Marco Polo lets you share text and video messages with the people you care about most—without worrying about likes or followers.

What we love: Without the scheduling challenges of a video call or the public nature of social media, Marco Polo hits a communication sweet spot. Record your video message on your own time, hit send, and wait for replies. The app is ad-free, and there’s no public profile you need to maintain. And because you need to know someone’s phone number to start chatting, Marco Polo keeps your friend group tight.

Quick tip: Use Sharecast for larger group conversations. It’s an easy way to send video updates without having to repost to multiple groups.

Meet the creator: Cofounders Vlada and Michał Bortnik created Marco Polo after the birth of their second child as a way to keep in touch with family without having to schedule a call across different time zones.