Google Meet is a popular video conferencing service known for its intuitive interface and cloud-encrypted meetings. It’s free for anyone with a Google account. Additional features are unlocked through a Google Workspace plan, starting at $6 per user monthly.
With its Google Workspace integrations, it’s ideal for teams already familiar with Google products. In this Google Meet review, it stood out for its general features and ease of use but performed poorly in customer service.
Google Meet Review at a Glance
What We Liked
- Has a free version for all Google account users
- Has a clean and straightforward interface
- Has robust security and privacy controls
- Deeply integrates with Google Workspace apps
What’s Missing
- Requires a Google Workspace plan for more features
- Has less advanced features compared with competitors
- Displays a limited number of participants
- Has poor customer support options
- Google-specific workflows: Signing up for a Google account or Workspace plan lets you host and join meetings via Google Meet. Its video meeting service deeply integrates with other Google products, allowing you to meet directly from Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets. This earned Google Meet a spot in our best Zoom alternatives.
- Free video conferencing solution: Anyone with a Google account can invite up to 100 attendees per meeting at no cost. This makes Google Meet one of our best free conference call services for individuals and small teams seeking a budget-friendly way to meet virtually.
- Secure and compliant video meetings: Google Meet is one of our best hybrid meeting software because of its in-depth approach to security. It employs anti-abuse measures and maintains global certifications from compliance programs like HIPAA and GDPR. This makes it suitable for businesses in the financial and healthcare industries with strict data privacy standards.
- Advanced video conferencing capabilities: Google Meet’s offerings are not as sophisticated as those of other competitors, as they are limited to basic functionalities like screen sharing and reactions. If you’re seeking interactive meeting tools, go for Zoom, one of our best video conferencing software with co-annotation, multishare, and keyboard and mouse control.
- Video meeting solution with robust collaboration features: Comparing Google Meet vs Microsoft Teams, the latter has comprehensive collaboration features. Microsoft Teams is a virtual workspace for video meetings, group chats, and file sharing.
- Full-featured communications service: Most providers integrate their video conferencing capabilities into a unified communications platform. Google Meet, however, is part of an office productivity suite that focuses on document collaboration. If you’re looking for a streamlined service with messaging, phone calls, and collaboration tools, consider RingCentral, our top recommendation for a business phone system.
Google Meet Deciding Factors
Google Meet offers a free version for Google account users who want to launch quick meetings without the need for downloads. All plans include counter-abuse protections to keep meetings safe from external threats. In its latest update, Google offers Gemini as an artificial intelligence (AI) add-on tool to help users create custom-generated backgrounds and fix lighting and webcam issues.
Google Meet Alternatives
Google Meet lacks certain capabilities commonly found in modern video conferencing competitors. These include interactive tools such as multishare, remote mouse control, and co-annotation. If you seek a more comprehensive alternative, you have options.
In our evaluation of Google Meet pricing, we gave it a high score because of its cost-saving benefits, such as a free-forever version and affordable monthly per-user fees. All paid plans come with a free trial, so you can explore the features before committing. Google account owners who host meetings lasting less than 60 minutes and only need basic functionality like screen sharing can opt for the free version.
Google Meet does not have its own pricing tier, so you will need to purchase a Google Workspace plan to increase meeting capacity and access additional features. If you’re not an active Google user, you might end up paying for other tools included in the plan that you don’t need. Therefore, upgrading to Google Meet’s business edition is more suitable for teams that are deeply embedded in the Google Workspace ecosystem.
Google Meet enables users to host meetings from any mobile device. (Source: Google Meet)
Google Meet works entirely within a web browser and has a mobile app that takes up minimal storage space without sacrificing quality video calling. Chat with other participants during meetings, and assign a participant to share their screen during video calls. It also offers video conferencing devices for businesses that need conference room support.
