Around
Around
| Feature | Around | Around |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10/mo | Free / from $10.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | remote-teams, hybrid-teams, developers, creative-teams | remote-teams, quick-standups, pair-programming, distributed-teams |
| Founded | 2019 | 2020 |
| Floating Bubbles | ✓ | ✗ |
| Noise Cancellation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Leveling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Screen Sharing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Reactions | ✓ | ✓ |
| Meeting Notes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Calendar Integration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Floating Video | ✗ | ✓ |
| Virtual Backgrounds | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Around Pros
- Minimal screen footprint with floating video bubbles
- Excellent AI noise cancellation
- Auto-equalizes audio levels between participants
- Designed for casual always-on collaboration
✗ Around Cons
- Limited features for formal presentations
- Smaller user base than major platforms
- No recording on free plan
✓ 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
The Verdict
Around is built for remote teams and hybrid teams, with a focus on floating-bubbles and noise-cancellation. Around targets remote teams and quick standups and leads with floating-video and auto-leveling.
Both tools come in at similar price points ($10/mo for Around, $10.99/mo for Around), so pricing won't make the decision for you.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Around offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Around takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for remote teams — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
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.