Managed IT Support Microsoft Teams vs Google Meet vs Zoom: The Definitive Videoconferencing Battle
The COVID-19 pandemic required staff members to work from house, but the show needed to go on in some way. Overnight, videoconferencing platforms developed into the lifeline that held organizations together. Even as operations go back to normal, videoconferencing suppliers are pouring resources into their items.
The two primary collaboration suites, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace deal videoconferencing abilities, however we would be remiss not to consist of among the most popular videoconferencing apps in the market today-- Zoom.
At this point, your service is almost ensured to have a videoconferencing platform currently. If not, or if you are seeking to alter platforms, continue reading below for a breakdown of features and choices that will help you make your decision.
Are your conferences long or short? Are you mostly satisfying internally or with leads and clients? Will you be hosting webinars?
It goes without saying, if your company is already signed up for Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, and you enjoy with the platform, you should use Teams or Meet respectively. If you are not registered for either and merely need a standalone videoconferencing app, Zoom has a totally free variation that ought to fix the majority of your needs.
In the sections listed below, we will compare all three major videoconferencing platforms based on different metrics you ought to think about before selecting the right one for your company.
Groups vs Meet vs Zoom: Integration with your other apps/services
Prior to diving into the complete list of functions for each platform, it is essential to comprehend how much you get from the whole of what you are spending for.
Groups and Meet belong to bigger performance suites, whereas Zoom is a standalone product with all the videoconferencing-specific features you may require. While Teams and Meet can be procured separately, they are best bundled with their larger suites, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.
Case in point, a Zoom Pro membership only gives you videoconferencing capabilities. For less than Zoom Pro, the M365 Business Standard and Workspace Business memberships consist of a complete suite of service applications.
With Microsoft 365, you get a fully incorporated experience with desktop variations of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more. The biggest selling point of Microsoft is how easily the apps deal with each other, and the biggest distinction between Teams and its competitors is how centralized the suite is.
Groups leaps seamlessly from instantaneous messaging to video calls, with the ability to change back and forth in between them.
Meanwhile, Google Meet is independent of Workspace's chat app, Google Chat. While users can use both Workspace apps simultaneously, the separation of the two is a bit counterproductive.
With M365 and Teams, all chats, tape-recorded meetings, and files are all housed in the same main place, making searchability far easier.
With Meet and Zoom, you will need to seek out saved chats from old meetings, or in the case of Meet, head over to Google Chat.
This is also the case when dealing with collective files. Any files connected in a Teams chat will appear under its files tab at the top of the window, meaning you do not need to waste time chasing them down when you need them.
Microsoft provides a lot more applications in their strategies than Google, however many go undetected.
For example, Microsoft Sway allows you to rapidly grab and trim a tape-recorded Teams satisfying that you can then house locally within Teams itself.
In the case that somebody gets here late to a conference, or an employee records the exact same meeting and lets it run for hours after its conclusion, you can quickly grab the part of the conference you require and save it.
This bypasses the storage that would be eaten up by an hours-long video, as well as the time it would require to publish, cut, and export stated video from a video modifying platform.
In addition, all 3 platforms do have integrations with numerous other business applications, so make certain to examine compatibility with any apps you already utilize, and these platforms.
Teams vs Meet vs Zoom: Features
Comparing Free Versions vs. Paid
Microsoft, Google, and Zoom have all adjusted well to the need for particular functions on their platforms, therefore the majority of the exact same functions overlap throughout prepare for all 3 suites. This consists of screen sharing, video recording, live captions, and everyone's favorite: custom backgrounds. As for some other features, they differ across each company's offerings.
A table illustrating the different strategies and features of Microsoft Teams vs. Google Meet vs. Zoom Audio Conferencing On-the-Go
While present across the board, dial-in abilities differ throughout plans. Meet offers dial-in for free with any of their paid strategies, one of the biggest advantages that the platform has over its rivals.Teams offers its dial-in ability for $4 extra per user, per month; while Zoom's dial-in is toll-based.
Both Teams and Meet deal internet-based PBX services that can change your in-house phones, while Zoom's toll-based setup is not practical.
Microsoft 365 Business Voice incorporates perfectly with Teams, enabling staff members to take organization on the go, all with full connection.
Video Quality-- Who Supports the Best?
Since the time of this post, each platform shows video in HD, however the quality varies. Groups is capable of 1080p video at 30 frames per 2nd if you have 1.5 Mbps of bandwidth.
