience each time you use it.
- Scope of features - aside from voice and video calls, a video chat app should support texting, audio messaging, file sharing, group calls, screen sharing, and more.
- Audio/video quality - a video call app should facilitate reliable visual communication with top-grade audio and video quality. The app you select should let you adjust the audio/video quality according to your internet connection and personal preferences. In addition, the app should be able to deliver synchronized audio and video in real-time.
- Security and privacy - whether using a video chat app for entertainment or business, you risk your privacy and safety by using such services. Therefore, select an app with strong privacy and security features to ensure your data doesn't end up in the wrong hands.
- Cross-platform support - a video chat app should facilitate stable and reliable visual communication across low-bandwidth virtual environments and different operating systems, including multiple devices like smartphones and tablets.
How We Picked the Best Video Chat Apps
We took our time to test each app on our list to assess its video chatting and calling capabilities. We also tested user interfaces, features, connectivity options, and other characteristics to see how they stack up against each other.
Since each app has unique features, we focused on exploring these functionalities, including special effects, virtual backgrounds, and all other tools they offer to help users streamline their video chatting and calling needs.
After a thorough testing phase, we can safely say that our list contains the best video chat apps. Each solution on our list is more than capable of meeting your unique video communication needs. Some give you more functionality, while others excel in different areas.
We recommend testing each app to find the ultimate solution to your every video chatting and call requirement. In the end, the best video chat app is the one that can handle your every need. Keep that in mind while testing the apps on our list.
Conclusion
This article has outlined the eight best video chat applications to ensure reliable, stable, and safe video communication with your contacts across Android and iOS devices. We tested each app on our list to weigh video conferencing capabilities and the scope of features users get for free.
Zoom Meetings, Microsoft Teams, Skype, and Google Duo are fantastic solutions for business users looking to facilitate group video calls with dozens, even hundreds of participants. On the other hand, apps like WhatsApp, JusTalk, FaceTime, and Discord are more intended for one-to-one video conversations, though all of them support group chats and calls, depending on your specific needs.
All apps on our list allow you to use video chatting and calling features without spending a dime or signing up for a subscription. Take your time to test all these apps to make an informed decision and select the best tool for your visual communication needs.