Google Meet vs. Zoom: Which video conferencing platform is better? [2024]

Choosing the right video conferencing software can be overwhelming with options like Google Meet and Zoom dominating the market. Both offer features for online meetings, but they cater to slightly different needs. This guide explores their strengths and weaknesses to help you make an informed decision.

Google Meet

What is Google Meet?

A video conferencing platform by Google, ideal for businesses already using Google Workspace.

Key features of Google Meet

1. Up to 1000 participants (free plan: 100)
2. Screen sharing, breakout rooms, real-time captions
3. Integrates seamlessly with Google Calendar and other Workspace tools
4. Easy-to-use interface
5. Strong security features with end-to-end encryption (on paid plans)

Free vs. Paid

Offers a free plan with limited features and paid plans within Google Workspace subscriptions.

Zoom Meeting

What is it Zoom Meeting?

A versatile video conferencing platform popular across various business sizes.

Key features of Zoom Meeting

1. Up to 1000 participants (free plan: 100)
2. Screen sharing, annotation tools, live polling, cloud recording
3. Integrates with various third-party applications
4. Advanced host controls like waiting rooms and password protection
5. Offers virtual backgrounds and appearance filters

Free vs. Paid

Offers a free plan with limited features and paid plans with additional features and functionalities.

Comparison between Google Meet & Zoom

Key Specification	Google Meet	Zoom Meet
Subscription Plan	Organizations can purchase Google Workspace plans, while individuals can use the free plan. The starter plan starts from $6/user/month. The standard plan starts at $12/user/month. Plus, the plan starts at $18/user/month.	There is a free plan for individuals and a premium plan for organizations. Pro plan starts from $15.99/user/month. Business plan starts from $21.99/user/month. Business Plus plan $26.99/user/month
User Friendly	Includes built-in video and microphone testing to meet user demands proactively A simple user interface Very user-friendly Effortless integration with any current web browser or mobile device	Always sets the mic to mute More complicated user interface It is a little more difficult to operate Unlike online and mobile apps, desktop applications offer a wider range of features.
Number of Participants	1000	1000
Communication	You can share your screen Recording meetings (with subscription programs) Sending group texts during a call Transcription of live meetings (on paid plans) Separation spaces	Sharing your screen Session recording Both group and individual chats while on a call Live meeting transcription is available on premium plans Separate rooms
Meeting duration	1 hour on a free plan and 24 hours on a premium plan	Free plan users get 40 minutes, while paid users get 30 hours.
Cloud storage	15 GB per user	1 GB per user
Video and Background	You can make changes before and during calls.	You can make changes before and during calls.
Whiteboard	Integrated whiteboard function Miro integration provides access to advanced whiteboard features.	Integrated whiteboard function Utilise Miro’s integration to get advanced whiteboard features.
Screen Sharing capability	Share your screen with others You can share the second camera. You can share the whiteboard.	Share your screen with others People can share the second camera. Sharing a whiteboard is possible. You can share your screen at a resolution of 1080p.
Security	Strong Data Security Two-step verification Regulations for group policies Premium services reserved for premium customers	Strong Data Security Two-step verification Regulations for group policies
Mobile application	The easy-to-use interface on the mobile app A variety of survey and question formats are available Jamboards allow participants to work together	Convenient user interface for mobile app Having trouble launching polls and Q&A You can see whiteboards.
Chat	Saves conversations logs(recordings)	Private messages and emojis
AI Features	Duet AI (background images, caption translation, recaps;$30/month add-on)	AI Companion (meeting questions, recaps, catch-up; included in paid plans)
Whiteboard	Built – in, integrates with Miro	Built – in, integrates with Miro
Polls	Included	Included

Choosing the Right Platform

Google Meet is ideal for

Businesses already invested in Google Workspace

Users prioritizing ease of use and Workspace integration

Meetings with a large number of participants (on paid plans)

Zoom is ideal for

Businesses of all sizes needing advanced features

Users requiring extensive third-party app integrations

Hosting large meetings and webinars (on paid plans)

Increased security control for meeting hosts

Zoom offers desktop apps, while Google Meet is entirely web-based

How you get to them is very different when you use Zoom or Google Meet. Zoom offers dedicated programs for all major computer operating systems, including Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. You don’t have to open many tabs on your browser to start or join a meeting with these apps.

When you share your computer, having the Zoom app also helps keep things neat. This feature ensures that only Zoom content is seen by others, protecting you from inadvertently revealing all of your other tabs or other applications. This will add an air of professionalism to any meeting or presentation you give.

Google Meet, on the other hand, is browser-based and requires no further software. It’s useful, but it might not work as well if you have a lot of tabs open or like to use different apps during a meeting.

Some Google Meet users have seen a peculiar issue known as the “infinity mirror” problem. When you click on the tab for your meeting, this happens. It shows your guests a never-ending loop of screens. It might be hard to understand and avoid.

Google Meet is slightly more user-friendly than Zoom at the expense of some advanced features.

Google Meet:

Google Meet stands out because it has an easy-to-use interface designed to improve meetings. If you use Gmail, starting a meeting is built into the Google Workspace menu, making it easy to get to. Also, Google Meet anticipates users’ needs by providing a pre-meeting checkup that includes changes for video brightness and audio testing, which makes things even easier.

Accessibility tools like closed captioning and live transcription are easy to get to from the main control panel, making the service more welcoming. Google Meet’s settings interface is simple, with fewer categories and choices. This makes it easy for users to find their way around.

Zoom:

Zoom, in contrast, excels due to its adaptability and sophisticated features. The platform may have a menu with more choices at first, but it makes up for it with many useful features. An excellent example of this kind of adaptability is Zoom, which allows users to link more than one camera, share the screen of a mobile device, and even select app content during meetings.

