With Covid-19 virus gripping the World in massive scale, one of the things which people have adopted globally is work from home. Most of the companies are not suggesting employees to work from home. When it comes to work from home, video calls have increased in the last few weeks. Google Meet, which was previously called Google Hangouts Meet is one of the extremely popular app. But it was not free for all, while anyone could join. But now Google has announced that Google Meet will be free for all. Zoom has been extremely popular this lockdown season and they have already crossed 300 million users worldwide. So how does Zoom compare with Google Meet, here is the quick Zoom vs Google Meet comparison.
Zoom vs Google Meet: Comparison
One of the most important things about online video calls is the number of people who can join, especially when it comes to business meets. Here both Zoom and Google Meet allows upto 100 people in a call, which is pretty good considering that it satisfies most of the users.
Next moving to the installation process, Google Meet is more simple to set up as you do not have to install anything and it can done from a browser. Even participants need not download any additional software when accessing meeting via link. It is compatible with most modern browsers. You can set up the meeting from meet.google.com. There is also app for Google Meet on Android and iOS and is available from respective app stores.
When it comes to Zoom, you cannot use Zoom without an app. It is not supported on web browsers. There is an app for Windows and Mac OS X along with Android and iOS. You need to install the app to get started. Any person who wish to join the meeting can do via web browser and there are plugins available.
Both Google Meet and Zoom allows free users to host meetings. In case of Google Meet, the maximum time limit for a call with free account is 60 minutes while for Zoom it is 40 minutes. Further, till September 2020, Google Meet allows unlimited time for all users, which is an added advantage during lockdown.
When you make a call via Zoom, the interface can display a maximum of 49 users in one screen, which allows you to see them. But in case of Google Meet, it is limited to 16 users at a time. Both the services have tiled interface.
Security:
Security is one of the most important things to look for since many are using this for official work. Here the Google Meet uses 2 factor authentication and also follows security standards for Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) and Secure Real-time Transport Protocol (SRTP)
On the other hand we have been hearing a lot of security issues for Zoom. In fact Govt of India warned users not to use Zoom for official work purposes due to security issues. Zoom is using AES 256-bit encryption and should be available for all accounts in a month’s time. One of the issues with Zoom has been random people zoom bombing the video conversations. This has been a concern for many users. So if security is a primary concern, then we suggest using Google Meet.
Here is a quick Comparison of Zoom vs Google Meet.
| Feature | Zoom | Google Meet |
| No of participants | 100 | 100 |
| Meeting Time Limit | 40 min | 60 Min |
| Screen Sharing | Yes | Yes |
| Screen Recording | Yes | Yes (only for paid) |
| App Support | Android, iOS, Windows, Mac OS | Android, iOS, Web |
| Web Access | No | Yes |
| Max Users in one Screen | 49 | 16 |
This comparison should be able to provide you with an idea on which is better for you.
