Online video conferencing has proved indispensable for businesses, interest groups, and family gatherings in 2022. During this time, Zoom and Google Meet have emerged as the top video conferencing platforms for hosting meetings and live streaming. Though paid plans are necessary to access the best features of each platform, their free plans are more than adequate for many. Read on to learn more about Zoom’s and Google Meet’s free video conferencing plans so that you can determine which is best for you.
Zoom is best known as a conferencing platform for businesses, though it is increasingly being used by educational institutions, interest groups, and families as well. The Zoom meeting free plan provides the tools you need to hold short meetings and gatherings on Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android or as an extension on Chrome and Outlook. To start using Zoom’s free plan, you can create an account and download the software for your device or install an extension.
With Google Meet, Google had made its professional-level video conferencing platform available for all. Google Meet is available for Windows, Mac, Chrome OS, and some Linux systems as well as iOS, Android, and iPad for anyone that has a Google account. How does Google Meet work? Just login to our Gmail account and click “New Meeting” to start using Google Meet for free!
The answer to this question will depend on your needs. How Zoom works and Google Meet works is different depending on your meeting style. Google Meet’s time limit is 20 minutes longer than Zoom’s, so it’s best for longer meetings. Google Meet is also good for meeting with international clients or those who are hard of hearing who may need live captioning to better follow along what participants are saying.
However, Zoom’s free plan includes several important features that Google Meet does not, such as breakout rooms and screen annotating. If you need to divide up your meetings or markup presenters’ screens, then you should choose Zoom. Overall, Zoom is best for short professional meetings, while Google Meet is best for everything else.