We’ve all been on conference calls where the line falters or gives out entirely in the middle of an important meeting.
This is the last thing any business owner wants, as it can disrupt essential calls, cause frustration, and even impact how clients or vendors see your brand.
Reliable conference call solutions should have solid uptime, strong call quality, and the ability to support as many call participants as you need.
Our guide will outline what to look for when choosing conference call services and six of the best call services for 2024.
What To Look for in a Conference Call Service
Many conference call solutions come from business phone providers, especially if you’re looking for high-quality call and video conferencing options with strong reliability and consistent performance.
When choosing a conference call provider, look for a solution with the following 10 qualities.
📈 Scalability for large teams
Scalability is essential when choosing a conference call provider. You want a tool that supports a large number of participants in a single call, catering to the current size and potential expansion of your business.
Keep in mind that many conferencing solutions — for video and audio calls — may struggle to support a large number of participants. Choose a business plan that allows for the number of callers you need and actually supports them when you host conference calls.
✅ Reliability and performance
Small businesses and enterprise-grade companies need reliable video and audio conferencing solutions that they know they can trust.
You need stable, consistent audio and video quality with minimal latency, ensuring effective communication.
Many tools claim to have plenty of uptime and consistent service, but that isn’t always the case. Read customer reviews online to get an accurate idea of a conferencing solution’s true performance and reliability.
🔏 Security & encryption
Every conference line should be secure so no one else can listen in. Choose a conferencing solution that offers strong data encryption and security measures to protect sensitive corporate and customer information.
Ideally, look for a tool with the following features:
- Uses security standards such as those included in ISO/IEC 27001
- Applies end-to-end encryption on relevant features, such as SMS messaging
- Protects transmissions with Transport Layer Security and Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol encryption
♻️ Strong integration ecosystem
A strong integration system will give more functionality to your conferencing tool of choice.
Seamless integrations with your existing tech stack and cloud systems are essential, so look for a tool that works with the business tools and systems you’re already using, including the following:
- CRMs, such as HubSpot or Salesforce
- Google Workspace, along with tools such as Google Calendar
- Email software, such as Microsoft Outlook
- Project management software, such as Asana
🤙🏻 User-friendliness for all skill levels
Not all employees are naturally tech-savvy, so it’s essential to have a user-friendly audio and video conference tool that is easy for managers, employees, and executives to use.
While you should offer training, the goal is to minimize the time spent on implementing the new tool and ensure that everyone can use it without issues.
Strike a balance between the number of features a tool has and the complexity of the interface. The tool should have as many features as possible while providing basic features, such as making a simple call, but it should also have an intuitive interface that won’t overwhelm anyone.
📞 Responsive customer support
Reliable and responsive customer service is a must for any tool your business relies on.
A provider’s customer service should ideally meet these standards:
- Be available 24/7 via email, online chat, and phone
- Be capable of troubleshooting and offering assistance
- Have a proven track record of happy customers with resolved issues
🖍 Customization options
Every business has unique needs when it comes to conference solutions, so there’s no perfect one-size-fits-all solution.
The ability to tailor your service to your specific business needs and preferences should be a priority. Find a tool that supports your desired number of call participants, meeting time limits, collaboration features, and pricing.
💰 Cost-effectiveness
There are plenty of outstanding conferencing solutions on the market, but they aren’t all within your budget.
Consider the cost and pricing models of different tools. One platform may seem appealing at $15 per month, with solid features and unlimited meetings included, until you realize the price only covers five callers.
When assessing cost-effectiveness, consider the total cost of each plan by looking at the following factors:
- Number of participants
- Features offered
- Number of meetings per month
- Meeting time limits
- Contract adaptability, i.e., the ability to scale up or down as needed
🌎 Global accessibility
The ability to have secure and stable conference lines with employees, vendors, and clients all over the world has never been more important.
Make sure that the tool you choose provides access to multilingual customer support and can connect global locations with ease, even if your business is located within the U.S.
🪜Cross-platform and cross-device compatibility
While people love debating the benefits of iOS vs. Android, you don’t want to pick a conferencing tool that only works on one or the other.
Ensure ease of use by choosing a conferencing solution that works on both iOS and Android, as well as on multiple web browsers and mobile devices. Conference bridge lines are a perfect way to ensure everyone can dial into your next conference call.
Essential Conference Call Features
There are plenty of video meeting platforms that offer a wide range of functionality, from basic to advanced features. No matter which platform you choose, make sure that it offers these essential conference call features.
