# Pondchat vs Zoom — Instant Private Video Chat Alternative

> Zero sign-up browser ponds vs Zoom meetings. Peer-to-peer media for 2–6 people; chat wiped when the pond empties.

## At a glance

| Aspect | Pondchat | Zoom Meetings |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Account | None | Required for hosts |
| Install | Pure browser | Desktop / app prompts |
| Media | P2P mesh (DTLS-SRTP) | Cloud SFU |
| Free duration | Unlimited | 40-minute cutoff |
| Chat | Room-encrypted; wiped when empty | Cloud-stored |
| Cap | 2–6 | Large meetings |

## Product facts

- Start at [pondchat.com](https://pondchat.com/) or [@pondchat_bot](https://t.me/pondchat_bot).
- Dual invite: Telegram Join Chat plus `https://pondchat.com/{roomId}` for browser guests.
- No SFU, no server media recording.

## Pricing and limits (verified September 2026)

| | Pondchat | Zoom |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Price | Free, no plans | Basic free; paid plans from Pro |
| Group call time limit | None | 40 minutes on Basic |
| Participants per call | 6 (P2P mesh) | Up to 100 on Basic, more on paid |
| Account for host | Not required | Required |
| Guest join | Browser link, no account | Browser or app, name prompt |

## When Zoom is the better choice

Pondchat is deliberately small. Pick Zoom when you need more than six participants, webinars, cloud recording and transcripts, breakout rooms, calendar and SSO integration, or centralized admin controls. Pondchat trades all of that for zero friction and peer-to-peer privacy.

## How Pondchat handles privacy differently

Zoom routes media through its cloud so it can record, transcribe, and scale. Pondchat never sees your media: browsers connect directly with DTLS-SRTP, chat is encrypted in the browser with a room-derived key, and the server wipes the chat ciphertext when the room empties. There is no account, so there is no profile, contact list, or meeting history to protect.

## Related

- [Whereby comparison](https://pondchat.com/compare/whereby-alternative)
- [Google Meet comparison](https://pondchat.com/compare/google-meet-alternative)
- [No-signup feature](https://pondchat.com/features/no-signup-video-chat)
- [llms.txt](https://pondchat.com/llms.txt)