Google Hangouts vs Zoom comparison

Google and Zoom Video Communications are both solutions in the Virtual Meetings category. Google is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.3, while Zoom Video Communications is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.3. Google holds a 0.3% mindshare in VM, compared to Zoom Video Communications’s 11.9% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of Google users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Zoom Video Communications users who would recommend it.

Google Hangouts

Read 54 Google Hangouts reviews

2,046 Views
108 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Zoom

Read 207 Zoom reviews

6,822 Views
1,299 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Google Hangouts

Zoom

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Google Hangouts and Zoom based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Virtual Meetings solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Google Hangouts vs. Zoom Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Google Hangouts vs. Zoom

January 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Google Hangouts

Ranking in Virtual Meetings

5th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Zoom

Ranking in Virtual Meetings

1st

Average Rating

8.4

Number of Reviews

207

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Virtual Meetings category, the mindshare of Google Hangouts is 0.3%, down from 1.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zoom is 11.9%, down from 15.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Virtual Meetings

Featured Reviews

Biswajith Gopinathan

Data Analytics Specialist at GlaxoSmithKline

A tool for personal use with good screen-sharing capabilities

The product is more beneficial for convenience and personal use and not for a professional environment. Google Hangouts is beneficial in providing stability during communication. For personal use, Google Hangouts is convenient to use. Google Hangouts can be used to connect with family and friends, and for some of the online classes. I rate the overall tool an eight out of ten.

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Kallol Chaudhuri

Principal Consultant at Oracle

Helped us tremendously in collaborating with each other and getting our work done and offers the breakout rooms feature.

We are a team located across various locations. Not in the same geographic location. We are distributed. And it's not possible to physically travel and meet people. Sometimes it's simply not possible. But Zoom has helped us tremendously in collaborating with each other and getting our work done. Without Zoom, it would have been very, very difficult. The breakout rooms feature is also helpful. For example, I have a meeting attended by hundreds of people and want to create subgroups. I typically use it for different role-play scenarios during training if we are trying to conduct some training on presentation skills. So there's a large group, which is initially trained by an instructor. Then you get instructions that the room will be split into smaller breakout rooms. I'll give you a topic, and you'll practice in these smaller groups. That's one way I use it. So it's like a simulation of a real brainstorming session I'd have in a physical space.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The group chat is a very good feature, where you can see all of the participants on cameras."

"Google Hangouts is easy to use and intuitive."

"The initial setup process is straightforward."

"It is very easy to use and is available as soon as you open a Google account."

"Google Meet is a clear and simple solution."

"The most valuable feature of Google Hangouts is there are no predefined or meeting durations. For example, Zoom meetings have a set duration, typically ranging from thirty minutes to an hour, whereas Google Meet meetings can continue indefinitely. Additionally, it is effortless to generate a meeting, whether it is a live session or for future use, and distribute your link to others, making these aspects appealing to me."

"It's very easy to use."

"The video call feature is the most valuable."

More Google Hangouts pros

"The video and audio quality are very good."

"Zoom is easy to use."

"I've been on a call with around a thousand students. So, it was quite scalable."

"The product's most valuable features are chat and video streaming."

"Zoom is stable and easy to use."

"I have been satisfied with the features and capability of Zoom."

"I like Zoom's breakout session feature."

"Ability to record sessions."

More Zoom pros

Cons

"Can be improved by including a larger library of video filters and adding custom filters."

"Google Meet could be more secure."

"There is no recording feature in Google Meet. However, Zoom has the recording feature and we use it for any calls that require recording."

"Maybe they should offer more security features."

"Sending documents and other things is not an option."

"The UI has room for improvement."

"There could be more precise instructions for beginners using the solution."

"The solution could integrate more automation into the product."

More Google Hangouts cons

"The updating feature of Zoom needs to be improved."

"The inclusion of some more advanced security features would be an improvement."

"The solution is not very useful for chat and lacks highlighting functionality."

"I think Zoom is not secure."

"They can make it easier to use and more intuitive. Ease of use is always a key for selling a product."

"The solution lacks security."

"I'd like to have the recording functionality in the free version so that we don't need any licensing in order to access it."

"We have had some quality and lagging issues with video regardless of connection quality."

More Zoom cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is no license cost."

"I believe my company has a yearly license for Google Hangouts, but I'm not sure because this is a corporate account, so I don't have the details."

"There is an annual subscription to use this solution."

"We pay an annual license to use the solution."

"There is a need to make certain payments towards the licensing costs attached to the product and some other tools that are included in the suite offered by Google. Google Hangouts alone as a product is available for free."

"We are using the free version of Google Hangouts."

"For individual use, there's no license requirement as such. For storage or some other purposes, if I go beyond 15 GB, then I need to buy something."

"The screen-sharing feature is the most valuable feature."

More Google Hangouts pricing and cost advice

"For personal use, I use the free version of Zoom, so I haven't paid anything."

"I am using the free version of Zoom."

"There are both free and paid versions available."

"Zoom is free."

"The tool's paid version is not that expensive. You need to pay 150 USD per year."

"There is a free version of Zoom which allows you a certain limited amount of time usage and there is a corporate version of the solution where you have to pay."

"There are no licensing fees required."

"The pricing is reasonable."

More Zoom pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

97%

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

Healthcare Company

Educational Organization

92%

University

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Google Hangouts?

It's integration with Google is the valuable feature.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Google Hangouts?

I can't comment on the pricing as I have no idea about it.

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What needs improvement with Google Hangouts?

The filtering is good. That said, sometimes, due to system restrictions, I can't use blur effects or other filters. The chat feature could be improved to allow tagging users for notifications.

See all answers

LucidChart vs LucidSpark for brainstorming sessions over Zoom

Hi @Krista Thompson - Yes, LucidSpark is a much more nimble and, in some ways, user-friendly tool than LucidChart. LucidSpark is designed to do a better job managing multiple users participating ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Zoom?

The product is scalable.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zoom?

I use the free version of Zoom and have not encountered significant issues in its use. I also use the free version of Google Meet.

See all answers

Comparisons

No data available

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Google Hangouts

January 2025

Download Google Hangouts product report

Buyer's Guide

Zoom

November 2024

Download Zoom product report

Learn More

Google

Video not available

Zoom Video Communications

Overview

Hangouts Chat makes it easy for teams to be able to get their work done in one place. From direct messages to group conversations, Chat helps teams collaborate easily and efficiently.

Zoom helps businesses and organizations bring their teams together in a frictionless environment to get more done. Our easy, reliable cloud platform for video, phone, content sharing, and chat runs across mobile devices, desktops, telephones, and room systems. Message me to learn more about how Zoom can help your business or organization Visit zoom.com and follow @zoom_us.

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Fortinet, Veeva, Proofpoint, Box, Ticketmaster, Trend Micro, Caesars Entertainment, Santa Clara University, Pandora, Stanford Continuing Studies

Buyer's Guide

Google Hangouts vs. Zoom

January 2025

Free Report: Google Hangouts vs. Zoom

Find out what your peers are saying about Google Hangouts vs. Zoom and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.

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We monitor all Virtual Meetings reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.