Google Meet is a paid video conferencing offering by G-suite, whereas Google Hangouts is a communication tool, suited to smaller groups, which Google is currently phasing out. Yet, many people are still familiar with Google Hangouts and are not ready to make the switch yet. Therefore, you might be wondering, how does Google Hangouts compare with Google Meet? Let’s take a look!
In this article:
Monday morning and you check your schedule for the day. Surprise, surprise, there is a full roster of online meetings lined up. Hooray. 🎉
You have felt this emotion far too many times, right? Life has drastically changed as we are glued to our laptops for endless alignments, dailies, and reviews. What seemed like an unimaginable concept a few years back is now the norm of doing business.
This paradigm is now adopted by all businesses across the world owing to the global pandemic. With numerous companies switching to remote working, it is time to embrace the best video conferencing tools available. A strong indication of the lingering effects of Covid-19 is Australia’s high percentage of ‘knowledge workers’ working from home, a significant result, given the country’s lack of Covid-19 cases.
However, the market is an unending buffet of choices! Some of the most popular offerings are Google Hangouts and Google Meet. Both of these are products of the tech giant Google that offers similar features. Hence, the most common dilemma arises! Google Meet vs. Hangouts?
Google is slowly phasing out Google Hangouts in favor of Google Meet and Google Chat. Before that happens, let’s understand the two platforms in-depth to understand their features and offerings to get you on your way to meetings bliss!
Google Hangouts
Hangouts, launched by Google on 15 May 2013. It was re-branded to Google Chat in April 2020. However, the classic Google Hangouts is still available, with limited functionality. Since 2019, Google has been slowly trying to migrate their Google Hangouts users to Google Meet and Google Chat.
With all the recent changes in mind, I thought I better road-test the original Google Hangouts to see what functionalities are still available. These consist of:
- Video calls to contacts on your Google Hangouts list, with the option to invite outside participants.
- Chat with your contacts, with a similar user experience to WhatsApp.
- Launch Google Meet video conferencing calls from the Google Hangouts app.
- Paid and free phone call options to various landline and mobile numbers globally.
Google Meet
Last year, Google Meet witnessed two million new users daily owing to the pandemic and the need for remote communication. It is no surprise that the app is high in demand across various organizations. Launched in March 2017, Google Meet has quickly amassed a following of meeting enthusiasts.
Google Meet is a one-stop solution for all G-Suite users who are looking for web conferring alternatives. It is a paid application as part of your G-Suite subscription and can allow 250+ members for a video call. All you need is a meeting code to get started! Google meet is also third-party application-friendly! More on that below…
Google Meet vs. Hangouts
In order to answer the question of Google Meet vs. Hangouts, it’s imperative to understand their features and compare them.
Interface is a gamechanger
A prime reason why users get hooked to any video conferencing tool is user-friendliness. The interface makes it easy for you to get familiar with its features. Google Meet offers a crisp and sleek user interface in comparison to Google Hangouts. All members of your meeting are presented in small windows so you can see everyone. Moreover, its features such as attaching a document, chatting, or even muting yourself are intuitive for first-time users.
Google Hangouts, on the other hand, restricts its users due to its interface. Participants can only see one of their teammates taking up a major chunk of the screen space. The rest of the teammates will be visible on the right side on a horizontal stripe.
This setup might increase distractions for other members. A survey suggested that 92% of employees end up multitasking during business meetings, so a layout that encourages maximum participation involvement and visibility could combat this.
How many folks are allowed?
The number of participants allowed can help you understand your position in the Google Meet vs. Hangouts debate. Google Hangouts allows 10 participants over video calls and 150 participants in chat boxes. It is ideal if you have a smaller team to work with or for personal use. But what to do if one has a bigger team? Maybe Google Meet can help you solve this problem!
It allows 250 users in one single meeting. You can increase the number of participants based on your Google Workspace Plan. G-suite offers different programs such as basic, business, education, and enterprise for education. Depending on the one you opt for, you can expect close to 100-250 participants. Additionally, Google Meet offers streaming so you can flag important events with your team in a single space.
