Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users
BaidyTHIONGANE - PeerSpot reviewer
Engineer at BNP Paribas
Real User
Enables us to chat and exchange quick information.
Pros and Cons
  • "We use Google Hangouts to chat and exchange some quick information."

    What is our primary use case?

    I used it extensively during the pandemic to collaborate in remote meetings. We use Google Hangouts to chat and exchange quick information.

    What needs improvement?

    An area of improvement could be to make it more user-friendly.

    An additional feature that I would like to be included in the next release is a recording feature.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Hangouts for two years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It is a stable solution, and I rate it an eight out of ten.

    Buyer's Guide
    Google Hangouts
    February 2025
    Learn what your peers think about Google Hangouts. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
    837,501 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    How was the initial setup?

    It is easy to setup.

    What about the implementation team?

    We didn’t deploy it. I just use it in my private way.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    I use the free version.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would recommend it to others.

    Overall, I rate it an eight on a scale of one to ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Private Cloud
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Gabriel-Medina - PeerSpot reviewer
    Sr. Software Architect at GxSoft
    Real User
    Easy to set up the camera, stable, and scalable
    Pros and Cons
    • "The facility is always online and very easy to share the screen using the solution."
    • "The only issue with the solution is that we can't split the video of participants into separate screens, which can make it difficult to manage the cameras of participants."

    What is our primary use case?

    I work in software now, and during the pandemic, we worked remotely. For different reasons, I have video conference meetings with colleagues and present my work about five times a week. These meetings are for coordination and other necessities. Google Hangouts is used to facilitate meetings.

    How has it helped my organization?

    When we need to coordinate the server requirements, we will meet, share our computer screens, and navigate through the solution to present it to customers or testers. During the meeting, we will take notes on any changes that need to be made. The following day or during the next meeting, we will present the changes to the server or solutions to any bugs.

    What is most valuable?

    The facility is always online and very easy to share the screen using the solution. The setup of the camera is also straightforward.

    What needs improvement?

    The only issue with the solution is that we can't split the video of participants into separate screens, which can make it difficult to manage the cameras of participants. The solution can improve by adding the ability to split the participant screens into multiple monitors.

    Other solutions such as Zoom can facilitate a presentation and easily separate participants. In the future, we can save the record, edit it, and maximize the screen for better understanding. If necessary, we can also show the participants' screens. I would like this ability to be added to Google.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using the solution for 15 years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I give the stability of the solution an eight out of ten.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I give the scalability of the solution an eight out of ten.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    I use the free version of the solution.

    What other advice do I have?

    I give the solution an eight out of ten.

    I strongly recommend that schools and universities use the solution in combination with Google Docs, Drive, and Shared Space. This package of Google solutions makes it easier to commercialize Google Meet, allowing for increased efficiency.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Google Hangouts
    February 2025
    Learn what your peers think about Google Hangouts. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
    837,501 professionals have used our research since 2012.
    Roger Chan - PeerSpot reviewer
    Product Manager at Slalom Consulting
    Real User
    Helps our organization keep in touch with colleagues with a valuable video call feature
    Pros and Cons
    • "The video call feature is the most valuable."
    • "Can be improved by including a larger library of video filters and adding custom filters."

    What is our primary use case?

    Our primary use case for the solution is to keep in touch with colleagues, for meetings and interviews. We deploy the solution on cloud.

    How has it helped my organization?

    Google hangouts has served as a way to facilitate conversations across people within and outside of the organization, making it very easy to connect with people and stay in contact if needed. 

    What is most valuable?

    The video call feature is the most valuable because it's a free video chat provider that is universal and requires minimal product knowledge. 

    What needs improvement?

    The solution can be improved by including a larger library of video filters and adding custom filters.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We have been using the solution for a couple of years, and we are currently using the latest version.

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate the solution a seven out of ten. The solution is great and integrates well with Google Calendar.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    SanjeetkumarSingh - PeerSpot reviewer
    Senior manager at Wipro Limited
    Real User
    Intuitive with good performance and offers a trial version
    Pros and Cons
    • "When you get a meeting invitation, it's very easy to just join and go."
    • "Support could be a bit faster."

    What is our primary use case?

    We primarily use the solution for meetings. 

    What is most valuable?

    It works really well.

    It's great for meetings. The solution is helpful for videos especially.

    The product is very intuitive. When you get a meeting invitation, it's very easy to just join and go.

    We feel the performance is quite good.

