AnyMeeting Review

AnyMeeting Review Summary - I’m not sure why I’m even wasting my time writing up a review for AnyMeeting. It’s easily the worst online meeting application we’ve tested in the lab. I’m shocked they pulled the beta sticker off this package before releasing it to the public.

Pros - Since the product is free (ad supported) you won’t need to ask anybody for a refund, when this software fails in your next online meeting.

Cons - Software is incredibly difficult to install. It required us to update Flash and Java. We had to reboot our browsers after each update. We couldn’t get the desktop sharing working on our Windows 7 machine (the first time this has happened in dozens of tests). No mobile clients. The audio and video quality made us feel like we were on a dial-up connection. Meeting attendees must install Java plug-in. Littered with ads.

AnyMeeting Ratings

Category	Score	Why
Overall Rating:		AnyMeeting failed to impress in our tests. It’s free (ad supported) but sometimes you get what you pay for – even if you end up paying with your time.
Usability:		We have a dedicated Windows machine setup with current (major) versions of Flash and Java. Before we could use AnyMeeting we had to upgrade minor versions of both Flash and Java. This is the first time we’ve encountered this in our tests. In addition to these setup problems, we found the ads to be a major distraction.
Audio quality:		We recommend you use the teleconference option, rather than the computer audio.
Video quality:		The video conferencing and desktop sharing video looked bad in our tests. We tested this service with the same broadband connection we use for every review.
Collaboration features:		AnyMeeting allows you to share your desktop
Presentation features:
Mobile features:		No mobile applications.

What We Like About AnyMeeting

We’re usually able to find some redeemable qualities in all of the software we test, but I can’t remember one positive thing that stood out in our AnyMeeting test.

What We Don’t Like About AnyMeeting

Hard to setup – We’re running a Windows 7 machine in our lab. We had to update to a minor version of Flash. After the Flash update, we had to update Java. With each update we needed to reboot FireFox.

Audio/Video quality – The audio and video made us feel like we were connected to the conference with 14.4 modems. There were noticeable crackles in the audio. The video looked like a VHS tape that had been on a continuous loop since 1987.

No mobile clients – Most modern web conferencing applications have support for iOS and Android. We can forgive a company for not having a Blackberry app, but when you don’t have an app for 200 million plus devices, you’ve got problems.

The software is slow and unresponsive – When we run our online meeting tests, we shut down any background applications, so we can get a true feeling for how quick and reliable the software is. This is also a good practice when you’re running your own online meetings – nothing is more embarrassing than being in a webinar with dozens of people, and having your IM window pop up.

Anymeeting Features

Our Conclusion About AnyMeeting

We pride ourselves in reviewing viable online meeting applications. When AnyMeeting popped up on our radar, we decided to give it a shot. We can’t recommend this software, even though the free price point may be attractive to some. If you’re looking for a barebones free meeting application, we recommend that you read our Join.me review. If you’re looking for a full-featured online meeting application, we recommend GoToMeeting.

Additional Resources

Before committing to an online meeting service, make sure you read the reviews for our top picks. You can also compare our top picks side by side. It’s worth noting, that most of the vendors we review on this site offer free trials.

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AnyMeeting

AnyMeeting Review Details

Reviewed by: Jeremy Palmer
Reviewed on: December 2011