Tech
Zoom vs Google Meet: which one is best?
While working from home isn’t the same as sitting around the office conference table, you can still get regular face time with your colleagues by using programs like Zoom and Google Meet. But which one is better?
Pricing and plan options
Both Google Meet and Zoom offer a variety of video chatting plans at different price points, depending on the needs of your team.
Zoom
The basic Zoom plan is free for up to 100 people. There is a 40-minute time limit on meetings, but you can host as many meetings as you want.
Google Meet
Google offers a similar no-cost plan with meetings up to 60 minutes and a maximum of 100 participants.
Zoom Pro
At $14.99/month for up to 9 hosts, it includes all of the features from the basic plan, but offers longer meeting times (up to 24 hours), advanced meeting controls, and the option to record meetings.
Google G Suite Essentials
The Essentials plan comes with meeting times up to 300 hours and as many as 150 participants.
Zoom Business
You get all of the features of Zoom Pro, plus a higher limit of up to 300 participants, company branding, vanity URLs, and more for $19.99/month per host.
Google G Suite Enterprise Essentials
At $20 per user, this allows up to 250 users per meeting, lets you record meetings to Google Drive. Intelligent noise cancellation and live streaming in-domain for up to 100,000 viewers are coming soon.
Zoom Enterprise
Starting at $19.99/month for each host, it allows for up to 500 people to join a video call and there's even a Zoom Enterprise Plus option that allows up to 1,000 users to join at once.
Other software integrations
All Google Meet plans include access to Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms, and Google Drive storage. G Suite Essentials and Enterprise plans also include shared drives and a Drive File Stream.
Zoom integrates with other software and platforms like Google Calendar, Skype, and Microsoft Office.
Privacy concerns
While no software is foolproof, both Google Meet and Zoom have privacy measures in place - like encryption, meeting codes, and more.
Compatible hardware
Zoom and Google Meet can be accessed on any Windows, Android, iOS, or Mac operating systems.
So which service should you use?
The decision really boils down to the size of your business and what kind of features you're hoping to incorporate into team meetings.
If you have a large team (more than 250 people), Zoom is likely going to be your best bet, since it accommodates more users per meeting than Google.