One platform to connect
Zoom is a video conferencing platform that dominated during COVID-19. Trustpilot: 1.3/5 from 1,394 reviews. Key complaints: 'UNAUTHORIZED FRAUDULENT charges', 'completely inflexible' support, impossible to cancel. Meeting quality good but billing practices criticized.
Patterns extracted from real user feedback — not raw reviews.
The free Zoom plan cuts off meetings at exactly 40 minutes, interrupting conversations mid-sentence. Users describe it as 'annoying' and frustrating, especially during team check-ins or client calls. Workarounds exist (restarting) but are cumbersome. Google Meet offers 60 minutes free.
Zoom renews subscriptions without advance notice and refuses refunds 'per their policy' even when users cancel immediately after discovering the charge. Trustpilot is full of complaints about unexpected annual charges and the inability to get money back.
Zoom's true cost is hard to determine with multiple add-ons: AI Companion requires extra payment, cloud storage beyond 5GB costs $10/user/month, toll-free minutes aren't included, and Zoom Phone has separate metered charges. The pricing page doesn't clearly show total costs.
Zoom customer service is rated 1.5 out of 5. Users report reps don't read messages, ask for already-provided information repeatedly, and keep tickets alive without resolving issues. Support seems designed to make customers give up. Billing disputes are especially difficult to resolve.
In 2020, 500,000+ Zoom accounts were compromised via credential stuffing. The FTC found Zoom misleading users about end-to-end encryption. 'Zoombombing' became widespread. While security has improved, the FTC settlement and past issues raise trust concerns for sensitive meetings.
Zoom has faced criticism for sharing user data with Facebook when users log in with Facebook credentials. The FTC found Zoom stored meeting recordings unencrypted longer than necessary. Privacy-conscious users may prefer alternatives with stricter data practices.
Zoom's desktop interface changes have been described as 'absolutely hopeless and extremely annoying.' Features users rely on are now hidden behind multiple clicks. Commonly used functions require more steps. Zoom Community forums are filled with complaints about UI changes.
Zoom requires nearly 4GB RAM and can strain system resources, causing lag, audio/video distortion, or complete freezing. Users with older machines or running other applications report their entire computer becoming sluggish during Zoom calls.
In April 2025, Zoom experienced an hours-long outage with 59,000+ users reporting issues on Downdetector. Users couldn't log in and received 'Unable to Connect' errors. For businesses relying on Zoom for critical meetings, outages can be devastating.
Setting up Zoom Phone has been described as 'impossible,' with users spending weeks dealing with multiple helpdesk people. Business document requirements and complex configuration processes frustrate small business users who expected simple setup.
Easy to join meetings without account
Participants can join Zoom meetings with just a link - no account or download required (via browser). This frictionless joining experience remains Zoom's biggest strength for meetings with external participants.
High-quality video and audio
When network conditions are good, Zoom delivers excellent video and audio quality. HD video support, virtual backgrounds, and noise suppression features are well-implemented. The core meeting experience is polished.
Feature-rich for hosts and presenters
Zoom offers robust host controls: breakout rooms, polls, Q&A, screen sharing with annotation, waiting rooms, and recording options. For webinars and large meetings, these features remain industry-leading.
Extensive third-party integrations
Zoom integrates with calendars (Google, Outlook), productivity tools (Slack, Salesforce), and hundreds of apps via the Zoom App Marketplace. Enterprise users appreciate the broad ecosystem compatibility.
Supports large meetings up to 1,000 participants
Enterprise plans support up to 1,000 participants with stable performance. For large all-hands meetings, webinars, and virtual events, Zoom can handle scale better than many competitors.
Users: 1 host
Storage: None (local recording only)
Limitations: 40-minute limit on group meetings, No cloud storage, No phone dial-in, Limited whiteboard
Users: 1-9 users
Storage: 5GB cloud recording
Limitations: Still only 100 participants, 5GB storage runs out fast, No SSO
Users: 10+ users
Storage: 5GB cloud recording
Limitations: 10-user minimum, Storage still limited to 5GB per user
Users: 10+ users
Storage: 10GB cloud recording
Limitations: 10-user minimum, Metered outbound calling
Users: 250+ users required
Storage: Unlimited cloud recording
Limitations: 250-user minimum, Custom pricing requires sales call
Large enterprises hosting webinars and virtual events
Zoom's webinar features, breakout rooms, and support for 1,000+ participants make it strong for large events. The mature feature set and familiarity from COVID-era adoption reduce training needs.
