{"question": "best video conferencing software for small businesses", "category": "video-conferencing-software", "category_name": "video conferencing software", "audience": "small-businesses", "audience_name": "small businesses", "engine": "Claude (Anthropic) with web search", "model": "claude-opus-5", "asked_at": "2026-10-18T22:44:59Z", "permalink": "https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/video-conferencing-software-small-businesses-2026-10-18", "question_page": "https://bikoosh.com/answers/q/video-conferencing-software/small-businesses", "brands_named": [{"position": 1, "brand": "Google", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 2, "brand": "Google Meet", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 3, "brand": "Google Workspace", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 4, "brand": "Microsoft", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 5, "brand": "Microsoft Teams", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 6, "brand": "Microsoft 365", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 7, "brand": "Microsoft 365 Business", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 8, "brand": "Microsoft 365 Business Basic", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 9, "brand": "Excel", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 10, "brand": "Zoom", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 11, "brand": "Webex", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 12, "brand": "Zoho", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 13, "brand": "Zoho Meeting", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 14, "brand": "Zoho CRM", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 15, "brand": "Zoho One", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 16, "brand": "Dialpad", "label": "mentioned"}], "sources_cited": [{"url": "https://www.dialpad.com/blog/best-video-conferencing-software-for-small-business/", "domain": "dialpad.com", "source_type": "vendor"}, {"url": "https://crm.org/news/best-video-conferencing-software", "domain": "crm.org", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://costbench.com/compare/zoom-vs-google-meet/", "domain": "costbench.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://costbench.com/compare/google-meet-vs-microsoft-teams/", "domain": "costbench.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://costbench.com/best/best-video-conferencing-tools-2026/", "domain": "costbench.com", "source_type": "other"}], "answer_text": "For most small businesses, the honest answer is: pick the one that comes bundled with the productivity suite you already pay for. Buying video conferencing as a standalone product is usually the more expensive path. In the order I'd actually recommend them:\n\n**1. Google Meet (via Google Workspace)** - My default pick if you're not already committed elsewhere. Business Starter runs about $7/user/month and you get Gmail, Drive, Docs, and Calendar along with it, so the meeting software is effectively free. It's browser-based, so clients and vendors join with one click and no install - a bigger deal than it sounds when you're meeting people outside your company. The free tier caps group calls at 60 minutes.\n\n**2. Microsoft Teams (via Microsoft 365 Business Basic)** - The best choice if you use Excel, Outlook, or Word seriously. Business Basic is around $6/user/month with 300-participant meetings and 1TB of OneDrive per person. Teams Essentials is cheaper still (~$4) if you only want chat and meetings without the Office apps. It also rates highest in verified small-business user reviews. The tradeoff: it's a heavier, busier product, and external guests sometimes have a clumsier join exp", "answer_truncated": true, "measurement": "One answer from one engine on one date. Not a ranking and not a claim about the world; brands the engine did not name are not recorded.", "limitation": "Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.", "alerts": {"name": "Answer Watch Pro", "price_usd": 79, "period": "month", "gets": "daily change alerts for up to 5 brands in what one AI answer engine says, history, CSV export. Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included", "url": "https://bikoosh.com/answers"}}