Review Summary – Join.me is an easy-to-use web meeting and desktop sharing application. This application proves that less is more when it comes to usability.
Pros – The quickest online meeting setup we’ve seen. The Free version is adequate for basic meetings. Easy to use – no manual required.
Cons – There’s no application security, anybody who has access to the 9 digit code can join the meeting. The mobile version can only be used for viewing meetings. No annotation tools. No recording features.
Join.me Ratings
| Category | Score | Why |
| Overall Rating: |  |
Join.me is easily the best free desktop sharing application we’ve tested. In fact, it’s better than 50% of the paid web conferencing services we’ve reviewed. |
| Usability: |  |
Join.me has a user-friendly interface that makes it incredibly easy to start a meeting and share your desktop. |
| Audio quality and features: | |
Join.me’s teleconference partner has good audio quality, but the lack of a dedicated computer audio solution brings the rating down. |
| Video quality and features: | |
Join.me’s video feed for desktop sharing is good, but the lack of video conferencing is limiting. |
| Collaboration features: |  |
Join.me is great for sharing your desktop, but it lacks annotation tools and other collaboration features you would find in a leading web conferencing service. |
| Presentation features: | |
Join.me shines as a presentation tool. It doesn’t offer some of the bells and whistles found in other services, but it’s ease of use makes up for it’s lack of features. |
| Mobile features: |  |
Join.me offers mobile applications on the Android and iOS platforms. They work well for attendees, but the functionality for meeting organizers is limited. |
What We Like About Join.Me
The easiest web meeting software to use – Want to run a web meeting in less than 60 seconds? No problem. With Join.me you just download an installer, click a button, and it’s ready to go. No configuration, no hassles. It just works.
The price point – You can’t complain about the price. They offer a Free version, and a Pro version with additional features for $19/mo. You can save even more money by paying for a 1-year subscription upfront.
Generous limits for meeting attendees – The Free version of Join.Me allows you to share your desktop with up to 100 meeting attendees. The Pro version allows you to share your desktop with up to 250 attendees.
What We Don’t Like About Join.Me
No screen recording – One of the benefits of having an online meeting is the ability to record the session. Unfortunately, Join.Me doesn’t offer this feature yet. Web conferencing applications like GoToMeeting allow you to record the meeting right to your desktop.
Weak security – Anybody can join any meeting. All you need is the 9 digit code to join.
No annotation tools – This might not seem like a big deal, but not having annotation tools is severely limiting. When people can’t see your mouse, or the thing your pointing at on-screen, it can make it difficult for meeting attendees to follow.
Can’t specify what application you want to share – When you start sharing your desktop, everybody can see everything. Applications like GoToMeeting allow you to share specific applications, rather than your entire desktop. You don’t want to broadcast that unexpected instant message to everybody in your meeting.
Join.Me Features
| Pricing | Free version or $19/mo for Pro |
| Mobile Clients | Yes – iOS and Android |
| Free Trial | NA for Free version / 14 days for Pro |
| Meeting Capacity | 100 for Free / 250 for Pro |
| Desktop Sharing | Yes |
| Desktop Recording | No |
| VOIP | No |
| Control Granting | No Free Version / Yes Paid Version |
| Annotation Tools | No |
| Video Conferencing | No |
| Private Chat | Yes |
Conclusion About Join.Me
Join.me is a great entry-level online meeting service. It’s easy to use, and cheap. If your meeting needs are simple, and you don’t need the advanced features of a more powerful online meeting service, Join.Me will work well for you.
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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Join.me Review Details
Reviewed by: 
Jeremy Palmer
Reviewed on: November 2011