GITNUXSOFTWARE ADVICE
TelecommunicationsTop 10 Best Audio Video Conferencing Software of 2026
Compare audio video conferencing software options like Webex, Dialpad, and Livestorm, with tradeoffs for teams shortlisting tools.
How we ranked these tools
Vendors set the topic, but our editors set the inclusion criteria and the evaluation framework before research starts.
Agents extract product evidence with provenance, then collect written reviews and transcribe video reviews and podcasts.
Framework: Features 40% · Ease 30% · Value 30%
Gitnux may earn a commission through links on this page — this does not influence rankings. Editorial policy
Dialpad is the best pick for contact-center and sales teams that want meetings plus measurable follow-up, since its live transcription and post-meeting conversation analytics turn calls into action while Livestorm fits customer-facing SMBs better because registration forms and routing are built into the meeting setup.
Editor’s top 3 picks
Three quick recommendations before you dive into the full comparison below — each one leads on a different dimension.
Dialpad
Live transcription tied to meetings plus post-meeting conversation analytics for measurable follow-up.
Best for: Fits when contact-center and sales teams want meetings plus conversation intelligence in one workflow.
Livestorm
Editor pickRegistration forms and routing tied directly to meeting setup for structured attendee collection.
Best for: Fits when customer-facing teams need branded meetings with built-in registration workflows.
Webex
Editor pickWebex Control Hub provides organization-wide meeting policy management with audit visibility and RBAC for hosts and admins.
Best for: Fits when enterprises need managed governance, consistent meeting policies, and reliable room workflows.
Comparison Table
Dialpad
enterpriseAI-powered unified communications with built-in video conferencing.
Live transcription tied to meetings plus post-meeting conversation analytics for measurable follow-up.
Dialpad schedules and runs browser and client-based audio and video meetings with screen and content sharing for real-time collaboration. It centers conversation intelligence with live transcription and call analytics that attach to completed meetings and calls.
Admins get user provisioning and governance options for communication accounts, including role-based access and audit visibility. Dialpad also supports SIP-based interoperability for organizations that need to connect existing voice systems to meetings.
- +Conversation intelligence adds live transcription and post-meeting insights to meetings
- +Screen and content sharing supports meeting workflows beyond audio-only calls
- +SIP interoperability helps connect existing voice infrastructure to meetings
- +Admin provisioning and RBAC options support controlled rollout across teams
- –Meeting governance controls do not cover every edge case without add-on policies
- –Advanced meeting experience tuning needs more configuration than Teams or Meet
Inside sales teams
Run outbound calls with meeting follow-up
More consistent outreach
Support and compliance teams
Search transcripts for audit evidence
Quicker evidence retrieval
Show 2 more scenarios
Distributed contact center supervisors
Monitor agents and review recordings
Centralized oversight
Supervisors review activity while agents handle calls through browser or mobile workflows.
Contact center administrators
Configure inbound queue and routing
Organized customer handling
Administrators set queue, IVR, and routing rules for incoming interactions across voice or messaging flows.
Best for: Fits when contact-center and sales teams want meetings plus conversation intelligence in one workflow.
Livestorm
SMBBrowser-based webinar and video conferencing platform.
Registration forms and routing tied directly to meeting setup for structured attendee collection.
Livestorm is a browser-first audio and video conferencing product that fits lead generation, onboarding, and customer education workflows. The product includes meeting scheduling, registration forms, and event-style run of show controls like moderation and presentation support. Recording and playback are handled inside the meeting experience, which reduces reliance on third-party capture tooling for basic compliance needs.
A key tradeoff is that advanced meeting workflows often depend on how registration and routing are modeled in the meeting setup rather than deeper collaboration primitives like native SIP interoperability. Livestorm fits situations where teams need consistent meeting setup, reusable forms, and attendee-facing branding for externally visible sessions.
- +Registration and form capture built into meeting setup
- +Browser-first attendee experience reduces client friction
- +Meeting recording and sharing integrated into the session
- +Organization-level controls support consistent meeting configuration
- –Advanced interoperability is not a core focus for telephony integration
- –Complex workflow automation can require careful configuration upfront
Revenue operations teams
Webinars with lead capture forms
Cleaner lead handoffs
Customer success teams
Product onboarding sessions
Faster onboarding cycles
Show 2 more scenarios
Event marketers
Partner and community sessions
Higher reuse of content
In-meeting recording supports post-event playback for registrants.
