Zoom alternatives: where to go and how to take your recordings with you
Six destinations, one for each way of meeting, and a seven-step exit plan.
The short answer: Google Meet if your company already runs on Gmail and Google Calendar, Microsoft Teams if you're on Microsoft 365 (or Teams Essentials at $4 per user per month if you only need video), Whereby for client calls in a fixed room link with nothing to install, kMeet for free video hosted in Switzerland, Jitsi Meet if you want to run it on your own server, and Livestorm if you used Zoom for webinars. Before you cancel, know this: your cloud recordings are deleted 30 days after your paid plan ends. We compared these six tools and checked their pricing on each vendor's site in 2026.
Our ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
Why people leave Zoom, and what keeps them
Zoom is still a solid video tool. Audio holds up on a shaky connection, and everyone knows how to click a Zoom link. People rarely leave over call quality. They leave over the bill, the free-plan cutoff, and the fact that most companies already pay for another video tool they never open. Six reasons, all checked in 2026.
The 40-minute cutoff
On the free Basic plan, every meeting ends at 40 minutes, even a call between two people. That wasn't always true: in 2022 Zoom extended the limit to one-on-one meetings, and its community forum filled with confused posts. Free Google Meet gives group calls 60 minutes, and free Teams does the same.
You're paying for video twice
This is the most common reason, and the easiest to miss. Google Workspace includes Meet. Microsoft 365 Business includes Teams. Keeping Zoom Pro on top costs $14.16 per user per month billed annually ($16.99 month to month) for something your other subscription already covers. For a 10-person team, that's about $1,700 a year.
Annual renewals that catch people off guard
Zoom sits at 1.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot across roughly 1,600 reviews, and the same story keeps coming up: an annual plan renewed without notice, then a refused refund. One customer put it plainly: "Zoom told me it is against their policy to issue refunds after the renewal." Put your renewal date on your calendar before anything else.
Recordings stuck in the cloud
Cloud recordings don't live with you. When an account drops back to Basic, Zoom keeps them for 30 days, then deletes them for good; resubscribing is the only way to get them back in that window. On the community forum, people find this out while hunting for a client call or a training session months later. If you have hundreds of hours stored, plan the export early.
Trust around data and AI
In 2023, a change to Zoom's terms of service read as if calls could be used to train its AI models. Zoom revised the wording twice and now states it doesn't use customer audio, video or chat to train its models. Still, the episode stuck, especially in legal, health and finance teams.
Consolidation pressure
Finance teams are cutting overlapping tools, and video is an easy target: Teams Essentials lists at $4 per user per month paid yearly, Google Workspace Business Starter at $7, both bundled with more than video. When the renewal lands, the question is no longer whether Zoom is good, but whether it's worth a separate line on the bill.
You're leaving because… go to…
The right Zoom alternative mostly depends on what you already pay for. Usually one row fits. Each card jumps to the full write-up below.
Included in Workspace, from $7 per user per month billed annually.
Your company runs on Microsoft 365Microsoft TeamsAlready paid for; otherwise Teams Essentials at $4.
You host client calls and want a link that never changesWherebyA permanent room in the browser, no install.
You want free video hosted outside the USkMeetFree, Swiss servers, encrypted by default.
You want to self-hostJitsi MeetOpen source, runs on your own server.
You used Zoom for webinarsLivestormRegistration, reminders and replays in the browser.
Zoom alternatives, tool by tool
For each tool: why move to it, who it's for, its limit, how to bring your Zoom habits over, and what it costs. Prices are what vendors list in 2026, in US dollars, except Livestorm, which bills in euros.
Google Meet: the video tool you may already pay for
Google teamsWhy move to Google Meet. If your team has Google Workspace accounts, Meet is already in the subscription. Every Google Calendar event gets a Meet link in one click, and guests join from the browser without installing anything. Often, switching costs nothing extra.
Who it's for. Small and mid-size businesses, freelancers and nonprofits already working in Gmail, Drive and Calendar.
Who it's not for. Teams built around Outlook and SharePoint, or webinar hosts who need registration pages.
Its limit. Business Starter ($7 per user per month on an annual plan, $8.40 on the flexible plan) caps calls at 100 participants and can't record. Recording starts with Business Standard, at $14 per user per month billed annually, with 150 participants. Check this before canceling Zoom if you record meetings. On a free personal Gmail account, calls with three or more people stop at 60 minutes.
