Conference call services
Host free HD video calls with advanced video meeting features to ensure high-quality online meetings anytime, anywhere.
Are free conference call services really free?
Even free conference call services come with a wide range of features and functionalities.
The best free conference call services will offer:
- Audio and video conferencing
- Team messaging and file sharing
- Call recording and/or call detail reports
- Breakout rooms / team huddles
- Interactive whiteboards
- Seamless switching between desktop and mobile
Keep in mind that in exchange for these calling features being free, providers often restrict the number of users in a conference and have a time limit on how long you can use the conferencing room as well. There may also be restrictions on bandwidth and dial-in options.
Some services work better than others for different teams. So it’s worth trying several options until your team comes together around one they all like.
One consideration that often goes unnoticed is data privacy. Some free tools may sustain their services by collecting and sharing user data—including browsing history and device identifiers—with third-party platforms. Review the privacy policy of any free service before using it for business conversations.
A trusted enterprise communications provider gives you direct control over your privacy and data-sharing settings, so you decide what is collected, what is retained, and what is never shared with outside parties.
What you won't get with a free conference call app
Free conference call apps are suitable for quick one-on-one chats or small team check-ins, but they fall short when your business requires reliable, feature-rich communication for client meetings, large teams, or daily operations. Here's what you're missing when you opt for a free conference call service:
- Advanced meeting features: Free apps often lack essential tools like screen sharing, AI meeting recorder, annotations, and host controls, which can hinder the creation of professional, collaborative experiences.
- Unlimited participant capacity: Most free tools may limit the number of participants and impose time limits on meetings.
- Integrated team collaboration: Free apps create information silos instead of connecting your calls, messaging, and file sharing in one platform.
- Security and insights: Free services typically don't offer enterprise-grade security or the analytics you need to track performance and make data-driven decisions.
What other features do conference call service providers offer?
Most free conference calling solutions are made available by companies that also offer paid plans. Free tiers are a great starting point and will give you access to basic features like those mentioned above.
But, if you’re looking to upgrade, these are just some of the advanced AI-driven video meeting features:
Some providers offer comprehensive video collaboration suites as part of their paid plans. For example, RingCentral's AI Meetings suite includes options for various types of video interactions, from daily meetings to large-scale virtual events. These expanded capabilities can be beneficial for businesses with more complex communication needs.
Here is what three of these features do in practice:
- Custom hold music confirms to waiting participants that the conference line is active, reducing drop-offs and repeated dial-in attempts before the meeting starts.
- Call records go beyond reference notes. A full archive of your conference calls creates a legal safety net for contract disputes or client challenges, and functions as real-world training material for customer service and sales teams.
- In-conference controls—including mute, file sharing, and real-time document editing on paid plans—give participants more control and allow teams to act on decisions immediately after the meeting ends.
How to set up and host a free conference call?
Hosting a conference call is straightforward. Some providers require a desktop or mobile app download for hosts and participants, depending on whether you are dialing in with audio or video.
With RingCentral, you don’t need to download any software, though you could use the RingCentral app. Meeting guests can join from anywhere on any device using a supported web browser such as Google Chrome or Firefox.
Here’s how set-up generally works:
- Set up an account with your chosen provider.
- Log into the account and go to the conference calling feature.
- Click “Start Conference” to launch a call.
- Invite other participants by sending your personal meeting link via text, email, or your team messaging platform.
- Wait until all participants have joined before starting the meeting.
Once your account is active, the platform automatically generates your conference call number, access code, and PIN.
Starting an audio-only conference call from the RingCentral app
If you're a RingCentral user, you can start a conference call directly from the RingCentral app in a few steps:
- Open the RingCentral app and click the New actions plus icon in the upper right corner.
- Select Start a conference call from the menu.
- Choose your preferred dial-in number and review your host and participant access codes in the popup window.
- Invite participants by text, email, or direct message using the Invite dropdown.
