Facebook Portal Video Calling Device

If you can’t be there, feel there with Portal

3.0•1 review•

3 followers

If you can’t be there, feel there with Portal

3.0•1 review•

3 followers

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Camera apps

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Video and Voice calling

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Physical Products

Facebook Portal is a brand of smart displays developed in 2018 by Facebook, Inc. The product line consists of four models (Portal, Portal Plus, Portal Mini, and Portal TV) that provide video chat via Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, augmented by a camera that can automatically zoom and track people's movements.

The Best Facebook Portal Video Calling Device Alternatives

The best Facebook Portal Video Calling Device alternatives are Echo Show, WhatsApp, Whereby, Zoom, and Camo.

Echo Show

Choose Echo Show if...

✓you want an Alexa-first smart display hub
✓you need smart-home controls and camera views
✓you want ambient info alongside occasional calls

See details ↓

4.7 ·

Choose WhatsApp if...

✓everyone you know already uses WhatsApp
✓you need messaging plus voice and video
✓you want free calling across devices

See details ↓

Whereby

4.9 ·

Choose Whereby if...

✓you want join-by-link calls with no downloads
✓you meet clients who hate installing apps
✓you want a permanent room for drop-ins

See details ↓

Zoom

4.6 ·

Choose Zoom if...

✓you need reliable work meetings and webinars
✓you rely on screen sharing and recording
✓you want breakout rooms for structured sessions

See details ↓

Camo

4.6 ·

Choose Camo if...

✓you want better video quality using your phone
✓you need granular camera controls for calls
✓you use Zoom or Meet on a laptop

See details ↓

What to Consider

Facebook Portal earned its place as a living-room-friendly video calling device, built around hands-free conversations with Messenger and WhatsApp. But the alternatives span very different philosophies: Echo Show leans into an Alexa smart-display hub, WhatsApp is the ubiquitous software option for messaging-first communication, Whereby optimizes for “send a link and join” simplicity, Zoom brings work-grade meetings and facilitation tools, and Camo upgrades your camera quality across whichever calling app you already use.

In evaluating options, we weighed total cost (free apps vs dedicated hardware), setup and join friction for less-technical participants, call reliability and quality, privacy expectations, and how well each product fits broader workflows—like smart-home control, persistent messaging, browser-based client calls, or advanced collaboration features such as screen sharing, recording, and breakout rooms.

Echo Show

Amazon Echo now has a screen

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Echo Show is less a dedicated calling appliance and more an Alexa-powered smart display that happens to do video calls well. Compared with Facebook Portal’s call-first focus, it’s designed to sit in the kitchen or living room as a voice-operated hub for quick questions, timers, music, and glanceable updates.

The biggest reason to pick Echo Show is smart-home control as a daily habit. It’s built to manage compatible lights, thermostats, and routines, and to pull up supported camera feeds like doorbells on-screen, which makes it feel useful even when nobody’s calling.

Echo Show also fits households already invested in Alexa and Amazon services, where voice commands and ambient information matter as much as conversations. If the goal is a multi-purpose home screen that supports video chat as one feature among many, it’s a more versatile alternative than a video-calling-first device.

Best for

Best for Alexa households that want a smart-home hub with a screen and occasional video calling.

Standout features

✓Alexa voice assistant with smart display
✓Smart-home control and routines
✓On-screen viewing for compatible cameras
✓Music, timers, and ambient info
✓Video calling on a home device

The simple, reliable, secure messaging app.

4.7 · 67 reviews

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WhatsApp replaces the idea of a dedicated calling device with a ubiquitous, software-first network that already lives on people’s phones. Versus Facebook Portal’s living-room endpoint, it wins when the priority is reaching anyone quickly without asking them to buy, place, or manage another piece of hardware.

It’s also broader than “video calls,” bundling persistent 1:1 and group messaging, voice notes, media and document sharing, and lightweight coordination for families, communities, and small teams. That makes it a better fit when conversations span quick updates throughout the day, not just scheduled catch-ups.

WhatsApp’s cross-device options (including desktop and web) help keep chats and calls moving between phone and computer. For many households, choosing WhatsApp is simply choosing the default where everyone already is, with calling as a built-in feature rather than the main event.

Best for

Ideal for families and groups who need everyday messaging plus voice/video calling across devices.

Standout features

✓End-to-end encrypted messaging and calling
✓Group chats, Communities, and broadcast updates
✓Desktop and web companion experiences
✓Media and document sharing
✓Free voice and video calling

Whereby

Beautiful, simple video calls in your browser

4.9 · 17 reviews

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Whereby is built around the fastest possible way to get someone into a video call: send a link and meet in the browser. That’s a fundamentally different approach than Facebook Portal’s dedicated hardware experience, and it’s especially compelling when calls include guests, clients, or anyone who resists installing apps.

Instead of contact lists and device placement, Whereby emphasizes persistent room URLs that work like an always-available meeting space. Teams can treat it as a lightweight virtual office for drop-ins, keeping a room open for quick questions or ongoing presence without formal scheduling.

Practical room controls, like locking a room and letting people knock to enter, make it feel more like a semi-private space than a one-off call. If the goal is maximum join simplicity and a consistent “place” to meet across companies and devices, Whereby is a strong alternative to a home-centric calling device.

Best for

Best for client-facing teams and remote groups that want frictionless, browser-based meetings.

Standout features

✓Join by link in the browser
✓No downloads for guests
✓Permanent room URLs
✓Room lock and knock-to-enter
✓Basic screen sharing and chat

Zoom

Video communication made simple and easy

4.6 · 339 reviews

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Zoom is designed for structured, work-grade meetings rather than casual living-room calls. Compared with Facebook Portal, it’s the better choice when calls need facilitation tools, predictable participant management, and collaboration features that support real work.

Core meeting workflows like screen sharing, recording, and breakout rooms make Zoom effective for presentations, training, interviews, and classrooms. It also fits mixed-audience calls where external guests already know the interface and can join quickly from almost any device.

Zoom’s broader ecosystem and meeting administration capabilities scale from quick check-ins to large sessions and webinars. If the priority is running reliable meetings with strong collaboration primitives, Zoom outclasses a dedicated home video-calling endpoint.

Best for

Ideal for teams, educators, and organizations that need robust meetings and collaboration features.

Standout features

✓Reliable video meetings across devices
✓Screen sharing for presentations and walkthroughs
✓Breakout rooms for group sessions
✓Meeting recording and replays
✓Webinars and large-session hosting

Camo

Great video made easy

4.6 · 5 reviews

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Camo takes a different angle on video calling by upgrading the camera itself, not the calling device. Instead of buying a dedicated screen like Facebook Portal, it turns a smartphone into a high-quality webcam that works across Zoom, Google Meet, and other conferencing apps.

Its advantage is control and polish: users can fine-tune framing, exposure, and other camera settings to look sharper and more professional than a typical laptop webcam. That makes it a strong alternative when the real problem is poor video quality, not where the call happens.

Camo also keeps tool choice flexible because it’s not tied to a single calling platform. For remote workers, educators, and creators who want a noticeable video upgrade without changing their meeting stack, it’s often the most impactful swap.