Zoom vs Google Meet vs Microsoft Teams (2026): Video Conferencing Compared
Zoom wins on video quality and webinars. Google Meet wins for Google Workspace users. Microsoft Teams wins for Microsoft 365 environments and async collaboration.
Zoom vs Google Meet vs Microsoft Teams (2026): Video Conferencing Compared — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
The right platform is almost always determined by your existing tooling. If your team uses Google Workspace, Google Meet is included and the Gemini AI integration (real-time translated captions, automatic notes) is genuinely impressive. If you use Microsoft 365, Teams is included and its async chat channels make it a Slack replacement too. Zoom is the choice when you're platform-agnostic and want the highest video quality, best breakout room UX, or need to run webinars at scale.
Compare Zoom vs Google Meet vs Microsoft Teams
Real-time video conferencing platform with enterprise meeting and webinar capabilities
Google's video conferencing platform integrated with Workspace, emphasizing simplicity and accessibility.
Unified communications platform integrated with Microsoft 365, combining chat, calls, and meetings.
Zoom vs Google Meet vs Microsoft Teams (2026): Video Conferencing Compared — Comparison Data
Structured comparison data for Zoom vs Google Meet vs Microsoft Teams (2026): Video Conferencing Compared with 302 attributes.
Enterprise Deployment Adoption (500+ seat orgs)
3-Year TCO Advantage for 1,000 Users with M365
Average Setup Time for New Recording/Meeting
AI Transcription Support (Standard Tier)
Auto-Generated Captions Languages Supported
Enterprise Plan Starting Price (Monthly)
Free Tier Group Video Call Duration Limit
Maximum Group Call Participants (Free Tier)
Maximum Webinar Participants (Paid Plan)
Maximum Free Tier Group Meeting Duration
Advanced Chat Features (Channels, Threading, Workflows)
Maximum Simultaneous Video Participants (Free)
3-Year Total Cost of Ownership (1,000 users)
Annual Subscription Cost (Pro, 100 users)
Free Tier Meeting Duration for Group Calls
Global Enterprise Video Conferencing Market Share (2024)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro/Standard)
Annual TCO (1,000 users, 3-year average)
Maximum Video Conference Participants (Free)
Zoom vs Google Meet vs Microsoft Teams (2026): Video Conferencing Compared — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Zoom vs Google Meet vs Microsoft Teams (2026): Video Conferencing Compared.
All three offer free tiers. Google Meet is the most accessible free option — any Gmail account gets Meet with a 1-hour meeting limit and up to 100 participants. Zoom's free plan limits meetings to 40 minutes with up to 100 participants. Microsoft Teams is free for personal use and included in Microsoft 365 subscriptions (Business Basic starts at $6/user/month). For organizations already paying for Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, the bundled option is free at the margin. Zoom remains the only platform requiring a standalone paid subscription for unlimited meeting time.
Zoom is generally considered better for standalone video conferencing quality — more reliable audio/video, the easiest external guest access (no account required), best-in-class whiteboarding, and superior webinar capabilities (up to 50,000 attendees vs Meet's 500). Google Meet is better for individuals and organizations already using Google Workspace, because it is free with Gmail, integrates directly with Google Calendar and Drive, and receives real-time Gemini AI transcription on paid plans. The choice depends primarily on your ecosystem: Google Workspace users get full value from Meet at no extra cost; everyone else will find Zoom's meeting experience more polished.
Microsoft Teams has approximately 320 million monthly active users primarily because it is bundled into every Microsoft 365 Business and Enterprise subscription — the same license that provides Outlook, Word, Excel, and SharePoint. Most large organizations already pay for Microsoft 365, making Teams a zero-additional-cost option. Teams also uniquely includes Teams Phone (cloud telephony replacing desk phones), Teams Rooms (certified conference room hardware), and Microsoft 365 Copilot for real-time AI meeting summaries. The adoption is largely structural: organizations that standardize on Microsoft productivity tools automatically receive Teams as part of the package.
Yes — Zoom allows external guests to join meetings without a Zoom account by clicking a meeting link. The host must have a Zoom account, but attendees can join via browser or by downloading the Zoom app without creating an account. This "frictionless guest access" is one of Zoom's most cited advantages over Teams (which often prompts guests to log in or create accounts) and Meet (which works best with a Google account). For client-facing meetings and external collaborations, Zoom's guest experience is generally smoother than Teams or Meet.
Which video conferencing is best for webinars?
Zoom is the clear winner for webinars. Zoom Webinars supports up to 50,000 view-only attendees, has dedicated registration/landing page functionality, panelist management, and Q&A/polling tools built specifically for broadcast-style events. Microsoft Teams Live Events supports up to 10,000 attendees. Google Meet's webinar add-on supports up to 500 attendees. For organizations running large virtual events, product launches, or training sessions with thousands of attendees, Zoom Webinars remains the professional standard in 2026.