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Google Meet vs Zoom: Which one offers better bang for the buck?

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  • 4 min read

Over the past year, people have been forced to do just about everything, thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As work, classes and just about everything else shifts online, the need for a proper video conferencing platform is now more than ever.

Luckily, we have a bunch of options to chose from. In this article, we’re talking about Google Meet and Zoom, two of the most popular video conferencing platforms that have risen to popularity recently.

Also read: Zoom fixes the “unable to playback or download cloud recordings” error


Features

This is a bit of a tricky parameter as Google Meet comes bundled with a bunch of Google Services. However, if you’re looking at only the video conferencing aspect of the two, Zoom is the clear winner here.

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While both services offer similar basic features such as free calls, virtual backgrounds, screen sharing and so on, with Zoom, you get call recordings, an in-built whiteboard (you have to use Jamboard in Google Meet), a waiting room, password-protected meetings, gallery view for all participants and a much better interaction interface with the ability to raise hands and emoji responses.


Ease of Use

Google Meet is the clear winner here. The platform is intuitive, and it’s pretty simple to get a meeting started. While doing the same isn’t exactly rocket science on Zoom, it’s still a bit more complicated due to the extra features you get. 

On Meet, you create a meeting link, and you’re good to go. With Zoom, it’s easy to get lost in all the scheduling and security options that the program throws at you. 


Pricing

Both platforms offer free and paid versions; however, Google Meet doesn’t put any time limits on its free meetings, whereas, with Zoom, you’re limited to about 40 minutes.

Google Meet also comes bundled with Google’s services such as Docs, Jamboard, Gmail and whatnot, while Zoom is a video-conferencing application through and through. If you’re only planning to use the platform for video conferencing, investing in Zoom is a much better option. 

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Google Meet offers Business Starter, Standard and Plus plan coming in at $6, $12 and $18 a month per user, respectively. These plans include the entire Google Workspace including Meet, Drive, Gmail, Docs, Calendar, Jamboiard, Sheets, Slides, Keep, Sites and Forms. You’ll have to contact Google for Enterprise pricing. 

On Zoom, you get Pro, Business, and Enterprise options for $14.99, $19.99 and $19.99 per month per license, respectively. While that may look steep compared to what Google’s offering if you’re only going to be conferencing, Zoom’s features make it a better investment.

Also read: Google Meet Grid View not working: 4 Fixes


Zoom vs Meet, a comprehensive comparison

Here are all the differences between the two platforms,

FeaturesGoogle MeetZoom
Free offeringYesYes. 40-minute call limit
Paid plansBusiness Starter: $6/month/user
Business Standard: $12/month/user
Business Plus: $18/month/user
Enterprise: Contact Google
Pro: $14.99/month/user
Business: $19.99/month/user
Enterprise: $19.99/month/user
Maximum participantsUp to 250Up to 1000 (requires large meeting addon)
Supported platformsiPhone/Android, macOS, Windows, Linux iPhone/Android, macOS, Windows, Linux
Call recordingsYes (with paid plans)Yes, included in the free plan
Screen SharingYesYes
Group messagingYesYes
IntegrationsGoogle Services, SkypeWorkplace, Salesforce, Google Services
ExtrasEncrypted calls, animated backgroundsPolls, in-built whiteboard, encrypted calls, waiting rooms.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for an easy, simple platform for quick calls with colleagues or friends, Google Meet is perfect for the job. Even if you’re doing professional meetings with not that many people, you can get away with using Google Meet.

However, if you’re in need of a full-blown video conferencing platform, Zoom is the better option owing to its features and competitive pricing. 

Also read: Zoom error code 3113: 2 Quick Fixes

Yadullah Abidi

Yadullah Abidi

Yadullah is a Computer Science graduate who writes/edits/shoots/codes all things cybersecurity, gaming, and tech hardware. When he's not, he streams himself racing virtual cars. He's been writing and reporting on tech and cybersecurity with websites like Candid.Technology and MakeUseOf since 2018. You can contact him here: yadullahabidi@pm.me.

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