Which Video Conferencing Platform is For You? Google Meet VS Zoom VS Microsoft Teams

The pandemic has made video conferencing platforms an everyday part of all of our lives whether you’re learning or working. All classes and meetings happen through these platforms, so how do we find out which one’s the best for us? Don’t worry! Here’s a comparative review on all of them so you can decide which one you prefer.

Google Meet

Overview: Google Meet is the video conferencing platform created by Google. It used to be Google Hangouts and Google Chats previously but it was rebranded when the pandemic started in 2020. Initially the free version was not available but now a limited version of it is available for free. It’s become the main mode of communication for corporates and educational institutes because of one of it’s plans called Google Workspace or more commonly known as G Suite. 

Plans and Pricing: You can check out the full list of their services for each plan from Google Meet (formerly Hangouts Meet) Pricing 

Pros: It’s very easy to use since you can join a meeting directly from the link provided by the host. It can be used on PC and on mobile devices. Google Meet links can be synced with Google Calendar so that you’re always notified before meetings. Google Workspace comes with a number of Google facilities that no other video conferencing platform has such as Google Drive, Docs, Gmail, Sheets, Calendar and unlimited storage for all of these. 

Cons: Even the largest plan, Google Workspace has a limit of 250 people so it’s not ideal for a large group. There’s only the option to chat through Google Meet so you can’t send any videos, pictures or audio clips through it. If you don’t have a Google account then you cannot join Google Meet through your mobile device. So if someone does not have a Google account they’ll have to create one to access the meeting. 

Zoom

Overview: Zoom is probably the most widely used video conferencing platform on a daily basis starting from friends and family video calls to official meetings. Zoom used to be the go to platform for meetings before other competitors came into play. But Zoom is still at large with about 300 million daily users.  

Plans and Pricing: You can check out the full list of their services for each plan from Zoom Video Conferencing Plans & Pricing | Zoom 

Pros: The audio and video quality is better than Google Meet. There’s no lagging during screen share and it runs smoothly. Similar to Google Meet, it’s very user friendly and can be accessed directly by clicking on the link given by the host. Easy to access link because you don’t need a Zoom account to get in. You can just type in your name and enter. Can host up to 500 participants in the largest plan which is twice more than Google Meet. 

Cons: You need high speed internet because the performance decreases at slow speed. Video sharing stops at slow speed and you can only hear the audio. Meeting time is less in the free plan (only 40 minutes). It’s more expensive compared to other video conferencing platforms. The PC version has more features on it than the mobile version which means you can’t do certain things if you’re using the Zoom app from mobile. It is not integrated with any other applications.  

Microsoft Teams

Overview: Microsoft Teams is fairly uncommon to most people. It’s not the first thing you think of when someone says video conferencing. But it’s still right up there with it’s amazing services right beside Google Meet and Zoom. So let’s take a look at it. 

Plans and Pricing: You can check out the full list of their services for each plan from Microsoft Teams Pricing 

Pros: A video conference can hold up to 1000 participants. The pricing is very less compared to its competitors. Microsoft Team’s largest plan comes integrated with our very familiar Microsoft Office Applications. It’s the best platform for businesses overall.  

Cons: It cannot be considered exactly as solely a video conferencing platform because the layout of it is more like Discord or Slack. So even though it has the meeting option, it’s a little bit more complicated to use. It takes time to get used to it and learn all it’s features. Most companies and educational institutes prefer to use other platforms over Microsoft Teams.

A Comparative Overview On All Three Platforms

Source:Video Conferencing: Who will lead 2021 (Teams, Meet, or Zoom) 

Each video conferencing platform is slightly different from the other. Even though every one of them has its pros and cons, you need to find the one best suited for your needs to make your life during the pandemic easier.