Here are other essential meeting features in Google Meet:
- In-meeting chat
- Virtual backgrounds
- Digital whiteboard
- Polling and Q&A
- Moderation controls
- Reactions
- Attendance tracking
- Live streaming
To limit distractions, you can blur or replace your background and adjust the light and color filters before joining a meeting. It also automatically switches the layout in a meeting to highlight an active participant or content. Layout options include auto, spotlight, sidebar, and tiled. The video and audio quality adjust to network speed, ensuring a smooth video call experience anywhere you are.
Upgrading to a Google Workspace plan includes additional features, such as hand raising, meeting recording, breakout rooms, noise cancellation, and translated captions. Video meetings are automatically saved to the organizer’s Google Drive. While whiteboard functionality is available via Jamboard, this feature is being phased out in December 2024, so users will need to migrate to Google’s whiteboard partners like Miro and FigJam.
Purchasing the Gemini add-on for your Workspace plan provides access to its AI-powered assistant across Workspace apps. The AI features for Google Meet will vary based on the Gemini add-on you select.
Gemini Business offers a studio effect editor that fixes issues caused by poor lighting or low-quality webcams. It simulates studio-quality lighting, so you can adjust the brightness, color, and lighting position to look more professional. You can also create an AI-generated background by submitting a text prompt to customize your virtual environment.
Google Meet informs meeting participants when a user enables Gemini to take notes. (Source: Google Meet)
Workspace subscribers with the Gemini Enterprise add-on can access the AI note-taking feature, which automatically captures important notes and action items during meetings. However, it’s important to note that this feature is still under development and may not perform accurately.
Google Meet offers various accessibility features to help users with disabilities participate in video meetings. Powered by Google’s speech recognition technology, live transcription captures what’s being said in meetings, so participants who are deaf or hard of hearing can follow along. Screen reader, full-page zoom, and high-contrast color ensure blind and low-vision users can view presentations clearly.
Google Meet’s live captions make it easy for participants to follow what’s said in video meetings. (Source: Google Meet)
Although Google Meet lacks transcriptions, it offers a built-in tool for live translation that translates English to or from French, German, Portuguese, or Spanish. You can also translate captions from Mandarin, Japanese, or Swedish to English.
With security being an integral part of Google, Google Meet employs various security measures, including data encryption and compliance certifications. All data is encrypted in transit, and every meeting has a unique encryption key. It also implements anti-abuse measures for web meetings and dial-ins, such as 10-character meeting codes and secure meeting controls.
Google Meet has security controls in place to prevent unauthorized participants from interrupting video meetings. (Source: Google Meet)
Google Meet has specific restrictions when someone attends a meeting. For example, participants cannot join a meeting more than 15 minutes before the scheduled time, and those who are uninvited must request access from the meeting host.
For maximum security, you can enroll your account in Google’s Advanced Protection Program, which provides the strongest protection against phishing and account hijacking.
As part of the Google Workspace suite, Google Meet integrates seamlessly with other Google products, such as Drive, Calendar, Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. All apps are tied together so that users can collaborate in context. For instance, you can seamlessly jump into a Google Meet session while working on Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides. A meeting sidebar will appear on the right side of your screen, so you can join the meeting as you work.
Launch a Google Meet meeting while working on Google Slides. (Source: YouTube)
Google Voice received a low customer service rating because it doesn’t offer live customer support to address technical concerns. Users must resort to self-service options, including the Google Workspace help center and community forum. Round-the-clock priority support is only available for Enterprise subscribers. An administrator account is required to contact a support specialist.
Host discussions about specific issues in the Google Meet Help Community. (Source: Google)
One of the key features of Google Meet is its straightforward design. Setting up a meeting is easy, whether you set a schedule via Google Calendar or start an instant meeting directly from Google Meet’s website. Although the platform is easy to navigate, many first-time users find the interface confusing, specifically when sharing their screens and inviting participants. Still, Google Meet can be a convenient video meeting tool once you get the hang of it.
