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Review basis

Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.

12 reference sources

Information updated Nov 10, 2026

How we review
Zoom logo

Zoom Review

Dedicated video meetings with a 40-minute free tier and built-in AI notes

Editorial Team7.5/10Write the first review

By Official AppDuo editorial team · Updated

  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android
  • Windows
  • macOS
  • Linux
  • Browser extension
Freemium · Free
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Decide at a glance

Our verdict

Zoom suits individuals and organisations that want a dedicated meeting tool independent of any office suite, with strong ratings and plans at several scales. The trade-offs are a free tier capped at 40-minute meetings, paid prices above Google Workspace Business Starter, and a 2020 security record worth weighing.

Best for: Teams that want a dedicated meeting tool with optional webinars, rooms and AI notes outside the Google or Microsoft ecosystems

Skip it if: Anyone needing free meetings longer than 40 minutes

Pros

  • Strong ratings: 4.7/5 on the US App Store (3.2M+ ratings), 4.5/5 on G2, 4.6/5 on Capterra
  • Free plan for 100 participants; Pro and Business meetings run up to 30 hours
  • Broad platform coverage: web, iOS, Android, desktop, browser extension, Outlook plug-in and Zoom Rooms

Cons

  • Free plan caps meetings at 40 minutes and AI use per month
  • Pro at $16.99 and Business at $21.99 per user per month (billed monthly) cost more than office suites that bundle email and storage
All pros and cons · Who is it for?

Pros

  • Zoom states it does not use audio, video, chat or similar customer content to train AI models

Cons

  • Connection problems are a frequent complaint on G2; Capterra reviewers criticise support and cancellation
  • In 2020 the FTC alleged Zoom misrepresented end-to-end encryption; the settlement requires a security programme and biennial independent assessments

Best for

  • People who regularly meet external guests and want easy joining via link, app or browser

Skip it if

  • Users who need end-to-end encryption together with AI, cloud recording or live transcription, since those features are disabled when E2EE is on

Problems it solves

Experience & key features

What is Zoom?

Zoom is the video meeting and collaboration platform from Zoom Communications. According to Wikipedia, former Cisco engineer Eric Yuan founded the company on 21 April 2011 as Saasbee, renamed it Zoom in May 2012 and launched the service in January 2013. It listed on Nasdaq on 18 April 2019 and changed its legal name from Zoom Video Communications to Zoom Communications in November 2024. The app is now called Zoom Workplace and runs on web, desktop and mobile.

Key features

Per the product page, Zoom Meetings offers HD audio and video, noise suppression, backgrounds and effects, whiteboards, documents and notes, multi-language captions with translation, calendar integrations and meeting-linked chat channels. Zoom AI (with My Notes) provides summaries and next steps and is described as included at no additional cost. There are also mobile and desktop apps, a browser extension, an Outlook plug-in and Zoom Rooms.

Pricing and value

Per the pricing page, Basic is free: 100 participants, 40-minute meetings. Pro is $16.99/user/month ($14.16 billed annually) with meetings up to 30 hours and 10 GB cloud; Business is $21.99/user/month ($18.33 annually) for 300 participants. Enterprise requires contacting sales. The page is inconsistent in places (Enterprise participant count, Business cloud storage), so confirm before buying. Zoom costs more than office suites that already include a meeting tool, in exchange for a dedicated product with deeper meeting features.

More analysis

Security and privacy

On 1 April 2020 Zoom paused new features for 90 days to fix security issues. On 9 November 2020 the FTC announced a settlement: it alleged Zoom had touted end-to-end 256-bit encryption since at least 2016 while providing lower security, and that some cloud recordings were stored unencrypted for up to 60 days. The settlement requires an information security programme and biennial independent assessments. Zoom now offers optional end-to-end encryption that the account owner must enable; hosts on free accounts must verify a phone number.

Who it's for and how it compares

Zoom suits organisations that want a standalone meeting tool independent of an office suite and often meet external parties. Google Meet is tightly tied to Gmail and Calendar, Microsoft Teams to Microsoft 365 with persistent team chat, and Webex is another enterprise option. G2 and Capterra ratings are high overall, but reviewers mention connection issues, support and cancellation.

Screenshots

Screenshot 1 from the Zoom Workplace App Store listing
Screenshot 1 from the Zoom Workplace App Store listing
My Notes (AI note-taking) screen in the Zoom Workplace iOS app
My Notes (AI note-taking) screen in the Zoom Workplace iOS app
Meetings screen in the Zoom Workplace iOS app
Meetings screen in the Zoom Workplace iOS app

Plans & pricing

Prices last verified Nov 10, 2026

Basic

Personal

Free

Per Zoom's pricing page: up to 100 participants, 40-minute meetings, local recording only; 3 meeting summaries, 20 AI queries and 3 AI note-taking uses per month.

Pro

Business

$16.99/mo/user

$14.16/mo billed yearly

100 participants per meeting, up to 30 hours, 10 GB cloud storage, local and cloud recording, unlimited meeting summaries and in-meeting AI questions.

Business

Business

$21.99/mo/user

$18.33/mo billed yearly

300 participants per meeting, up to 30 hours, 10 GB cloud per licence, unlimited AI note-taking and summaries per the comparison table.