Zoom’s annotation tool enhances participation during presentations by allowing real-time interactivity and highlighting crucial points. The platform also has special features like emoji reactions, many keyboard shortcuts, and “touch-up” choices for your appearance so that it can fit the needs of a wide range of users.

Both apps introduced AI assistants, but Zoom’s has more practical features.

Google and Zoom are both now using AI to help with talks. Their AI helpers were first shown to the public in 2023. The one from Zoom is called AI Companion, and the one from Google is called Duet AI for Google Workspace.

Google’s Duet AI:

The Duet AI from Google has both new and useful features. Making background images with AI might seem like a silly feature, but Duet AI shows its worth with some useful tools. It can help users who can’t attend meetings by delivering messages and giving full summaries later. People with busy schedules will appreciate this function because it makes it easy to keep working together.

Surprisingly, Duet AI can translate subtitles in real-time into 18 languages. Overcoming the language obstacles, this feature promotes acceptance and allows people worldwide to collaborate easily. While Duet AI does offer some premium capabilities, not all of them are available now, and the service costs $30/month.

Zoom’s AI Companion:

Zoom’s AI Companion is more realistic and functional, acting as a smart meeting assistant with tools made for actual work. People can ask pre-set or creative questions about what’s being discussed in the meeting, which helps them catch up quickly after leaving. Users looking for certain details from the meeting recording won’t find this feature more useful than this one.

The AI Companion’s Smart Recording feature is a game-changer because it turns recordings into well-organized chapters with marked recaps. The latest innovation is for those who would prefer not to or do not have the time to go through hours of video. It’s important to note that Zoom’s AI Companion is included in all paid plans, so it doesn’t cost anything extra to use with Zoom.

Both platforms are highly secure, but Zoom beats out Google Meet due to advanced host management features.

Google Meet:

Google Meet emphasizes making things easy for users while enforcing basic security measures. Real-time encryption and two-factor authentication are built into the app to make talks safer. Google Meet also secures recorded talks saved in users’ Drive accounts to keep private information safe.

In contrast to Zoom, Google Meet does not provide as many sophisticated tools for managing hosts. Although it has basic security features like encryption and two-factor login, it has fewer server controls than Zoom. Google Meet has fewer features than the Zoom platform, like meeting rooms, password protection, and login profile limits.

Zoom:

Regarding strong security for video conferences, Zoom stands out because of its sophisticated host management tools. Full end-to-end encryption, two-factor authentication, and real-time encryption are some of the strong security features offered by the platform.

Features like password protection, authentication profile limits, and waiting rooms are available in Zoom, making it superior to Google Meet in terms of host management. These features make it easier for hosts to manage who can access meetings and reduce security risks.

Zoom also provides hosts with tools to manage participant activities throughout the meeting. Zoom has a lot of tools that can be used to keep meetings safe and secure. These tools range from muting the audio and video to stopping all member actions.

The Similarities Between Google Meet and Zoom

Even though Google Meet and Zoom have different features and functions, they are similar in a few ways:

Video conferencing basics:

Zoom and Meet offer audio and video conferencing, screen sharing, and participant interaction, allowing you to join the meetings from any web browser or application.

Meeting recording:

Both platforms allow users to record Meetings to capture audio, video, and screen-sharing content. These recorded meetings can be shared with other participants who could not attend the meeting or saved for future reference.

Mobile apps:

The mobile applications of Google Meet and Zoom allow you to attend meetings from any part of the world. These applications work on both iOS and Android devices. These apps make it easier for you to view the shared content by other participants and even be a part of the meeting.

Integration with calendar platforms:

Zoom is compatible with several calendar apps, and Google Meet is tightly integrated with Google Calendar. The connection lets users set up meetings and send invites without leaving their favorite calendar app.

Participant management:

Features for managing meeting participants are available on both platforms. You can mute and unmute guests, turn video on or off, and regulate screen-sharing permissions.

Screen sharing:

Screen sharing is a feature that allows participants to share their screens during the meeting. It helps you when you want to share information with other participants in the meeting.

Virtual backgrounds:

Virtual backgrounds are an option on both platforms, letting users swap out their real-life environment with an artificial one. This tool is great for keeping meetings private and making them look better.

Despite their shared features, Google Meet and Zoom each provide advantages and disadvantages that could sway your decision. Your demands will be met by comparing several platforms based on price, compatibility with other tools, and special feature requirements.

Conclusion

Google Meet and Zoom are virtually tied in their competition. Some of Zoom’s more extensive features include improved appearance filters and more powerful meeting host controls. Zoom is also well-known for being user-friendly.

Google Meet, similar to Zoom, is a popular video conferencing tool for many kinds of businesses because it is easy to use. Google Meet stands out because it includes comprehensive, top-notch business tools. Businesses of all stripes can benefit greatly, but those utilizing other Google Workspace products will get the greatest returns.

FAQs – Google Meet Vs. Zoom

Which is safer, Google Meet or Zoom?

Meeting platforms Zoom and Google Meet have both upgraded their security features. Google Meet is well-known for its security features, including end-to-end encryption. Despite dealing with security vulnerabilities, Zoom managed to implement patches. Google Meet may offer more security than the other, but both are safe when used correctly. Before choosing a choice, check for any new security patches.

Is Google Meet free or paid?

Google Meet offers both free and premium plans to its consumers. Users can hold short video meetings on the free plan with restricted functionality and time. Meetings can last longer, more people can participate, and more comprehensive administrative controls are available with paid services. As a collection of tools for collaboration and productivity, Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is a common component of these subscription programs.

Why is Google Meet the best?

With its robust security, accessibility, interaction with other Google products, user-friendly design, capacity for many participants, and live captioning and recording capabilities, Google Meet is well respected. It fits a wide range of needs because it has both free and paid options.