Hybrid Meeting Tools to Level up Your Collaboration

Fully in-person teams aren’t as common as they once were. Most companies have learned that employees can work across cities and time zones and still deliver effective results. For organizations with in-office and remote employees, hybrid meetings are a great way to meet with colleagues to make group decisions and work towards organizational objectives. 

Read on to learn about hybrid meetings, explore eight hybrid meeting tools on the market today, and see what factors you should consider when searching for a hybrid meeting tool. 

• What is a hybrid meeting?
• 8 hybrid meeting tools for better collaboration
• What to consider when looking for a hybrid meeting tool
• Free hybrid meeting agenda

What is a hybrid meeting?

Hybrid meetings consist of a mix of in-person and remote employees. These meetings can happen remotely and on site, with attendees working across cities and time zones. With the right technology and organization, hybrid sessions combine the benefits of in-person meetings with the convenience and cost-effectiveness of remote meetings. 

Implementing hybrid solutions can improve efficiency, promote flexibility, and boost employee engagement. Hybrid meeting tools include technology like video conferencing software, project management tools, and other applications that aid teams in running productive hybrid sessions. 

8 hybrid meeting tools for better collaboration 

• Fellow
• Google Meet
• Zoom
• Microsoft Teams
• Slack
• Mentimeter
• Gather
• GoBrunch

1Fellow 

Key features:

Fellow is the tool your team needs to host productive hybrid meetings by building collaborative agendas, recording decisions, and holding each other accountable. Our collaborative meeting agendas prompt in-person and virtual attendees to contribute to the same meeting agenda so that regardless of where everyone is, everyone is on the same page. Plus, with our Google Meet, Zoom, and MS Teams extensions, you can bring your meeting notes directly into your calls, making it easier than ever for everyone to contribute to the agenda and be aligned on next steps. You can also foster accountability with Fellow by assigning meeting action items. When meeting action items are assigned to one or multiple attendees, they will appear in your “action items” tab where you can prioritize all of your meeting to-dos to foster efficient follow-through on tasks.

Some other notable features that make Fellow the best tool for managing hybrid teams includes:

• 500+ ready-to-use meeting agenda templates
• AI suggested agendas
• Streams to organize your ideas
• Real-time feedback on meetings, projects, and performance

And more!

“Our unit has been working in a hybrid environment for almost three years—Fellow has made it easier to communicate between supervisors and direct reports. We’re able to document and assign to-do items simply and efficiently, and fewer things fall through the cracks!”

– Bill D., G2 Review

Pricing: Starts at $7 per user per month

Learn more about Fellow’s plans

2Google Meet

Key features:

Google Meet is Google’s video conferencing tool. The platform’s main feature is one-on-one and group video calling and users can integrate with Google Docs, Jamboard, and other Google tools to make the most of their meetings. With Google Meet, users can share video, their desktops, and presentations with teammates and customers in real time. You can also access Fellow meeting agendas and notes directly from your Google Meet calls using our free extension for Google Chrome to supercharge team meetings and one-on-ones without leaving the tools you’re already using. 

Pricing:

• Business Starter—$6 USD/month (per user when billed annually)
• Business Standard—$12 USD/month (per user when billed annually)
• Business Plus—$12 USD/month (per user when billed annually)
• Enterprise—contact sales for pricing

3Zoom

Key features:

Zoom is a communications platform that allows users to connect via video, audio, phone, and chat. With the tool, users can create and schedule meetings, set individual work statuses, share whiteboards to channels and contacts, and integrate the app with applications like Salesforce, Hubspot, Slack, Google Workspace, and more. With Fellow’s app for Zoom, meeting attendees can access their meeting notes in Zoom to turn chaotic meetings into productive work sessions. 

Pricing:

• Basic—$0/year 
• Pro—$149.90/month (per user)
• Business—$199.90/month (per user)
• Business Plus—$250/month (per user)
• Enterprise—contact sales for pricing

4Microsoft Teams

Key features:

MS Teams is a messaging app for organizations. Meeting attendees can take advantage of real-time collaboration and communication tools, video conferencing, file and app sharing, and more. Additionally, attendees can use features like breakout rooms, content sharing, presenter modes, whiteboards, and live reactions. 

Manage your meeting agendas within the messaging app using Fellow’s extension for MS Teams. Boost meeting efficiency by collaborating on meeting agendas, taking minutes during video calls, and sending feedback requests in Fellow without leaving MS Teams. 

