Today’s feature-rich conference calling services make it easier than ever to conduct conferences for crowds of all sizes. There are so many options available today that it’s difficult to know which solution offers the best service for your specific needs.
Forbes took a deep dive into the conference solutions on the market today. We considered dozens of factors when choosing the best conference calling services for this list, including value, ease of use, features offered, security, reputation for reliability and customer support. Each provider on our list brings something unique to the table, so be sure to review these options in light of your exact business requirements.
Methodology
When creating this list of the best conference calling services for 2023, Forbes looked at hundreds of parameters from dozens of service providers. We explored actual user reviews and provider reputation for reliability and security. We also took a deep dive into essential factors such as:
- Ease of use: We examined how easy it was to host and participate in conference calls, giving higher scores to providers that excelled in user-friendliness.
- Cost and fees: Forbes examined the total value delivered in terms of features offered, plan costs and add-on fees.
- Customer support: Whether you need help setting up the software, directions for using advanced features or troubleshooting glitches, it’s crucial that software providers offer timely support and a great customer experience.
- Features and functionality: Not all conferencing services offer the same suite of services and features. We reviewed each provider in light of the full features offered and the usefulness of those features in real-world business situations.
How To Make Conference Calls Easy
The best way to make conference calls easy is to pick the right conferencing solution for your exact needs. Will you be hosting events with large crowds or small ones or a mix of both? Will your meetings be short or long, and can your solutions provider accommodate longer events? Do you want to host audio or video conferences, or both?
Make a list of the features you need from your conference calling service and double-check that the platform you choose can accommodate those needs before making a final purchase. Many solutions offer free trials, which is the best way to test whether a specific service will satisfy your organization’s needs.
Valuable Conference Call Features
There are several desirable features in audio and video conferencing solutions that help you run well-organized and effective conference calls. Some features will help you set up the calls more easily, while others allow you to facilitate discussions and collaboration, and yet others help you track and report on essential event parameters.
Here is a list of conference call features you may want your solutions provider to include in its feature suite:
- Cloud recordings
- Transcriptions
- Screen sharing
- Participant muting
- Breakout rooms
- The ability to add participants on the fly
- Closed captioning
- Whiteboards
- File sharing
- Attendance reports
- The ability to eject a participant from a conference
- Waiting rooms
- Public and private chat
- Excellent call and video quality
- End-to-end encryption
- Event analytics
- Low bandwidth requirement to participate
- Business software integrations
Choosing the Best Conference Call Software
Once you’ve identified your organization’s specific objectives in hosting conference calls and examined the types of features you need to meet those objectives, it’s time to choose specific software.
All the top conference calling services offer free trials, so be sure to test out the software before committing to one particular plan. Forbes considers RingCentral, FreeConferenceCalls.com and GoToMeeting to be the best conference calling services on the market today, so if you’re not sure where to start, begin by exploring these top-notch options.
![8 BEST Free Conference Call Services In 2023 [TOP Selective ONLY]](https://kitfiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Conference-call-Services-200x135.png "Conference-call-Services")