How to migrate. Set Meet as the default conferencing tool in Google Calendar settings, then swap the Zoom links in your recurring meetings. Invitations already sent keep the old link, so resend them.
- Free
- 60 min group calls, 100 people
- Paid
- Starter $7/user/mo, annual
- Recording
- from Standard, $14
- Limit
- 100 participants on Starter
Microsoft Teams: the obvious pick on Microsoft 365
Microsoft teamsWhy move to Teams. In a Microsoft 365 company, Teams is already there: meetings, chat, shared files and Outlook calendar in one place. If you only want video without the suite, Teams Essentials costs $4 per user per month paid yearly and handles meetings up to 30 hours with 300 people. That's well under a third of Zoom Pro.
Who it's for. Companies on Outlook and Office, and anyone whose large clients already send Teams invites.
Who it's not for. A solo consultant who just needs a simple link for client calls. Teams is a lot of tool for someone who only does video.
Its limit. Free Teams is built for personal use: 60 minutes per group meeting and 100 participants. For business use, plan on a paid seat.
How to migrate. Install the Teams add-in for Outlook. In each recurring meeting, remove the Zoom meeting (Zoom button, Settings, Remove) before adding the Teams link. Keep the Zoom app for a few weeks: clients will keep inviting you to theirs.
- Free
- 60 min, 100 people, personal use
- Paid
- Essentials $4/user/mo, yearly
- Capacity
- 300 people, 30 hours
- Limit
- heavy for simple use
Whereby: one fixed room, nothing to install
Client callsWhy move to Whereby. Whereby gives you a permanent room: your address (whereby.com/your-name) never changes. Clients click and land in the browser, no account and no app. For a consultant, coach or therapist, that beats generating a new Zoom link for every appointment.
Who it's for. Freelancers and small teams who see clients on video all day.
Who it's not for. Teams running 50-person internal meetings, or anyone who needs built-in calendar and team chat.
Its limit. The free plan is for trying it out: one room, 4 participants, 30 minutes. Pro is $10.99 per month for one host on monthly billing, about 17% less if you pay yearly (100 participants, no time limit). Business is $13.99 per host per month with a three-host minimum.
How to migrate. Pick your room name, then replace your Zoom personal meeting link everywhere it lives: email signature, booking tool, contact page. It's the only migration on this page you can finish in an hour.
- Free
- 1 room, 4 people, 30 min
- Paid
- Pro $10.99/mo
- Team
- $13.99/host, 3 minimum
- Limit
- no calendar or team chat
kMeet: free video hosted in Switzerland
Free, EuropeanWhy move to kMeet. kMeet is the video tool from Infomaniak, a Swiss hosting company. It's free, doesn't analyze your data, and calls go only through its Swiss servers, encrypted by default. Infomaniak's help center says there's no participant limit on its paid kSuite plans; it gives no figure for free use. If you work with European clients who ask where your calls are processed, it's the most direct answer.
Who it's for. Small teams and nonprofits with regular meetings and a preference for non-US hosting.
Who it's not for. Teams that rely on advanced features like polls or automatic transcripts.
Its limit. It's plainer than Zoom, and most of your guests won't know it, so add a line of explanation in the invite. Before rolling it out to a whole team, run a trial meeting with your real headcount.
How to migrate. Create an Infomaniak account, schedule your recurring meetings from kMeet, and paste the link into your calendar. Guests join from the browser.
- Price
- free
- Hosting
- Switzerland, encrypted
- Participants
- unlimited on paid kSuite
- Limit
- few advanced features
Jitsi Meet: open source you can host yourself
Open sourceWhy move to Jitsi Meet. Jitsi is fully open-source video conferencing. Use it free on meet.jit.si, or install it on your own server so calls go through no one else. For a school, a public body or a company with an IT person, it's the only option here that depends on no vendor.
Who it's for. Organizations with someone to run a server, and those who want full control of their calls.
Who it's not for. A small business with no technical help that wants a supported, ready-to-use product.
Its limit. Plenty of roundups still call it "no account needed." That changed in 2023: on meet.jit.si, the host has to sign in with Google, GitHub or Facebook to open the room, or guests wait for a moderator. Guests still don't need accounts. Self-hosting means a server and upkeep.
How to migrate. To try it, use meet.jit.si with a long, unique room name. For real use, deploy your own instance and replace the Zoom links in your calendar.