External-facing meetings with non-tech users
Zoom's brand recognition and easy joining (link click, no account needed) reduces friction for external participants. Clients and partners likely already know how to use Zoom.
Sales teams
Reliable for client calls, webinars, and demos. Recording and transcription features help sales documentation. Industry standard for external meetings.
Organizations using Microsoft 365
Microsoft Teams is included with M365 subscriptions and integrates deeply with Office apps. Adding Zoom means duplicate costs, though Zoom may have better external meeting experience.
Engineering teams
Works for meetings but adds another tool. Dev teams already on Slack/Teams may prefer built-in video to reduce tool sprawl.
Budget-conscious small teams
Free tier has 40-minute limit. Small teams on frequent calls hit limits quickly. Consider Google Meet (free with Gmail) or Teams.
Individuals needing meetings longer than 40 minutes
The free plan's 40-minute limit will cut you off mid-conversation. Google Meet offers 60 minutes free with no interruption. If you can't justify Pro pricing ($13.33/month), free alternatives are better.
Small teams already using Google Workspace
Google Meet is included free with Workspace, runs in browser with no install, and integrates seamlessly with Calendar and Gmail. Adding Zoom creates duplicate costs and tool fragmentation.
Privacy-sensitive organizations
Zoom's history of FTC settlement over encryption claims, data sharing with Facebook, and Zoombombing incidents raise concerns. Consider Jitsi, Whereby, or enterprise solutions with stronger privacy guarantees.
Users who need excellent customer support
Zoom's customer support is rated 1.5/5. Billing issues are notoriously difficult to resolve, refunds are denied even for immediate cancellations, and support tickets go in circles. If support matters, look elsewhere.
Common buyer's remorse scenarios reported by users.
Users forget about annual subscriptions, get charged hundreds of dollars without reminder emails, and discover Zoom refuses refunds 'per policy.' By the time they notice the charge, the cancellation window has passed.
Organizations pay for Zoom only to realize Google Meet comes with Workspace or Teams with Microsoft 365. The redundant cost and tool fragmentation creates regret, especially when the included tools meet their needs.
Free users in critical meetings with clients or prospects get cut off at 40 minutes, creating an unprofessional impression. The embarrassment of 'sorry, we need to rejoin' damages credibility.
Users encounter billing issues (wrong charges, failed refunds) and spend days going back and forth with support that asks for the same information repeatedly, only to be told nothing can be done.
Users sign up for Pro expecting certain features, then discover AI tools, adequate storage, toll-free numbers, and other 'essentials' require additional purchases beyond the base plan.
Scenarios where this product tends to fail users.
Pro plan is limited to 1-9 users. Growing teams must jump to Business ($18.33/user) with a 10-user minimum. A team of 10 goes from potentially $13.33/user to forced $183.30/month minimum, a significant cost jump.
5GB cloud storage fills after approximately 10-15 hours of recordings. Active users hit this limit within weeks. Additional storage costs $10/user/month - an unadvertised cost that can double effective pricing.
Enterprise plan requires 250-user minimum. Organizations with 50-249 users needing unlimited storage, full phone system, or 24/7 support are stuck on Business tier without access to enterprise features.
Zoom outages (like April 2025's hours-long downtime) can derail important client presentations, webinars, or company all-hands. With 59,000+ users affected simultaneously, there's no workaround.
Despite improvements, security incidents can still occur. A Zoombombing incident during a client meeting or concerns raised about Zoom's security history can damage professional credibility.
Zoom periodically updates its interface, moving features and changing workflows. Long-time users find themselves unable to locate familiar functions, reducing productivity and increasing frustration.
Jitsi Meet
Privacy-focused users switch for fully open-source, free video conferencing with no account required. Can be self-hosted for complete control. No corporate data collection concerns.
Webex
Enterprise users switch for Cisco's security reputation and compliance certifications. Better for regulated industries needing stricter security guarantees than Zoom's FTC-settlement history.
Discord
Communities and informal teams switch for free unlimited meetings, screen sharing, and persistent chat. Originally gaming-focused but increasingly used for team communication and casual video calls.
Google Meet
Google Workspace users switch because Meet is included. Gain: no extra cost, calendar integration. Trade-off: fewer features, less reliable for large meetings.
Microsoft Teams
M365 users switch because Teams is included. Gain: chat + video in one tool. Trade-off: heavier app, requires Microsoft ecosystem.
Around
Teams wanting less meeting fatigue try Around. Gain: floating windows, auto-mute. Trade-off: limited adoption, fewer features.