IT admins
Meeting governance for teams
Lower configuration drift
Central settings and user management support standardized meeting behavior.
Best for: Fits when customer-facing teams need branded meetings with built-in registration workflows.
Webex
enterpriseCisco's enterprise video conferencing and collaboration suite.
Webex Control Hub provides organization-wide meeting policy management with audit visibility and RBAC for hosts and admins.
Webex delivers browser-based and client-based audio and video conferencing with meeting recording, screen sharing, and real-time collaboration controls. Strong governance is handled through Webex Control Hub with organization-level provisioning, role-based access, and audit visibility.
Administrative policy and meeting templates support repeatable deployment across hybrid environments. The feature set centers on enterprise identity integration and managed device and meeting room workflows rather than DIY room assembly.
- +Control Hub enables RBAC, provisioning, and audit log visibility for org meetings
- +Meeting templates standardize host settings across teams and sites
- +Hybrid support covers cloud meetings and managed meeting room experiences
- +Identity-provider integration centralizes authentication and access policy
- –Advanced admin configuration often requires deliberate governance processes
- –Some meeting customizations depend on organization-wide policy settings
- –Browser experience is feature-complete but can lag desktop parity in edge workflows
- –Extending beyond core meetings may require add-ons and separate configuration
Workplace technology teams
Connect rooms via SIP and H.323
Broader participation
Remote business teams
Run recurring meetings with recordings
Easier follow-up
Show 2 more scenarios
Marketing and communications teams
Host webinars with moderated sessions
Managed online events
Organizations run one-to-many webinars with moderation and reusable meeting content for follow-up.
Training and education teams
Deliver live classes with interactive tools
Recordable instruction
Instructors teach with breakout rooms, whiteboarding, polling, and structured controls with recorded sessions.
Best for: Fits when enterprises need managed governance, consistent meeting policies, and reliable room workflows.
Jitsi Meet
API-firstOpen-source video conferencing platform with self-hosting support.
Open-source Jitsi Meet rooms provide WebRTC conferencing you can self-host and customize using the Jitsi server stack.
Jitsi Meet is built around WebRTC browser connectivity and supports live video conferencing in dynamic rooms, with join links that map to server-side room creation. Moderation features include participant management and meeting roles, and integrations can be added through the surrounding Jitsi ecosystem rather than relying on a single closed workspace. Screen sharing works inside the same meeting session for mixed content and presentation workflows.
- +Browser-first WebRTC joining reduces client friction
- +Self-hosting enables tighter control over media routing and data handling
- +Room-based conferencing works with link-based entry points
- +Screen sharing supports live presentation within the meeting
- –Self-hosted reliability depends on chosen infrastructure and tuning
- –Deep enterprise governance requires additional configuration work
IT operations teams
Self-hosted internal meeting rooms
Reduced data exposure risk
Customer support organizations
Ad hoc screen-sharing sessions
Faster issue resolution
Show 1 more scenario
Education teams
Recurring virtual classroom meetups
More predictable lesson delivery
Run repeating room sessions for class instruction using consistent access paths and meeting moderation.
Best for: Fits when teams need self-hosted browser meetings with room control and integration flexibility.
BigBlueButton
vertical specialistOpen-source web conferencing system designed for online education.
Server-side meeting recording with playback tied to the same moderated room experience for training review.
BigBlueButton is designed for meeting rooms on a server that hosts the WebRTC-based audio and video sessions. It supports in-meeting controls such as screen sharing, chat, breakout-style facilitation via moderator workflows, and configurable participation permissions. Recording captures the meeting for playback and reference, which fits training and compliance review cycles.