- Price
- free, open source
- Hosting
- meet.jit.si or your server
- Account
- host sign-in since 2023
- Limit
- no vendor support
Livestorm: if you used Zoom for webinars
WebinarsWhy move to Livestorm. Plenty of marketing teams run webinars on Zoom with a separate form and reminders sent by hand. Livestorm puts it all in the browser: registration page, reminder emails, live session, replay and CRM sync. Attendees install nothing.
Who it's for. Marketing and training teams running regular webinars who want to track who signs up and who shows.
Who it's not for. Everyday internal meetings. Livestorm won't replace Zoom for your team standup.
Its limit. Cost scales with your audience. The Pro plan bills €2.50 per participation credit, bought as an annual pack: one monthly webinar with 100 unique attendees uses 1,200 credits a year, or €3,000. Run that math before signing. There's a free trial with no card. Our full Livestorm review breaks down the math, and our Livestorm alternatives cover other webinar tools.
How to migrate. Rebuild your next webinar in Livestorm, recreate your reminder sequence, and download your old Zoom replays before you cancel so you can republish them.
- Trial
- free, no card
- Paid
- Pro, €2.50 per credit
- Example
- 100 attendees/mo = €3,000/yr
- Limit
- not for internal meetings
The 6 alternatives side by side
Our default pick: whatever comes with the suite you already pay for (Meet or Teams), then Whereby for client calls. For a five-person team that only needs video, Zoom Pro runs about $71 a month billed annually, Teams Essentials $20, kMeet nothing. One row per tool: free plan on the left, first paid price and what moving takes on the right.
| Free plan | First paid tier and migration | |
|---|---|---|
| ZoomWhere you start | 100 people, cut off at 40 minutes | Pro $14.16/mo billed annually; cloud recordings deleted 30 days after the plan ends |
| Google MeetGoogle teams | 60 minutes for 3+ people, 100 participants | Starter $7 annual, no recording; swap calendar links |
| Microsoft TeamsMicrosoft teams | 60 minutes, 100 people, personal use | Essentials $4 paid yearly; Outlook add-in |
| WherebyClient calls | 1 room, 4 people, 30 minutes | Pro $10.99/mo; one fixed link to share |
| kMeetEuropean | Free, hosted in Switzerland | No subscription needed for video; swap links |
| Jitsi MeetOpen source | Free, host must sign in | Free if self-hosted; a server to maintain |
| LivestormWebinars | Free trial, no card | Pro at €2.50 per participation credit; rebuild webinars |
Entry prices listed by vendors in 2026, before tax, subject to change. Always check against your seat count.
Leave Zoom in seven steps
Order matters. Anything tied to your paid plan (cloud recordings, transcripts) comes out before you cancel, never after.
Write down your renewal date
Day 1In the Zoom web portal, open billing and note when your plan ends. On an annual plan, set a reminder a month ahead: Zoom's forums are full of customers renewed by accident and refused a refund.
Also spot add-ons billed separately (extra cloud storage, large meetings, phone). Each one is canceled on its own.
- Time
- ten minutes
- Risk if skipped
- another year billed
List everything that runs through Zoom
Day 1List your recurring meetings, your personal meeting link (often in your signature or booking tool), your webinars, and every automation connected to Zoom (Zapier, Make, your CRM, your note-taker).
This list is what saves you on switch day. One forgotten link means a client waiting alone in an empty room.
- Time
- one hour
- List
- links, meetings, automations
Download your cloud recordings
Before cancelingIn the web portal, open Recordings and Transcripts, then the Cloud recordings tab, and download every file you want to keep. Downloads go recording by recording, so start early if you have a lot.
Once you drop to Basic, Zoom keeps cloud recordings for 30 days, then deletes them permanently. The only way back in during that window is to resubscribe.
- After plan ends
- 30 days, then deleted
- Where
- Recordings and Transcripts
Save transcripts and summaries
Before cancelingIf audio transcription was on, each cloud recording has a separate VTT transcript file. Download it with the video: it's a few kilobytes and lets you search a sentence without rewatching an hour.
Store videos and transcripts with the same date in the filename. If you want automatic meeting notes in your new tool, see our MeetGeek review; it works with Meet and Teams. If you're also changing note-taking tools, our ranking of the best note-taking apps can help you pick where they go.
- Format
- VTT, timestamped text
Swap the links in your calendar
Week 1Change your calendar's default conferencing tool, then go through recurring meetings one by one. In Outlook, the Zoom add-in lets you remove the Zoom meeting from an event before adding the new link. Then, in the Zoom portal, disconnect your calendar under Profile, Calendar and Contacts Integration.
