Alternatives to Gather
2D virtual office spaces
Gather ranks #9 of 12 in Video conferencing, with an Alt Score of 62. It is sold by subscription from $12/month/member (billed annually) and available on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. 12 of 12 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Remote and hybrid teams who want a persistent virtual office, as well as event organizers hosting large-scale virtual conferences or meetups.
A customizable 2D virtual space where each user controls an avatar. Moving your avatar near another person's automatically opens a live video/audio call, so proximity replaces scheduled meeting links. You can see at a glance who's around and available, and rooms can include interactive objects, whiteboards, and embedded apps.
You join a shared map through the browser or desktop app and move your avatar with the arrow keys. Walking close to another avatar opens a real-time video call with just that person or cluster; walking away ends it. Space owners can build or customize the map layout and add interactive objects for meetings, events, or casual team space.
Why people leave Gather
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
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Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
Rows come from the Video conferencing checklist (16 rows). Human-verified cells only. ? means the value has not been verified.
| Video conferencing checklist | Gather | Webex | Zoom | GoTo Meeting | Zoho Meeting | Google Meet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Max participants (free / paid) | ||||||
| Meeting duration limit (free) | ||||||
| Recording (local / cloud) | ||||||
| Transcription & captions | ||||||
| Breakout rooms | ||||||
| Virtual backgrounds | ||||||
| Browser join without app | ||||||
| E2E encryption | ||||||
| Webinar mode | ||||||
| Calendar integrations | ||||||
| Whiteboard | ||||||
| Dial-in numbers |
Every fact and feature listed for Gather is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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Starts at $12/month/member (billed annually) verified 2026-07-11
$12 USD/month/member
https://www.gather.town/pricing -
Pricing model Subscription verified 2026-07-11
There will no longer be a free tier for Gather 1.0 or Gather 2.0.
https://support.gather.town/hc/en-us/articles/39590892978196-Understanding-Gather-s-pricing-changes-2025 -
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android verified 2026-07-11
The Gather Mobile App is available in all regions for Android devices. It is available in all regions except for China on iOS.
https://support.gather.town/hc/en-us/articles/17580563233684-Gather-1-0-Mobile-App -
Status active verified 2026-07-11
We've been heads down building Gather 2.0, the biggest upgrade we've ever shipped.
https://support.gather.town/hc/en-us/articles/39590892978196-Understanding-Gather-s-pricing-changes-2025 -
Max participants (free / paid) Yes verified 2026-07-11
the price is based on your Space Capacity: the maximum number of concurrent users that can be in your space at the same time
https://support.gather.town/hc/en-us/articles/20564757169684-Gather-1-0-Pricing-Overview-Subscriptions-Reservations-and-Space-Capacity -
Meeting duration limit (free) No verified 2026-07-11
There will no longer be a free tier for Gather 1.0 or Gather 2.0.
https://support.gather.town/hc/en-us/articles/39590892978196-Understanding-Gather-s-pricing-changes-2025 -
Recording (local / cloud) Partial verified 2026-07-11
Meeting Recording is only available in Remote Office Spaces with an active Monthly Subscription.
https://support.gather.town/hc/en-us/articles/15910438521492-Record-Meetings -
Transcription & captions Partial verified 2026-07-11
you must be a member of a Remote Office Space with an active monthly subscription
https://support.gather.town/hc/en-us/articles/33927709889940-AI-Transcriptions-Summaries-Beta-Release -
Breakout rooms Yes verified 2026-07-11
Breakout Rooms: Great for workshops, office hours, or group activities.
https://support.gather.town/hc/en-us/articles/21563364181268-Getting-Started-with-a-Conference-Space -
Virtual backgrounds Yes verified 2026-07-11
Now you have the freedom to blur your background, select from our collection of background images, or even upload your very own image.
https://support.gather.town/hc/en-us/articles/15910464703636-Virtual-Backgrounds -
Browser join without app Partial verified 2026-07-11
we recommend using the Gather Desktop App instead of a browser
https://support.gather.town/hc/en-us/articles/23924440456852-Browser-Support-Policy -
E2E encryption No verified 2026-07-11
we encrypt data in transit and at rest and have implemented certain data access controls
https://www.gather.town/security -
Webinar mode Partial verified 2026-07-11
Talk Rooms: Best for keynotes, panel discussions, or presentations.
https://support.gather.town/hc/en-us/articles/21563364181268-Getting-Started-with-a-Conference-Space -
Calendar integrations Yes verified 2026-07-11
Schedule meetings in Gather or directly from Google Calendar.
https://www.gather.town/features -
Whiteboard Yes verified 2026-07-11
Just add a whiteboard object to your Space! Gather's default collaborative whiteboards are powered by http://tryeraser.com/
https://support.gather.town/hc/en-us/articles/15910377729044-Collaborate-on-Whiteboards -
Dial-in numbers No verified 2026-07-11
Want to use a third-party platform like Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, or WebX to host a call? You can do that with our external call integration object!
https://support.gather.town/hc/en-us/articles/15910433141780-External-Calls
FAQ
Yes. Webex, Zoom and Zoho Meeting have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
Jitsi Meet, MiroTalk and BigBlueButton — every license claim links its source.
Jitsi Meet, MiroTalk and BigBlueButton can be self-hosted. Cells marked ? mean we have not verified a self-host path yet.