Screen sharing
A video conference often involves screen sharing, whether it’s an internal meeting to discuss quarterly goals or a webinar-style training session.
This feature allows hosts to share their screens or specific windows with others in real time during online meetings.
Whiteboarding
Whiteboarding is a popular feature for teams, allowing for collaboration on a digital whiteboard to brainstorm, illustrate ideas, and annotate documents. It includes virtual drawing tools that can be used in real time during the video conference.
Recording options
You want the ability to record all meetings — including audio and video calls — through your web conferencing tool. Cloud recordings are often required for documentation or compliance purposes, and they can also be watched by those who couldn’t attend the initial meeting.
Dial-in numbers
Dial-in numbers allow callers to join your conference by phone, which is an ideal solution for those who have limited internet, are having technical difficulties, or just prefer phone calls.
Some conferencing solutions may generate access codes for dial-in numbers as an additional security measure.
Transcriptions
Transcriptions of conference calls are invaluable for both recordkeeping and accessibility. They take less space to store and are easier to search and scan than video or audio recordings.
Transcriptions are also an essential accommodation for any team members who are hard of hearing or those who are blind and rely on assistive technology, such as screen readers.
Look for a tool that creates automatic transcripts for video and audio meetings.
Breakout rooms
It’s not uncommon for larger meetings to devolve into several smaller ones with different members for follow-up team chats. Breakout rooms allow conferences to split into smaller groups, which can be invaluable for team collaboration.
6 Best Conference Call Services
Now that you know what to look for, let’s discuss six of the best conferencing services for 2024.
1. Nextiva
Nextiva is a VoIP provider that also offers reliable conference call solutions as part of our Unified Communications as a Service product, making it a popular choice for remote teams of all sizes.
Some of Nextiva’s key conferencing features include:
- Unlimited calling and video conferencing with unlimited participants on the Enterprise plan
- Enterprise-grade security and reliability, including encryption practices that align with industry standards
- A cloud-based platform for seamless accessibility and scalability
- Calendar scheduling and integration
- Collaboration features, such as team chat, meeting rooms, and screen sharing
Nextiva has a 4.5 rating on G2 with 2,825 reviews. Those customer testimonials often highlight the following:
- Seamless integration with Nextiva’s unified communications platform
- Excellent scalability for large organizations
- 24/7 customer support, with a dedicated team for enterprise customers
- Amazing service and performance reputation
- Excellent value for the price
- High audio and video quality
The following are a few areas where Nextiva may have room for improvement:
- The 45-minute time limit on conferences
- The limit of three team collaboration rooms across all plans
Nextiva offers an all-in-one communications platform, and conference calls are available in our Professional and Enterprise plans.
Our Professional plan includes unlimited meetings with up to 40 participants at $20.74 per user per month, and our Enterprise plan offers unlimited participants on voice and video conferencing at $27.44 per user per month.
2. Vast Conference
Unlike Nextiva, Vast Conference is not a VoIP and communications provider. Instead, its focus is exclusively on conference calls and virtual events.
Some of its key conferencing features include:
- High-quality audio and video conferencing with up to 1,000 participants
- Unlimited call recording and transcription
- Custom greetings and hold music for professional branding
- International call forwarding for global reach
- The potential for up to 49 simultaneous feeds with 250 participants
Vast Conference has a 4.6 G2 rating but only 17 reviews. Those reviews mention these perks:
- Cost-effective pricing plans for large organizations
- User-friendly interface and easy-to-use features
When considering Vast Conference’s conferencing software, you will want to consider these potential disadvantages:
- It offers limited integration with third-party applications
- Customer support isn’t likely to meet enterprise-level requirements
- It’s exclusively a conferencing solution; some brands prefer an all-in-one communication platform
Vast Conference’s paid plans are based on the number of participants. The Essentials plan is $13.19 per user per month but only includes 10 participants.
3. Dialpad
Dialpad is a VoIP and conference call provider. It has a solid reputation and is established as a reliable communications platform with good conferencing tools.
Unlike Nextiva, however, its conferencing solution is a standalone product that must be purchased separately.
