Reliance Jio’s homegrown Zoom rival JioMeet is now available for all users. Like Zoom, JioMeet also overwhelms you with a host of features, all of which are currently available for free, but despite all this, the whole thing’s easy to use. That’s again like Zoom. In fact, if one were to put the two applications side by side, you’d be hard-pressed to find the differences. Since JioMeet came later, it’s safe to say that Reliance Jio has taken a lot of inspiration from Zoom while designing its “desi” Zoom rival.
Similarities aside, there are a few areas where JioMeet easily trumps Zoom. One is of course the made in India aspect. This is possibly one of the biggest reasons why Indians would (like to) pick up JioMeet over Zoom, a service that has come under the radar for being “influenced” by China until very recently to impact user accounts outside of its borders. Zoom in fact has had to come up and “clarify” on multiple occasions that it was not a Chinese app. That’s just one bit. Zoom is also widely regarded as a privacy nightmare (though it has been cleaning up its act lately). JioMeet will have to prove its privacy credentials, but Zoom’s infamous track record might just shift the tide in Jio’s favour at least in the initial run.
JioMeet is available as a mobile application on Android and iOS. You can also access the service on the web on Windows and Mac (major browsers like Chrome and Firefox are supported). Sign ups are straightforward. You can do it by using your mobile number or email ID. Remember, you need to sign up only if you’re going to host a meeting. If you’re joining in as a participant, via an invite link, you don’t need to do all that. Jio doesn’t ask granular personal details like age or gender while signing in.
The app interface bears an uncanny resemblance to Zoom’s, so in case if you’ve used it previously, you’ll be right at home. For everybody else, the whole setup is clean and basic, mostly a plug and play affair.
Speaking of which, here are all the top features of JioMeet and how they compare with Zoom:
- Easy to use (like Zoom)
- Does not require you to sign-in to log-in to a video call unless you’re the hosting party (like Zoom)
- Available across all major platforms, Windows, macOS, Android and iOS (like Zoom)
- Offers high quality HD video and audio (like Zoom)
- Frequently used collaboration tools like text chat, scheduling and screen sharing are available (like Zoom)
- Hosts can password protect their meetings. Waiting room option is also available in JioMeet (both available in Zoom as well)
- Free to use though a “pro” version is also seemingly in the works for paying customers (Zoom has both free and paid options)
- Free JioMeet allows video conferencing with up to 100 participants and there are virtually no time limits. Each video call can go “uninterrupted” for up to 24 hours and you’re free to have as many as you want every day (Free Zoom allows video conferencing with up to 100 participants for up to 40 minutes only)
- JioMeet doesn’t offer advanced features like virtual backgrounds yet (Zoom does)
