Google Meet vs. Zoom: Full Comparison

Key Points

• Google Meet and Zoom are both Videoconferencing apps.
• Both services have a wide array of overlapping similarities, including the ability to hold quick meetings.
• One program is not better than the other, it comes down to personal preference.

The COVID-19 pandemic put a new emphasis on a variety of programs designed to simulate face-to-face meetings and serve as digital classrooms, boardrooms, and more. During this time period, multiple programs rose to the top of the digital food chain.

Two such examples are Google Meet and Zoom. These two programs have seen their popularity soar, and both have been used extensively since the start of the COVID-19. However, as similar as both programs are, each has their own various features.

Google Meet vs. Zoom: Side-By-Side Comparison

Google Meet vs. Zoom: 6 Must-Know Facts

• Both services have a wide array of overlapping similarities, including the ability to hold quick meetings with family and friends, apps that can be used on smartphones, free options, and more.
• Both services can also be used for larger conferences, although Google Meet has a 250 person limit, while Zoom can be used for up to 1,000.
• Both services were popular leading into March 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic saw a massive explosion in both of their uses.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, both services billed themselves as being friendly for students, with students as young as kindergarten using the program as part of their school. Many students spent multiple years on Zoom or Google Meet.
• Security became a major concern for both networks during COVID-19, with words like “zoom-bombing” entering the common vernacular as a result of both services suffering from unwanted disruptions to their networks. As a result of these constant problems, security upgrades were required on both services.
• Some companies profited massively from COVID-19, and Zoom was unquestionably one of them: Its stock soared from $67.28 at the start of 2020 to $559 at its height. However, as COVID has faded, its stock has also declined, leading to a current price of $206.64.

Google Meet vs. Zoom: Summary

Google Meet is Google’s proprietary software that allows users to hold video conferencing, audio conferencing, and text. It comes with an array of features, including HD options, muting, background changes, massive presentations, recording, and more. Many of these options are free and are available to anyone with a Google account. Furthermore, since Google Hangout is a Google product, it integrates easily with any Google feature, including calendars, Emails, and more.

Zoom is another video and audio conferencing software. Zoom has all of the same features as Google, but it also has the ability to work with over 200 additional external applications, allowing users to add and remove features. It has a large audience limit, which makes it better for virtual conferences and presentations – something that was desperately needed during COVID.

Google Meet vs. Zoom: Which is Better?

This is an instance where there isn’t necessarily a “better” program, rather a matter of personal preference and what works better for your personal tastes or business needs. Both services have family-friendly options, free calls, the ability to screen share, change backgrounds, raise hands, record meetings, and more. Both programs also have paid options, robust security, the ability to conduct polls, and more. 

The paid options on both plans are highly robust and include longer meeting times, breakout rooms, and larger audiences. Zoom does have much larger audiences than Google Meet, allowing for 1,000 people, as opposed to the 250 Google Meet limit. Both also offer extensive integration with other apps, although Zoom integrates well with many programs, while Google’s integration options are largely limited to Google’s own (but highly robust) platforms. 

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