ZOOM Cloud Meetings review

Back in 2020/21, when the Covid-19 pandemic was raging most viciously around the world, forcing millions of people to stay locked in their homes and limit any physical contact whatsoever, many found an outlet in utilizing video conferencing services to socialize, even if only virtually.

One of the apps whose use skyrocketed during the coronavirus outbreak was Zoom – a popular video conferencing tool that allows users to stay connected to the outer world via one-on-one chat sessions, group calls, webinars, and global video meetings that can seat between 500 and 1000 participants at a time. Today, the app averages around 300M daily active users in conferences, which is a 2,900% boost compared to December 2019.

Zoom vs. Zoom Cloud Meetings: Which One Is Right for You?

Both solutions are very similar in terms of design, UI, and what they can do for the user, which is why a lot of people find it hard to distinguish between the two products. Zoom is a cloud-based HD video conferencing solution that works on a free and paid model, whereas Zoom Cloud Meetings only has a free version. The capabilities of Zoom Cloud Meetings are limited to hosting and joining video meetings and do not include features like sharing your screen, messaging an entire group, or recording calls.

Individuals and small groups who only require the most barebone, frills-free video conferencing functionality should be comfortable using Zoom Cloud Meetings as it is more than capable of covering their basic virtual communications needs, plus costs nothing to install and use. However, for bigger gatherings of people, the more advanced Zoom app might be preferable.

Zoom Cloud Meetings: Digging Into Specifics

For a free-tier app aimed mainly at casual users, Zoom Cloud Meetings is surprisingly versatile and powerful. Capable of securely routing calls, managing call queues, and prioritizing calls to meetings, it is a terrific platform for home-based meetings, phone calls, collaborative brainstorming sessions with your remote colleagues, posting annotations, and more. 
What I find especially handy is that you do not need to create an account and undergo registration if you are just here to participate. Downloading the app on your device is optional, too, as you can join the meeting you have been invited to via a web browser. It means you can enter the conference at the very last second – or when it is already on – and not worry about having to set up anything. However, truth be told, having the app on your smartphone or tablet makes for a much more optimized and smooth video conferencing experience.

Is Zoom Cloud Meetings Worth a Try?

I absolutely recommend that everyone try this great app. Zoom stands out for its simplicity of use, superior features, and exceptional stability. While the free version is a bit crippled compared to the capabilities of the paid Zoom app, it still feels pretty generous, offering a wealth of exciting possibilities to hosts and participants of non-business, online meetups.