Microsoft Teams vs Google Meet
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and ratings.
Detailed Comparison
Overview
Microsoft Teams is the collaboration hub in Microsoft 365, combining chat, video meetings, file sharing, and deep Office integration. It's the default for organizations in the Microsoft ecosystem.
Google Meet is Google's video conferencing solution, tightly integrated with Google Workspace (Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs). It's known for simplicity, reliability, and zero-setup video calls.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Microsoft Teams | Google Meet |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 100 participants, 60-min meetings | 100 participants, 60-min meetings |
| Video quality | Good (adaptive) | Excellent (Google infrastructure) |
| Max participants | 1,000 (paid) | 1,000 (paid), 100,000 (livestream) |
| Screen sharing | Yes | Yes |
| Noise cancellation | Yes | Yes (industry-leading) |
| Live captions | Yes | Yes (30+ languages) |
| Recording | Cloud (paid) | Cloud (paid) |
| Breakout rooms | Yes | Yes |
| Polls & Q&A | Yes (via apps) | Yes (built-in) |
| Whiteboard | Yes | Yes (Google Jamboard) |
| Persistent chat | Full team chat with channels | Google Chat (separate app) |
| File collaboration | SharePoint, OneDrive | Google Drive, Docs, Sheets |
| AI features | Copilot (paid add-on) | Gemini AI (included in paid plans) |
| Phone dial-in | Yes (paid) | Yes (paid) |
Pricing
Microsoft Teams:
- Free: 100 participants, 60-minute meetings, 5GB storage
- Essentials: $4/user/mo — 300 participants, 30-hour meetings, 10GB storage
- Business Basic: $6/user/mo — web Office apps, 1TB OneDrive
- Business Standard: $12.50/user/mo — desktop Office apps, webinars, phone
Google Meet (via Google Workspace):
- Free: 100 participants, 60-minute meetings
- Business Starter: $7.20/user/mo — 100 participants, 30GB storage, custom email
- Business Standard: $14.40/user/mo — 150 participants, recording, noise cancellation, 2TB storage
- Business Plus: $21.60/user/mo — 500 participants, attendance tracking, 5TB storage
- Enterprise: Custom pricing — 1,000 participants, livestreaming, advanced security
When to Choose Microsoft Teams
- Your organization uses Microsoft 365: Teams integrates with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and OneDrive. If your files live in Microsoft, Teams is the natural hub.
- You need persistent team chat: Teams' channel-based chat with threads, tabs, and app integrations is more mature than Google Chat.
- You want a phone system: Teams Phone replaces your PBX with calling plans and direct routing. Google Meet has no equivalent.
- Compliance is critical: Teams offers FedRAMP, HIPAA, and government cloud options that Meet doesn't match.
When to Choose Google Meet
- Your organization uses Google Workspace: Meet is embedded in Gmail and Google Calendar. Starting or joining a meeting is one click from your inbox or calendar event.
- Simplicity is key: Meet's interface is cleaner and simpler than Teams. There's no app to install — it works in any browser.
- You want AI features included: Google's Gemini AI (meeting summaries, real-time translation, hand raise detection) is included in Workspace plans. Teams' Copilot is a paid add-on.
- You host large events: Meet supports livestreaming to 100,000 viewers on Enterprise plans. Teams maxes at 1,000 participants.
- You prefer Google's infrastructure: Meet runs on Google's global network, delivering consistently excellent video quality with industry-leading noise cancellation.
Verdict
Microsoft Teams wins for organizations deeply invested in the Microsoft ecosystem. If your files are in SharePoint, your email is in Outlook, and your identity is in Azure AD, Teams is the natural choice.
Google Meet wins for organizations that prioritize simplicity and Google Workspace integration. Its browser-based approach, clean interface, and included AI features make it the easier tool to adopt.
Bottom line: Microsoft 365 users should choose Teams. Google Workspace users should choose Meet. If you're starting from scratch, Meet is easier to get started with; Teams offers more features at scale.