Whereby

Overview

Whereby is a refreshing alternative to the data-hungry ecosystems of Google Meet and Zoom. Founded and headquartered in Norway, the platform is built on the philosophy that video conferencing should be frictionless and private. Unlike Google Meet, which often nudges users into the broader Google ecosystem, Whereby remains a focused, standalone tool that respects user boundaries.

The standout feature of Whereby is its simplicity. There are no apps to download for desktop users and no guest accounts required. You simply send a link, and your participants join via their browser. This “no-install” approach significantly reduces the attack surface for your computer and prevents the tracking often associated with installed communication software.

Key Features

Personal Meeting Rooms

Instead of generating a random string of characters for every meeting, Whereby allows you to claim a permanent, personalized URL. This “room” stays yours, making it easy for clients or team members to remember where to find you without hunting through calendar invites for a fresh link.

Effortless Collaboration

Whereby includes built-in integrations that make meetings more productive. You can launch a Miro board for whiteboarding, share Trello cards, or watch YouTube videos together—all within the meeting interface without sharing your entire screen.

Privacy by Design

Because Whereby is governed by the GDPR and Norwegian privacy regulations, they collect minimal data. They do not sell your data to third parties or use your conversations for ad targeting. For 1-on-1 calls, the connection is often peer-to-peer, meaning the video data never even touches their servers.

Privacy & Security

Whereby uses industry-standard WebRTC technology. For 1-on-1 meetings, the connection is typically Peer-to-Peer (P2P), which is end-to-end encrypted by default. For larger group meetings, Whereby uses a Secure Forwarding Unit (SFU) to manage the video streams. While the data is encrypted in transit between your device and the server, it is technically decrypted at the server level to be routed to other participants.

However, Whereby distinguishes itself by being SOC2 Type II certified and maintaining a strict “no-storage” policy for meeting data. They do not record or transcribe meetings unless the host manually activates that feature, and they do not track users across the web.

Getting Started

1. Visit Whereby.com: Navigate to the official website and sign up for a free account using your email.
2. Claim Your Room: Choose a unique name for your personal meeting room (e.g., whereby.com/your-business-name).
3. Configure Settings: Grant your browser permission to access your camera and microphone.
4. Share Your Link: Copy your room URL and send it to anyone you want to meet with. No registration is required for them to join.

Who Is It Best For?

Whereby is the ideal choice for freelancers, consultants, and small-to-medium businesses who want a professional, branded meeting experience without the privacy overhead of “Big Tech.” It is particularly well-suited for users who frequently meet with external clients, as it eliminates the “I can’t get the app to work” hurdle that often plagues other platforms.

Final Verdict

If you are looking to de-Google your workflow, Whereby is one of the easiest transitions you can make. It matches Google Meet in terms of stability and features but surpasses it in user experience and privacy protections. While it isn’t fully open-source like Jitsi, its adherence to European privacy standards makes it a top-tier choice for the security-conscious professional.