Top 10 Video Chat Apps in Canada to Meet New People [Best Reviews]

When putting together our list of the best video chat apps for 2026, we looked for those that offer all the features users in Canada need to communicate seamlessly with their friends, families, and business associates. The best video chat apps should be multiplatform, include text chats, support screen sharing, and offer landline support. We also noted which of these apps do and do not require subscriptions to unlock all of their features in the Canadian market.

Choose the video chat app that’s right for you

Some video chat apps like Zoom are ideal for professionals and businesses in hubs like Toronto and Vancouver, while apps like FaceTime are better for personal use. Since all of the apps on our list offer free versions, we recommend testing several apps to find the one that best suits your wants and needs.

It’s important that your video chat app works on a variety of platforms to ensure you’re able to stay in touch with friends and family members across Canada that use different devices. Every app on our list offers multiplatform support, meaning you can use them to make video calls on iOS, Android, desktop, and other devices.

1. Zoom

Zoom remains the best video chat app on iOS, Android, and desktop devices in 2026. For many Canadians, it is the go-to video chat app for both business and personal use. The free version is perfectly suitable for personal use because it allows for up to 100 participants, unlimited group meetings up to 40 minutes, and unlimited one-to-one meetings with a 30-hour time limit per meeting.

Zoom also offers the most powerful commercial solutions for small businesses and enterprises. In Canada, business plans typically start around $20.00 CAD per month per user (billed annually), supporting more participants, social media streaming, cloud recording, and custom company branding. Aside from video calls, Zoom also supports private messaging, co-annotation for shared documents, and voice calls.

2. Skype

Skype is the most powerful free video chat app available. Skype’s free version includes unlimited instant messaging, voice calls, and video calls — all when communicating with other Skype users. Users only have to pay to make calls to landlines or mobile phones, and these subscriptions in Canada start at approximately $3.99 CAD per month. You can create private or group chats, share pictures and videos, and share your screen in video calls for collaboration.

Skype uses end-to-end encryption to protect your private chats, and you can use the app on iOS, Android, or desktop devices. Other unique features include call recording, live subtitles, and international calls — all of which contribute to Skype being a go-to free video chat app for many Canadians with family abroad.

3. Google Meet (formerly Google Duo)

Google Meet (which has fully integrated all Google Duo features as of 2026) is the best video chat app for Android users and arguably the easiest video chat app to use. The app is completely free to use and comes pre-installed on most Android phones in Canada. It works on all major platforms, including iOS, and offers powerful video chat features, including video call screenshots, family mode, and end-to-end encryption. One of the app’s more interesting features inherited from Duo is the ability to share drawings and effects with the person you’re chatting with.

Video chats also include augmented reality (AR) effects and filters, and the unique Knock Knock feature (where available) lets you see who’s calling you before you answer. While the free version for personal use has a 60-minute limit for group calls, it remains a top choice for its deep integration with Google services used by many Canadians.

4. Facebook Messenger

If you, your friends, and your family members in Canada use Facebook to stay in touch, Facebook Messenger is the obvious choice for text and video chats. With Messenger, you can easily start a video chat or group video chat with any of your Facebook friends, and you can use the unique Watch Together feature to view videos with friends and family members.

You can invite anyone to join your video chat by sending a link, and you can make free voice calls to any Facebook Messenger user, including international calls. Messenger also offers great text chat features, including group chats, disappearing messages, customizable chat themes, and message reactions. Facebook Messenger is also completely free to use, though, since it’s owned by Meta, it may not be the ideal choice for users concerned with privacy.

5. WhatsApp

WhatsApp is one of the most popular and powerful video chat apps available in Canada. Like Messenger, WhatsApp is owned by Meta, which may dissuade some users from giving it a try. Aside from that though, WhatsApp offers a wide range of unique video and text chat features, including end-to-end encryption, free international video calls, group chats, disappearing messages, and location sharing.

WhatsApp also offers unique social features that aren’t included with other video chat apps, like its Status feature, which lets users share videos and pictures from their day. While group video calls have expanded, it remains a popular choice for quick, secure mobile check-ins among Canadians and their international contacts.

6. FaceTime

If you own an iPhone, FaceTime is the only video chat app you’ll ever need. Although the FaceTime app is only available on iOS, you can invite Android or Windows users in Canada to join your FaceTime via a link, making it easy to stay in touch with everyone. FaceTime group calls allow for up to 32 participants and it is the only app to utilize Apple’s SharePlay feature, allowing users to watch videos and listen to music together.

The Voice Isolation feature lets you block ambient noise (perfect for chatting while walking through a busy Canadian city), and the Center Stage feature makes sure you are always centered in the frame during video calls.

7. Discord

Discord is the ultimate video chat app for gamers and hobbyist communities across Canada. Although not just for gamers, Discord offers several unique features that let users share their experiences with others, including video game livestreams, group voice chats, private group chat servers, and group video chats. Chat servers are organized into separate channels to keep discussions focused on a specific topic, and you can create voice channels that friends can pop in and out of at will.

Unlike any other app on our list, Discord livestreams let users stream themselves while others join the video call and watch together. Nearly all of the app’s core features are free, and with Discord Nitro (priced at approximately $13.99 CAD per month in 2026), you can unlock higher resolution livestreams and larger file uploads.

8. MarcoPolo

The free version of Marco Polo has no ads and includes unlimited chats, unlimited groups, voice effects, camera filters, and emojis. Marco Polo’s video chat feature stands out because it works like a "video walkie-talkie," allowing Canadians to send videos whenever they want. Other chat members can watch the video at any time, which is perfect for staying in touch across Canada’s six different time zones.

With a Marco Polo Plus subscription, you can unlock great features like photo messages, high-definition (HD) videos, and video reactions. Pricing for the Plus version is usually in the range of $13.49 CAD per month.

9. Viber

Viber is a feature-rich video chat app that emphasizes privacy and security. All chats and calls are protected with end-to-end encryption, and users can send self-destructing Secret Chats. Video calls support up to 20 participants, and users can even make low-cost calls to landlines globally with Viber Out.

Viber supports group text chats, and, unlike other apps on our list, users can join public groups to chat with other Viber users about their common interests. You can quickly react to messages with GIFs and stickers, and Chat Extensions allow you to enhance your experience by connecting with apps like YouTube and Spotify.

10. Instagram

Instagram stands out from the other video chat apps on our list because it is the only one that is a full-fledged social media platform popular with Canadians of all ages. You can follow friends, send them private messages, and view their Stories. You can also share your own pictures and videos with everyone who follows you.

Instagram Live lets users start livestreams that any of their followers can join. Using Instagram’s Direct Message feature, you can also start private video chats with select followers, making it a very casual and integrated way to hang out digitally in 2026.

Video Can Change How Singles Flirt Online

If you want to shake up your social life in Canada, random video chat apps can definitely spice things up. You can meet a random stranger, make new friends, or even find love and romance through sites and apps that set up a video chat room for you and a new person to talk in.

If you’re tired of the traditional dating apps, giving a random video chat app could be a niche change of pace – because you can actually talk to another person instead of texting!

Find the best video chat app in 2026 and meet someone interesting across the Great White North!