Our primary use case for the solution is to keep in touch with colleagues, for meetings and interviews. We deploy the solution on cloud.
Product Manager at Slalom Consulting
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?
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.
Buyer's Guide
Google Hangouts
March 2025

Learn what your peers think about Google Hangouts. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
842,651 professionals have used our research since 2012.
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.

Senior manager at Wipro Limited
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.
Buyer's Guide
Google Hangouts
March 2025

Learn what your peers think about Google Hangouts. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
842,651 professionals have used our research since 2012.
System Administrator at Access Techy Limited
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.
Content Marketing Strategist at Niswey
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.
IT Consultant at VCosmos
Offers seamless integration with other Google Workspace apps and real-time captioning and translation features
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Google Hangouts for me is content sharing."
- "One area where I see room for improvement in Google Hangout is the voice quality during meetings."
What is our primary use case?
I use Google Hangout to showcase case studies and solutions when consulting with clients about data security and data center work. It is a convenient way to present information and have discussions with clients remotely.
How has it helped my organization?
Google Hangouts, including Google Hangouts, has greatly facilitated remote collaboration for me. By using it alongside Teams, I can easily connect with peers and colleagues, no matter where we are. It has made virtual presentations and meetings much more convenient, allowing us to share and present information without needing to be physically present.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Google Hangouts for me is content sharing. It is incredibly useful, especially when working remotely, as it allows me to easily share presentations, documents, or other materials with clients during meetings.
What needs improvement?
One area where I see room for improvement in Google Hangout is the voice quality during meetings. Compared to Microsoft Teams, I find the voice quality to be somewhat lacking.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability of Google Hangouts as a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of the solution is good. I use Google Hangouts only twice per week for my projects.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before using Google Hangouts, I used a variety of solutions depending on the client or peers I was communicating with. This included Microsoft Teams for collaboration and sometimes WhatsApp for smaller meetings or quick conversations with up to four or five people.
How was the initial setup?
I would rate the easiness of the initial setup as a nine out of ten.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Before choosing Google Hangouts, I evaluated other options like Skype and Zoom. I have used Skype extensively in the past, and Zoom was another important collaboration tool used in my work life.
What other advice do I have?
I have encountered some audio quality issues with Google Hangouts, but not video quality issues. Video quality problems usually stem from network instability rather than an issue with Google Hangouts itself.
For someone considering using Google Hangouts in a professional environment, I would suggest they stick with platforms they're already comfortable with, like Skype or Microsoft Teams. However, for everyday communication needs outside of enterprise settings, Google Hangout could be suitable, but for larger-scale meetings, I would recommend considering options like Microsoft Teams or Zoom.
Overall, I would rate Google Hangouts as a 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.
IT consultant at Secoptrial
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.
Presales manager at Mitra Innovation
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.
PAM Architect at GCA
Good, reliable source of communication, but it is not compatible with every device, it's browser-based
Pros and Cons
- "Google Hangouts is an excellent tool."
- "Google will not have two identical chat platforms. Google Chat is always a winner because it is compatible with my device."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use Google Hangouts to communicate with one another. We've moved on from Google Hangouts and are now using Google Chat. You will notice that people are getting out of Hangouts. Hangouts will be going to go away.
I haven't used Google Hangouts in two months, and I used to use it more than two dozen times a day.
What is most valuable?
It's really good, it works out pretty well.
Google Hangouts is an excellent tool.
What needs improvement?
Hangouts will go the way of the Dodo. Google will not have two identical chat platforms. Google Chat is always a winner because it is compatible with my device. Google Hangouts, however, was not. Google Hangouts is a browser-based application.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's very stable. We have no issues with the stability of Google Hangouts.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Google Hangouts is very scalable.
What other advice do I have?
In terms of Webex and potentially losing some quality having a good meeting often entails muting everyone except the speaker and then switching from one speaker to another. Because whenever there is an open forum, or there is a larger audience, and I believe the number is usually around 16, your chances of having a know-it-all who has something to say about everything skyrocket. Being able to mute somebody, would be very valuable.
Anybody who needs that many people and you need professional services like that, it's time to start paying the subscription and support the product. If they want to have control of the venue, the only way to have control of the venue is with the paid version.
It pays for itself. Having a meeting go off the rails is an embarrassment.
Webex is probably one of my only 10s, but I am really starting to enjoy Microsoft Teams. It has the features that I need. It's built into Windows. I get it as part of my subscription to Microsoft Office from the company. I have only had one issue where I made a mistake. There's a little rule that you should have. If it's your meeting, it needs to be your meeting, it should be your tool choice. if it's your meeting, you should be the one to schedule it, even if it's very difficult, the project manager with the client wants to host the meeting himself.
For example, I had a very interesting little experience, only a few weeks ago, where it was my meeting, but the project manager from the client set up the meeting. I did not know this, but he had me muted. When I was responding to people, it was as if nobody was listening to me. I didn't know what was going on. Then, after about 15, or 20 minutes, the project manager said, "are you going to respond to this?" And I said, "Is anybody listening to me?" I've answered these questions I don't know how many times. One of the people on the call called me up, not even 15, 20 minutes ago, and said, "by the way that meeting you were in yesterday, you were muted." I would recommend if it's your meeting, it's got to be your tool.
It's PAM, and PAM Solutions are notoriously politically fraught by those who want to have their environment secured versus those that like things the way they are, and we had one of those.
I would recommend using Google Chat.
It was nothing out of the ordinary in comparison to others. I would rate Google Hangouts a seven 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.

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