9 Best Conference Call Services of 2023 (Ranked & Reviewed)
Choosing the right conference call services is vitally important to your business. From third-party integrations to call forwarding and conferencing, the best conference call services can help you meet your goals. In this guide, I ranked and reviewed the 9 best conference call services, along with my top 5 choices, so that you can pick the best one for you.
RingCentral
RingCentral is a cloud-based communication and collaboration platform that helps you conduct online meetings calls.
Grasshopper
Grasshopper is a virtual phone system that comes with VoIP services, Wi-Fi calling, call forwarding, and more.
Google Hangouts
Google Hangouts is a cross-platform messaging and conference calling app that allows you to make both video and voice calls.
BlueJeans
BlueJeans by Verizon is a cloud-based video conferencing platform that lets you hold live video calls, webinars, conference calls, etc.
GoToMeeting
GoToMeeting is a web-based online meeting software that supports video conferencing, conference calls, webinars, and more.
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Want to jump right to the top picks? The best conference call services are RingCentral and Grasshopper.
Conference calls are the best way to communicate with large groups over the phone.
And due to the global pandemic, the need for these tools is more important than ever.
Here are some of my other related guides for reference:
- Best Video Conferencing Software
- Best Virtual Event Platforms
- Best VoIP Services
- Best Webinar Software
What Are the Best Conference Call Services?
Here are my top picks for the best conference call services.
Let’s get to it.
1. RingCentral.
Best overall conference call services ($19.99 per month).
Adam’s Take
RingCentral is the best overall conference call service because it’s reliable, easy to use, and has excellent features. No matter what kind of online meetings you’re looking to have, RingCentral can help you do it.
RingCentral is a cloud-based communication and collaboration platform that helps you conduct online meetings and conference calls.
As one of the top providers, they also allow voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services and video conferencing.
You can join an online meeting by clicking on the link from any browser without downloading the application.
The free edition lets you invite up to 100 participants and conduct a conference call for up to 40 minutes.
Additionally, you can also use it as a messaging app or place HD video calls.
Plus, integration with numerous third-party apps like Office 365 and Google Workspace helps you access different features from a single dashboard.
Here’s a list of RingCentral’s most prominent features:
- Flip live calls between several devices.
- Transfer existing numbers to your RingCentral account.
- It provides automatic voicemail transcription.
- You can choose from 200+ area codes.
- Choose from 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, or toll-free vanity numbers.
- Save the meeting highlights easily on the cloud for up to seven days.
- Sync it with Microsoft 365 to schedule meeting rooms.
The conference call software also lets you update your presence status – Available, Invisible, or Do Not Disturb.
You can also perform actions like taking calls from particular callers, blocking numbers, and sending some numbers straight to voicemail.
Other key features include call monitoring, real-time performance updates, automatic call recording, directory listings, and more.
You can also conduct an audit trail to track the account history of phone system changes and resolve issues.
Additionally, the conference call platform offers up-to-the-hour reporting to measure metrics like the number of missed calls with voicemail, the average speed of answer, etc.
RingCentral is also suitable for international calling.
You can increase your outreach with international inbound numbers in over 70 countries, toll-free numbers, and local caller ID.
Pricing:
RingCentral offers four pricing plans:
- Essentials – $19.99 per month
- Standard – $24.99 per month
- Premium – $34.99 per month
- Ultimate – $49.99 per month
All of the plans include unlimited business SMS, team messaging, document sharing, and more. You also get a 15-day free trial.
Get started with RingCentral.
2. Grasshopper.
Best for small businesses or personal use ($26 per month/billed annually).
Adam’s Take
I advise you to check out Grasshopper if you’re looking for specific conference call features that can take your business to the next level. These make this platform one of the best conference call services on the market right now.
Grasshopper is a virtual phone system that comes with VoIP services, Wi-Fi calling, call forwarding, business texting, and more.
It also provides vanity numbers, toll-free numbers, local numbers, and the option to port your current number for free.
The ability to separate your phone numbers allow you to keep your number private and keep things more professional. It also eliminates the need to have a secondary business phone or office landline.
Grasshopper’s VoIP services also let you forward, monitor, and manage all business calls right from your smartphone.
Features like custom greeting, call handling, and extensions that welcome callers help you appear more professional.
Grasshopper’s key features include:
- Voicemail transcription.
- Desktop and mobile apps.
- Analytics and reporting.
- Ruby receptionist.
- Virtual fax.
- Incoming call control.
- Call forwarding and call transfers.