Resend the updated invites, or guests will keep the old link.
- Time
- one to two hours
- Risk if rushed
- guests on the old link
Reconnect your automations
Week 1Cancel, then keep the free account
Plan endCancel from the billing page (only the account owner or a billing admin can). A plan bought through the App Store or Google Play is canceled in the store, not at Zoom.
Then keep the free account. Clients and partners will keep inviting you to their Zoom links, and joining costs nothing.
- Who
- account owner
- After
- free account kept
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
What makes a Zoom exit go wrong
The same regrets show up on Zoom's forums and in reviews. None are technical. They're calendar slips, and each costs more than the hour it would have taken to avoid.
Canceling before downloading
Thirty days after the plan ends, cloud recordings are gone for good. Download everything while you're still paying, then cancel.
Missing the annual renewal
An annual plan that renews the day before you leave usually means another year. Many refund requests are refused after renewal.
Picking Meet Starter without recording
Business Starter doesn't record meetings. If your team records standups or trainings, you need Business Standard.
Leaving the old personal link around
Your Zoom room link lives in your signature, your site and your booking tool. List them and replace them all on the same day.
Assuming Jitsi needs no account
On meet.jit.si, the host has had to sign in since 2023. Try it before your first client call, not during.
Replacing webinars with plain video
Meet and Teams have no registration page or reminders. If webinars feed your pipeline, keep a tool built for them, like Livestorm.
- Renewal date noted, reminder set a month ahead
- Recurring meetings, personal link and automations listed
- Cloud recordings downloaded and filed
- VTT transcripts saved
- Default conferencing tool changed in your calendar
- Recurring invites resent with the new link
- Zapier or Make scenarios reconnected and checked
- Plan canceled, free account kept for joining calls
Zoom alternatives: common questions
What is the best free alternative to Zoom?
For group calls, free Google Meet gives you 60 minutes with up to 100 people, versus Zoom's 40. If you'd rather avoid US platforms, kMeet is free and hosted in Switzerland; Infomaniak publishes no participant figure for free use, so run a trial meeting first. Jitsi Meet is also free, but since 2023 the host has to sign in on meet.jit.si.
How do I get around Zoom's 40-minute limit?
The limit applies to every meeting hosted by a free account, even one-on-one. Starting a new meeting when time runs out works, but everyone has to click again. The real fix is a paid host: one Pro seat is enough, guests stay free. Or move the call to free Google Meet, which allows 60-minute group calls.
Is Google Meet cheaper than Zoom?
If you already pay for Google Workspace, Meet costs nothing extra. Otherwise, Business Starter is $7 per user per month on an annual plan and also includes Gmail, Drive and Calendar. Zoom Pro is $14.16 billed annually. One catch: Starter can't record, so you'd need Standard at $14.
Do I lose my recordings if I cancel Zoom?
Your cloud recordings, yes. After you drop to the free plan, Zoom keeps them for 30 days, then deletes them permanently; only a new paid plan brings them back in that window. Local recordings saved on your computer aren't affected. Download cloud recordings and their transcripts before your plan ends.
Can I get a refund on a Zoom subscription?
It's hard after an annual renewal: reviews and Zoom's own forums report many refusals. The exact terms show up in your account's cancellation flow. The only reliable protection is canceling before the renewal date, which you'll find on the billing page of the web portal.
Is free Teams enough for a business?
No. Microsoft positions it for personal use, with 60 minutes per group meeting and 100 participants. For work, Teams Essentials is $4 per user per month paid yearly, for meetings up to 30 hours with 300 people.
Which Zoom alternative is best for client calls?
Whereby, if you want one link that never changes and clients who join from the browser with no account. Pro costs $10.99 per month for one host. If your clients mostly use Microsoft, a Teams link may feel more familiar to them.
What about Webex, GoTo Meeting and RingCentral?
They show up in most US roundups. Webex Free has the same limits as Zoom (40 minutes, 100 attendees), and Webex lists its Meet plan at $14.50 per license per month: no saving over Zoom Pro. RingCentral Video Pro is free with 50-minute meetings and 100 participants, and Pro+ is $10 per user per month, a fair pick if you already use RingCentral for phones. GoTo Meeting is left out because its pricing page doesn't show a clear current price per organizer.
Should I keep a Zoom account after switching?
Keep the free account. Joining a Zoom meeting someone else hosts needs no subscription, and clients will keep sending them. What you stop is paying to host.
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