Some of its key conferencing features include the following:
- AI-powered transcription and notetaking for enhanced meeting productivity
- Integration with CRM and other business tools for streamlined workflows
- A mobile app for Android and iOS for on-the-go collaboration
Dialpad’s Ai Meetings product has a G2 rating of 4.4 stars and 2,050 reviews. The reviews mention the following benefits:
- Flexible pricing plans tailored to the needs of large enterprises
- A dedicated customer success team for enterprise customers
When considering Dialpad, you should consider the following potential downsides:
- The extensive range of features may require more training for new users or be overwhelming to understand
- Some features may not fully integrate with all third-party apps
- Some Dialpad features act as standalone products instead of being integrated with various plans or are available as cost-effective add-ons
Dialpad’s Ai Meetings has a free plan that allows up to 10 participants. Its business plan starts at $15 per user per month and allows up to 150 participants.
4. Cisco Webex
Cisco Webex is a cloud-calling solution with dedicated products for webinars, calls, meetings, and more. Its Meetings product is what you’ll focus on for audio and video conferencing.
Some of Webex’s key video conference call features include the following:
- Secure and reliable video conferencing for sensitive information
- Collaboration tools, including whiteboarding, file sharing, and polling
- Real-time transcription
- Integration with other Cisco products for seamless collaboration within the organization
- WebRTC support for compatibility with a wide range of devices
Cisco Webex Meetings has a 4.3 G2 rating, with 15,013 reviews. Here’s what customers were happy with:
- Unparalleled security and reliability for high-stakes meetings
- A scalable platform to accommodate the needs of large enterprises
- Extensive collaboration tools for enhanced team productivity
These are the downsides to consider when evaluating Cisco Webex as your video and audio conference service provider:
- Pricing can be prohibitive for some organizations
- Setup and configuration are complex for large deployments
- The learning curve is steep for new users
Webex’s Meetings product has a free plan that allows for up to 100 participants for 40 minutes. The lowest-cost paid plan starts at $14.50 per license per month and allows for 200 participants. The Enterprise plan allows up to 1,000 participants, but pricing isn’t listed on the website.
5. Zoom
Zoom skyrocketed in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering a free video meeting solution for businesses shifting to remote work. It’s a simple but effective platform for those who don’t need advanced features.
Some of its key conferencing features include the following:
- An easy-to-use interface for quick and efficient meeting setup
- A free basic plan allowing up to 100 participants
- A mobile app for Android and iOS for on-the-go collaboration
Zoom has a 4.5 G2 rating, with over 53,000 reviews. According to the reviews, here’s what customers love about Zoom:
- An intuitive and user-friendly interface for quick adoption
- Affordable pricing plans for large-scale deployments
- A community thought leader in the conference call niche
There are some downsides to consider, however, when using Zoom as a video conferencing provider:
- The free plan has a 40-minute meeting limit
- Security concerns have been raised
- The limited features of the free plan may not meet the needs of large organizations
- Occasional reliability issues have been reported
Zoom One — which includes the Meetings platform — has a free plan that allows for up to 100 participants per meeting. The Pro plan allows for up to 100 participants per meeting and starts at $149.90 per user per year. The Enterprise plan allows for up to 1,000 participants, but you need to contact sales for pricing.
6. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams offers solid video conferencing, meeting, and calling software. It’s a good choice for businesses already using Teams who aren’t looking for additional communication tools.
Some of Teams’ key conferencing features include the following:
- Seamless integration with other Microsoft products, such as Office 365
- Unlimited calling and video conferencing for up to 300 participants
- Live translation and transcription for global collaboration
Microsoft Teams has a 4.3 G2 rating with 14,511 reviews. Happy customers mention these features:
- Tight integration with other Microsoft products for a unified workflow
- Unlimited calling and video conferencing for cost-effective communication
- Live translation and transcription for inclusive meetings and global reach
Before choosing Teams as your conferencing solution, however, consider these concerns cited by customers:
- It can be challenging to navigate for users unfamiliar with Microsoft products
- Some features may not be fully integrated with third-party applications
- Occasional performance issues have been reported
Microsoft Teams starts at $4 per user per month, with up to 300 participants per meeting.
Power Your Virtual Meetings With Nextiva
Large and growing businesses need to choose a conference call service that’s so reliable you don’t have to think about it again. You should never be worried about faltering or dropped calls or whether you can get through to customer support if you need assistance.
We offer all the solutions needed for video and audio conferencing, including team chat, whiteboards, call recording, and screen sharing.
Nextiva also comes with extensive integration options along with an entire suite of VoIP functionality. These features include virtual business phone numbers, toll-free numbers, SMS messaging, auto-attendants, voicemail transcription, call routing, and more.
Collaborating, disseminating information, and sharing insights is a breeze with Nextiva’s scalable conference call services. Our Enterprise plan allows for unlimited conference calls up to 45 minutes with an unlimited number of participants. Get started today.
