What is the main difference between Pondchat and Whereby?

Whereby requires a host account and relays media through its servers (SFU); Pondchat needs no account for anyone and sends audio and video directly between peers. Whereby's free plan limits group calls to 45 minutes; Pondchat has no time limit.

Is Pondchat suitable for teams that need larger rooms than Whereby's free tier?

Pondchat is optimised for 2–6 people per room. For larger groups, Whereby's paid plans and SFU architecture scale further.

Where is chat history stored in Pondchat versus Whereby?

Pondchat encrypts text chat in the browser with a key derived from the room name; the server only holds ciphertext while the room is occupied and wipes it when the pond empties. Whereby stores chat according to its own cloud policy.

Can I use Pondchat from Telegram?

Yes. Open @pondchat_bot to start a pond as a Telegram Mini App; the same room is also reachable at pondchat.com/{id} for guests without Telegram.

Platform Comparison

Pondchat vs Whereby: Free Browser Video Chat Comparison

Whereby popularized browser-based video meetings, but introduced meeting duration caps and account requirements. Here is how Pondchat provides a truly free, privacy-first alternative.

Start an Unlimited Pond

No meeting time limits, no accounts required.

Pondchat vs Whereby Comparison

Feature	Pondchat	Whereby
Free Plan Duration	Unlimited (No cutoff)	45-minute limit (group calls)
Host Account	0 Account required	Mandatory email sign-up
Cost	100% Free	$6.99–$9.99 / user / month
Mobile Web & QR Join	Instant in browser	Web / App

Pricing and limits (verified September 2026)

	Pondchat	Whereby
Price	Free, no plans	Free tier plus paid plans
Group call time limit	None	45 minutes on the free plan (1:1 unlimited)
Participants per call	6 (P2P mesh)	Larger rooms on paid plans via SFU
Account for host	Not required	Required
Embedding / API	Public MCP + agent mint API, no SDK	Embedded video SDK for products

When Whereby is the better choice

Choose Whereby if you need branded persistent rooms with host controls, larger meetings than a six-person mesh allows, or an embeddable video SDK for your own product. Pondchat is for quick, private huddles where nobody should have to sign up.

Shared strengths

Both run in the browser without downloads and let guests join by link. The difference is what happens behind the link: Whereby relays media through its servers and stores account data; Pondchat keeps media peer-to-peer and keeps no accounts at all.

Start an Unlimited Pond

Pondchat vs Whereby Comparison

Pricing and limits (verified September 2026)

When Whereby is the better choice

Shared strengths

Frequently Asked Questions