Zoom vs Google Meet: Free Limits, Price and Recording
Pick Google Meet if you want free group calls of up to 60 minutes in a browser with no download, or already pay for Google Workspace. Pick Zoom if you need a full desktop app on Windows, Mac or Linux, local recording on the free plan, or paid meetings of up to 30 hours.
Both let up to 100 people join a free meeting. The real differences are the free time limit, where recordings go, and what you are already paying for.
Zoom vs Google Meet at a glance
| Zoom | Google Meet | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Pro $14.16, Business $18.33 per user a month (billed yearly) | Part of Google Workspace: Business Starter $7, Standard $14, Plus $22 per user a month (monthly billing) |
| Free plan | Yes (Basic): 40 minutes per meeting, 100 participants | Yes: 60 minutes per meeting, 100 participants; no limit on 1:1 and mobile calls |
| Platforms | Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and iPad, Android, browser extension | Any computer browser (no install), iOS and Android apps |
| Open source | No | No |
| Recording on the free plan | Local recording | No (recordings are a premium feature) |
| Longest paid meeting | 30 hours | 24 hours |
| Best for | Long meetings, webinars, people who want a desktop app | Quick calls, Gmail and Google Calendar users |
Which free plan is better, Zoom or Google Meet?
Google Meet's, for most people. Google Meet says anyone with a Google Account can invite up to 100 participants and meet for up to 60 minutes at no cost, and that there is no time limit for mobile calls and one-to-one calls.
Zoom's free Basic plan also allows 100 participants, but stops each meeting at 40 minutes. Zoom's free plan does have one thing Meet's lacks: you can record meetings to your own computer. On Meet, recordings and transcripts are listed as a premium feature.
What we checked on 6 November 2026
We read both pricing pages on 6 November 2026. Zoom's Basic plan listed "40 minutes per meeting" and "100 participants per meeting", with local recording only, plus limited AI features: 3 meeting summaries, 20 AI queries and 3 AI note-taking uses a month.
The same day, Google's Meet page said a free meeting could have up to 100 participants and last up to 60 minutes, with "no time limit" for mobile calls and 1:1s. Google Workspace's pricing page was also offering new customers 10% off Business Starter and Standard for the first 12 months, limited to the first 20 users.
Which is cheaper for a business?
Google Meet, if you count what you get. Meet comes inside Google Workspace, which also includes Gmail with your own domain, Drive storage and Google Docs. Business Starter costs $7 a user a month and allows meetings of 100 people, but does not include recording. Business Standard, at $14, adds recording and 150 participants. Business Plus, at $22, allows 500 participants with attendance tracking. Google says committing to a year saves 16% over these monthly prices.
Zoom Pro costs $16.99 a user a month billed monthly, or $14.16 billed yearly. It keeps the 100-participant limit but extends meetings to 30 hours and adds 10 GB of cloud recording storage per user. Zoom Business costs $21.99 monthly or $18.33 yearly and raises meetings to 300 participants.
If you only need video meetings and nothing else, Zoom Pro is a focused choice. If your team also needs email and documents, Workspace covers all of it.
Do you need to install anything?
Not for Meet. Google says you can connect from your computer browser with "no software install needed", or use the Meet app on the App Store or Play Store.
Zoom is built around its Zoom Workplace app, with downloads for Windows, Mac and Linux plus iPhone, iPad and Android apps. Zoom also offers a browser extension and an Outlook plug-in. The desktop app is a plus if you host often, but it is one more thing your guests may need to install.
Is Google Meet or Zoom more secure?
Both encrypt meetings. Google says all video and audio streams in Meet are encrypted, and that your data is encrypted by default.
Zoom's pricing page lists end-to-end encryption for meetings in its security section, but on 6 November 2026 the same page marked end-to-end encryption differently in two rows for the Basic plan, so check the current Zoom documentation if this matters for your meetings.
Want to see more video call apps? Our list of Zoom alternatives compares other options.
Which should you choose?
- You want free group calls with the longest time limit: Google Meet, 60 minutes versus Zoom's 40.
- You mostly do one-to-one calls: Google Meet, with no time limit on 1:1 calls.
- You need to record on a free plan: Zoom, which records locally on Basic.
- You run very long sessions: Zoom Pro, with meetings of up to 30 hours.
- Your team already uses Gmail and Google Calendar: Google Meet, through Workspace.
- You use Linux and want a desktop app: Zoom.
FAQ
How long can a free Zoom meeting last?
40 minutes per meeting on Zoom's free Basic plan, with up to 100 participants.
How long can a free Google Meet call last?
Up to 60 minutes for a group call with up to 100 participants. Google says 1:1 calls and mobile calls have no time limit.
Can I record a Google Meet call for free?
No. Google lists recordings and transcripts as a premium feature on certain Google One and Google Workspace plans. Workspace Business Starter does not include recording; Standard and above do.
Is Zoom free?
Yes. Zoom says you can use it for free on the Basic plan, which limits meetings to 40 minutes. Paid plans start with Pro at $14.16 a user a month billed yearly.