It is equipped with many useful functions for meetings such as screen sharing and recording, and is being introduced by many companies.

In addition to a paid license for business, such Zoom also has a license that can be used for free.

Here, we explain the differences between the functions that can be used with Zoom’s free license and the paid license .

If you are looking for a free meeting tool, please refer to it.

Is Zoom available for free?

Zoom has four licenses, from free licenses to enterprise licenses , depending on the usage and number of people .

An optional license called “Zoom Rooms” is also available for fixed use of equipment in the conference room.

First, let’s take a closer look at the features and functionality of the free license available at no cost.

Features available in the Zoom free plan

The free version of Zoom has the following features:

• Screen sharing (file/whiteboard)
• breakout room (grouping)
• Remote operation
• Recording (recording/sound recording)
• text chat etc.

In this way, with Zoom you can use most of the features even with a free license.

Since there is no trial period, the free version may be sufficient for personal use, but if a company or organization uses Zoom for commercial purposes, Zoom’s free license is insufficient .

Also, when used for seminars and online salons, the free version seems to have more disadvantages.

Let’s check the difference between the free version and the paid version while comparing the paid version license that has no functions or restrictions that can not be used with such a free license.

Difference between paid and free licenses

Acquiring a paid license for Zoom unlocks the following features that are not available in the free version.

• Unlimited group calls
• Cloud recording function
• Co-host feature
• Voting function

We will introduce each function and usage scene in order.

call time limit

When making a call with the free version, even if there are two participants, there is a limit of 40 minutes per call.

Then why not use other services that offer free group calls? You may feel.

However, other completely free services may have insufficient security measures and support, and there are conspicuous disadvantages in other areas such as large amounts of communication.

With a Zoom paid license, stable communication is possible with high security, so you can rest assured even in large-scale meetings .

Also, if you want to have a high-quality meeting without worrying about the time limit and want to use very convenient functions, we recommend using the paid version.

Presence or absence of cloud recording function

Zoom has a function that allows you to record and save the contents of meetings and seminars.

There are two types: “local save”, which saves directly to devices such as PCs and smartphones, and “cloud save”, which saves on a server. Only local save is available in the free version.

In the case of local storage, when sharing videos with others, you have to go through another service such as sending by email or uploading to YouTube.

On the other hand, if you save in the cloud, you can share it just by telling the URL of the save destination, so you can save extra effort.

Since it is recorded on the server, there is no need to worry about the recording stopping in the middle.

Cloud storage is a function of the paid version only, so if you want to use it, consider a paid license.

Availability of co-host functionality

The co-host function is a function that sets and operates a user with host privileges separately from the organizer (host) of the meeting.

This is useful when the host leaves the room temporarily or wants to ask someone else to proceed.

The co-host setting is not included in the free version and is a feature of the paid version only.

Presence or absence of voting function

Zoom also has a function that allows you to conduct surveys during meetings.

It can be used for majority voting during meetings and satisfaction surveys after seminars, but this is also available only in the paid version.

In this way, you can see that there are some differences in the functions that can be used in the free version and the paid version. If you use Zoom on the free plan, please understand that the above features are limited.

How to use Zoom Meetings? Registration flow

When using Zoom, the user who hosts the meeting must have an account.

Finally, let’s take a closer look at the flow of Zoom account registration and license acquisition.

Zoom account registration and license acquisition method

Anyone can create an account on Zoom for free.

If you are using a PC, install a browser, and if you are using a smartphone or tablet, install a browser or an app before registering.

All you have to do is enter your email address and other necessary information to complete registration.

To obtain a paid license, purchase the license after creating an account.

There are three types of plans for paid licenses: Pro, Business, and Enterprise.

Choose the right license plan for your meeting size.

It is recommended to introduce a paid license for such people

In the following cases, it is recommended to obtain a paid license instead of the free version.

• Possibility of long-term group meetings of 3 or more people
• I want to hold a large-scale meeting, a seminar with many participants, or an online salon
• I want to save recorded data on the server

Zoom can use almost all functions even in the free version, but there are cases where it is insufficient depending on the size of the meeting.

There are three plans for paid licenses.

Also, by subscribing to these Pro (Pro) or higher plans, you will be able to add a “Zoom Webinar” that allows you to hold seminars and salons online.

At NEC Networks & System Integration, we can propose the most suitable plan that takes into account the ease of use according to the number of people, scale, and delivery method.

This article introduces what you can do by introducing each plan and how to use it optimally. If you are considering using Zoom for regular meetings or seminars, why not consider signing up for the paid version?

summary

• You can create an account and use Zoom for free.
• In the case of free, there are functions that can not be used or group calls are restricted, so for commercial use, a paid version license is recommended.
• The paid version license has many useful functions that can be used for seminars and online salons.

Zoom is a convenient service that can be used in various situations such as meetings, seminars, and training. Please use the most suitable plan for the number of users, scale, and delivery method.