- Direct calls straight to voicemail.
- 24*7 customer support system via phone, email, Twitter, Facebook, and live chat.
- Take multiple calls simultaneously by routing them to another phone or member.
You can also set up Grasshopper in four steps.
Just select a number, download the app, and link your current mobile number to start calling right away.
The only downside is that Grasshopper doesn’t allow video conferencing and a lot of integration options. Plus, it’s available only in the USA and Canada.
Pricing:
Grasshopper has three paid plans:
- Solo – $26 per month/billed annually.
- Partner – $44 per month/billed annually.
- Small Business – $80 per month/billed annually.
The Solo plan allows one phone number and three extensions, while the Partner plan offers three phone numbers and six extensions.
And the Small Business plan comes with five phone numbers and unlimited extensions. Grasshopper also offers a 7-day free trial.
Get started with Grasshopper.
3. Google Hangouts.
Best for startups and for conducting one-on-one meetings (Free – $8 per month).
Adam’s Take
Google Hangouts is a great free solution for those needing conference calls with many features and screen-sharing capabilities. You can use Hangouts for one-on-one calls or create a group chat for multiple people. You can also record your calls, which is an excellent feature if you need to refer back to the conversation later.
Google Hangouts is a cross-platform messaging and conference calling app that allows you to make both video and voice calls.
You can access the software and start calling from both the desktop or a smartphone.
It has an app for multiple devices and operating systems, including Android, iPhone, Chrome extension, and more.
Google Hangouts automatically syncs with your Gmail account and phone number, providing direct access to all your contacts.
Aside from conference calls, it also allows screen-sharing and lets you host up to 25 participants for video conferences.
Some of its most prominent features include:
- Voice calls and HD video calls.
- Auto-screen focus.
- Live closed captions.
- Ability to conduct webinars on a small scale.
- Integrate with Google calendars to schedule meetings.
- Share photos, videos, emoticons, or GIFs, even during the call.
- Sync your Google Hangouts account with other Google applications.
- Use the mobile app to manage notifications on the go.
- Switch tabs or stay engaged in the conversation even while browsing through other tabs.
Premium plans offer advanced features like hand raise options, polls and Q&As, breakout rooms, attendance reports, noise cancellation, etc.
Google Hangouts has some limitations as well. For example, you don’t get customer support with its free plan. You’ll have to browse through self-help forums to resolve your issues instead.
Pricing:
Google Hangouts has three plans:
- Free – Always free
- Google Workspace Essentials – $7.99 per active user/month
- Google Workspace Enterprise – Contact sales for pricing
All of the plans allow a maximum of 24 hours of 1:1 meeting length.
The Free and the Essential plans allow up to 100 and 150 participants, respectively.
On the other hand, the Google Workspace Enterprise lets you host up to 250 call participants.
4. BlueJeans.
Best for monitoring and analyzing your conference calls ($9.99 per month/host).
Adam’s Take
BlueJeans is another platform I would advise you to check out if you’re looking for a comprehensive and feature-rich conference call solution. The company offers various features such as live video calls, webinars, and conference calls. The video quality is excellent, and you can also access advanced features.
BlueJeans by Verizon is a cloud-based video conferencing platform that lets you hold live video calls, webinars, conference calls, etc.
It provides HD video and Dolby’s voice to conduct audio conferences, helping you suppress background noise.
Plus, you can divide your online meetings into different sessions and display up to 25 participants on a single screen.
Other features include closed captioning, the ability to tag specific meeting moments, virtual backgrounds, end-to-end encryption, etc.
Here’s a quick overview of all the essential features:
- Automatic alerts.
- Automated ROI Analysis.
- Bandwidth management.
- Meeting history reporting.
- Delegate scheduling.
- Meeting highlights and transcriptions.
- Automatic recording of ongoing meetings.
- Monitor attendee insights.
- Export data in CSV format.
- 360-degree view of your meetings.
- Create and access any webinar room.
- 24x7x365 customer support options.
- One-touch access to meeting irrespective of the device or the browser.
You can also manage your conference with live meeting controls, in-meeting analytics, and real-time alerts.
You can perform actions like muting participants, setting video layouts, and changing recording settings for minimal disruptions.
The conference call service also provides features for better interaction like screen sharing, annotation, and digital whiteboard.
BlueJeans also collaborates with other applications like Google calendar, Microsoft 365, Workplace, and more.
Extensive integration helps you access more features directly from BlueJeans’ dashboard.