Google Meet has an intuitive user interface that makes it easy to access video conferencing tools. (Source: Google Meet)
Based on our expert assessment, we found that Google Meet is a security-focused video meeting app because of its comprehensive data privacy measures. However, it lost a few points as it requires a Google Workspace subscription to unlock its full potential. Thus, we recommend Google Meet to teams with existing Workspace plans who want to eliminate the need to pay for a third-party video meeting service.
At the time of our assessment, here are the following ratings we found from reliable Google Meet reviews:
- GetApp: 4.5 out of 5 based on 11,757 reviews
- TrustRadius: 8.3 out of 10 based on 665 reviews
- G2: 4.6 out of 5 based on 2,316 reviews
Google Meet is relatively popular among Google Workspace users. Recent reviews of Google Meet reveal that many like the platform for its seamless integrations with other Google services and the ability to join meetings directly from their browser. They also find it incredibly convenient because of its intuitive interface and meeting management controls.
However, others pointed out that the platform has limited support for interactive features like whiteboard and polling compared to Zoom. Many also noticed fluctuations in video and audio quality, especially when multiple participants joined from different locations.
How We Evaluated Google Meet
We explored Google Meet and tested some of its features and functions. We also consulted recent Google Meet reviews to know more about the personal experiences of its business users. From there, we created a scoring system divided into a set of criteria: pricing, general features, niche features, customer service, ease of use, and expert score.
20% of Overall Score
Since cost is a major concern for small businesses, we looked for the availability of a free-forever plan, a free trial, and discounts for annual billing. We gave additional points to Google Meet as it offers cheaper per-user pricing for its subscription plans.
25% of Overall Score
In evaluating video meeting software, we checked for basic features that most businesses need when hosting meetings. These must-have features include meeting recording, screen sharing, and virtual backgrounds. It should also come with a mobile app to allow remote users to host and join meetings on the go. Google Meet earned high ratings for offering all these features and an additional point for accommodating up to 100 to 500 attendees per session.
20% of Overall Score
We considered features that promote smoother collaboration among distributed teams. We checked whether Google Meet offers whiteboards, polling, and breakout rooms. Google Meet gained additional points for providing AI features that allow users to enhance their video calling experience.
10% of Overall Score
We looked at the types of support channels Google Meet offers, including phone, email, chat, and a ticketing system. Additional points are awarded if all support channels are active 24/7 and a comprehensive knowledge base is available. We also checked the number of security measures and compliance certifications to ensure they meet industry standards for data privacy.
10% of Overall Score
To evaluate Google Meet’s usability, we tested the platform ourselves and compared it to our experiences with other video conferencing solutions. We also checked the customer feedback on Google Meet reviews and the availability of getting started resources. We also considered if users encountered learning curves when setting up and using the platform.
15% of Overall Score
Our years of experience evaluating various video conferencing providers are the basis for our expert evaluation. We compared Google Meet’s offerings against other virtual meeting solutions and weighed the provider’s popularity among users. We checked how its service meets small business needs, including its ease of use and overall value for money.
*Percentages of overall score
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Google users wanting to upgrade to a free Google Meet account may find that the platform lacks its own subscription tiers. Those who want to access premium features like meeting recording may have to purchase a Google Workspace plan. Users can’t also share files during meetings, and the whiteboard feature will be discontinued in December 2024.
The choice between Google Meet and Zoom depends on your team’s specific requirements. Google Meet might be a better choice than Zoom for teams relying heavily on Google Workspace for their collaboration needs. Its deep integration with Google products allows for easy access to recorded meetings on Google Drive and direct document sharing during meetings.
Certainly. Google Meet employs a wide range of privacy measures to keep meetings and data safe. These include antihijacking controls, data encryption, and built-in security to block threats like phishing, malware, and spam. Still, it is important to practice due diligence and observe strict cybersecurity measures to ensure meetings remain secure.
Bottom Line
Our Google Meet review found that it prioritizes ease of use and robust security features. We recommend Google Meet to individuals looking for an affordable and straightforward video meeting solution, as well as established businesses already utilizing Google’s suite of productivity tools. Try the free version or sign up for a free trial to explore its business plans.