- +Browser-first meeting experience reduces participant client friction
- +Built-in recording supports review after each session
- +Moderator controls for class-style facilitation and participation
- +Room automation via an API for repeatable meeting provisioning
- –Video and media experience depends on self-hosted server resources
- –Advanced workflow integrations often require additional admin configuration
- –Meeting UX is optimized for learning rooms more than sales-style events
- –Scalability tuning can require infrastructure expertise
L&D and training teams
Record cohort sessions for later review
Reduced re-teaching workload
K-12 and universities
Run moderated classes in a browser
Lower student setup friction
Show 2 more scenarios
Remote instructors
Facilitate office hours with control
Better moderated engagement
Hand raising, chat, and screen sharing workflows support structured live mentoring.
IT and platform admins
Provision rooms through automation
Fewer manual setup steps
An API supports repeatable room creation and meeting lifecycle actions for scheduled sessions.
Best for: Fits when learning teams need browser meetings, moderator control, and recorded sessions.
Pexip
enterpriseEnterprise video conferencing platform with interoperability and self-hosting options.
Pexip’s VMR control and centralized media routing support multi-endpoint meetings managed from server-side policies.
Pexip targets organizations that need controlled audio and video meetings across many endpoints, including browser clients and existing room systems. Its core strength is interoperability and deployment flexibility through dedicated infrastructure for on-premises or hybrid setups.
- +Interoperability for mixed room systems and browser participants
- +Hybrid or on-premises deployment for regulated meeting environments
- +Enterprise identity integration for consistent access control
- +Server-side meeting control reduces reliance on client behavior
- –Greater operational overhead than consumer-first meeting tools
- –Complex conferencing policies take time to model correctly
- –Less frictionless meeting creation than chat-first team apps
- –Feature coverage for collaboration workflows depends on integrations
Customer service teams
Add video to support workflows
Video in support interactions
Unified communications teams
Run SIP-based multiparty audio meetings
Managed audio participation
Show 2 more scenarios
Enterprise IT teams
Mix browser and room endpoints
Consistent meeting access
IT teams connect browser users with SIP or H.323 room systems inside a single managed conference.
Modernization program teams
Extend conferencing to legacy endpoints
Continued device use
Organizations modernizing communications extend meetings to older endpoints and off-network participants via gateway and traversal.
Best for: Fits when hybrid IT teams need browser access and room interoperability with centralized conferencing governance.
Vonage Video API
API-firstDeveloper platform for embedding real-time audio, video, screen sharing, and messaging into applications.
SIP interoperability options for connecting app-based WebRTC video sessions with established voice systems.
Vonage Video API is designed for embedding real-time video calling into custom apps, with an API-first workflow that fits organizations building their own conferencing UI. It supports WebRTC-based browser and mobile experiences and includes session controls through its programmatic interfaces for call setup and media handling.
- +API-driven video calling for custom meeting experiences in native apps
- +SIP interoperability support for bridging conferencing with telephony environments
- +WebRTC media delivery for browser-based participation
- +Programmatic session lifecycle controls for meeting creation and teardown
- –Lacks a turnkey meeting room experience compared with full conferencing suites
- –Governance depends on app-level configuration and key management discipline
- –Complexity shifts to the integrating team for UI, routing, and client UX
- –Feature depth like transcription and advanced meeting tools may require extra components
Software product teams
Embed conferencing inside an app
App-native conferencing
Developer communities
Build controlled live video chat
In-app video chat
Show 2 more scenarios
Customer support operations
Provide visual customer assistance
Guided customer help
Support teams connect agents and customers through a live, in-product video assistance channel.
Consultation providers
Deliver scheduled consultations
Integrated specialist access
Providers offer on-demand or scheduled specialist consultations using an application-managed video flow.
Best for: Fits when teams need programmable video sessions inside existing products and want SIP bridge paths to telephony.
Microsoft Teams
enterpriseUnified communications platform integrating chat, video meetings, and file sharing.
Meeting bots built on Microsoft Graph add real-time automation tied to attendance, messages, and post-meeting workflows.
Microsoft Teams integrates meetings with chat, calls, and file collaboration inside a single identity and permission model. Meeting capabilities include screen sharing, recording, live transcription, and calendar-driven join from desktop and mobile clients.
