The COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments to shut down the
economy in an attempt to control the spread of the virus. As more and more
people started working from home, there was an increased need for good video
conferencing services. The best of these are Google Meet, Zoom, and Skype.
All three video conferencing services have their own set of
advantages. Here’s a look at the features and pricing plans of all three
available options.
Google Meet
Google Meet is an upgraded version of Google Hangouts. It is
specifically designed for conducting online video conferences and other
business meetings such as webinars.
Google Meet Apps are available on Apple’s App Store,
Android’s Play Store, the Web, as well as Chromebooks. To start a meeting on
Google Meet, you need to “join or start a meeting” at meet.google.com.
Features
Google Meet allows participants to share their screen and
send files via the chat option. Users can even access HD video meetings
depending on the type of device they are using.
An Enterprise user of Google Meet can record their meetings
and save them on Google Drive on the Google Calendar event. Moreover, if a
participant is unable to join a meeting through a video phone, they could
attend via phone without paying any additional fee.
Google Meet’s camera has an all-in-one speaker, a wide-view,
along with a noise-canceling and echo-reduction microphone.
Pricing
When it comes to pricing, Google Meet offers its user a few
different pricing plans to choose from. Even though a free version of Meet
wasn’t initially available, Google now offers free access to a limited version
of the service to all its users. The free version allows 100 participants to
join at once and has a time limit of 60 minutes.
To get access to more features, users will have to subscribe
to any one of the three Google Suite tiers. The Basic Plan of G Suite is priced
at $6 per month and allows video calls of 100 participants. The Business Plan
costs $12 per month and allows a maximum of 150 participants. The Enterprise
plan, priced at $25, allows 250 participants to attend a meeting.
Zoom
Zoom is currently the leader
in the video conferencing market. Unlike Google Meet, invitees to a Zoom
meeting do not need to have an account on Zoom. This means that anyone can
click on a Zoom meeting link to join it. THE Zoom app is available on multiple
platforms including App Store, Play Store, Mac, and Windows computers.
The common feature between Zoom and Google Meet is that both
allow users to invite other participants to join a meeting. Both platforms
don’t require a paid account for start or join a meeting.
Features
One of the most popular features of Zoom is its Gallery view
that can display up to 49 participants on a single screen.
Zoom even allows users to record their meetings in either
audio (M4A) or video (MP4) formats. These files are locally saved on the
participant’s device. Unlike Google Meet, this recording feature is accessible
by free Zoom users as well.
Zoom also allows users to share their screen with other
participants. Moreover, users can also turn on real-time captions during a
meeting to better understand what other participants are saying.
Pricing
The most basic of Zoom is accessible for free. However,
there are some limitations to this version. For instance, users can only
conduct meetings of up to 100 people with a time limit of 40 minutes.
Zoom’s pricing structure is a little complex. The Pro plan
is priced at $14.99 per month per host. It allows personal meeting IDs, long
meetings of up to 24 hours, and more. The Business plan is priced at $19.99 per
month per host with a minimum limit of 10 hosts. This version allows up to 300
people to join a meeting at a single time.
Lastly, there’s the Enterprise plan which also costs $19.99
per month per host. However, it has a minimum limit of 100 hosts. The
Enterprise plan allows meetings of up to 500 participants and offers advanced
features such as unlimited cloud storage.
Skype
Skype is well known for being one of the de facto online
communication apps.
Even though the
service traditionally focused on private users, it has recently launched a
business version of the application called Skype for Business.
Features
Skype’s features are very similar to the ones offered by
Google Meet and Zoom. For instance, it allows users to communicate via group
chats and share images, documents, and videos. Skype is also available over
Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows. Moreover, the screen sharing option is also
available on Skype.
Skype only allows 50 participants to join a meeting. Its
features also include closed captioning. Skype can easily be integrated with
Outlook for additional features. Lastly, users can record video calls on Skype
and can access them for up to 30 days.
Pricing
Skype’s subscription is priced at $2 per month per user.
However, like other services, Skype offers multiple plans as well. Skype’s
entry-level plan, known as Microsoft Office Business Essentials, is priced at
$5 per month. This plan allows users to only access audio and HD video, and
group IM.
The premium plan costs $12.5 per month per user. It offers
more advanced features including application and desktop sharing, video, and
audio recording along with HD video calls.
The Final Verdict
At the core, Google Meet, Zoom, and Skype are all video
conferencing services and offer similar features, albeit at different prices. All
three platforms have their own set of pros and cons.
For instance, when it comes to pure video conferencing, Zoom
seems to have an edge over Skype and Google Meet. It offers multiple features
at different price points. Moreover, Zoom’s highest-priced plan allows a large
number of participants to join.
However, if you’re looking to use other applications along
with video conferencing, then Google Meet takes the lead. This is because it
comes with a G-Suite account that includes several powerful Google applications
including Docs, Slides, Sheets, Forms, and Calendar. Google Meet is also
suitable for participants who are unable to join via video and need to connect
through call.
Therefore, one platform may be better suited to your needs,
depending on what features you need and the size of your team.
0 Comments