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.
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.
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,
| Features | Google Meet | Zoom |
|---|---|---|
| Free offering | Yes | Yes. 40-minute call limit |
| Paid plans | Business 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 participants | Up to 250 | Up to 1000 (requires large meeting addon) |
| Supported platforms | iPhone/Android, macOS, Windows, Linux | iPhone/Android, macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Call recordings | Yes (with paid plans) | Yes, included in the free plan |
| Screen Sharing | Yes | Yes |
| Group messaging | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | Google Services, Skype | Workplace, Salesforce, Google Services |
| Extras | Encrypted calls, animated backgrounds | Polls, 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