- +Deep integration with Microsoft 365 identity, chat, files, and calendar events
- +Live transcription, meeting recording, and share controls available across clients
- +Graph APIs enable meeting bots and automation tied to scheduling and attendance
- +Admin RBAC and audit reporting cover user and meeting activity visibility
- –Web client feature parity for advanced controls can lag behind desktop client
- –Large meeting performance can require careful tenant and policy configuration
- –Meeting automation often depends on bot workflows and Graph permissions
- –External collaboration settings can complicate cross-organization meeting access
Project managers
Coordinate updates with workstream meetings
Grouped collaboration artifacts
IT operations and security
Coordinate incidents across teams
Faster incident updates
Show 2 more scenarios
Client-facing teams
Run meetings with guest participants
Access-bound external participation
Teams collaborate with external participants through controlled access to chats, channels, files, and meetings.
Accessibility coordinators
Host meetings with translated captions
More accessible meetings
Meeting hosts use live captions and transcription with speaker attribution and translation to support attendance.
Best for: Fits when Microsoft 365 orgs need managed meetings with identity-driven governance and automation.
Whereby
SMBBrowser-based video conferencing requiring no downloads.
Link-based meeting rooms that work as a browser experience with minimal participant setup steps.
Whereby is known for browser-first meeting rooms that start with a link and minimize setup friction. It supports core meeting workflows like screen sharing, recording, and moderator controls inside the meeting room experience.
- +Browser-first rooms reduce participant install and join friction
- +Moderator controls support quiet, remove, and meeting-level governance actions
- +Room layouts support screen sharing without switching to specialized hardware
- +Identity-provider sign-in fits managed environments
- –Advanced telephony integrations like SIP interoperability are not the focus
- –Large enterprise governance controls are less granular than top-tier incumbents
- –Breakout room workflows are limited compared with more feature-dense competitors
- –Custom automation depends more on supported integrations than deep extensibility
Recruiters and hiring managers
Browser interviews for job candidates
Candidates join with minimal prerequisites
Teachers and trainers
Live remote instruction with screen sharing
Learners join quickly
Show 2 more scenarios
Customer success support teams
Onboarding and troubleshooting calls
Faster access to assistance
Teams guide customers during support sessions using link-based room entry and screen-based walkthroughs.
Business development teams
Partner discovery meetings with externals
Quicker partner alignment
Organizations host lightweight exploratory calls so external participants can join with minimal setup.
Best for: Fits when distributed teams need link-based meetings plus manageable admin controls without heavy client deployment.
Kumospace
emergingVirtual workspace and event software with proximity-based audio, video rooms, screen sharing, and chat.
Spatial-style virtual rooms where participants move between areas to trigger the meeting’s conversation flow.
Kumospace turns meetings into shared 2D or 3D spaces where participants move between virtual rooms. It supports real-time audio and video, screen sharing, and spatial-style communication cues that change how conversations start and shift.
- +Spatial room layout helps teams run casual and structured conversations
- +Room transitions support breakout workflows without separate meeting creation
- +In-room controls for audio and video reduce drop-offs during collaboration
- +Identity-based access supports consistent entry across recurring workspaces
- –Space-based navigation can slow adoption for strictly agenda-driven meetings
- –Browser compatibility limits feature parity compared with full desktop clients
- –Meeting recording and transcription are not the center of the core workflow
- –Advanced governance requires workspace-level discipline to keep room sprawl manageable
Sales and product teams
Present with shared screen in space
Interaction during demos
Workshop facilitators
Split groups across interactive rooms
More flexible participation
Show 2 more scenarios
Community managers
Run social events with parallel rooms
Informal parallel conversations
Hosts create spatial rooms where attendees move between conversations and shared activities.
People operations leads
Guide new hires through virtual tours
More spatial onboarding
Organizations walk new members through virtual office spaces and introduce them to team areas using guided tours.
Best for: Fits when teams want virtual rooms for collaboration, mentoring, and informal discussions with real-time audio.
Conclusion
After evaluating 10 audio video conferencing software, Dialpad stands out as our overall top pick — it scored highest across our combined criteria of features, ease of use, and value, which is why it sits at #1 in the rankings above.
Use the comparison table and detailed reviews above to validate the fit against your own requirements before committing to a tool.
Frequently Asked Questions About Audio Video Conferencing Software
How do Zoom Meetings, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet differ in browser-first joining and desktop client requirements?
