Secure video meetings for teams and businesses
Google's video conferencing service. Trustpilot: 3.3/5 from 18 reviews (61% 5-star, but very small sample). Part of Google Workspace with seamless Gmail/Calendar integration. Free tier limited to 60 minutes, fewer features than Zoom.
Patterns extracted from real user feedback — not raw reviews.
Free Google Meet group calls (3+ participants) cut off at 60 minutes. While better than Zoom's 40 minutes, it still interrupts longer meetings. Users must rejoin or upgrade to Workspace to get unlimited meeting time.
Users criticize Google Meet for delivering a bare-bones experience year after year. No remote control of participant screens, basic whiteboard, limited breakout rooms, and fewer collaboration tools than Zoom. Described as 'minimum viable product' approach.
Google Meet's tile view is limited to 16 participants, far fewer than Zoom's 49. For large meetings or classes, this limitation makes it harder to see everyone and creates a less engaging experience.
Chat messages shared during Google Meet calls don't persist after the meeting ends. Important links, notes, or information shared in chat are lost unless manually saved, unlike some competitors.
Users report browser freezing while sharing screens, causing them to restart meetings. The browser-based architecture that makes Meet easy to join also creates performance issues during resource-intensive screen sharing.
Google Meet experienced major outages in September and December 2025, leaving users unable to join meetings. For businesses relying on Meet for critical calls, these outages can be devastating.
Users experience glitches that kick them out of meetings due to login-related issues, requiring re-login to Google accounts to rejoin. This is particularly disruptive during important calls.
While Meet allows guests without Google accounts, the experience isn't as smooth. External users joining from outside Google ecosystem face friction compared to Zoom's truly frictionless guest experience.
No download required - runs entirely in browser
Google Meet runs entirely in the browser with no app download required. This frictionless joining experience reduces IT headaches and makes it easy for anyone to join meetings regardless of their device or technical skill.
Seamless Google Workspace integration
Meet integrates beautifully with Gmail, Google Calendar, and Drive. One-click meeting joins from Calendar invites, automatic meeting links in emails, and easy file sharing from Drive create a smooth workflow for Google users.
Included free with Google Workspace
For organizations already paying for Google Workspace, Meet is included at no extra cost. Even the free tier offers 60-minute group meetings - more generous than Zoom's 40 minutes.
Clean, simple interface with minimal learning curve
Meet's interface is clean and uncluttered. For users who find Zoom or Teams overwhelming, Meet's simplicity is refreshing. Most users can join and participate without any training.
High-quality audio and video
Google Meet generally delivers high-quality video and audio. Google's infrastructure provides reliable performance for most users, with adaptive quality based on network conditions.
Users: 100 participants
Storage: None (no recording)
Limitations: 60-minute limit, No recording, No advanced features, No admin controls
Users: 100 participants
Storage: 30GB per user (Workspace storage)
Limitations: 100 participant limit, No breakout rooms, Basic support
Users: 150 participants
Storage: 2TB per user
Limitations: 150 participant limit, No webinar features
Users: 500 participants
Storage: 5TB per user
Limitations: No live streaming, Some Enterprise features unavailable
Users: 1000 participants
Storage: Unlimited
Limitations: Custom pricing only
Google Workspace organizations
If you're already paying for Google Workspace, Meet is included free. The seamless integration with Gmail, Calendar, and Drive creates genuine workflow advantages. No reason to pay for Zoom separately.
Small teams wanting simple, free meetings
The free tier offers 60 minutes (more than Zoom's 40), browser-based joining, and sufficient features for small team calls. For budget-conscious teams with basic needs, Meet delivers.
Organizations prioritizing simplicity over features
Meet's clean interface and minimal learning curve make it ideal for non-technical users. If your team finds Zoom overwhelming, Meet's simplicity is a feature, not a limitation.
Google Workspace organizations
Included with Workspace - no extra cost. Calendar integration is seamless. Makes sense if already using Gmail and Google Calendar.
Organizations with many external meetings
While Meet allows guests without Google accounts, Zoom's guest experience is more polished and universally recognized. For sales calls or client meetings where impression matters, Zoom may be preferred.
Sales teams
Works for basic meetings but lacks webinar features. Sales needing recordings, large meetings, or webinars may need Zoom.
Enterprise teams needing reliability
Generally reliable but Zoom has more consistent quality for large meetings. Enterprise should test both.
Power users needing advanced meeting features
Google Meet lacks advanced features like remote screen control, robust whiteboard, and comprehensive breakout room management. If you need feature-rich video conferencing for workshops or complex meetings, Zoom is more capable.
Large webinars and events
Google Meet's webinar capabilities are limited compared to Zoom Webinars or Teams. For large-scale events with hundreds of attendees, registration, and broadcasting, Zoom is the industry standard.
Common buyer's remorse scenarios reported by users.
Organizations adopted Meet for its simplicity but discovered limitations when running workshops: basic breakout rooms, no remote control, limited whiteboard. They end up needing Zoom anyway for specific use cases.
Users assumed 60 minutes was enough but found important discussions cut off. The workaround of rejoining is unprofessional for client calls. Some upgraded to Workspace just to avoid the limit.
Organizations chose Meet expecting similar guest experience to Zoom. External clients faced more friction joining, login prompts, and confusion - creating a less professional impression.
During Google Meet outages (like September/December 2025), organizations had no backup plan. Critical client calls or internal meetings were disrupted with no alternative.
Scenarios where this product tends to fail users.
Meet's webinar features are limited compared to Zoom Webinars. For registration, large audiences, Q&A management, and professional event production, organizations often need to add Zoom specifically for events.
Teams using free Meet for calls that consistently run long face repeated interruptions. The choice becomes: awkwardly rejoin, upgrade to Workspace, or switch to an alternative.
Educators and trainers find Meet's basic features insufficient: limited breakout room controls, basic whiteboard, no remote control for troubleshooting. Zoom's education-focused features become necessary.
With only 16 visible participants in tile view, large meetings feel impersonal. Hosts can't see everyone, engagement drops, and the experience degrades compared to Zoom's 49-person view.
Zoom
Users switch for better features. Gain: more reliable, breakout rooms, better recordings. Trade-off: extra cost, another tool.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft users switch for bundled experience. Gain: chat + video + files. Trade-off: Microsoft ecosystem, heavier app.
Webex
Enterprises switch for Cisco's security reputation, compliance certifications, and enterprise features. Webex is preferred in regulated industries needing robust security.
Discord
Tech teams and communities use Discord for persistent voice channels and casual communication. Unlike Meet's meeting-centric model, Discord's always-on approach suits different workflows.
Around
Teams wanting less meeting fatigue try Around. Gain: floating heads, less intrusive. Trade-off: niche, limited features.
