When video conferencing on a budget, the best software is cheap but reliable. You can choose the best software by thoroughly researching video conferencing systems and determining the maximum amount of people who will attend each conference. Low cost video conferencing is in no short supply, but many programs lack the features an expensive program has or do not support as many people. For small groups, free software can be used instead of paid programs. Lastly, do not forget to attempt to negotiate price, especially when the video conferencing company does not have prices listed on its website, but instead asks potential customers to email or call for a quote.
In general, the more people who need to use the low cost video conferencing software at the same time, the more you will pay monthly for the service. Sometimes the basic service is even free for three to six people, but larger groups must pay a premium to video conference together. Due to this, you can calculate how many people must use the service at once and determine the cheapest package available. If possible, minimize the amount of people attending the conference to save money every month.
Additionally, you can sacrifice some features in favor of making the service even more low cost. For example, if a low cost video conferencing software has whiteboard capability but your business does not actually use whiteboard, try looking for an even cheaper service without this feature. This is basically the same as minimizing the people attending; this time, you are minimizing the features your company does not need. Be careful not to eliminate a feature that devalues the service. It is best to pay for that feature rather than cripple communication or frustrate attendees in some way.
Another way to find the best low cost video conferencing software is to find conferencing companies that meet your needs and then ask them for a quote. If this quote is too high, give them a number somewhat lower than what you would truly like to pay. Typically, companies that are willing to negotiate price will come back with a middle-ground figure that everyone is happy with. Not all video conferencing companies are willing to negotiate on price, but you have an advantage if you are trying to set up a server for a lot of people. This is especially true if you are aiming to set something up for more than 100 people, because the quotes are typically given on a case-by-case basis in such situations.
