As most of the businesses around the globe have gone online in 2020, communication is made easy with the use of video chat applications. There are several free chat apps in the market but they are mostly used for personal communication. Business conversations and sharing confidential information should be over-protected software. Video calling software that provides end-to-end encryption and is COPPA, HIPAA, and GDPR compliant should be the best choice for any business. In this article, we are going to discuss free video apps for personal use and 3 best video API providers that integrate their API into existing apps to provide high quality and secure video chat communication. 

Live video call app for personal use

A smartphone with a good camera and a good internet connection is all one needs to make a live video call using a video call app. Catching up with family and friends who are spread across the world is now possible using the video call app. There are several free live video chat apps in the market that one can download from Google Play Store or Apple App Store, create a free account and start making video calls across borders. 

Here’s a list of 5 top video calling apps that can be used on Android, iPhone, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone:

1. Skype
2. Google hangout
3. Apple Facetime 
4. Facebook messenger
5. WeChat

Be sure to download and install updates of these apps to enjoy the latest features. 

How to choose the right video calling app for your business?

When video calling apps are for personal use, there is not much thought that goes into selecting one to use. People generally opt for the one which is widely used by their friends and family so they can connect with them easily using the app. But when it comes to business, several facets need to be looked into while choosing the right video calling app. 

Here’s what you need to look at while choosing the right video calling app:

• High-quality audio and video transmission
• Screen recording feature for reviewing the meeting
• Screen sharing, file sharing, collaboration
• One-to-one live chat 
• Group live chat
• Transcription 
• Integration with an existing app or software
• One-to-one video calls
• Group video calls 

3 best video chat API providers for businesses in 2021

There are several video chat API providers in the market. You don’t have to sift through them all to find the best one as we have done the work for you. CONTUS MirrorFly, Enablex and Agora API providers are best in the market as of 2021. Here’s more about them.

1. CONTUS MirrorFly

MirrorFly is a cloud-based virtual communication platform that offers a host of communication channels such as SMS, live chat, voice calling, video calling, video chat, video conferencing. It is a ready-made white-label video conferencing solution that offers the facility of data storage on its own Cloud and your business’ cloud infrastructure. It is a highly scalable solution that is suitable for start-ups and enterprise businesses. Each video conference can host more than 100 participants. 

Security is a mandatory requirement while choosing a video calling app. MirrorFly provides end-to-end encryption, full data ownership, robust authorizations, OMEMO encryption, and 512 encryption. It is also HIPAA, COPPA, GDPR compliant. This makes it possible for any business in any industry to integrate MirrorFly video API into their software and systems. It is a one-time license that a business has to invest in which means there are no monthly or yearly subscriptions that one has to worry about. It is fully customizable to suit the requirements of any business. 

2. Enablex

Enablex is a video API solution that helps in building video call apps for iOS, Android, and the web. Enablex API and SDK provide one-to-one video calls and video conference calls. Live video broadcast is an interactive feature that has gained huge popularity these days. Businesses can reach a large number of their target audience by live streaming on platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, other social media platforms, or even their video streaming platform. The video API software is highly customizable on any user interface with tangible layouts and is 100% customizable. Businesses can host up to 2,000 users in a single video call and save data on the cloud. Detailed analytics reports of video calls, video meetings, and video chats can be generated from the host panel. Users can also share screens and files from within the video call/video chat. AES-512 end-to-end encryption takes care of your security concerns and you can purchase the Enablex API at a one-time license cost. You can also utilize a pay-as-you-use pricing plan that starts at $0.0040 per min per participant. 

3. Agora

Agora video call SDK provider is a well-known name globally within SMEs and enterprises. Agora video chat SDK has cloud infrastructure components and development tools that aid in building a live video chat application for mobile, web, and laptop. Businesses with systems running on Android, mac OS, and Linux can also utilize Agora SDK. They provide one-to-one, one-to-many, and video conference options for their users. It is 100% customizable to suit the requirements of all businesses. Security of user data is taken care of with end-to-end encryption. Video streams and display modes can be personalized 100% to provide a customized experience to your clients. Applications that have stickers, context segmentation, and facial recognition as features can also seamlessly integrate Agora SDK for video calling. The Agora feature that stands out is the VOIP route that establishes a connection between devices for audio and video calling. Hike, Talk space, Meet.me are some of the big names that have integrated Agora API & SDK into their applications. It is a big hit in the market with an easy-on-the-pocket pricing model starting at $0.99 per 1000 minutes for audio calls and $14.99 per 1000 minutes for video calls. 

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