In the time of virtual meetings and webinars, it makes sense to have a reliable and capable platform that lets you get involved.
Google Meet and Zoom are two of the heavy hitters in this category, and when you’re on the hunt for the perfect platform, you’ll likely have to weigh these two up.
What’s the difference between Google Meet and Zoom?
Google Meet and Zoom both give users the chance to host and attend virtual meetings and webinars, with audio and video sharing capabilities. However, Google Meet is better equipped for smaller meetings but larger webinars with Zoom being the top pick for large-scale meetings.
If you’re in the final stages of choosing a virtual meeting platform and have come down to Google Meet and Zoom, we can help you make that decision.
We’ve weighed up the likenesses and differences of these two products so you’ll know right away who has the goods to deliver.
What is Google Meet?
Google Meet, or its former name Google Hangouts Meet, is Google’s solution to video and audio conferencing for business and education needs.
Meet is part of their Workspace solutions and when you sign up on a paid plan, you get access to all of these tools.
One of the standouts of Google Meet is that it comes with a free plan option for smaller virtual get-togethers, and paid plans depending on what you’re after from a video conferencing platform.
You can have up to 100,000 view-only participants for a live stream event or 250 people in a collaborative meeting, so it ranges a large scope to suit everything.
What is Zoom?
Zoom has become the poster child for video conferencing software in recent times, and they’ve achieved this with an easy-to-use platform and free plans for basic needs.
Zoom has capabilities to host meetings for up to 1,000 people, with full chat and video sharing functionality, and they have an add-on product call Webinar for this specific type of virtual event.
The biggest drawcard of Zoom is its ease of use and gallery view that lets you look at all participants in a meeting on a single screen. Most people find it easy to access and there’s no need to sign up for any other products if you don’t need them, making it a good choice for intermediate and beginner users.
How Zoom and Google Meet Compare
On the surface, it seems Google Meet and Zoom offer the same thing, but when you dive deeper into their features and capabilities, you see that’s not exactly true.
Here are the ways that these two virtual meeting platforms are the same and different, so you can get a better understanding of what they’re all about.
Their Similarities
Google Meet and Zoom have a lot in common, so it’s easy to see why people get confused trying to find a platform to go with.
Here are just some of the ways that the two have similar offerings for their users:
Easy to use
For beginners who have never attended a virtual meeting to business owners wanting to host webinars, both of these platforms are easy to use. Everything is laid out on a simple interface with functions and features being clearly available, so there’s no need to worry about a steep learning curve.
Security
Zoom has taken a lot of flack in the past for their security systems, but after making some much-needed upgrades, they’re pretty much in line with Google Meet.
Both of these platforms offer two-step authentication, 256-bit TLS encryption, and compliance with systems like FedRAMP, HIPAA, SOC 1 or 2, and GDPR. The fact that Meet can be accessed via a browser does make them somewhat safer, but Zoom continues to upgrade to keep in line with these measures.
Recording
If your goal is to record meetings or webinars to watch them later or share with others, you can do this with Meet and Zoom just as well.
There are two options with Zoom so you’ll be able to save the recording to the cloud or on a local drive, however, Meet only gives the option for saving locally in a pre-designated folder. From there, you can share the video with other people using a link, and this can be accessed with a password if you choose.
Extra features
There’s no lack of extra features from either Meet or Zoom, and today, they offer much of the same to users to keep up with each other. In their range of extra features you’ll get things like automatic transcription services, call encryption, layout settings, muting, recording, and text chat, with more options being added all the time for customers.
Integration
Zoom and Meet offer a lot of chances for integrations with other services, even if they’re not all the same. Google Meet is good for things like Skype for Business, other Google services, and third-party apps.
Zoom is more notably integrated with Microsoft Outlook and Facebook Workplace, as well as the Google suited. Where they differ slightly is how easy it is to apply these integrations, with Google Meet being the winner in this area.
Customer support
Being the juggernauts that they are, it makes sense to learn that Zoom and Meet have great customer support teams available for 24/7 chat.
Meet allows for this in their paid plans, and Zoom gives customers access to a chatbot no matter their tier, but the support offered in this function can be minimal. To get the best assistance, you’ll need to be a paying customer with both platforms.
Video quality
Zoom and Meet both allow for up to 720p HD video, provided the user can meet these standards. As far as video conferencing software goes, it’s hard to beat this, and these two have some of the greatest reputations for providing their customers with high-quality audio and video.