Zoom also has 1080p video, but it is restricted to the platform's company or business strategies. 1080p can also be enabled by Zoom assistance in particular cases. Zoom's 1080p performance needs 1.8 Mbps of bandwidth for 1-on-1 calls and 2.5 Mbps on group calls.
Meet will default to 360p video, however it can send and get up to 720p video.
Audio quality across platforms depends upon microphone and speaker quality, as well as the quality of your internet connection.
Spaces and Workspaces-- Breaking Things Down
Breakout rooms are essentially conferences that run concurrently to the initial videoconference. These were specifically essential for virtual education, so instructors might break students out into separate groups to learn.
There is a clear utility for breakout rooms in professional spaces, too. If a larger group is satisfying about a project, breaking down tasks into smaller sized groups, breakout rooms could be a fantastic option.
Both Teams and Zoom have breakout spaces native to their base platforms, across all strategies. These spaces are basically meetings that are running simultaneously to the original videoconference.
Meet permits breakout spaces through their basic and plus strategies, but not in the free or standard plans. Like a lot of Google functions on more affordable strategies, you can add Google Chrome extensions, but this might be more of a headache than it is worth in the end.
Recently, Microsoft likewise rolled out Together Mode, which utilizes AI to put video individuals in numerous digital settings, together. While the energy is light, Together Mode might be a strong morale booster.
Teams vs Meet vs Zoom: Privacy and Safety
To its credit, Zoom reacted swiftly to the "Zoom battle" of the early days of the pandemic, adding end-to-end file encryption and boosting their privacy policy. Over 500,000 Zoom accounts were stolen and posted for sale online quickly thereafter.
While Meet has not had any famous incidents of personal privacy breaches, Google has actually had a lot of privacy issues and a track record of collecting information for use in marketing.
Microsoft has the very best performance history of security and they likewise have the most transparent privacy policy.
All 3 platforms support two-factor authentication. Considering that 99% of cybersecurity attacks involve a password element, two-factor authentication is a should if you want a genuine defense against cybercriminals.
As a part of the larger M365 suite, all chats, notes, and files are encrypted and stored within OneNote and SharePoint, respectively.
In Addition, Microsoft Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) is offered on its Business Premium and E5 plans, blocking potentially malicious content from being accessed by those in your business.
Microsoft likewise utilizes Data Loss Protection (DLP) to catch sensitive information being shared (like social security numbers), and immediately obstruct it from being sent out.
In addition to eDiscovery and legal holds within channels, chats, and files, Teams guarantees you remain compliant with all information storage policies.
A graphic showing the path of information as it is encrypted from Microsoft Teams through Microsoft 365.
Google does use eDiscovery in their Click here! Business and Enterprise strategies and DLP in their Enterprise strategy just, but these are just limited to Drive and Gmail. From what we can see Meet has actually no specifically listed DLP capabilities.Zoom does not provide any of these features on its main platform.
In general, Zoom has actually reacted well to its privacy obstacles, however the changes are mainly cosmetic.
End-to-end file encryption (E2EE) is excellent to have, however its addition was more of an action to an issue than a complete option. It is unlikely that E2EE protects most users from more than encryption in transit and at rest, like with Teams and Meet.
E2EE is most useful in 1-on-1 discussions where delicate details may be shared, and it will be readily available on Teams soon according to Microsoft.
The videoconferencing business has less to worry about since they are a single-purpose app, dealing solely with videoconferencing, and not the storage of files, talks, and other information like Microsoft or Google.
Based on reputation alone, Microsoft stands well above the others in terms of security.
Since your information is all saved in a single area, Teams and its security features take your efficiency center and turns it into your business's own information stronghold. This 2nd level of defense and personal privacy makes it the best, in our experience.
Teams vs Meet vs Zoom: The Verdict
Though the majority of videoconferencing platforms have similar functions, your business's exact requirements must determine whether you pick Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, or Zoom.
For base-level features at a budget friendly price, it is tough to beat Zoom, who is focused entirely on videoconferencing. For the most bang for your buck, Teams ties your whole company together in one area, with the very best possible features and security available.
If you are trying to find an all-in-one partnership hub that keeps all your communication in one area, we highly advise Microsoft Teams.
IT Support Guys has leveraged the power of Microsoft 365 because 2008 when it was still called Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS), and we have actually continued our partnership until the present day.