Zoom vs Microsoft Teams vs Google Meet: Which One Should You Choose?

If Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet were heavyweight titlists they might be Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Mike Tyson.

This isn’t a conversation about who’s the best of all time (although it’s hard to argue Ali wasn’t the best). Rather, these 3 men are usually the first ones that come to mind when you hear the word “boxer”.

Similarly, when you hear the phrase “video conferencing platform”, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet are usually the first 3 that come to mind. Deciding which video conferencing platform is best is completely dependent on your needs.

In this post, we’ll try to help you understand what each platform can do for you.

First, let’s see what each contender brings to the table. Then we’ll put them in the ring to see how they match up against each other in a head-to-head skills contest.

Pressed for time or have a short attention span? Skip to our verdict section.

• Zoom’s awesome free Basic plan 
  • Unlimited group and one-to-one meetings
  • Host up to 100 participants
  • Comes with many useful tools such as screen sharing, whiteboard, the ability to record, built-in appearance and lighting filters, and integration with Google Calendar.

• Ease of use
  • Zoom is extremely user friendly making it accessible to everyone. You can join by either desktop or phone without creating an account.
• Vast integrations
  • Zoom integrates with over 1000+ apps and software tools

• Group meetings are restricted to 40 minutes on the basic plan
• No way to delete accidental or inappropriate comments
• Zoom has struggled with security 
• Many features aren’t allowed on mobile versions compared to the desktop version

Soft drinks and Coca Cola. Basketball and Michael Jordan. Technology and Microsoft.

It’s hard to think of one without thinking of the other. Microsoft has been a leading pioneer in modern technology and has a strong foothold in the conferencing platform world and it’s not hard to see why.

Microsoft Teams looks fantastic, is extremely reliable, and integrates with all Office 365 services.

• Microsoft Team’s free Basic plan
  • Microsoft’s free plan allows you to host group meetings 50% longer than you can with Zoom Basic.
• Affordable Paid Plans
  • Team’s paid plans are more cost-effective than Zoom’s paid plans and therefore more accessible. Paid plans also come with a 30-day free trial.
• Extremely high security
  • Microsoft has a stellar reputation for data and user security and Teams is no exception. Microsoft Teams uses multi-factor authentication plus rest and in-transit encrypted data to keep your information secure.
• Integrates beautifully with Office 365 Suite

• Slight learning curve
  • Microsoft Teams can be confusing compared to Zoom, especially for first-time users.
  • At times, it does not play well with those who are outside of its “team”
• Limited app integration
  • Although Teams integrates well with many apps, the amount can be a bit limited for non-Microsoft apps.

Google Meet (formerly Hangouts Meet) is purely a video conferencing platform. Like other Google products, it has a clean interface, it’s modern, light, intuitive, and is widely popular.

To top it off, Google Meet is integrated with Google Workspace, which includes products that many of us already use like Gmail and Google Drive.

• Google Meet’s free Basic plan
  • Host group meetings for up to 1 hour
  • 15 GB of storage
• One of the most user-friendly platforms available
  • Participants can join Google meetings via their web browser with no needed software installation or Google account.
• Built-in tool for live closed captioning
• Intelligent noise cancellation on all paid plans
• Extremely high cloud storage
  • Users get 15, 30, or unlimited cloud storage, depending on the plan purchased.
• High Security

• Breakout rooms and the ability to record meetings are only available on paid plans
• Whiteboards, waiting rooms, built-in appearance and lighting filters require a Chrome extension
• Compared with Zoom, limited app integration outside of Google Workspace

Both Zoom and Google Meet are incredibly simple to set up and easy for participants to join. Once you’re in the meetings, buttons are easy to find and navigation is relatively straightforward.

Microsoft Teams, however, is a bit more complicated. True, this allows for some extra features and customization features, but its interface isn’t quite as intuitive. Users unfamiliar with the platform might be a bit more confused when operating it for the first time.

Winner – Tie between Google Meet and Zoom Meetings.

Google Meet and Microsoft Teams both have a solid reputation for system security. Google Meet offers two-step verification, encryption in transit and at rest, and advanced protection program enrolment. Microsoft Teams uses multi-factor authentication plus rest and in-transit encrypted data to protect its users.

Zoom, on the other hand, has had trouble with security in the past. In 2020, disrupting meetings by “Zoombombing” became a real problem for Zoom. To be fair, Zoom has responded by boosting security for example, by offering universal End-To-End-Encryption.

Winner – Microsoft Teams takes the cake on this one.

Check out this chart to compare the features these 3 platforms offer at different price points. Keep in mind this is not a complete list of all the features and add-on purchases you can get with each platform.

Winner: Tie – Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Zoom all offer great features at great value. Which ones you choose to pay for will depend on your needs.

Microsoft Teams integrates with around 250 apps. It also comes with various Office 365 apps depending on the plan purchased.

Google Meet integrates with 200+ apps, works seamlessly with other Google apps, and is part of the Google Workspace.

Zoom integrates with 1,000 apps, far more than Google Meet or Teams.

Winner: Zoom

Choosing which video conferencing is best for you depends on your needs.

• Google Meet’s simplicity and reliability make it a great choice for those who want a straightforward solution, or for those already using Google Workspace software. It’s easy to use, doesn’t require users to sign up to join a meeting, and has a great free Basic package.
• Microsoft Teams is a fully loaded platform ideal for users who already use Office 365, need a wide range of conferencing tools, or are concerned about security.
• Zoom’s reliability and easy-to-use interface make it an ideal choice for small to medium-sized businesses looking for a simple way to connect their team, who want a user-friendly solution, or want interactive features such as screen sharing and whiteboard for presentations at the free Basic level.

Choosing the best video conferencing platform isn’t always easy. Even if you feel settled on a certain platform, knowing how to use it to the full is a different game:

• Wondering if you will know how to make full use of its customization features?
• Are you unsure of how to integrate the platform with outside apps?
• Are you concerned about how you will keep everything running smoothly while giving your presentation at the same time?

Don’t worry, we can tackle this together. Virtual Velocity has tested and worked with countless video conferencing platforms. We know what each platform has to offer and how you can get the most out of it.

No matter which platform you choose, Virtual Velocity is here to support you all the way. Schedule a meeting today and let us help you choose the best platform for your business.