These Are The 10 Best Video Conferencing Apps For Linux

Jitsi meeting is a pretty good video conferencing application on Lynux. (photo; jitsi)

Jakarta - For freelancers and employees who regularly work from home, remote communication is one of the many things that need attention. Video conferencing has now replaced office meetings for many of us. Tools like Zoom and Skype have seen a big boost in growth.

Fortunately, there is no shortage of quality video conferencing software for Linux. This guide covers some of the best Linux video conferencing apps to help developers and employees stay on top of their work goals.

Zoom

Zoom is an advanced video conferencing solution that offers a range of interesting features. It has enjoyed exponential growth since the pandemic hit. Despite being a paid software, Zoom offers a basic plan with the ability to host unlimited free meetings.

Plus, apps are available for all modern platforms, including Linux, Mac, Windows, and smartphones. This, coupled with Zoom's flexible pricing plans, make it one of the best Linux video conferencing software for professionals.

Skype

Skype is arguably one of the best video conferencing software for Linux users. It has been around for a long time and continues to be a big player in the VoIP and videotelephony industry. Skype's list of features includes voice calling, video calling, instant messaging, and screen sharing.

The main benefit of Skype is that it is completely cross-platform. So you can use the same app on your computer, smartphone, and even your Xbox or Alexa device. Plus, the Skype for Linux client offers a seamless user experience. Users can download DEB, RPM, or snap packages to install the application on their system.

Jitsi Meeting

Jitsi is a brilliant open-source project for creating and deploying custom video conferencing solutions. The core of this software suite consists of Jitsi Meet and Jitsi Videobridge. They provide high quality audio and video calls over the web and minimize communication latency to a minimum.

Jitsi's key features include HD calling, end-to-end encryption, high scalability, screen sharing, and unlimited free meetings. This makes Jitsi a great choice for people looking for free and open-source video conferencing software.

Signal

Signal is an instant messaging service that offers video conferencing along with many additional features. It is a cross-platform solution with stable clients available for Linux, Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android. Signal places great emphasis on security and offers end-to-end encryption for all video calls.

Other notable features include an immersive ad-free experience, easy screen sharing, link previews, and support for proxy servers. In addition, Signal only collects a minimum amount of user data. So, it is a great option for users who are looking for a simple but secure Linux video conferencing app.

OpenMeetings

OpenMeetings is a powerful open-source project that offers powerful audio and video conferencing capabilities for team collaboration. You can use it to host large-scale meetings and record meeting sessions. The host can also set up additional moderators to manage the conference.

It also comes with an advanced file explorer with support for drag and drop, document tress, and resource control. Some of the other features of this video conferencing software for Linux include planned meetings, backing up user data, polling, and multi-whiteboards. Overall, it is an excellent choice for people who need a free and open-source solution.

Google Meet

Google Meet is Google's answer to popular video conferencing tools like Zoom and Skype. It is one of two apps that replace Google Hangouts. One of the main advantages of Google Meet is that anyone with a Google account can host or join a session right away.

The free basic plan allows holding unlimited meetings with 100 participants and up to 60 minutes. In terms of features, Meet offers audio and video previews, auto-captions, screen sharing, messaging, and integration with other Google and Microsoft apps. Plus, its powerful web interface makes it easily accessible from all your devices.

Zoho Meeting

Zoho Meeting is a complete remote collaboration software with excellent video conferencing support. This is a premium app targeted at companies that rely heavily on virtual business meetings. However, Zoho also offers a free plan with limited features. It's good enough for personal use but only allows three people per meeting.

The paid plans bring a lot of great features, including storage for recorded videos, international phone numbers, live streaming to YouTube, etc. In addition, Zoho Meeting offers native clients for smartphones and many popular Linux distributions. This makes it suitable for medium to large-scale businesses and organizations.

Discord

Discord is a modern communication hub popular among gamers and streamers. It also facilitates video calling and conferencing for home users. Plus, Discord's cross-platform nature makes it easily accessible to friends and family members.

The list of features includes instant messaging, group calls, file sharing, screen and media sharing, etc. However, since Discord is not a full-fledged video conferencing software, you can only invite a limited number of participants, 25 to be exact.

FreeConference

FreeConference is a web-based video conferencing software with some of the best features. It has several pricing plans aimed at professionals. However, the free plan includes whatever most users want in a video conferencing app. You can host free meetings with up to 100 participants using FreeConference.

This video conferencing solution also offers screen sharing, file uploads, online whiteboards, and unlimited local calls. Native clients are also available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. So, if you are looking for a free and flexible video conferencing solution, FreeConference might be the choice for you.

Talky

Talky is a simple but reliable option for users who want to quickly host or join a video conference. Talky is unique in that it doesn't require users to register or fill out any forms. Basically, you need to create a room for your meeting and share its URL with the participants.

The web-based interface also makes Talky easily accessible from different devices. So, this is a great little tool for anyone looking for a fast video conferencing app for Linux.

Work from Home with Linux Video Conferencing Apps

Video conferencing is at the forefront of remote work as offices close in many parts of the world. Luckily, we Linux folks can choose from some powerful video conferencing software. Tools like Zoom and Zoho Meeting offer everything you need to host a large business meeting. Supporters of open source software, on the other hand, can choose between Jitsi and OpenMeetings.

However, remote work isn't all fun, especially if you don't take cybersecurity seriously. You need to maintain proper security guidelines to keep yourself safe from cyberattacks working remotely.