Pricing:
BlueJeans offers three paid plans:
- BlueJeans Standard – $9.99 per month/host
- BlueJeans Pro – $13.99 per month/host
- BlueJeans Enterprise – $16.66 per month/host
- Bluejeans Enterprise Plus – Quote-based
The Standard plan and the Pro plan let you host up to 50 and 75 participants, respectively.
With the Enterprise plan, you can host up to 100 participants. You also get 7-day free access to the Enterprise plan.
All of the plans offer unlimited conference calls and 1:1 meetings, unlimited group meetings, smart meeting features, iOS & Android screen-sharing, and more.
5. GoToMeeting.
Best for both small and large scale enterprises ($12 per month).
Adam’s Take
GoToMeeting offers both basic and advanced users a wide variety of features, making it one of the market’s most comprehensive conference call services. Having been used by some of the top companies in the world, GoToMeeting is a service you can rely on.
GoToMeeting is a web-based online meeting software that supports video conferencing, conference calls, webinars, desktop sharing, and more.
Plus, you can conduct meetings across all devices like PC, MacBooks, smartphones, etc.
Additionally, integration with Slack and Microsoft 365 provides more flexibility to schedule or manage meetings.
It also allows you to place unlimited web conferences, along with automatic recording capabilities and transcriptions.
GoToMeeting’s key features include:
- Toll-free numbers for 50+ countries.
- Single-tap conference call meetings.
- HD video calls and business messaging.
- Screen-sharing options for web conferencing.
- Join the meeting with voice commands.
- Access virtual whiteboards.
- Reports on the insights of the conference and its attendees.
- Record essential aspects of the meeting with its cloud recording feature.
- Transfer the keyboard control to another presenter or an attendee using the Admin feature.
Other advanced features include custom email invitations, built-in scheduling functions, free call recording, reservationless connections, and more. You also get access to built-in VoIP and toll-based audio conference call options to save long-distance charges.
GoToMeeting also provides mobile conferencing options with its mobile phone conferencing apps. The mobile app lets you schedule and launches meetings from your phone with a simple link.
Pricing:
GoToMeeting comes with three plans:
- Professional – $12 per month
- Business – $16 per month
- Enterprise – Quote-based
The Professional and Business plans allow up to 150 and 250 participants, respectively.
On the other hand, the Enterprise plan can host conference calls with up to 3000 participants.
There’s a 14-day free trial as well with all the Enterprise features.
6. ClickMeeting.
Best for customer onboarding and online training ($25 per month).
ClickMeeting is a browser-based webinar platform by GetResponse that helps you hold conference calls and online meetings as well.
It’s also suitable for huge online events, product demos, and training sessions.
ClickMeeting provides advanced analytical features.
For example, you can access all your past events and calls to browse key statistics.
It also helps you derive trends and predictions and generate reports.
You can also integrate your CRM tool with the ClickMeeting dashboard to sync all the contacts and other essential data. It will also help you convert your contacts into leads.
Some of its key features include:
- Automatic recording.
- Toll-free numbers.
- Custom branding options.
- Send customized invitations with your brand’s logo.
- Whiteboarding and drawing tools.
- Screen sharing and presentation options.
- Moderated Q&A and private chat option.
- Built-in address book to manage contacts.
- Log into ClickMeetings with multi-user accounts.
- Show documents and slides to support your words.
- Display a waiting room with an agenda before starting the conference.
You can also extend your account with add-on features.
ClickMeeting comes with add-ons like bigger recording space, parallel events, extra video streams, recording archive, bigger file cloud storage, and more.
There’s also a mobile app to help you schedule and join conferences anytime and anywhere.
Additionally, you can also share your conference or webinar invitations on your social media accounts.
Pricing:
ClickMeeting comes with three pricing plans:
- Live – $25 per month/billed annually.
- Automated – $40 per month/billed annually.
- Enterprise – Quote-based plan
ClickMeeting also offers a 30-day free trial with up to 25 attendees.
The paid plans let you host up to 1000 attendees, although the customizable plan allows up to 10,000 participants.
All of the plans offer unlimited online meetings, screen-sharing, screen-control, presentation mode, whiteboard, private chat option, and more.
7. FreeConferenceCall.Com.
Best free conference call software.
FreeConferenceCall is a free collaboration tool as well as a conference calling platform that provides dial-in numbers for 82 countries.
It also offers a mobile app compatible with both Android and iOS to place calls on the go.
You can invite up to 1,000 participants by providing the dial-in number and access code, along with the time.
