Best Video Chat Apps for every kind of call.

Built into iPhones, iPads and Macs, so there is nothing to set up if the whole family uses Apple devices. You call a phone number or Apple ID straight from the contacts list. Relatives on Android or Windows can join through a FaceTime link that opens in their browser, although they cannot start the call themselves.

The default calling app in much of the world, largely because nearly everyone already has it for messages. Your account is tied to your phone number, and video calls work one to one or in small groups. Calls are end-to-end encrypted and cost nothing beyond your data or Wi-Fi.

Runs in any browser, which makes it handy for families that mix Android and iPhone or have a grandparent on a laptop. You need a Google account to start a call, and you share a link with the others. Free accounts are enough for most family calls.

The name most people reach for when a call has an agenda. Guests can join from a link in a browser or through the desktop and phone apps. The free plan limits meeting length, and paid plans add longer meetings and admin controls.

Common in offices that already run on Microsoft 365, where chat, files and calls sit in one place. It is built around workspaces and channels rather than quick one-off calls, and there is a free version for personal use.

This is our site, so weigh it with that in mind before calling it the best live video chat app for you. It's a browser-based video chat app with nothing to install, and guests can start without signing up. You pick video, voice or text before the match rather than after, and some rounds open with a short preview where you choose stay or find another. Video and voice matches include free matches; coins for longer calls come only from top-ups you choose.

Made by Hyperconnect in Seoul and now part of Match Group, Azar is one of the longest-running names in mobile video matching. Its selling point is meeting people from other countries, with translation built in to help. It's built for the phone, you create an account before the first match, and paid filters change who you're shown.

Closer to live streaming than to random pairing. Hosts go live, viewers watch and send gifts bought with coins, and a private one-to-one video call with a host is a paid step. You install the app and sign up first, so it suits people who'd rather choose who they talk to than be surprised.

A social discovery network that grew into video. You build a profile, browse people nearby or across the app, and usually trade messages before any camera goes on. Live broadcasts are part of the app, the core features are free, and paid extras raise your visibility.

Top webcam chat sites run in a laptop browser and use the camera above your screen, which suits longer conversations at a desk. Phone apps such as Azar are quicker for a hello on the move. If you want the best cam chat online with nothing to install, a browser-based site is the shortest route.

The best video chat websites for meeting strangers usually run in any browser, so a laptop, a tablet and a phone all work. For the best webcam chat, raise the laptop to eye level and sit facing a window or lamp.