Audience engagement
If audience engagement is important to you when hosting webinars or meetings, you’ll be happy to know that Zoom and Meet are pretty similar in what they offer.
During webinars with either of these, your audience will be able to take part in polls, hand raising, Q&A sessions, and live text chat. You can also request data about how the event went and what these levels of engagement were, so they provide a valuable marketing tool.
Mobile app
Creating meetings and webinars is easy to do with the smartphone apps that Zoom and Meet provide. It’s also easy for other participants to join using the app as well. Better still, the free plans also come with access to the native mobile app that both have created, so you don’t have to pay a thing to benefit.
Their Differences
The true test of which video conferencing software is better for you will come down to what they offer that the other doesn’t. these are the key differences between Zoom and Meet that you need to know about:
Free plans
If you don’t want to spend a thing, Zoom and Meet offer free plans with pretty good capabilities, but Google’s tend to be just a bit better.
Zoom’s free plan allows you to host meetings for 40 minutes, host up to 100 participants, and have unlimited one-on-one meetings. Meet’s free service also gives you a 100-participant meeting room, one-hour max meeting length, and unlimited meetings for any size group.
Paid plans
The paid plans and tiers are slightly different with Zoom and Meet. Meet’s paid plans come with the rest of the Workspace suite and cost $8 a month per user for the Essentials plan, with prices determined on a case by case basis for Enterprise users.
Zoom’s highest Enterprise plan is $336 a year per license and if you’re after webinar hosting specifically, you’ll need to have at least a Pro account with Zoom and purchase the Video Webinar add-on.
Meeting occupancy
How many people you host in meetings may be the decider when looking for conferencing software. Zoom allows for 1,000 meeting participants and Google Meet just 250, and this on their highest plan.
However, holding a meeting with a thousand people all having their input can be a challenge, which is where the webinar services that both of these platforms provide might be better.
View only mode
The viewing-only mode also differs when comparing the two, and Google Meet allows for a massive 100,000-person audience in this mode. Zoom is still impressive with 10,000 people allowed for viewing only, but they tend to have more options for engagement during these sessions.
Download
If you’d rather stream video or host meetings directly from a browser, Meet is the way to go. Zoom requires their users to download a client, which in the past has had some security issues, so it’s not always the best approach. When using on a smartphone, both of these services require a dedicated app to make it happen, though.
Which is the Right Platform For Your Business?
The final decision all comes down to what you’ll be using the software for, as each of them tends to cater to more specific scenarios.
On the surface, both are affordable, easy to use and provide a secure place to connect with users from around the world.
However, for those interested in hosting large-scale events with viewing-only capabilities for the audience, Google Meet has a lot to offer. They’re also a smart choice for people who want integrations and to make use of the rest of the Google Workspace suite.
Zoom should be your go-to if you hold a lot of business meetings with smaller crowds, and like to have a collaborative environment. Those wanting to pay for the add-on will find a lot of worth with their Video Webinar product, but this will add some more money to your budget.
A Tool for Modern Communication
With such a huge portion of business communication happening online these days, having a tool like Zoom or Google Meet at your disposal will make it a lot easier to connect.
To get a feel of how these platforms can be used in your business, take them up on their offer of a free trial, and you’ll likely find one to be the perfect fit.
Related Questions
Zoom and Google Meet are two leading products when it comes to audio and video communication, and they both have features that can modernize your business.
To find out more about what these types of virtual platforms are capable of, read on for some commonly asked questions that can teach you the basics.
Is Google Meet Safer Than Zoom?
Google Meet and Zoom are both considered safe options for video chatting services and have a number of security features in place to ensure this.
Both platforms offer encryption of data sent between parties as well as data stored in the cloud, as well as password protection, so your information is safe.
What’s the Difference Between Zoom Meeting and Webinar?
Meeting and Webinar are two products offered by Zoom, with Meeting designed predominantly for collaborative chat, and webinars for real-time presentations with a single host.
The Webinar add-on can only be used with a paid Pro plan subscription, but Meeting comes with a free plan option as well.
Can You Join a Meeting and Webinar At the Same Time?
Depending on the video chat platform you’re using, you may be able to join multiple rooms at once, effectively being present for a webinar and a meeting at the same time.
However, this depends on the capabilities of the software or platform you’re using and may make it hard to participate in both simultaneously.
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