Whereby

What Is Whereby?

You send a meeting link to a client. They click it. "Please download the app to continue." They sigh, check their IT policy, find they cannot install unapproved software, and email you back: "Can we just do a phone call instead?" The meeting that was supposed to save time has created friction before a single word was spoken.

Whereby exists because this problem is unnecessary. It is a Norwegian video conferencing platform that runs entirely in the browser — no downloads, no plugins, no app installations, no account creation required for guests. A participant clicks a link and is in the meeting. That is the entire onboarding experience.

Originally launched as appear.in in 2013 and rebranded to Whereby in 2019, the platform has built its reputation on eliminating every possible barrier to joining a video call. The meeting rooms have persistent URLs that never expire — you create a room once and use the same link indefinitely. Custom branding, a clean interface, and thoughtful features like knock-to-enter and room locking round out an experience designed for simplicity rather than feature overload.

But Whereby is more than a simple meeting tool. The Whereby Embedded API allows developers to build video meetings directly into their own web applications — telehealth platforms, virtual classrooms, customer support tools, and collaborative workspaces. This API business is a significant portion of Whereby's value proposition, serving use cases where video needs to be embedded rather than external.

All data is processed and stored in the EU, and Whereby AS operates from Oslo, Norway (EEA member). For organisations that need GDPR-compliant video meetings without the data sovereignty concerns of US-based platforms, Whereby provides a structurally clean alternative.

Key Features

Zero-Download Browser-Based Meetings

Whereby's fundamental feature is that it works in the browser. Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari — participants open the link and join. There is no download prompt, no "would you like to open this in the app?" dialogue, no account requirement for guests. For external meetings with clients, candidates, or partners, this frictionless access is a genuine competitive advantage. Every barrier removed increases the probability that the meeting actually happens.

Persistent Meeting Room URLs

Meeting rooms in Whereby have permanent URLs. You create a room — whereby.com/your-room-name — and that URL works indefinitely. No generating new links for each meeting. No expiring invitations. You can share the link once with a recurring meeting participant and they bookmark it forever. It is a small feature with outsized practical value for teams with regular external meetings.

Custom Branding

Paid plans allow custom logos, colours, and subdomains on meeting rooms. For customer-facing scenarios — sales calls, client consultations, onboarding sessions — branded rooms project professionalism and reinforce brand presence. The branding is applied to the waiting room, the meeting interface, and the meeting recording.

Whereby Embedded API

The Embedded API is Whereby's most strategically distinctive product. Developers integrate video meetings directly into their own web applications using iframes or the Whereby SDK. The meetings run within the host application's interface, maintaining the user's context and branding rather than redirecting them to a separate video platform.

Use cases include telehealth consultations, virtual tutoring, customer support video calls, and collaborative workspaces. Pricing for the Embedded API is usage-based, charged per participant minute, making it scalable from prototype to production. A HIPAA-eligible option is available for healthcare applications.

Meeting Features

Screen sharing, virtual backgrounds, noise cancellation, meeting recording (paid plans), breakout groups (Business plan), in-meeting chat, meeting timer, reactions, and room locking are all present. The feature set covers the standard video conferencing requirements without the feature bloat of platforms like Zoom or Teams. End-to-end encryption is applied for small peer-to-peer meetings (up to four participants), with server-side encryption and EU hosting for larger meetings.

Pricing

The free plan includes one meeting room, up to 100 participants per meeting, and a 45-minute limit on group meetings. This is generous enough for freelancers and small teams with occasional meeting needs.

The Pro plan at EUR 8.99 per month provides three meeting rooms, up to 200 participants, no time limits, recording, and custom branding. The Business plan at EUR 11.99 per month adds unlimited rooms, breakout groups, recording with transcription, and advanced meeting management.

The Whereby Embedded API uses usage-based pricing, charged per participant minute. This model scales linearly — you pay for what you use — making it accessible for prototyping and predictable at scale. Specific per-minute rates should be confirmed directly with Whereby, as they vary by volume commitment.

Whereby's meeting product pricing is competitive. At EUR 8.99 per month for the Pro plan, it undercuts Zoom Pro and offers comparable features for most meeting scenarios. The limitations emerge in advanced use cases: no PSTN dial-in for audio-only participants, recording only on paid plans, and breakout rooms restricted to the Business tier.

EU Compliance & Privacy

Whereby AS is headquartered in Oslo, Norway — an EEA member state — and processes and stores all data in the EU. The platform maintains full GDPR compliance, with Data Processing Agreements available for enterprise customers.

End-to-end encryption for small meetings (up to four participants) ensures that neither Whereby nor any intermediary can access the meeting content. Larger meetings use server-side encryption with EU-hosted infrastructure.

The Norwegian EEA jurisdiction provides strong data protection within the European framework, and Whereby's focus on browser-based operation means minimal client-side data persistence — meetings happen in the browser session and leave a lighter data footprint than installed applications.

With an EU compliance rating of 9.0, Whereby ranks among the most compliant video conferencing options available — significantly ahead of US-based competitors on data sovereignty.

Who It's Best For

Teams with frequent external meetings — client calls, sales demos, candidate interviews — where the zero-download requirement eliminates friction and IT policy conflicts.

Developers building video into their products via the Whereby Embedded API. Telehealth, edtech, customer support, and collaboration platforms benefit from integrated video without building the infrastructure from scratch.

Freelancers and small teams that need a clean, affordable video meeting tool with EU data hosting. The Pro plan at EUR 8.99 per month is cost-effective for most use cases.

Privacy-conscious organisations that need GDPR-compliant video conferencing under EEA jurisdiction, with end-to-end encryption for small meetings and EU-only data processing for all meetings.

The Verdict

Whereby is not trying to replace Zoom or Teams for large enterprise deployments. It is solving a different problem: making video meetings as frictionless as possible for everyone involved, especially the people who did not choose the platform. The zero-download experience, persistent room URLs, and clean interface make it the most pleasant video meeting tool to join as a guest. The Embedded API extends this value to developers who need video inside their own products. The feature set is intentionally focused — no breakout rooms on Pro, no phone dial-in, fewer advanced features than Zoom. For teams that need simplicity, EU hosting, and an experience that just works, those trade-offs are entirely acceptable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Whereby require any software installation?

No. Whereby runs entirely in the browser. Participants join by clicking a link — no downloads, no plugins, and no account creation required for guests. It works on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.

Is Whereby GDPR compliant?

Yes. Whereby AS is headquartered in Oslo, Norway (EEA member) and processes all data in the EU. End-to-end encryption is used for small meetings. Data Processing Agreements are available for enterprise customers.

What is Whereby Embedded?

Whereby Embedded is a video API that lets developers build video meetings directly into their own web applications. It uses per-participant-minute pricing, supports full UI customisation, and offers a HIPAA-eligible option for healthcare.

How many participants can join a Whereby meeting?

The free plan supports up to 100 participants per meeting with a 45-minute group time limit. Paid plans support up to 200 participants with no time limits. The Embedded API supports custom participant limits.

Does Whereby offer end-to-end encryption?

Yes, for small peer-to-peer meetings with up to four participants. Larger meetings use server-side encryption with all data processed and stored in EU infrastructure.