- Click Start conference when you're ready to begin.
Participants can dial in from any phone or join through the RingCentral app by entering the meeting ID from their invite.
What is the best free conference call service?
The best conference call services always depend on the unique needs of your team. If video conferences are an important part of your day-to-day work, you should look for a solution that provides high-quality video meetings without interruptions or jitter. If you regularly have voice calls with customers or prospects, you may also want HD audio conference calls.
Whatever your needs, though, you should always look for a few mission-critical capabilities:
- Good connection quality
- Private room and/or unique meeting IDs
- Intuitive user interface
- Messaging or chat options (in case the audio or video connection breaks up)
Make sure to check the reviews of any conference calling service before deciding to use it, for example, on software review sites like G2 or Gartner.
How does international conference calling work?
Distributed remote teams might have meeting participants call in from different countries. If this is the case, there may be some extra steps involved to ensure no one winds up getting charged extra on their mobile bill for calling an international number.
For audio conferencing calls, you’ll want to have a toll-free phone number instead of a local number for international dial-ins. Your conferencing service might also offer special local access numbers in each team member’s country of residence, which they can dial into to join a single meeting.
If you’re hosting a video conference, access for international users might not be any different than it is for local users. Anyone in the world should be able to join a video call meeting via the same access link, particularly if they’re using a PC or laptop rather than mobile devices.
How to choose an online conference call service for your business
Not all free conference call service providers are created equal. Consider what you and your team need out of the platform, both now and in the future—along with your budget—to determine which solution is the right fit.
Here are some key factors to consider:
- Features and functionalities: Consider your priorities and which features are important to your business, whether that's branded virtual backgrounds and waiting rooms or AI-powered insights to increase productivity. Also consider what customization options are available so you can tailor the solution to your needs.
- Security: If you discuss sensitive topics or confidential information in your calls, make sure they're encrypted and you have control over privacy and access settings. Look for a provider that protects your data with Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption and Secure Real-time Transport Protocol (SRTP).
- Scalability: Look for a platform that can adapt to your needs as they change—whether that means accommodating more users and features or scaling back if you downsize. Enterprise-grade plans and optional add-ons offer additional flexibility.
- Ease-of-use: Platforms should be simple to set up and have an intuitive interface, and should be convenient for your team, customers, and meeting guests alike. For example, participants should not need to download software to join a call.
- Integrations: All good conferencing services will feature an integration ecosystem of popular third-party apps, including your CRM, email marketing software, analytics platforms, and collaboration tools like Google Workspace.
- Conference call reviews: Pay attention to repeating issues users report and whether the company has acknowledged or corrected them.
- A dedicated dial-in: Make sure you have a number assigned to only you and your company to avoid sending a new invite every time you want to host a call.
- Free trials: Many paid plans start with a 14-day trial so you can make sure the plan you choose is right for you before signing on to a longer billing cycle.
Ready to get started with conference calling for your next team meeting?
Conference call services FAQs
- Audio conferencing only for all participants
- International conference calling, with some restrictions
- Accessible from any device with audio conferencing capabilities
- Easier for instant conference calls
- Features restricted to your phone system
- Both audio and video capabilities for all participants
- International conference calling and video conferencing
- Requires a webcam, audio-ready device, and stable internet connection
- More collaborative features, such as screen sharing, file sharing, team messaging, and more
- Find a quiet, comfortable space before the call starts to avoid distracting other participants.
- Join a few minutes early—some platforms end sessions at the exact scheduled cutoff, so arriving early ensures you capture every minute of the agenda.
- Share an agenda at least a day in advance so everyone arrives ready to contribute.
- Talk over other participants. Wait for the current speaker to finish, and suggest a follow-up conversation if a point requires extended discussion.
- Let distractions compete for your attention. Other people have blocked time for this call.
- Eat during the call. It is distracting, noisy, and makes it difficult for others to understand you.