Video Conferencing Platforms

This reference compares common video conferencing platforms used by Quaker meetings. The comparison focuses on features relevant to unprogrammed worship and meeting for business, not general video calling.

Quick Comparison

Feature	Zoom	Google Meet	Jitsi	Microsoft Teams
Free tier time limit	40 minutes	60 minutes	Unlimited	60 minutes
Free tier participants	100	100	Varies by server	100
Gallery view	Yes (49 per screen)	Yes (49 per screen)	Yes (limited)	Yes (49 per screen)
Phone dial-in	Yes	Yes (paid plans)	Depends on setup	Yes
Waiting room	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes (lobby)
Breakout rooms	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Live captions	Yes	Yes	Limited	Yes
Requires account to join	No	No	No	No
Requires software install	Optional	No	No	Optional
Open source	No	No	Yes	No

Platform Details

Zoom

Best for: Most meetings, especially those with older or less tech-confident participants

Zoom has become the standard for Quaker virtual worship. Its widespread use means most Friends have encountered it before, reducing the learning curve. The interface is intuitive, and the platform handles varying internet speeds gracefully.

Key features for worship:

Gallery view displays up to 49 participants at once, supporting the sense of gathered meeting
Phone dial-in included on free accounts, crucial for Friends without internet
Waiting room lets hosts admit participants, preventing disruption
“Mute all” and individual mute controls help manage silence
Stable performance even with many participants

Limitations:

40-minute limit on free accounts (paid plans start around $150/year)
Owned by a commercial company with changing privacy policies
Some Friends have privacy concerns about the platform

Cost: Free tier available; Pro plan approximately $150/year

Google Meet

Best for: Meetings already using Google Workspace, or those wanting no software installation

Google Meet runs entirely in a web browser, requiring no downloaded software. This simplifies joining for participants and avoids installation hurdles.

Key features for worship:

No software installation required—works in any modern browser
Clean, simple interface with fewer options (which can reduce confusion)
Good integration with Google Calendar for scheduling
Live captions available
Strong audio/video quality

Limitations:

Phone dial-in only available on paid Google Workspace plans
Fewer host controls than Zoom
Gallery view limited compared to Zoom on some screen sizes
Requires a Google account to host (not to join)

Cost: Free tier available; Google Workspace plans start around $6/user/month

Jitsi Meet

Best for: Meetings prioritizing privacy and open-source values

Jitsi is free, open-source software that can be used through the public server (meet.jit.si) or self-hosted by a meeting with technical capacity. It aligns with Quaker values around simplicity and avoiding commercial dependencies.

Key features for worship:

Completely free with no time limits
No account required for anyone (host or participant)
Open-source software—transparent and community-maintained
Can be self-hosted for complete control over data
Simple interface

Limitations:

Less stable with large groups (works best under 20–30 participants)
Fewer features than commercial platforms
Gallery view less polished
Phone dial-in requires additional setup
Less familiar to most participants, creating a learning curve

Cost: Free

Microsoft Teams

Best for: Meetings where participants already use Teams for work

Teams is Microsoft’s collaboration platform, widely used in workplaces. If many Friends in your meeting already use Teams professionally, it may feel familiar.

Key features for worship:

Robust platform with good stability
Strong accessibility features including live captions
Breakout rooms available
Together Mode shows participants as if seated in the same room (novelty, but some find it helpful)

Limitations:

Interface is complex, designed for workplace collaboration rather than simple meetings
Can feel overwhelming for participants unfamiliar with it
Microsoft account helpful (though not required) to access all features
Less common in Quaker circles, so less collective knowledge to draw on

Cost: Free tier available; paid plans through Microsoft 365

Features Explained

Gallery View

Gallery view displays multiple participants in a grid, allowing everyone to see each other simultaneously. This supports the Quaker practice of gathered worship where the community is visible together.

Zoom: Up to 49 participants per screen; can page through additional participants
Google Meet: Up to 49 participants; tiled layout adapts to screen size
Jitsi: Variable; works best with smaller groups
Teams: Up to 49 participants; “Together Mode” offers alternative visualization

Phone Dial-In

Phone dial-in allows participants to join by calling a phone number, hearing audio without video. This is essential for Friends without internet access, those with unreliable connections, or those who find video technology challenging.

Zoom: Included on all plans, including free
Google Meet: Paid plans only
Jitsi: Requires additional configuration; not available by default
Teams: Available on most plans

Waiting Room / Lobby

A waiting room holds participants before the host admits them. This prevents disruption from uninvited visitors and allows the host to greet Friends as they arrive.

All four platforms offer this feature, though the implementation varies. Zoom’s waiting room is the most refined, allowing hosts to message waiting participants and admit individually or all at once.

Breakout Rooms

Breakout rooms split participants into smaller groups for conversation, then bring everyone back together. Useful for worship sharing, committee work, or social time after worship.

All four platforms now offer breakout rooms. Zoom’s implementation is most mature, allowing pre-assignment of participants and easy movement between rooms.

Live Captions

Automated captions display spoken words as text, supporting deaf or hard-of-hearing Friends and those who process audio better with visual reinforcement.

Zoom: Built-in live transcription; accuracy varies with speaker clarity
Google Meet: Generally accurate captions; considered among the best
Jitsi: Limited; depends on configuration
Teams: Strong captioning with speaker identification

Recommendations by Meeting Size

Small meetings (under 15 participants)

Any platform works well. Jitsi is a reasonable choice if privacy matters and you want to avoid commercial platforms. Zoom remains easiest for mixed technical abilities.

Medium meetings (15–50 participants)

Zoom or Google Meet handle this size comfortably. Zoom’s host controls become more valuable as group size increases.

Large meetings (50+ participants)

Zoom is the most reliable choice. Consider a paid plan to remove time limits. Google Meet and Teams can work but may require more attention to settings.

Meetings with accessibility needs

Zoom or Google Meet offer the best captioning. Zoom’s phone dial-in on free accounts is valuable if any participants lack internet access.

Privacy Considerations

Some Friends have concerns about commercial platforms collecting data. Brief notes on each:

Zoom: Has improved privacy practices after early criticism; offers end-to-end encryption on some meeting types; data stored on Zoom’s servers
Google Meet: Data handled according to Google’s privacy policy; integrates with Google’s broader data ecosystem
Jitsi (meet.jit.si): Public server has minimal data collection; self-hosting gives complete control
Teams: Data handled according to Microsoft’s privacy policy; enterprise-focused security

For meetings where privacy is a primary concern, self-hosted Jitsi offers the most control, though it requires technical capacity to maintain.

Resources

Zoom Help Center
Google Meet Help
Jitsi Documentation
Microsoft Teams Help
Woodbrooke’s Guide to Online Worship — includes platform guidance

Platform features and pricing change over time. This reference reflects information current as of early 2025. If you notice outdated information, please contribute a correction.