Us vs. The Trillion-Dollar Surveillance Machines
We're not saying Big Tech's video calling is bad. We're saying it's bad for you. When the product is free and the company is worth trillions, you're not the customer: you're the inventory.
Look, Google Meet is fine if you enjoy being the product. FaceTime is great if your entire social circle swore a blood oath to Apple. Teams is... well, Teams is Teams. Magicall is for people who want video calls without the existential baggage.
Note on browser-based encryption: Like all browser-based encryption, you trust that we serve you the correct JavaScript code. The encryption runs in your browser, but we control what code is served. This is a fundamental limitation of web-based E2E encryption that applies to all browser apps. How it works →
| Feature | Magicall | Google Meet | FaceTime | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transport Encryption (SRTP) Are your calls encrypted in transit? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| End-to-End Encryption Encrypted before leaving your device | Yes | No | Yes | Paid only |
| Verifiable Encryption (SAS) Confirm you're talking to who you think | Yes | No | No | No |
| No Account for Guests Can anyone join without signing up? | Yes | Partial | No | Partial |
| No Download Required Works entirely in the browser | Yes | Yes | No | Kinda |
| Permanent Room Link One URL that's always yours | Yes | No | No | No |
| Privacy-Focused Analytics Minimal, non-invasive data collection | Yes | No | Partial | No |
| Free Tier Useful without paying | 60 min limit | 60 min limit | Free* | 60 min limit |
| Cross-Platform Works on any device | Yes | Yes | Apple only | Yes |
| Built by Cryptographers Security expertise, not marketing claims | Yes | Has experts | Has experts | Has experts |
| No AI Training on Calls Your conversations stay yours | Guaranteed | See policy | Private | See policy |
| Open Pricing No enterprise sales calls required | Yes | Partial | Yes | No |
| Total Score Points | Magicall 11.5/12 | Google Meet 5.5/12 | FaceTime 6/12 | Teams 5/12 |
*FaceTime requires Apple devices for all participants. That's not cross-platform, that's a hostage situation.
What They Won't Tell You
G Google Meet
Google's business model is advertising. Every product they make, including Meet, exists within an ecosystem designed to understand you better. Without end-to-end encryption, they have technical access to your calls. Their privacy policy allows data use across services. You have to trust they won't. We'd rather you didn't have to.
F FaceTime
FaceTime is genuinely good on privacy. We'll give them that. But here's the thing: it only works if EVERYONE has an Apple device. That's not a feature, it's vendor lock-in with extra steps. Also, have you tried inviting your Android-using friend to a FaceTime call? Exactly.
T Microsoft Teams
Teams is what happens when a company builds software by committee. It does everything, badly. E2E encryption? Only on paid plans. The free tier gives Microsoft full technical access to your calls, and their privacy policies allow extensive data collection and processing. Plus, it somehow uses more RAM than a AAA video game. Now that's a [[BIG SHOT]] move.
M Magicall
We're a small company of cryptographers who got tired of the status quo. We don't have shareholders demanding growth metrics. We don't have an ad business to feed. We built actual end-to-end encryption with verifiable short authentication strings—you can confirm you're talking to who you think you are. That's it. That's the whole business model.
The Verdict
If you need video calls for a Fortune 500 company with 10,000 employees, go use Teams (and godspeed). But if you're a normal human who wants to talk to other humans without being surveilled, analyzed, and monetized... maybe don't use tools built by surveillance companies?
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