Enterprise

Business

Contact sales

Contact sales. The pricing page lists up to 1,000 participants on the plan card but 500+ in the comparison table, with unlimited cloud storage and AI features.

Free plan limits
The free Basic plan hosts 100 participants but meetings end after 40 minutes; recording is local only and AI features are capped per month.
Free trial
No free trial
Cancellation & refunds

No refund policy was found on the pages read.

Privacy

Zoom's privacy statement (updated 17 Sep 2026) says it collects account, device (including IP address) and usage data plus meeting, webinar and chat content. Zoom states it does not use audio, video, chat, screen sharing, attachments or other communications-like customer content to train its own or third-party AI models, and that employees do not access content without the account owner's authorisation except for legal, safety, security or support reasons. Users can access, correct and delete data and opt out of sale or sharing for targeted advertising. Zoom says it does not sell personal data "in the conventional sense", but advertising and analytics cookies may count as a sale under some US state laws, and business contact data may be sold via Zoom Common Room. No concrete retention periods are given. End-to-end encryption is optional: the account owner must enable it, everyone must join from the Zoom Workplace app or Zoom Rooms, and turning it on disables AI, cloud recording, live transcription and other features. In 2020 the FTC alleged Zoom had misled users about end-to-end encryption; Zoom settled and must maintain an information security programme.

Official pricing page

Zoom alternatives

Google Meet logoVSZoom logoGoogle Meet vs Zoom
Microsoft Teams logo7.5/10

Microsoft Teams

Chat, meetings and collaboration inside the Microsoft 365 ecosystem

Freemium
Google Meet logo7.5/10

Google Meet

Browser-based video meetings built into Gmail, Calendar and Google Workspace

Freemium
All alternatives

Frequently asked questions

How long can free Zoom meetings last?

The free Basic plan allows up to 100 participants and 40 minutes per meeting. Pro, Business and Enterprise meetings can last up to 30 hours.

How much does Zoom cost?

Per the pricing page: Pro is $16.99/user/month ($14.16 billed annually), Business $21.99 ($18.33 annually). Enterprise requires contacting sales.

Does Zoom use my meetings to train AI?

Zoom's privacy statement says it does not use audio, video, chat, screen sharing or similar customer content to train its own or third-party AI models.

Does Zoom offer end-to-end encryption?

Yes, as an option: the account owner must enable it, everyone must join via the Workplace app or Zoom Rooms, and enabling it disables AI features, cloud recording, live transcription and polls.

Review evidence & sources12

Scores

Ease of use
8.6
Why this score

G2 lists ease of use and team collaboration among the most frequent praise, and guests can join from a link. High for its peer group, held back slightly because many features sit behind paid tiers.

Features
8.4
Why this score

HD meetings, noise suppression, backgrounds, whiteboards, docs, multi-language captions, My Notes, AI summaries, chat, calendar plug-ins and room hardware. Marked down because turning on end-to-end encryption disables AI, cloud recording and live transcription.

Value for money
6.8
Why this score

Pro at $14.16/month billed annually is reasonable for a dedicated tool, but the free plan's 40-minute cap and prices above Workspace Business Starter's $7 (which bundles email and storage) hold the score down.

Performance
7.8
Why this score

G2 reviewers often praise stability and smooth connections even on weak networks, yet connection issues are also among the most common complaints. No independent call-quality data was found.

Support
6.6
Why this score

A help centre and documentation exist; Capterra rates customer service 4.4/5, but some reviewers say support is lacking and cancelling is difficult.

Privacy & security
6.5
Why this score

Zoom states customer content is not used to train AI and offers deletion and sale opt-outs. Marked down for the 2020 FTC matter over end-to-end encryption claims, advertising cookies that may count as a sale, business contact data sold via Zoom Common Room, and no stated retention periods.

What users say

Sources

Specs & compatibility
Developer
Zoom Communications, Inc.
Headquarters
United States
Launched
2013
Category
Business

Capabilities

  • AI features
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Integrations
  • Mobile app
  • Public API
  • End-to-end encryption

Platforms

  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android
  • Windows
  • macOS
  • Linux
  • Browser extension

Interface languages

  • Vietnamese
  • English
  • Japanese
  • Chinese
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Korean
  • German
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Indonesian

Integrations

  • Outlook
  • Google Calendar
  • Microsoft 365
  • Slack

Support

  • Help center
  • Live chat
  • Email
  • Phone
  • Community forum

Change history

  1. Company.The company renames itself from Zoom Video Communications, Inc. to Zoom Communications, Inc.
  2. Company.Zoom attempts to acquire Five9 for about $14.7 billion; Five9 shareholders reject the deal.
  3. Update.The FTC announces a settlement with Zoom over allegations of misleading end-to-end encryption and recording-security claims.
Full change history (7)
  1. Update.Zoom announces a 90-day freeze on new features to focus on privacy and security.
  2. Company.Zoom lists on Nasdaq under ZM; the share price rises over 72% on day one.
  3. Launch.The Zoom service launches after a $6 million Series A round.
  4. Company.Eric Yuan, a former Cisco engineer, founds the company as Saasbee, Inc.
About the author

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