Around
Mailbird
| Feature | Around | Mailbird |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10.99/mo | From $49.5/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Best For | remote-teams, quick-standups, pair-programming, distributed-teams | windows-users, professionals, multi-account-users, freelancers |
| Founded | 2020 | 2012 |
| Floating Video | ✓ | ✗ |
| Auto Leveling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Noise Cancellation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Screen Sharing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reactions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Virtual Backgrounds | ✓ | ✗ |
| Unified Inbox | ✗ | ✓ |
| App Integrations | ✗ | ✓ |
| Speed Reader | ✗ | ✓ |
| Snooze | ✗ | ✓ |
| Attachment Search | ✗ | ✓ |
| Custom Layouts | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Around Pros
- Lightweight and fast
- Minimal floating interface
- Good noise cancellation
- Reduces meeting fatigue
✗ Around Cons
- Limited features vs Zoom
- Smaller user base
- No recording on free
✓ Mailbird Pros
- Clean interface
- Unified inbox
- App integrations
- Speed reader
✗ Mailbird Cons
- Windows only
- No free tier
- Limited features vs competitors
The Verdict
Around is built for remote teams and quick standups, with a focus on floating-video and auto-leveling. Mailbird targets windows users and professionals and leads with unified-inbox and app-integrations.
On pricing, Around is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $10.99/mo compared to $49.5/mo for Mailbird. That $38.51/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Around has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Mailbird requires a paid subscription from day one.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.