You’ll also get a host PIN to manage the team and perform actions like recording, muting, and more.
Here are some of FreeConferenceCall’s key conferencing features:
- Auto-recording.
- Automatic transcriptions.
- Receive call detail reports.
- VoIP conference calling option.
- View past conference details.
- Record or archive conference calls for later playback.
- Personalize your meetings by adding branding elements.
- Breakout rooms for small group sessions and discussions.
- Share files, documents, or even past recordings with the participants.
- Use keywords to find essential parts of your conference call.
- 24/7 live customer support.
- Share screen and drawing tools.
It also lets you sync your dashboard with Outlook and Google Calendar to schedule, manage, and track your conference calls. Other popular integrations include Slack, Evernote, and Dropbox.
Additionally, FreeConferenceCall provides “call controls” to help you set different modes, including “Lecture,” “Q&A,” or “Muted.” You can also change meeting settings, including switching on or off entry and exit tones.
Pricing:
FreeConferenceCall.Com enables you to receive any number of inbound calls for free.
However, business plans for outbound and international calling start at $9 per month.
The paid plans include unlimited inbound and outbound calling, unlimited international calling, the ability to choose your own number, etc.
They also provide advanced features like API access, activity summaries, active directory/SOO, global number sets, dedicated account manager, etc.
8. Cisco Webex.
Best for small and medium-sized businesses ($25 per host, per month).
Webex is a Cisco product that helps you conduct video meetings and audio conferences, online meetings, screen sharing, and webinars.
It lets you invite up to 50 attendees for free with a 50 minute limit on the conference call.
Noise removal and speech enhancement are some of its significant features.
They help you silence distracting sounds like kids, dogs, keyboard typing, and more.
You also get interactive features like on-screen animations and emojis for clapping, thumbs up/down, smiling, laughing, and more.
Other key features include:
- Pre-designed meeting invite templates.
- Drag-and-drop video layout options.
- AI-based transcriptions and recordings.
- Screen-sharing option to give presentations.
- Pin important messages on the top for quick reference later.
- Live translation of your conference call in 10 languages.
- Keep track of the projects with file and screen sharing options.
- Turn your shared content into your meeting background.
You can also schedule and manage your meetings by integrating Webex with Microsoft 365 or Google Calendar. Other integrations include Salesforce, Zendesk, Dropbox, Slack, WordPress, Jira, and more.
Additionally, it lets you set smart status and shares your screen to relay when you’re in and out of meetings. You can also set your status to the “do not disturb” option. Webex also lets you personalize your space with a specific color theme.
Pricing:
Webex has four pricing plans:
- Webex Suite – Basic- $0
- Webex Suite – Business – $25 per host, per month
- Webex Suite – Enterprise Plan – Quote-based plan
The Free plan allows one host and up to 100 participants; the Starter plan allows up to 50 hosts and 150 participants; the Business plan allows up to 100 hosts and 200 participants.
On the other hand, the Enterprise plan allows unlimited hosts and up to 100,000 attendees.
All of the plans offer features like screen-sharing, chat, notes, raise hand and polling, breakout sessions, auto-recording, virtual backgrounds, and more.
9. Dialpad.
Best for transcribing and storing your meetings ($15 per month).
Dialpad is a cloud-based video and audio conferencing solution developed in San Francisco, California.
It helps you schedule conference meetings without any PINS or installation requirements (only with the paid plan).
It comes with a mobile app that helps you conduct remote meetings anytime from anywhere.
The conference call service also allows call-recording and screen-sharing for real-time collaboration.
AI-based Voice Intelligence is probably one of its main features. It transcribes meetings, records data, and automates tasks based on your conversation.
Moreover, it produces a Post-Call Summary that provides an insight into the entire meeting.
The tool also helps you avoid missing or forgetting any upcoming conference call.
UberConference rings you before each meeting and helps you dial-out to participants mid-call to get them to join.
Other key features include:
- Toll-free conference calls.
- HD video conferencing services.
- Customize your “call hold” music.
- Integration with Google calendar, HubSpot, and Slack.
- Gain reports and insights into your communications.
- Free international calling from over 50 countries.
- Select your calling number from any area code in the US or Canada.
Other features include call controls, group chat, conference call summaries, private call options, group call invites, and more.
However, not all these features are available with the free plan.
Pricing:
Dialpad has three pricing plans:
- Standard – $15 per month
- Pro – $25 per month
- Enterprise – Contact them for pricing.
The free edition lets you host up to 10 participants and hold meetings for up to 45 minutes.
