Managed IT Support Microsoft Teams vs Google Meet vs Zoom: The Definitive Videoconferencing Fight
The COVID-19 pandemic forced staff members to work from home, however the show had to go on somehow. Overnight, videoconferencing platforms developed into the lifeline that held services together. Even as operations go back to normal, videoconferencing providers are putting resources into their products.
The two main cooperation suites, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace deal videoconferencing capabilities, but we would be remiss not to include one of the most popular videoconferencing apps in the market today-- Zoom.
At this moment, your service is almost ensured to have a videoconferencing platform currently. If not, or if you are looking to change platforms, continue checking out listed below for a breakdown of functions and choices that will assist you make your choice.
Are your conferences long or short? Are you mainly satisfying internally or with leads and customers? Will you be hosting webinars?
It goes without saying, if your business is currently registered for Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, and you enjoy with the platform, you should use Teams or Meet respectively. If you are not signed up for either and simply need a standalone videoconferencing app, Zoom has a totally free version that must resolve the majority of your needs.
In the areas listed below, we will compare all three major videoconferencing platforms based on different metrics you should consider prior to selecting the ideal one for your service.
Groups vs Meet vs Zoom: Integration with your other apps/services
Before diving into the full list of features for each platform, it is very important to understand how much you obtain from the totality of what you are spending for.
Groups and Meet become part of larger productivity suites, whereas Zoom is a standalone product with all the videoconferencing-specific functions you might 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 just offers you videoconferencing abilities. For less than Zoom Pro, the M365 Business Standard and Workspace Business subscriptions consist of a complete suite of organization applications.
With Microsoft 365, you get a fully incorporated experience with desktop variations of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more. The greatest selling point of Microsoft is how quickly the apps deal with each other, and the greatest distinction between Teams and its rivals is how centralized the suite is.
Groups leaps flawlessly from immediate messaging to video calls, with the capability to change back and forth in between them.
On The Other Hand, Google Meet is independent of Workspace's chat app, Google Chat. While users can make use of both Workspace apps at the same time, the separation of the 2 is a bit counterproductive.
With M365 and Teams, all chats, recorded meetings, and files are all housed in the very same central location, making searchability far easier.
With Meet and Zoom, you will have to look for conserved chats from old conferences, or in the case of Meet, head over to Google Chat.
This is likewise the case when working on collective files. Any files attached in a Teams chat will appear under its files tab at the top of the window, meaning you don't have to lose time chasing them down when you need them.
Microsoft offers much more applications in their plans than Google, though numerous go unnoticed.
Microsoft Sway enables you to quickly grab and cut a tape-recorded Teams fulfilling that you can then house locally within Teams itself.
In the event that someone shows up late to a meeting, or an employee records the very same meeting and lets it run for hours after its conclusion, you can quickly grab the part of the conference you require and wait.
This bypasses the storage that would be consumed by an hours-long video, along with the time it would take to publish, trim, and export said video from a video modifying platform.
In addition, all 3 platforms do have integrations with numerous other service applications, so make certain to look at compatibility with any apps you currently utilize, and these platforms.
Teams vs Meet vs Zoom: Features
Comparing Free Versions vs. Paid
Microsoft, Google, and Zoom have actually all adjusted well to the demand for specific functions on their platforms, hence most of the exact same features overlap across plans for all 3 suites. This consists of screen sharing, video recording, live captions, and everybody's favorite: custom-made backgrounds. When it comes to some other functions, they differ across each business's offerings.
A table depicting the various strategies and functions of Microsoft Teams vs. Google Meet vs. Zoom Audio Conferencing On-the-Go
While present throughout the board, dial-in abilities differ throughout plans. Meet offers dial-in free of charge with any of their paid plans, among the most significant benefits that the platform has over its competitors.Groups provides its dial-in ability for $4 additional per user, per month; while Zoom's dial-in is toll-based.
Both Teams and Meet deal internet-based PBX options that can change your in-house phones, while Zoom's toll-based setup is not practical.
Microsoft 365 Business Voice incorporates seamlessly with Teams, allowing staff members to take organization on the go, all with complete connection.
Video Quality-- Who Supports the Best?
As of the time of this post, each platform shows video in HD, however the quality varies. Teams can 1080p video at 30 frames per 2nd if you have 1.5 Mbps of bandwidth.
