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, Facebook Messenger, The Meeting Owl, AIWatchfulCompanion, and tonari.

Echo Show

Choose Echo Show if...

✓you want Alexa smart home control built in
✓you want a kitchen hub beyond video calls
✓you already use Ring and Amazon devices

See details ↓

Facebook Messenger

3.0 ·

Choose Facebook Messenger if...

✓you want video calling without buying hardware
✓you need chat across phone and desktop
✓you prefer messaging without sharing a phone number

See details ↓

The Meeting Owl

Choose The Meeting Owl if...

✓you run hybrid meetings in shared rooms
✓you need 360 video and speaker focus
✓you want Zoom and Teams compatibility

See details ↓

AIWatchfulCompanion

5.0 ·

Choose AIWatchfulCompanion if...

✓you need real time safety alerts for family
✓you want monitoring plus video check ins
✓you prefer no special hardware to install

See details ↓

tonari

Choose tonari if...

✓you need life sized telepresence between offices
✓you want ultra low latency natural interaction
✓you need enterprise integrations across meeting platforms

See details ↓

What to Consider

Facebook Portal earned its reputation by making at-home video calling feel effortless, especially for families using Messenger or WhatsApp. But the alternatives landscape spans everything from smart displays that double as home hubs (like Echo Show), to hardware-free apps that prioritize flexibility across devices (Facebook Messenger), to purpose-built room systems for work and hybrid meetings (The Meeting Owl and tonari), and even caregiving-first tools that add monitoring and real-time alerts alongside check-ins (AIWatchfulCompanion).

In weighing these options, we focused on where the product fits best (home calling vs smart-home hub vs conference room), how locked-in it is to a calling platform, cross-device and cross-platform compatibility, and the balance between simplicity and broader functionality. We also considered setup friction and hardware requirements, the maturity of the product (shipping today vs early access), and ecosystem integrations that matter day-to-day—whether that’s Alexa smart-home control, common meeting platforms, or caregiver workflows.

Echo Show

Amazon Echo now has a screen

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Echo Show is a better fit when a video-calling screen needs to double as an always-on home assistant. Compared with Facebook Portal’s calling-first experience, it’s designed to be a daily kitchen or living-room hub for quick, glanceable info and hands-free Alexa commands.

The biggest advantage is ecosystem depth: Alexa routines, device control, and broad smart-home compatibility make it useful even when nobody is calling. It’s also well suited to households already using Amazon services for music, shopping, reminders, and multi-room audio.

For calling, Echo Show supports drop-in style check-ins and video chats, but the emphasis stays on being a general-purpose smart display rather than a dedicated Messenger/WhatsApp appliance. If the goal is “one screen that does a bit of everything,” Echo Show typically feels more versatile than a Portal-style single-purpose device.

Best for

Best for Alexa households that want a smart-home hub with occasional video calls.

Standout features

✓Alexa voice control and routines
✓Smart-home device control dashboard
✓Drop-in style household check-ins
✓Kitchen-friendly timers and media
✓Compatible with many cameras and doorbells

Facebook Messenger

Hang out anytime, anywhere

3.0 · 2 reviews

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A dedicated device isn’t necessary when the real priority is reaching people anywhere, on any screen. Facebook Messenger replaces the living-room appliance approach of Facebook Portal with a flexible app that works across phones, tablets, and desktops.

It’s especially compelling for quick video calls and chats when the household isn’t centered around a single shared display. Messenger also fits situations where identity and contact exchange differ from phone-number-first apps, making it easier to start conversations within the Facebook social graph.

The trade-off is that you give up Portal’s “always ready” communal hardware experience and its set-it-and-forget-it simplicity. In return, Messenger offers portability, easier onboarding for mixed-device groups, and the ability to move seamlessly between text, voice, and video without buying or maintaining another screen.

Best for

Ideal for people who want Meta video calling across all devices without dedicated hardware.

Standout features

✓Works on mobile, desktop, and web
✓Video calls and group chats
✓Easy sharing and messaging threads
✓Facebook-based identity and contacts
✓No dedicated device required

The Meeting Owl

Intelligent 360°All-in-One Video Conferencing Hardware

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Meeting Owl is built for conference rooms where “everyone around the table” needs to be seen and heard by remote attendees. Instead of optimizing for family calls like Facebook Portal, it focuses on hybrid meeting dynamics: capturing the full room while emphasizing whoever is speaking.

Its 360-degree camera and room-oriented audio are designed to reduce the friction of traditional laptop-on-a-table setups. That makes it a strong alternative when the environment is a team space, classroom, or training room rather than a living room.

Because it connects through a computer and works with common meeting platforms, it avoids the platform lock-in that can come with consumer calling appliances. If the goal is better hybrid meetings with minimal AV complexity, Meeting Owl delivers a purpose-built experience that Portal isn’t trying to solve.

Best for

Best for teams running hybrid meetings in shared rooms without complex AV setups.

Standout features

✓360-degree room video capture
✓Active speaker emphasis
✓Room-optimized microphones and speaker
✓Works with major meeting platforms
✓Simple setup for small meeting rooms

AIWatchfulCompanion

AI Caregiver to assist in caring for your loved ones

5.0 · 7 reviews

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AIWatchfulCompanion stands out by treating video check-ins as only part of the solution. Where Facebook Portal is primarily a device to make calling easier, this approach layers in proactive monitoring and alerts aimed at safety and peace of mind.

It’s designed for scenarios like elderly care or child safety, where caregivers want to know when something is wrong, not just schedule a call. The promise is a system that can flag concerning moments and escalate attention faster than a “call when needed” workflow.

Another key difference is the emphasis on avoiding special hardware. That can reduce setup cost and friction compared with buying and placing a dedicated Portal in the right spot.

The trade-off is that it’s less of a simple living-room calling appliance and more of a monitoring-oriented service, so privacy expectations, permissions, and integrations matter more. For families who need reassurance between conversations, the added intelligence can be a better fit than a calling-only device.

Best for

Ideal for caregivers who want proactive safety monitoring plus video check-ins.

Standout features

✓Real-time alerts and notifications
✓Monitoring for safety and wellbeing
✓Video check-ins for caregivers
✓Designed to work without special hardware
✓Care-focused workflows and escalation

tonari

life-sized video portals: be together in-person, anywhere.

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tonari targets the moments when standard video calls feel too flat for real collaboration. Compared with Facebook Portal’s consumer-grade, small-screen calling, it’s engineered for life-sized telepresence that prioritizes natural eye contact, low latency, and a strong sense of presence.

This makes it compelling for distributed organizations that want two locations to feel like a single shared space—useful for leadership alignment, design reviews, training, or operational collaboration. The value isn’t just “seeing faces,” but creating an always-available connection that reduces the friction of switching into meeting mode.

Unlike Portal’s Messenger/WhatsApp orientation, tonari is designed to plug into enterprise environments and can bridge into common conferencing platforms when needed. The trade-off is cost and footprint: it’s a premium, room-scale solution rather than a casual household device.

When the requirement is high-fidelity interaction between offices, tonari is in a different category than Portal and typically the more appropriate choice.