The all important price!
In the ultimate Google Hangouts vs. Google Meet dilemma, it all boils down to the pricing of both applications. Although Hangouts is free for all, it has a limited participation rate for video calling. Hence, making it ideal for smaller groups. Although, you can launch Google Meet video calls from Google Hangouts … confusing, I know!
On the other hand, Google Meet is a free application with some paid plans available, with paid plans starting from as low as $8 USD per month. You must have a G-Suite account to use Google Meet. If the size of your business is larger, then opting for Google Meet is highly advisable.
Can I record my Google Meet or Hangouts?
Imagine this! You have a tight schedule planned for the day with back-to-back meetings. While working through your calendar, you realize two meetings are clashing. What do you do now? How can you possibly be in two places? That’s when recordings can help you!
There are some tools in the market that allow people to automatically record their meetings, and even automatically receive a copy of your online rendezvous after the fact! Unfortunately, Google Hangouts doesn’t offer this feature yet. This advantage of Google Meet helps it gain a plus point in the Google Hangouts vs. Google Meet debate!
Invite outside participants
Hangouts and Meet have slightly different systems when it comes to hosting meetings, and it differs from the package you opt for. Hangouts and Meet both allow other participants to be part of the meeting, but the difference is in its process and services.
To use Hangout, you need to: go to Hangouts.google.com –> login into your Google account –> select the email address –> click on a start video call. Voila! Four steps and you are all set to discuss big agendas. With services such as strong privacy, real-time captioning, encryption at your disposal, Google Meet is a winner here!
Google Suite requires you to have a Google account, even for the free version. Coming back to inviting outside participants, Google Meet has a simple process of inviting people from outside by sending a meeting link or code. Simple, accessible, and convenient.
Is it third-party application friendly?
Google Meets allows several integrations on third-party services like tl;dv and Zapier along with an entire catalog of Chrome extensions! This allows businesses and professionals to customize their meeting experience. For example, many customer success teams may want to record and transcribe their Google Meets – easy, a simple free chrome extension can take care of that for you! Want to add some confetti to your meetings to spice things up? The Google Meet Party Button has your back. ✌️
If this is your need, Google Meet is the best option for you. Otherwise, Hangouts can provide a simple and easy video calling application with chatbox features as it lacks many integrations often offered by Google Meet, especially in the consumer version. Once again, Google Meet is ahead in the Google Meet vs. Hangouts game.
Facing slow internet speeds?
A real buzz kill is slow internet in this day and age. It can cause disruptions in your meetings too. But don’t be afraid.
Google Meet can help you here! It lets you dial in the number for every meeting along with its code to enter the meeting! Simple! You can now enjoy every single moment of your meetings with this feature. On the other hand, Google Hangouts has no such offering yet. Hence, it is a step behind the Google Hangouts vs. Meet race.
What’s new?
A Google Meet vs. Hangouts debate is incomplete without discussing additional features that the companies are offering to simplify your life.
- Google Meet now offers a better resolution in presentations for its mobile users. It has added the ‘pinch to zoom’ feature so you can enjoy non-stop meetings on the go.
- Google Meet has improved its reporting API to 50. In comparison, Hangouts still offers a mere 17.
- URLs for Google Meet can now be modified by you. You no longer need to add long versions of links.
Which way to go?
Google Meet vs. Hangouts – whilst Google Hangouts might not be sticking around for long, there are still those loyal to the Google offering, with as many as 14.19 million MAU recorded in September 2019, according to Statistica.
If you are looking for something simple and convenient, Hangouts is the best choice for you. It is the perfect solution for a small team or personal usage. But if your day involves several meetings with numerous follow-ups, Google Meet is highly equipped to fulfill all your needs. Alternatively, you might want to jump onto the Google Meet train, simply to not get caught behind the times!