Pricing:

• Free—$0/month
• Microsoft Teams Essentials—$5.10 CAD/month (per user with annual subscription)
• Microsoft 365 Business Basics—$7.10 CAD/month (per user with annual subscription)
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard—$16 CAD/month (per user with annual subscription)

5Slack

Key features:

Slack is a popular messaging app that aims to transform the way organizations communicate. It offers features like Slack Connect, channels, canvas, huddles, clips, and messaging so you can communicate with colleagues and external stakeholders in a way that is convenient for you. Optimize your hybrid meetings by easily sharing documents, short video clips, voice memos, or requesting feedback in Slack. Integrate the tool with Fellow to get daily reminders, prepare for upcoming meetings, and receive an overview of your action items for the day. 

Pricing:

• Free—$0/month
• Pro—$7.25 USD/month (per user when billed annually)
• Business—$12.50 USD/month (per user when billed annually)
• Enterprise Grid—contact sales for custom pricing

6Mentimeter

Key features:

Mentimeter is an online polling tool that can add an interactive element to hybrid meetings, presentations, and recorded sessions. The tool is ideal to catch teammates up to speed during employee training sessions, team meetings, team building sessions, workshops, and events and conferences. Using Mentimeter, meeting hosts can collect input from virtual and in-person attendees and see it appear in real time on the screen to make sessions even more productive and engaging. 

Pricing:

• Free—$0/month
• Basic—$11.99 USD/month (per user when billed annually)
• Pro—$24.99 USD/month (per user when billed annually)
• Enterprise—contact sales for custom pricing

7Gather

Key features:

Gather is a digital space for distributed teams to collaborate. Using Gather, teams can design their ideal digital office using quick-start templates, add and remove objects, or use MapMaker to design a virtual space that reflects the company’s personality. Schedule meetings in Gather by connecting the tool with Google, Outlook, or Slack. When your hybrid meeting begins, attendees can brainstorm ideas on whiteboards, share multiple screens, embed links for easy access to important resources, and virtually walk in and out of conversations as fluidly as you would in real life.

Pricing:

• Free—$0/month
• Monthly Subscription—$7 USD/month 
• Enterprise Plan—contact sales for custom pricing

8GoBrunch

Key features:

GoBrunch is a virtual office and community platform for creators and startups. Teams that want to host asynchronous meetings can use GoBrunch’s co-working, events, and webinar features to work towards action items and team objectives. Users can create custom spaces with breakout rooms, coffee corners, and private meeting rooms while recording their sessions and saving them in the cloud. 

Pricing:

• Free—$0/month
• Gourmet—$23.99 USD/month (when billed annually)
• Prime Chef—$55.99 USD/month (when billed annually)
• Enterprise—contact sales for custom pricing

What to consider when looking for a hybrid meeting tool 

• HD audio and video
• Ease of use
• Calendar integrations
• Available features

1HD audio and video

Search for a hybrid meeting tool that offers the audio and video features your team needs to run effective meetings. During remote and in-person meetings, all attendees should be able to see and hear the teammates they’re talking to. Look for a tool that can automatically calibrate the audio and video quality of a meeting in real time so teammates don’t cut in and out during important conversations. 

2Ease of use

The tool you select should be easy to set up and use. The right hybrid meeting tool will offer an intuitive interface and require minimal training. You and your teammates should be able to begin using the solution as soon as you acquire it. 

3Calendar integrations 

It’s important to select a hybrid meeting tool that integrates with the other tools you already use and love. Choose a solution that integrates with your organization’s digital calendar so you have complete control over your meeting plans, invitations, and scheduling. 

Did you know that you can seamlessly link your meeting notes with your calendar events using Fellow’s Google Calendar integration? Boost your team’s meeting preparation, productivity, and accountability to stay organized and make great decisions. 

4Available features

Search for a tool with an array of features that meet a wide range of your team’s needs. For example, if you’re on the hunt for a video conferencing platform, search for a solution that also offers chat and project management features and connects with the digital tools you already use. The right tool should seamlessly integrate into your team’s existing workflow. 

Free hybrid meeting agenda

Parting advice 

While in-person meetings offer some benefits, they also require resources, travel time, and advanced preparation to attend. For teams with remote members or individuals working across time zones, structured hybrid meetings can offer the best of both worlds. The right hybrid meeting tool can help employees contribute meaningfully in a way that works best for them!