Google Meet vs Zoom Workplace

Updated October 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

Google Meet

Google's browser-based video meetings, free with a Google account and built into Workspace.

Free plan + paid

Visit Google Meet Google Meet profile

Zoom Workplace

The best-known video meeting app, now bundled with chat, phone, whiteboards and AI notes.

Free plan + paid

Visit Zoom Workplace Zoom Workplace profile

The short answer

Google Meet suits teams already on Google Workspace who want meetings that start from a Calendar invite with nothing to install. Zoom suits organisations that host large meetings, webinars or many external guests and want desktop apps on every platform. The biggest difference is depth versus convenience: Zoom offers more meeting and event tools, while Meet is simpler and often already paid for.

Google Meet or Zoom Workplace: our take

Zoom is a dedicated meeting platform that has grown into Zoom Workplace, bundling chat, whiteboards, scheduling, docs, mail, calendar and an AI companion around its calls, with Phone, Webinars, Events and Rooms sold as add-ons. Google Meet is one part of Google Workspace: it runs in the browser with no install, has iOS and Android apps, and is tied closely to Gmail and Google Calendar, with Gemini features such as note taking and translated captions on paid plans.

The free tiers differ in a way that matters for everyday use. Zoom's free Basic plan allows 100 participants but cuts meetings at 40 minutes. Google Meet's free tier also allows up to 100 participants, but group calls end after 60 minutes, and one-to-one calls can last up to 24 hours. On the paid side, Zoom Pro costs $14.16 per user per month billed annually and allows meetings of up to 30 hours, and the Business plan raises capacity to 300 participants. Meet's limits are lifted by Workspace business plans and some Google One plans, with premium plans supporting up to 1,000 participants; most companies on Gmail get it without a separate purchase.

Zoom has native desktop apps for Windows, macOS and Linux and is known for reliable call quality on weak connections, plus breakout rooms, polls, webinars and large town halls in one ecosystem. Meet is less configurable for large events but has the lowest friction for guests, who just click a link in a browser. Zoom's app has become cluttered with non-meeting features, which some users dislike.

If your company lives in Google Workspace, Meet is usually the sensible default and avoids another bill. If you run webinars, large all-hands or client calls where guests expect Zoom, or you want installed apps across desktops, Zoom is the stronger choice.

Choose Google Meet if…

Teams on Google Workspace who want meetings that launch straight from Calendar
Nothing to install for hosts or guests
Included with Google Workspace plans

Choose Zoom Workplace if…

Organisations that want a familiar, reliable meeting tool guests already know
You need macOS, Windows and Linux, which Google Meet doesn't list
Reliable call quality, even on poor connections
Apps for every desktop and mobile platform

What is Google Meet?

Google Meet is Google's video meeting service. It runs in any modern browser with nothing to install, and has apps for iOS and Android, so joining a call is as simple as clicking a link from Gmail or Google Calendar. Anyone with a Google account can host meetings for up to 100 participants; on the free tier, group calls with three or more people end after 60 minutes, while one-to-one calls can last up to 24 hours. Google Workspace business plans and some Google One plans lift the limits, adding longer calls, recording, attendance tracking, breakout rooms, live streaming and meetings of up to 1,000 participants, plus Gemini features such as note taking and translated captions. Because it is part of Workspace, most companies on Gmail and Google Calendar get it without a separate purchase. It is less configurable than Zoom or Webex for large events, but it suits teams already in Google's ecosystem who want meetings that just work from a calendar invite.

What is Zoom Workplace?

Zoom became the default name for video calls during the pandemic and is still the meeting tool many companies and schools standardise on. Meetings are reliable on weak connections, joining is simple for guests, and it handles everything from one-to-one calls to large town halls with breakout rooms, polls, recording, live captions and webinars. The product is now sold as Zoom Workplace, which wraps meetings together with team chat, whiteboards, scheduling, docs, mail and calendar, and an AI companion that writes meeting summaries; Zoom Phone, Webinars, Events and Rooms are separate add-ons. The free Basic plan caps group meetings at 40 minutes, while paid plans priced per user per month lift the time limit, raise participant caps and add cloud storage and admin features. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and in the browser. Zoom suits almost any organisation that wants a familiar, dependable meeting tool that external guests already know how to use.

Side by side

Attribute	Google Meet	Zoom Workplace
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
Best for	Teams on Google Workspace who want meetings that launch straight from Calendar	Organisations that want a familiar, reliable meeting tool guests already know
Status	Active	Active