Google Meet vs. Microsoft Teams: Which one is right for your business?

Posted on Friday November 24, 2023

Ever since remote work became the new normal, video conferencing software has become a necessity for businesses and individuals alike. Two of the most popular options available in the market are Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. Both platforms offer fairly similar features, but both have their own unique set of capabilities that set them apart. Let's delve into a quick comparison between these two dominant platforms.

Pricing

For those on a tight budget, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams both offer a free version with limited features, which include basic video conferencing, screen sharing, and chat capabilities.

However, most businesses may require more advanced features and may need to opt for paid plans. Google Meet's pricing structure is slightly simpler with its three-tiered plan: Basic ($6/month), Business ($12/month per user), and Enterprise ($18/month per user). Each tier offers additional features such as larger participant limits, meeting recording, and advanced security options.

Similarly, Microsoft Teams offers a range of plans, including Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($6/month per user), Microsoft 365 Business Standard ($12.50/month per user), and Microsoft 365 Business Premium ($22/month per user). Higher tiers include more advanced features such as advanced security and compliance tools, phone system integration, and flexible cloud storage.

In terms of pricing, both platforms offer fairly similar options, with Microsoft Teams having a slight edge in terms of features offered for its more premium plans.

Call features

Google Meet and Microsoft Teams offer standard call features such as HD video, screen sharing, chat, meeting recording, and live meeting transcriptions on paid plans. Both platforms also provide joining restrictions, hand raising, and background replacement settings for a more organized virtual meeting.

When it comes to video conferencing, you can't go wrong with either platform, but if you're looking for a more advanced calling experience, Microsoft Teams offers Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems. These features enable companies to make and receive internal and external calls through Teams. Plus, they get robust business phone system features such as automated attendant features, music on hold, call queues, call forwarding, and so much more.

Number of participants

If you tend to have virtual meetings with a large number of participants, Microsoft Teams may be a better option. While Google Meet allows up to 500 participants in a single meeting, Microsoft Teams allows up to 1,000 participants in a call session for higher-tier subscriptions. This can be particularly useful for those conducting webinars or virtual events with a large audience.

Meeting length

On the free plan, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams limit meeting lengths to 60 minutes, which is sufficient for short team meetings or catch-ups.

Meanwhile, paid plans on both platforms allow longer meeting times, with Google Meet offering up to 24 hours and Microsoft Teams allowing a maximum of 30 hours. This is more than enough for virtual conferences, seminars, and online events.

User interface

While the intuitiveness of a platform's user interface is subjective, both Google Meet and Microsoft Teams offer clean and organized layouts. Those already familiar with Microsoft's ribbons, side menus, and tabs layout may lean toward Teams. The downside is that it can look cluttered to new users.

On the other hand, Google Meet maintains a simple and straightforward interface with a minimalistic design. This layout makes Meet easy to navigate and doesn't require a steep learning curve, especially if users are already familiar with the Google Workspace ecosystem.

Native integrations

Google Meet and Microsoft Teams are both part of larger ecosystems, which allow for integration with other tools and apps. Google Meet is part of Google Workspace, formerly known as G Suite, which means seamless integration with other popular tools such as Gmail, Calendar, and Drive.

In contrast, Microsoft Teams is part of the Microsoft 365 environment, allowing for easy integration with Outlook, OneDrive, and other Office productivity apps. It also includes Power BI for data analytics, Planner for task management, and Viva for employee engagement. When it comes to integrations, it all comes down to personal preference and which ecosystem your team is already using, but Microsoft's more extensive range of native integrations may give it an edge over Google Meet.

Security

Google and Microsoft both take security seriously, and have implemented various measures to ensure secure virtual meetings. Meet and Teams, in particular, come with advanced security features like end-to-end encryption, multifactor authentication, access controls, and data loss prevention policies.

Although Microsoft's ecosystem also includes notable security features such as mobile device management, device encryption, and Windows defender antivirus. Google's security measures may fall short on paper, but they have been fairly unscathed when it comes to security breaches unlike Microsoft.

It's clear that both Google Meet and Microsoft Teams offer robust video conferencing solutions, each with its own unique strengths. Your choice will largely depend on your specific business needs and the ecosystem you're already familiar with. But if you're still unsure, contact our team today to discuss which platform would be the best fit for your business.