Zoom also has 1080p video, however it is limited to the platform's business or business strategies. 1080p can likewise be enabled by Zoom support in certain cases. Zoom's 1080p functionality requires 1.8 Mbps of bandwidth for 1-on-1 calls and 2.5 Mbps on group calls.
Meet will default to 360p video, but it can send and get approximately 720p video.
Audio quality across platforms depends upon microphone and speaker quality, as well as the quality of your internet connection.
Rooms and Workspaces-- Breaking Things Down
Breakout spaces are basically meetings that run simultaneously to the initial videoconference. These were especially required for virtual education, so instructors could break students out into different groups to learn.
There is a clear energy for breakout spaces in professional areas, too. If a larger group is meeting about a project, breaking down tasks into smaller groups, breakout rooms might be a fantastic option.
Both Teams and Zoom have breakout rooms native to their https://www.evernote.com/shard/s717/sh/ba1ad033-5a13-c57b-85f2-2b9a149bf42e/GqI4VcmbQbNchuI2v4o4fQGz9jODrv9ZAgfATMb_OYjyY7-F6krhIcdmAg base platforms, throughout all plans. These spaces are essentially conferences that are running concurrently to the original videoconference.
Meet permits breakout spaces through their standard and plus plans, but not in the free or standard strategies. Nevertheless, like many Google functions on more affordable plans, you can include Google Chrome extensions, but this could be more of a headache than it deserves in the end.
Recently, Microsoft likewise presented Together Mode, which uses AI to position video participants in numerous digital settings, together. While the energy is light, Together Mode could be a solid spirits booster.
Groups vs Meet vs Zoom: Privacy and Safety
To its credit, Zoom responded quickly to the "Zoom bombing" of the early days of the pandemic, adding end-to-end encryption and intensifying their privacy policy. Over 500,000 Zoom accounts were taken and published for sale online soon afterwards.
While Meet has actually not had any well-known incidents of personal privacy breaches, Google has actually had a lot of personal privacy concerns and a track record of collecting information for usage in advertising.
Microsoft has the best track record of security and they also have the most transparent privacy policy.
All 3 platforms support two-factor authentication. Considering that 99% of cybersecurity attacks include a password element, two-factor authentication is a must if you want a legitimate defense versus cybercriminals.
As a part of the wider M365 suite, all chats, notes, and files are secured and kept within OneNote and SharePoint, respectively.
Additionally, Microsoft Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) is offered on its Business Premium and E5 plans, blocking possibly malicious material from being accessed by those in your business.
Microsoft also utilizes Data Loss Protection (DLP) to catch delicate data being shared (like social security numbers), and instantly obstruct it from being sent out.
Along with eDiscovery and legal holds within channels, chats, and files, Teams ensures you stay compliant with all information storage policies.
A graphic showing the course of details as it is secured from Microsoft Teams through Microsoft 365.
Google does offer eDiscovery in their Business and Enterprise strategies and DLP in their Enterprise plan just, but these are just restricted to Drive and Gmail. From what we can see Meet has no particularly listed DLP capabilities.Zoom does not offer any of these functions on its main platform.
In general, Zoom has actually responded well to its personal privacy obstacles, however the modifications are mostly cosmetic.
End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is terrific to have, however its addition was more of a reaction to an issue than a total service. It is unlikely that E2EE safeguards most users from more than encryption in transit and at rest, like with Teams and Meet.
E2EE is most helpful in 1-on-1 discussions where sensitive info may be shared, and it will be available on Teams soon according to Microsoft.
The videoconferencing business has less to stress over since they are a single-purpose app, dealing entirely with videoconferencing, and not the storage of files, talks, and other information like Microsoft or Google.
Based upon credibility alone, Microsoft stands well above the others in terms of security.
Due to the fact that your data is all stored in a single area, Teams and its security features take your productivity center and turns it into your company's own information stronghold. This second level of protection and privacy makes it the best, in our experience.
Groups vs Meet vs Zoom: The Verdict
The majority of videoconferencing platforms have comparable features, your company's specific requirements should determine whether you pick Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, or Zoom.
For base-level features at an economical price, it is tough to beat Zoom, who is focused entirely on videoconferencing. For the most bang for your buck, Teams ties your entire company together in one space, with the best possible functions and security offered.
If you are trying to find an all-in-one collaboration hub that keeps all your interaction in one area, we highly recommend Microsoft Teams.
IT Support Guys has actually leveraged the power of Microsoft 365 because 2008 when it was still called Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS), and we have continued our partnership until today day.