[Comparison] Google Meet vs. Zoom: Which is Better?

Melissa Lee updated on Mar 11, 2022 to EaseUS RecExperts | How-to Articles

Zoom and Google Meet are popular online meeting software all around the world. For the two programs, which one is better? Read on to learn more information.

With more and more people working at home, the demand for online meeting software has risen sharply. Zoom and Google Meet are the most popular video conferencing software all around the world, which can provide a quick and easy way for online meetings and be used for small businesses, major corporations, and common netizens.

But which one is better for you while choosing from these two online meeting software. Here is what you need to know to choose the right one for you.

Comparison Between Google Meet and Zoom   

To help you choose the right one between Zoom and Google Meet, we will make a detailed comparison of these two tools according to their availability, time limits, number of participants, and functions in this part.

 #1. Layout and Interface

Zoom meeting is much popular for its Gallery view, which aims to help participants see others' performance while speaking and encourage more collaboration. While hosting a Zoom meeting, you will see up to 49 participants on a single screen.

When it comes to Google Meet, it also upped the amount of participants you can see with a tiled layout from 4 to 16. Besides that, it provides some different video layouts, including sidebar, spotlight, and tile. It offers more layouts for you to choose from than Zoom.

#2. Availability

Nowadays since online video meeting or conference is not limited to computer, both Zoom and Google Meet have free apps for iOS and Android devices, which means you can have a video conference anywhere as needed.

Apart from those basic things, Google Meet is also accessible through Chrome and other browsers without additional plugins.

However, Zoom doesn't apply in this case because it does not enable you to host a Zoom meeting in the browsers.  

#3. Time Limits and Number of Participants

Both Zoom and Google Meet have a free version for users, but the free versions of them still have some limitations.

For working with Zoom meeting software, anyone can sign up for a free account and host up to 100 participants for up to 40 minutes group meetings or unlimited personal meetings. But if you are the Pro or Business version, you can host up to 1,000 participants and have more options like unlimited group meeting times and other features.

While Google Meet is also available to anyone with a personal Google account and allows a maximum of 100 participants per meeting, there will be a time constriction for one hour if the meeting consists of more than three people. Like Zoom, it offers other plans for users to choose. If you upgrade to the Pro version, you can host a Google meeting within 150 participants without time limitation.

#4. Features and Functions

When it comes to features and functions, Zoom is better than Google Meet. Now let's see their main functions below.

Interaction: Google Meet allows you to send text in the chatbox, but Zoom has Raise Hand and Emoji responses.

Preview: Google Meet's preview only allows hosts to check their own video or audio connections, whereas Zoom lets users pre-screen participants.

Virtual background: Zoom offers a suite of virtual backgrounds and lets you record meetings on your physical computer for free — Google Meet only recently started offering background blurring and allowing uploaded image backgrounds, and recording meetings requires a paid G Suite subscription.

Recording: Zoom allows users to capture meetings on both Windows and Mac computers, and for the paid users, you can record and save the meeting to the cloud. However, Google Meet only allows the G Suite subscribers to do screen recording tasks.

Zoom vs. Google Meet: Which is Right for You? 

Here we made a table to help you know the difference between these two video conferencing software.

Features Google Meet Zoom
Availability Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android
Participants (Free version) 100 100
Time limit (Free version) 60 minutes 40 minutes
Recording function (Free version) No Yes

A close comparison between Google Meet and Zoom is given to you. If you want to host a large-scale meeting and need more features, Zoom is your best choice. But if you just want simplicity, pick Google Meet now

Bonus Tips: Best Online Meeting Recording Software

Both Zoom and Google Meet offers recording options to help record your meeting for later checking, but they only have basic recording functions. If you want to add annotations, take screenshots, or capture the webinars secretly while recording, try the best screen recorder called EaseUS RecExperts.

As one of the best free video recording software, it can help you capture all kinds of meetings, courses, and even gameplay with high quality. With the scheduled recording functions, you can capture your live shows, meeting, and anything on your screen at a specific time. For this practical video conferencing recording software, you should have a try.

Main Features:
  • Capture the screen and webcam at the same time
  • Allow capturing the system and microphone sound
  • Select a certain area of the screen for recording
  • Export the video and audio in different formats
  • Have advanced settings in the frame rate of the video