7 Best Google Meet Alternatives For Virtual Meetings

In 2019 when the pandemic was at its peak, people were looking for video conferencing software everywhere. People had to stay within their homes and keep their organizations running. Many video conferencing software options were available at that time. However, one software that outperformed them all was Google Meet.

In April 2020, there were 100 million users accessing Google Meet in a single day. Google Meet works perfectly on all operating systems, such as iOS, Android, and Linux. However, it may not provide you with all the experiences that you could have with other options. I will discuss some top alternatives to help you choose one.

What is google Meet?

Google Meet, also known as Google Hangouts Meet, was first released by Google in 2017. It is software that solved communication through video problems. Nowadays, people can communicate and work together, conduct meetings, and join meetings from anywhere, anytime.

A person who uses Google Meet can share their screen with many people at the same time. Anyone can unmute their audio and say something if they want to. This has made online meetings very engaging. Let’s see the benefits and drawbacks of Google Meet.

Google Meet Pricing And Features

Google meet offers various pricing fees depending on people’s preferences. Let’s look at their pricing.

Why do you need a Google meet alternative?

Even though Google Meet has many advantages, there are still some disadvantages that come with it. That is why users search for other options, and here is why alternatives might be needed.

• Drop in the Audio and video quality: Believe it or not, Google Meet can experience lag when there are a higher number of participants. At around 300-400 participants, the audio and video quality may start to decrease. It’s important to keep this in mind when planning large virtual events or meetings
• No recording option on the free plan: While Google Meet does offer recording options on its paid plan, this feature is not available on the free plan. The starting price for a Google Meet plan is $7.99, which may not be feasible for some users. Unfortunately, this means that individuals who are unable to pay for the plan are unable to access the meeting recording feature.
• Compatibility with other browsers: While [Google Meet performs excellently on Google’s own browser, it may require some improvements when used on other browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Safari, Firefox, and others
• No built-in transcription system: Google Meet does not include a built-in transcribing tool, but it is possible to record the meeting using an external app that offers transcribing functionality.
• Chat is unavailable after the meeting: After a Google Meet session ends, any content, notes, or messages are deleted immediately. This can result in the loss of important information and notes that were discussed during the meeting.

7 Best Google Meet Alternatives #2023

1. Zoom

There are several reasons why Zoom is one of the best Google Meet alternatives. Firstly, Zoom offers a wide variety of features that includes virtual backgrounds, edited appearances, and screen sharing with more flexibility.

Zoom has a wide range of pricing plans. They offer a variety of plans, and you can choose the one that suits your needs best.

Zoom Pricing And Features

2. Microsoft teams

Microsoft Teams is a video conferencing app that comes with Microsoft Office 365. It allows you to communicate, collaborate, and share files within a single platform. It is one of the most widely used Google Meet alternatives, mainly due to its collaboration with other Microsoft tools.

Organizations of all sizes primarily use it, from small businesses to large enterprises, as everyone can work with Teams.

Microsoft teams Pricing And Features

3. Skype

Skype is an application that lets you make audio and video calls over the internet. It is one of the oldest apps to be ever used, developed by a company named Skype Technologies, which is a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation.

You can use this platform for personal and business communication. Skype can be used as a Google Meet alternative for personal use.

Skype Pricing And Features

4. Livestorm

While a multitude of video conferencing software available provides similar solutions to Google Meet, Livestorm’s free version stands out as a great alternative. With features such as screen sharing, virtual hand raising, and real-time Q&A, Livestorm offers a comprehensive set of tools for virtual communication and collaboration.

Livestorm is particularly popular among businesses, online educators, and event organizers who need to connect and engage with their audiences remotely. If you fall into any of these categories, Livestorm can be a great substitute for Google Meet.

Livestorm Pricing And Features

5. Cisco Webex

Cisco WebEx is a cloud-based video conferencing software that provides an excellent alternative to Google Meet. With WebEx, you can easily arrange video conferences, online meetings, and virtual events. In fact, WebEx offers additional features and capabilities that may position it as a strong competitor to Google Meet.

1. Increased scalability: WebEx can support larger meetings with 1000 people
2. Advanced collaboration features: WebEx offers task management and a virtual whiteboard which makes it more comprehensive for remote work
3. Integration with other tools: WebEx can be integrated with slack, Microsoft teams, and Salesforce.