    Google offers a trial version, which I have used. 

    What needs improvement?

    Support could be a bit faster. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've used the solution for a few meetings. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is stable and the connectivity is great. It's reliable. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I can't speak to the scalability. I've never experimented with expanding it. 

    I'm not sure how many people are using it. We are not using it in our organization, however, I will get invites from other organizations and use it that way.

    How are customer service and support?

    Technical support is very good. We have no issues with Google support. We would, however, like them to increase the response rate and move a bit faster. 

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I'm aware of Skype, however, I don't use it myself. 

    We are using Microsoft Teams. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    I'm not sure what the licensing costs are. 

    What other advice do I have?

    I'm not sure if we are using a specific version or not. 

    I'd rate the product eight out of ten. It's pretty good overall. I'd recommend the product to others who need to run video conferences and meetings. 

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Arthur Muruga - PeerSpot reviewer
    System Administrator at Access Techy Limited
    Real User
    Top 5
    User-friendly, easy to deploy, and stable
    Pros and Cons
    • "The solution is easy to use and navigate."
    • "The scalability has room for improvement."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use the solution for virtual meetings.

    What is most valuable?

    The solution is easy to use and navigate.

    What needs improvement?

    The scalability has room for improvement.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using the solution for two years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I give the stability a nine out of ten.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I give the scalability an eight out of ten.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We previously used Zoom and switched to Google Hangouts because it was cheaper.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is straightforward and takes under one hour. The deployment was completed by one person. To use the solution we must set up a Gmail account and create meeting links.

    What about the implementation team?

    The implementation was completed in-house.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    There is no license cost.

    What other advice do I have?

    I give the solution an eight out of ten.

    We have 15 end users and plan to gradually increase that number.

    Google Hangouts is user-friendly and I recommend it to others.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Google
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Nilanjana Dey - PeerSpot reviewer
    Content Marketing Strategist at Niswey
    Real User
    Has a free version that works well for small-sized teams; technical support is responsive
    Pros and Cons
    • "The technical support team for Google Hangouts has been pretty responsive and could solve whatever challenges arise, within a day or two."
    • "I would like for the platform to have a call recording feature in the free version."

    What is our primary use case?

    Google Hangouts is being used for virtual meetings, whether that's face to face or you're presenting your screen. There's also a whiteboard where you can brainstorm on the call itself, so that's about it.

    What is most valuable?

    Whatever features are on offer right now on Google Hangouts, I find all of them useful. I don't have a preference, and Google Hangouts doesn't have time limitations.

    What needs improvement?

    Google Hangouts is pretty good as it is, so there's nothing I would like to change about it.

    I would like for the platform to have a call recording feature in the free version.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Google Hangouts is a stable platform.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Google Hangouts, being a Google product, is available and scalable. The free version works well for small-sized teams that have thirty to forty people, and that's good enough for us.

    How are customer service and support?

    The technical support team for Google Hangouts has been pretty responsive and could solve whatever challenges arise, within a day or two.

    How was the initial setup?

    Setting up Google Hangouts is very, very easy. You just open a Gmail account to get access to all the Google tools, including Google Hangouts. It's very easy to just set up a Gmail account, and you don't have to do anything else.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    We are a small team and a small organization such as ours just uses the free version of Google, so there's no cost associated with Google Hangouts at the moment.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We evaluated Zoom and Microsoft Teams. We use Google Hangouts, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, but use Zoom more often compared to the other two platforms.

    What other advice do I have?

    Sometimes my company uses Google Hangouts, but that's very rare. Typically, the team uses Zoom, and Google Hangouts is used once or twice a month, and that's about it. My company is an end-user, not a partner of Google.

    At the moment, there's no plan of increasing the number of users of Google Hangouts.

    I would rate Google Hangouts eight out of ten.

    I'd recommend the platform to other people.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Google
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    IT consultant at Secoptrial
    Real User
    It is lightweight as it doesn't take up much memory or resources; it has a free version
    Pros and Cons
    • "I find it valuable that Google Hangouts is a lightweight tool that doesn't take up a lot of memory and doesn't require a lot of resources."
    • "Collaboration in Google Hangouts has room for improvement compared to Microsoft Teams. On Microsoft Teams, you can share a document directly and work on that document all at once, in real-time, with other team members, which isn't the case with Google Hangouts."

    What is our primary use case?

    When we don't use Microsoft Teams, we plan our meetings and have them on Google Hangouts, though only sometimes. We use Google Hangouts occasionally, for example, about eleven times.