On the other hand, the paid plan allows up to 100 participants for up to 5 hours.
Both plans come with standard features like screen-sharing, call recording, HD video quality, mobile app, and more.
What is a Conference Call Service?
A conference call consists of a telephone call where the host talks to several people simultaneously. Conference calls can help you collaborate with your remote team in multiple locations without any hassle.
Conference call services make it easy to schedule, manage, and place conference calls.
They also allow you to host webinars, video conferences, audio meetings, knowledge transfer sessions, interviews, and more.
People no longer have to be in the same location to attend these sessions.
Don’t wait for the office to open, get your team together, and work from anywhere at any time.
The conference services industry is witnessing a massive rise, especially in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The majority of companies worldwide depend on them to execute their work-from-home model.
In March 2020 alone, video conferencing apps saw a record 62 million downloads. Another study indicates that the US video conferencing market is estimated to reach $10.92 billion by 2027.
Some of the most popular conferencing services include Zoom, Webex, RingCentral, Skype, and more.
What Features Do You Need in a Conference Call Service?
Here are some features that are essential to a high-quality conference call platform, disregarding the industry:
1. Third-Party Integrations.
A conference call service with extensive third-party integration options lets you solve multiple problems from a single dashboard.
UberConference is an excellent example that provides integrations with tools like G Suite, Office 365, Salesforce, and Slack.
2. Virtual Whiteboard.
A virtual whiteboard allows you to share your screen and explain your point to your audience using annotation and drawing tools.
You may also need to hand over your controls to a teammate for better collaboration.
3. Reporting and Analytics.
Businesses need to track, monitor, and understand the engagement levels over a virtual conference.
Choose a conference call service that displays holistic engagement metrics on registration, attendance, and feedback.
4. Conference Recordings.
It’s often essential to record conference calls to retrieve them later on to analyze your virtual meeting.
Choose a service that lets you save and store recordings in a suitable format so that you can access them when the call is over.
5. Noise Cancellation.
Noise cancellation is essential to eliminate distracting background sounds like dogs barking, keyboard typing, and more.
It also helps you make a good impression on clients and create an amicable atmosphere.
Other vital features include screen-sharing, ease-of-use, voice intelligence, speech enhancement, good audio quality, and custom hold music.
How Do You Use Conference Call Services?
Let’s see how to start using a conference call service, using Google Hangouts as an example:
Step 1: Choose a suitable pricing plan.
Most platforms have an upper limit on the number of participants.
Google Hangouts’ free plan allows up to 10 participants in a single conference.
On the other hand, the paid plans can allow up to 25 participants.
Choose any of the plans based on your requirements.
Step 2: Set up your microphone and speakers. For video conferences, make sure to mount a camera on your laptop or computer.
Step 3: Log in to your Gmail account to start using hangouts directly.
If you’re using an old browser like Internet Explorer, you may need to install a plugin to support the software.
Step 4: Now select a person or a group of people to place your call.
When you click on the name or the group, the video call and audio call icons will appear in the top left corner.
Click on either of the options.
Next, a video call link will automatically get added to the conversation box.
Step 5: Share the link with your team members.
They’ll get redirected to the conference call page and join the meeting by clicking on the “Join now” option.
You can share the meeting link either directly via Google Hangouts or other platforms.
You can even place a call through Google Hangouts directly.
Step 6: Google Hangouts also lets you add more participants in between the calls.
Click on the screen, and click on the “Add people” option at the top.
You can also tweak your settings to make the call window full screen or half screen.
All calls are free and come without any stipulated time limit.
Summary.
There you have it – my top picks for the best conference calling services.
Every business requires such conferencing tools to place calls for purposes like onboarding, client engagement, training, etc.
There’s an option for everyone, whether you’re a startup, a small business, a mid-sized business, or a large enterprise.
For example, I’d suggest Grasshopper and Google Hangouts for startups and small-scale businesses.
There are free conference call services as well, including FreeConferenceCall and UberConference.
If you’re looking for a tool for customer onboarding or employee training, you might like ClickMeeting.
The best overall conference call service appears to be RingCentral due to its features like automatic voicemail transcription, toll-free numbers, screen-sharing, 15-day free trial, etc.
It also allows you to choose from over 200 area codes.
However, the final decision would depend on factors like your requirements, budget, and company size.
Luckily, most of these tools offer a free trial or freemium plans, allowing you to test them before upgrading to a paid version.
Which one of these conference call services are you planning to use, and why? Let me know by commenting below.
