Video Chat Comparison Guide

This chapter is from the book

My Video Chat for Seniors

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This chapter is from the book

This chapter is from the book 

My Video Chat for Seniors

Learn More Buy

Which Video Chat Platform(s) Should You Use?

With all the video chat platforms available, which should you choose for yourself? Well, there’s no simple answer to that because each platform has strengths and weaknesses.

You’ll probably end up using more than one video chat platform, depending on your needs and who you’re communicating with. Each platform has its strengths and weaknesses. Table 2.2 shows my take on which platform is best suited for what.

Table 2.2 Best Video Chat Platforms for Specific Uses

Best for One-on-One Chats

• Facebook Messenger (Facebook users only)

• FaceTime (Apple devices only)

• Google Duo

• Skype

• WhatsApp

When it comes to one-on-one video chats, you want a simple solution—and fancy group chat features don’t matter much. For this scenario, if you and the person you’re chatting with have Apple devices, consider FaceTime; if you’re both on Facebook, go with Facebook Messenger; and for cross-platform use, go with Google Duo or Skype. WhatsApp is another option, if you and the other person you’re chatting with both use it.

Best for Group Chats

• Facebook Messenger Rooms

• Google Meet

• Skype

• Zoom

For group chats, you need a solution that is cross-platform because it’s likely that people in the group will be using all manner of devices—some iPhones, some Android phones, some iPads, some Windows computers, and some Mac computers. You also need a platform that’s easy for everybody to use.

For all these reasons, the number one choice for small or large group chats is Zoom. It’s fully cross-platform, so nobody is excluded. You can set up a chat with the press of a button, and any participant can join just by clicking a link in an email or text message. Zoom is also very versatile in operation, with multiple display options, virtual backgrounds, screensharing, and other advanced options—if you need them. You can have up to 100 participants per meeting, and the 40-minute meeting limit is not that restricting.

There are three good alternatives to Zoom for small and medium-sized group chats: Facebook Messenger Rooms, Google Meet, and Skype. All three are just about as easy to use and make it easy to create meetings and invite participants. They are also all cross-platform.

Best for Business Meetings

• Google Meet

• Microsoft Teams

• Zoom

Zoom is also the number-one choice for most business meetings. The cross-platform compatibility is a necessity, and the screen sharing and display options help make meetings more functional. Zoom also lets meeting participants engage in side text chats and makes it easy to switch Zoom from interactive to presentation mode, which is good for larger meetings.

Google Meet and Microsoft Teams are two other viable platforms for business use. Google Meet is just about as easy to use as Zoom, although all participants need Google accounts. (Most people have Google or Gmail accounts already, and it’s easy enough to open a new one.) Microsoft Teams isn’t quite as user-friendly as Meet or Zoom but may hold appeal for some people. Like Zoom, both offer robust screen- and file-sharing functionality; Teams also is fully integrated with all Microsoft Office apps, which most businesses use.

Best for Live Large Meetings and Seminars

• Google Meet

• Microsoft Teams

• Zoom

If you’re hosting a meeting or seminar with a large number of passive participants—that is, you’re not looking for interactivity—then Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams all do the job. Zoom is probably the platform of choice, just because more people are familiar with it, but any of these three platforms offer similar functionality. It’s really more about putting on a live presentation than hosting a meeting where every participant gets a voice in real time, which all three of these platforms offer the tools to do.

Best for Apple Users

• FaceTime

If you and the people you want to chat with all have Apple devices—iPhones, iPads, and Macs—then for day-to-day video chatting, FaceTime can’t be beat. FaceTime works super smoothly within the Apple ecosystem, to the point where anything else seems clunky. If you’re in the Apple family and are just chatting (without needing to share something on your screen), use FaceTime.

Best for Android Users

• Google Duo

If you’re an Android user—with a Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, or similar phone or tablet—you can’t use FaceTime. Instead, the best video chat platform for you is Google Duo. (In fact, Duo may already be installed on your device, especially if you have a Google Pixel phone.) Google Duo integrates well with your device’s built-in phone app and, as an added benefit, is cross-platform. That means that your friends and family can install and use Google Duo on their devices, even if they’re not running the Android operating system.

Best for Facebook Users

• Facebook Messenger

Here’s another platform-specific recommendation. If you and your friends are all on Facebook—and are currently using Facebook Messenger to send individual and group text messages back and forth—then you might as well use Facebook Messenger for your video chats, too. Many people keep Facebook open practically 24/7 on their phones and computers, so using Facebook for video chatting feels like it’s just another app in the operating system. Granted, Messenger might not have all the bells and whistles found on other chat platforms, but if all you need is the basics—and you’re tied into the Facebook network—then Messenger may be the way to go.

Best for Video Chatting on Your Phone

• Facebook Messenger (Facebook users only)

• FaceTime (iPhones only)

• Google Duo

• WhatsApp

Some people video chat from their computers. Some people video chat from their tablets. But many, many people video chat from their ever-present smartphones. If this describes you, then Facebook Messenger (if you’re talking to other Facebook users), Apple FaceTime (if you’re talking only to fellow iPhone users), Google Duo, or WhatsApp is probably all you need. All these platforms offer simple and intuitive phone-based operation, which makes video chatting just about as easy as making a traditional phone call.