    What is most valuable?

    I like that Google Hangouts works very well. You'll only have a problem using it if your internet connection isn't very good. I find it valuable that Google Hangouts is a lightweight tool that doesn't take up a lot of memory and doesn't require a lot of resources.

    What needs improvement?

    Collaboration in Google Hangouts has room for improvement compared to Microsoft Teams. On Microsoft Teams, you can share a document directly and work on that document all at once, in real-time, with other team members, which isn't the case with Google Hangouts. However, Google suite has Google Docs, which has a similar feature, but I haven't experimented yet.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Google Hangouts is a stable solution.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Google Hangouts is scalable if you have the paid version, where more members can join the meeting. The paid version also allows you to record meetings. The free version will undoubtedly have some limits.

    How are customer service and support?

    I do a Google search when I have a problem with Google Hangouts, and then I follow the steps to fix that problem. I also go on YouTube to find a fix.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We use either Microsoft Teams or Google Hangouts. It depends on what the partner wants. One partner didn't want to use Skype, so it's either Google Hangouts or Microsoft Teams.

    How was the initial setup?

    It's easy to set up meetings on Google Hangouts. You need a meeting title and a date, and then you can add a meeting description. Once you've added that meeting to your calendar, you'll get a link you can share with other users, which can be clicked to join the meeting.

    What was our ROI?

    Google Hangouts is a good investment. There's ROI from it.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    Rating the pricing for a product, whether cheap or expensive, depends on the category, the functionality, and your budget. Google Hangouts has reasonable pricing, but I don't use the paid version because I only have a small budget, though you get more features from the paid version. I could go for the paid version if the tool's pricing is even cheaper.

    What other advice do I have?

    I have experience with Google Hangouts.

    I use different versions of the tool. For example, sometimes, I use it on my PC through its application. Other times, I use the Google Hangouts application on my mobile phone. You can also use it on a web browser, but I haven't tried that version.

    I recommend Google Hangouts to others as it has features that help improve meetings.

    I work for a small company with about ten Google Hangouts users. Currently, it's not necessary to increase the usage of this tool.

    I recommend the solution to others because, based on my experience, it's an easy tool. Google Hangouts doesn't consume much memory compared to Microsoft Teams. You don't need to install other components to make Google Hangouts work. The tool is fast because once you access the application, it automatically redirects you to the meeting room. Google Hangouts is not resource-heavy, so I recommend it to others.

    My rating for Google Hangouts is eight out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    AmilaDantanarayana - PeerSpot reviewer
    Presales manager at Mitra Innovation
    Real User
    Top 10
    Good companion mode, easy meeting recording capabilities, and is simple to set up
    Pros and Cons
    • "The solution is stable."
    • "We've noticed the product works better in Chrome and doesn't work as well in Safari browsers."

    What is our primary use case?

    We primarily use the solution in order to conduct virtual meetings. 

    What is most valuable?

    It's easy to record a meeting. This is a quite useful feature for us.

    The product offers a companion mode, which is helpful.

    It's quite simple to set up. 

    The solution is stable.

    It can scale well. 

    What needs improvement?

    Overall, it is a good platform. there isn't really anything lacking. 

    We've noticed the product works better in Chrome and doesn't work as well in Safari browsers. They should work on improving their performance there. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using the solution for about three years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    We've noticed the performance isn't as good on Safari browsers. 

    Otherwise, it is very stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It's very scalable. I'd rate it at a nine or ten out of ten in terms of ease of expansion. It's a Google platform It scales well. 

    We have about 350 people using the solution right now. While we have plans to continue using it, I'm not sure about if there are plans to increase usage. 

    How are customer service and support?

    I've never had the opportunity to reach out to technical support.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I've used Teams, Skype, and Zoom previously.

    How was the initial setup?

    The setup is very easy, very straightforward. I'd rate the ease of implementation nine out of ten. It is not complex at all. 

    We're on a subscription. It's a cloud implementation. I'm not sure how it is hosted, however, it is a tenant model. The deployment is fast on the cloud. 

    Since it is hosted on the cloud, it requires minimal staff for deployment and maintenance. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    We pay to use the solution via a subscription model. We pay for the solution annually.

    What other advice do I have?

    I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. 

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Google
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Google Hangouts Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
    Updated: February 2025
    Product Categories
    Virtual Meetings
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Google Hangouts Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.