Zoom vs. MS Teams vs. Google Meet: The big comparison

In the world of Video conferencing tools Three providers rule the market: Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet. But which of these platforms should a medium-sized company build on? Of course, this depends heavily on various factors, such as features, pricing, and ease of use. There is no right and wrong — there is only suiting and less appropriate. So that you can make a suitable choice for your organization, we will address the most important points and main differences between the three meeting platforms in this blog post.

One important point in advance: The core function - i.e. pure video conferencing - hardly differs in the individual tools. However, special functions and the scope of delivery provided by the providers make a big difference, which has an enormous influence on the choice of. Let's start with the core of every software: What features do you get from the respective providers?

Zoom, MS Teams & Google Meet: The most important features at a glance

Zoom: Focus on reliable video conferences

Zoom has quickly become one of the most popular tools for online meetings, especially during the pandemic. It offers a simple user interface that is intuitive to use. Zoom's particular strengths are:

• High participant capacity: The free plan allows up to 100 people to join a meeting. With the business variant (17.49 EUR/month), the capacity is expanded to up to 300 participants.
• Interactive whiteboards: During video conferences, editable whiteboards are available, which are ideal for brainstorming or taking notes together.
• Professional webinars: With paid add-ons, large events such as webinars with up to 10,000 viewers can be realized — perfect for presentations or training on a large scale.
• Breakout rooms: Zoom makes it easy to divide participants into smaller groups, so-called breakout rooms. This feature is particularly useful for group work, intensive discussions, or practical exercises.
• Diverse integrations: Zoom integrates seamlessly with numerous third-party tools, such as calendar apps (Google Calendar, Outlook) and project management software, which further increases productivity.

With Zoom, it's immediately noticeable: The tool specializes in reliable online meetings — nothing more, nothing less. So if you need an isolated platform without a lot of “bells and whistles,” with which you can easily and quickly implement online meetings, Zoom is a suitable solution.

Microsoft Teams: The all-in-one collaboration tool

Microsoft Teams It stands out in particular because the platform offers more than simple video conferences, but a complete package for collaboration and communication within the company:

• Collaboration: Microsoft Teams is an all-in-one platform for collaboration. Users can share, collaborate on, and track documents, notes, and tasks directly within teams, significantly increasing team productivity and efficiency.
• Chats and channels: Teams enables easy communication both within a team and across teams. Through chats and topic-specific channels, all information and discussions remain clear and accessible at all times — both during and after meetings.
• Integration with Microsoft 365: The tight integration with Microsoft 365 provides direct access to important tools such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint, so that all team members can easily work together on documents.
• Video conferences: Microsoft Teams enables video conferences with up to 300 participants (expandable in enterprise plans). The high video quality and ease of use make meetings even more efficient.
• File sharing and storage: Thanks to integration with OneDrive and SharePoint, files can be edited, shared and stored centrally in real time, which promotes seamless team collaboration.
• Telephony: With the telephony function, users can make and receive calls via teams, even with fixed network numbers. This function is perfectly integrated into the company's overall communication structure.
• Extensible apps and integrations: Teams can be extended with a variety of apps and tools from the Microsoft ecosystem and third-party providers to make collaboration even more flexible and tailored.

A company that does not yet use a tool for collaboration and online meetings will find Microsoft Teams an excellent choice. However, if such a tool is already in use (such as Slack or Google Chat), the integration should be well thought out. Since Teams comes with an extensive range of functions, a more focused tool such as Zoom or Google Meet could be the more appropriate decision for online meetings in this case.

Google Meet: Just get started in the browser

‍Google Meet scores points with simplicity and seamless integration into Google Workspace. Key features include:

• Seamless integration with Google Workspace: Direct link to Google Calendar, Gmail, and Google Drive. Easily schedule and start meetings directly from Google apps.‍
• No software installation: Google Meet is browser-based, meaning no separate software is required. A user-friendly app is available for mobile devices.‍
• High safety standards: Built-in security features, such as the ability to block participants or remove unwanted guests from meetings.‍
• Video conferences with a solid basis: Up to 100 subscribers in the free version, expandable to up to 500 subscribers in business plans.‍
• Live subtitles and AI-powered features: Automatic transcription in real time in multiple languages. Background blur and noise cancellation for interference-free communication.‍
• Easy sharing: Compatibility with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides for seamless collaboration during meetings

If you're already working extensively with the Google environment and are looking for a simple and easy-to-use solution, Google Meet is a great choice. However, Google Meet lacks some advanced features, such as breakout rooms, which can be particularly relevant for webinars or larger meetings.

