Web conferencing is a group meeting where multiple participants use web-based text messaging to communicate with each other. Web conferencing is commonly used to perform live meetings, training, or presentations via the Internet.

Web conferencing can be an alternative to teleconferencing, or the two can be combined to provide an even better conferencing experience. This is particularly true when the teleconferencing capability is provided using Voice Over IP (VOIP) technology. In the near beginning of the Internet, the expression "web conferencing" was frequently used to express a group discussion in a message board and thus not live. The expression has grown to refer distinctively to live or synchronous web meetings.

Web conferencing software typically includes features which allow participants to display part or all of their computer desktops with other conference users. This is often used for demonstrations and slide presentations. The very basic features of web conferencing are slide show presentations, live or streaming videos, Voice Over IP, meeting recording, plain text chat, polls, surveys and desktop sharing.

Web conferencing is mostly sold as a service by various vendors. Web conferencing technologies are not standardized, which has been a major reason in the lack of interoperability, clearness, platform dependence, security concerns, service fee and market segmentation. Market leaders in web conferencing software include WebEx and Microsoft Live Meeting. Few other web conferencing service providers are Adobe Acrobat Connect, Convenos Meeting Center, Dimdim, ePresence, Genesys Meeting Center, Glance, GoToMeeting, IBM Lotus Sametime, InterCall, ICU Live!, MSN, Oracle Beehive, ReadyTalk, RHUB Communications, SeeToo, Tokbox, VIA3, WebTrain, Yuuguu and Zoho.