WebEx Pricing And Features

• Starter plan: This is the free plan that comes with essential functions. It has participant limitations of a maximum of 100 participants and a meeting duration Of 40 minutes. it offers recording, hand gestures, noise cancellation, screen sharing, virtual background, and an interactive whiteboard.
• Business plan: A business plan is a plan they recommend for businesses. It starts at $25/month and comes with all the basic plan features. An additional 24 hours of meetings length with UpTo 200 participant capacity. 
• Enterprise: They did not disclose the price publicly, so you will have to contact their sales team for the price. However, it comes with all the features available on the business plan and a participant limit of 1000 people.

Related: 7 Best Google Pay Alternatives (Free and Paid)

6. Slack

Slack is an excellent alternative to Google Meet for virtual meetings. Not only does it offer video conferencing, but it also provides productivity tools that are specifically designed to enhance team collaboration and efficiency. This means that if you’re looking to boost your remote team’s productivity, Slack is an excellent choice.

With Slack, you’ll have access to a variety of features that will help you increase productivity and streamline communication. These include channels for specific projects or teams, direct messaging, virtual meetings, file sharing, and integrations with other tools and apps.

Let’s see why you should consider slack as a substitute for Google meetings.

1. Slack provides a better platform for team communication.
2. Slack integrates with productivity tools such as Trello, Google Drive, and Asana allowing teams to work better.
3. Slack provides real-time messaging opportunities 
4. Slack has different channels for conversations, which makes it easier to track.

Slack Pricing And Features

Free: The free plan comes with access to the recent 90 days of history. It has integrations with 10 other apps. And with regular features, it has a file-sharing option too.

Pro: Pro plan comes with a $7.25/monthly. It is recommended for small teams who are looking for better collaboration. It has all the features from the free plan including video calls with 50 people and secure collaboration with outside organizations.

Business+: it is a plan, especially for businesses that want to scale, increase productivity and keep their teams connected. It’s $12.25/month and has all the features from the pro plan. It also offers an advanced identity management system and a 24/7 support system.

Enterprise: it is suitable for established businesses that want to meet the regular requirements and match with growth. Contact the sales team for pricing as they did not disclose it publicly. It has support for UpTo 500000 users, which is massive.

7. Zoho Meeting

Zoho meetings can be an option for you if you want an ecosystem of apps for your business. Let’s see why you should consider Zoho meetings as an alternative to Google Meet.

1. Zoho meeting integrates very well with other Zoho products such as Zoho CRM, Zoho mail, etc.
2. Zoho meeting allows you to customize your brand image in virtual meetings. It can be a good choice for organizations that want a virtual brand presence for their company.
3. It provides detailed analytics and reports which helps to measure the effectiveness of virtual meetings.

Zoho meeting pricing

Free: The free plan of Zoho Meeting is available forever and allows you to host a meeting with up to 100 participants and 100 attendees. It includes all the regular features such as file sharing, screen sharing, and up to 60 minutes of meeting time.

Meeting: it has two options named standard & professional. The standard option has a limit Of 250 participants. It allows up to 2 co-hosts and meeting times of up to 24 hours. This option will cost $10/monthly 

With the professional option, you get all the standard option features and a custom domain, multiple co-hosts, departments, etc. It costs $15/month.

Webinar: This is recommended if you conduct webinars on a regular basis. It has two options, standard & professional. The standard plan comes with $180 per month and the professional plan comes with $300 per month.

The standard option comes with all the free features & cloud recording storage for 25 webinars. It has user management, co-branding, support, etc. It supports up to 3000 participants at the same time.

The professional option comes with source tracking, email customization, custom domain, share materials, etc. It also allows anonymous questions.

Final Words

That’s it for my extensive research on the best alternatives to Google Meet. Of course, everyone has their own preferences, so it’s up to you to decide which option is the best fit for your needs.

After researching numerous alternatives, I’ve narrowed down the list to my top picks. However, the ultimate decision is yours to make. With so many options out there, I hope that my research can help you find the best alternative to Google Meet that works for you.

If you found this article helpful, please leave a comment to let me know. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to me

FAQs On Alternatives To Google Meet

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About The Author

Ferdy Waldenback

My name is Ferdy Waldenback, and I’m passionate about helping people discover more efficient and effective ways to work. On Alternatives4u, you’ll find a wealth of information and reviews of various software and tools that can help you streamline your workflow and achieve better results.

Whether you’re looking for a replacement for a specific tool or want to explore new options for your business or personal needs, Alternatives4u is here to help.

I currently reside in Irvine, California with my wonderful wife, Lisa Gluz. We’ve been happily married since 2019 and share our home with a few beloved pets.

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