Zoom and Google Meet both run video calls that work in a browser, on a computer or on a phone. Zoom is a meetings tool you can buy on its own. Google Meet comes with any Google account and with every Google Workspace plan. For a small business, the free limits and what you already pay for decide most cases.
The short verdict
Pick Google Meet if you already use Gmail or Google Workspace, most of your calls are short, and you want meetings in the same place as your calendar and documents.
Pick Zoom if you run long calls, webinars or workshops, you want features such as breakout rooms and polls, or your clients expect a Zoom link.
Free plans
All facts below come from each vendor's own pages, as of October 2026.
Zoom Basic (Zoom pricing):
- Meetings up to 40 minutes, with up to 100 participants.
- Recording to your own computer only.
- Meeting summaries for 3 hosted meetings a month, and 20 AI questions a month.
- Team chat, one personal booking page and 3 editable whiteboards.
Google Meet with a free Google account (Google Meet help):
- One-on-one meetings up to 24 hours.
- Meetings with 3 or more people up to 60 minutes.
- Up to 100 participants.
- Recording, dial-in numbers and live streaming need a paid plan.
For a group call, Google Meet gives you 20 more free minutes than Zoom. For one-on-one calls, Google Meet's free limit is much longer.
Paid plans
Zoom Workplace (US dollars):
- Pro: $14.16 per user a month billed annually, or $16.99 billed monthly. Meetings up to 30 hours, 100 participants, 10GB of cloud recording per license, and unlimited meeting summaries.
- Business: $18.33 per user a month billed annually, or $21.99 billed monthly. Up to 300 participants, unlimited booking pages, and single sign-on.
- Enterprise: price on request.
Google Workspace (US dollars, billed monthly, first price with a 1-year commitment):
- Business Starter: $7 per user a month, or $8.40 on the flexible plan. Meetings with up to 100 participants, without recording.
- Business Standard: $14 per user a month, or $16.80 flexible. Up to 150 participants, with recording and noise cancellation.
- Business Plus: $22 per user a month, or $26.40 flexible. Up to 500 participants and attendance tracking.
Workspace also includes business email, storage and Docs. So the Meet price is part of a bigger bundle. At the time of writing, Google offered new customers 10% off Starter and Standard for 12 months, for the first 20 users.
The differences that matter
What you already pay for
If your business already runs on Google Workspace, Meet is included. Adding Zoom means a second bill. If you are on Microsoft 365, Teams is likely included instead, which Slack vs Microsoft Teams covers.
Recording
Zoom's free plan records to your computer, and Pro adds cloud recording. In Google Workspace, Meet recording starts on Business Standard. If you record client calls or training, check the plan you would need.
Meeting features
Zoom's comparison lists breakout rooms, screen sharing and waiting rooms on the free plan, and polling, co-hosts and streaming on Pro. Google Meet adds features as you move up Workspace plans, such as recording on Standard and attendance tracking on Plus.
Large calls
Zoom Business allows up to 300 participants. Google Workspace Business Plus allows up to 500. If you run workshops for big groups, compare the plan you would need in each.
How to decide
- Check what your email runs on. If it is Google Workspace, start with Meet.
- Look at your longest regular call. Over 40 minutes in a group rules out free Zoom.
- Decide if you need recordings, and in the cloud or on your computer.
- Count your largest audience.
- Ask your main clients which link they find easiest to join.
The tool matters less than the meeting itself. A short team meeting agenda keeps calls on time, and good meeting notes make sure decisions are not lost when the call ends. For the full office suite choice, see Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365.