Which tool supports moderator-controlled learning sessions with recording tied to the same moderated room experience?
How does Microsoft Teams handle identity and access control for meetings in enterprise environments?
What breaks when teams need WebRTC-style publishing or app-embedded video rather than full meeting rooms?
How do Livestorm and Dialpad structure meeting workflows for structured attendee routing and capture?
Which platforms offer self-hostable WebRTC conferencing for tighter control over network paths and data handling?
How do Pexip and Webex handle interoperability across existing endpoints like meeting room systems and browser clients?
What tradeoff appears when meeting administrators want policy automation and extensibility across scheduling and post-meeting actions?
How do Kumospace and standard meeting room tools differ for breaking out and changing conversation flow?
Tools reviewed
Primary sources checked during evaluation.
Referenced in the comparison table and product reviews above.
How to Choose the Right Audio Video Conferencing Software
We see the biggest differences in audio-video conferencing software come from Meeting recording availability, especially what gets captured and when it starts, and from moderation tools like breakout room controls. Those choices shape how well meetings run, how easy follow-up is, and whether the workflow matches your team’s cadence.
Recording scope and playback quality
Why it matters
Recording scope and playback quality decide whether participants can review what matters, especially when someone joins late or content changes mid-meeting. Poor capture makes troubleshooting and training harder later.
How to check
Start a demo meeting and trigger recording while screen sharing or showing a slide deck, then stop after a short segment. Check the resulting recording for both audio clarity and whether the shared content appears at the right moments.
Live transcription usefulness
Why it matters
Live transcription usefulness affects how quickly people can capture decisions and how well notes translate into action. If transcripts lag or misread names, the workflow breaks right when you need it most.
How to check
In a demo, ask for live transcription and deliberately speak a few terms and proper nouns. After the meeting, verify whether you can skim by keywords and whether timestamps align with what was said.
Screen and content sharing behavior
Why it matters
Screen and content sharing behavior determines whether the meeting stays readable for everyone, not just the presenter. Jittery switching or unclear permissions can stall collaboration.
How to check
Try sharing a window versus sharing a screen, then switch to another app without stopping the share. Ask the other attendees to confirm readability and watch for moments where the feed freezes or reinitializes.
Participant controls and roles
Why it matters
Participant controls and roles control who can present, mute, and manage the flow, which changes meeting quality in busy groups. Weak role handling can cause avoidable interruptions.
How to check
During the demo, assign a host role to one participant and a different role to another, then test muting, unmuting, and presentation permissions. Confirm what the UI allows each role to do, and whether the permissions can be changed during the meeting.
Breakout room controls
Why it matters
Breakout room controls shape how groups work, especially when you need timed sessions or rebalancing. If rooms can’t be managed cleanly, you lose structure fast.
How to check
Ask the demo to create multiple breakout rooms, then test a manual move of one participant. If available, run a timed session and confirm whether announcements and rejoin happen cleanly.
Admin configuration and audit visibility
Why it matters
Admin configuration and audit visibility affect how you govern recurring meetings and investigate issues later. Even small teams benefit when logs show who changed settings or scheduled meetings.
How to check
Request an admin view screenshot or walkthrough showing meeting settings and where changes are recorded. Then ask for an audit log example related to meeting creation, permission changes, or recording start/stop.
Red flags
- Recordings omit shared content or audio in common demo workflows
- Transcripts drift from speech or lack basic keyword navigation
- Role permissions don’t match what hosts and participants actually do
Fit by situation
- If you run training sessions with recurring presentations, prioritize Recording scope and playback quality.
- If your meetings depend on decisions captured as text, prioritize Live transcription usefulness.
- If you regularly split teams and re-group them, prioritize Breakout room controls.
Funding and competing interests
This study was co-funded by several of the vendors assessed in it. No single vendor funded it. Funders could propose the market studied.
They had no role in selecting vendors, setting or weighting criteria, analysing data or drawing conclusions, and they received the same factual-accuracy check as every other vendor assessed.
Market definition, inclusion rules and criteria weights were fixed by an editor before research began and did not change afterwards. Editorial process →
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