Pricing: What do Zoom, MS Teams and Google Meet cost?

The cost structure of the three platforms varies and should be analysed in detail. Basically, all providers offer a free version with limited functions. Below, we compare monthly prices on an annual plan:

Zoom prices:

• Pro package: 12.49 EUR/month/user. Raise the meeting time from 40 minutes/meeting to 30h/meeting. As in the free version, 100 participants are possible, but cloud storage of 5 GB is possible. Zoom also uses the AI Companion.
• Business package: 17.49 EUR/month/user. In the business version, up to 300 participants may attend per meeting. With add-ons, it's even more, which are perfect for large web events or webinars. Whiteboards can be used indefinitely in the business version.

Microsoft Teams prices:

• Microsoft Teams Essentials: 3.70 EUR/month/user. Especially for small businesses that only need video conferences and chats. This version offers meetings of up to 30 hours and 10 GB of cloud storage, without the extensive features of Microsoft 365.‍
• Microsoft 365 Business Basic: 5.60 EUR/month/user. This package includes basic video conferencing and collaboration features, including Teams meetings with up to 300 participants, 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage, and web versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.‍
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard: 11.70 EUR/month/user. In addition to the features of the Basic package, it offers full desktop versions of Office applications, more advanced management options, and additional tools to increase productivity.

Google Meet prices:

• Google Workspace Business Starter: 5.75 EUR/month/user. This package includes meetings with up to 100 participants, 30GB of cloud storage per user, and basic Google Workspace tools such as Gmail, Drive, and Calendar.
• Google Workspace Business Standard: 11.50 EUR/month/user. In addition to the starter functions, this package allows meetings with up to 150 participants, offers the option to record meetings and additional storage space (2 TB per user).
• Google Workspace Business Plus: 17.25 EUR/month/user. Meetings with up to 500 participants are possible here. There are also security and management features and 5 TB of storage per user.

The prices of the three platforms show that a suitable solution is available for almost every budget. While Microsoft Teams scores points with the lowest entry-level price, Zoom already offers all the standard functions a video conference needs in the free basic version, but weakens meetings that last longer than 40 minutes. Google Meet, on the other hand, impresses with a high degree of scalability and generous cloud storage. The decision ultimately depends on your wallet and which number of participants is to be covered.

Before we come to the final conclusion, let's take a look at the usability of the three meeting platforms.

Ease of use: How easy are the video conferencing tools to use?

Ease of use is critical to driving team adoption of a video conferencing tool. Here are the main differences in brief:

• Zoom: Particularly intuitive with a clear interface. Quick to use and perfect for spontaneous meetings or less tech-savvy users.
• Microsoft Teams: Versatile and deeply integrated with Microsoft 365. Ideal for extensive collaboration, but with a slightly steeper learning curve.
• Google Meet: Minimalistic and easy to use, especially for companies that work in the Google environment. Perfect for quick deployments without a lot of bells and whistles.

Conclusion: Zoom vs. MS Teams vs. Google Meet — What's the best tool for your company?

Choosing the right Video conferencing tools depends largely on your company's specific requirements and existing infrastructure. Zoom impresses with ease of use and a clear focus on reliable video conferencing — ideal for companies looking for an uncomplicated, specialized tool.

‍Microsoft Teams offers a comprehensive ecosystem for collaboration and is particularly suitable for companies that already use Microsoft 365 or want to rely on an all-in-one solution.

‍Google Meet stands out for its simplicity, scalability, and seamless integration with Google Workspace — an excellent choice for organizations that are already at home in the Google world.

Ultimately, there is no universally best solution — the decisive factor is which platform best suits your team's work processes, needs, and budgets. By carefully weighing features, pricing, and ease of use, you'll find the ideal solution for your business. We hope this overview was helpful in your decision making.