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Google Hangouts vs Zoom comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 3, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Google Hangouts
Ranking in Virtual Meetings
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
57
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Zoom
Ranking in Virtual Meetings
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
225
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Virtual Meetings category, the mindshare of Google Hangouts is 0.6%, down from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zoom is 10.7%, down from 12.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Virtual Meetings
 

Featured Reviews

ANIS QURESHI - PeerSpot reviewer
Quick and seamless meeting setup offers a smooth experience
I sometimes use Google Hangouts for my personal meetings only I find that Google Hangouts is very quick and easy to create a meeting, which is its biggest benefit. It doesn't have a 40-minute limitation unlike Zoom. It is easy to set up as well, taking just a couple of minutes. So far, I think…
Luiz Kazan - PeerSpot reviewer
Utilizing versatile features for efficient personal and work meetings
Zoom offers a number of interesting and valuable features. One of the most interesting is the ability to share only audio and provide ambient music without sharing a screen. The breakout room feature is much more developed than other solutions, allowing users to stay in the same meeting and move to different rooms and back to the main room. The sharing features are great for projecting people who should be in focus. Another valuable feature is the virtual entrance, which uses a username and password recognized by the Zoom system, showing the person's full name and ID. Additionally, the use of video and a good fixed background improves visibility compared to other applications. These features differentiate Zoom from others.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Google Hangouts is very quick and easy to use, and the quality is very good."
"The interface is simple and not complex."
"Its ease of use is most valuable. It is just a click, and you're in the system."
"The most valuable features are that you don't have to create a separate account, it's easy to use, and you don't have to enter an ID or password to start video conferencing."
"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."
"The most valuable features are the chat features and the video conferencing features that enable more than two or three people to be connected at a time."
"The initial setup process is straightforward."
"Google Hangouts is an excellent tool."
"Zoom has a security feature that allows only authorized participants to join the meeting."
"The most valuable features of Zoom are the quality of the video is better than other solutions and they have a recording option that is useful. Additionally, it helps to collaborate with other organizations."
"The solution is easy to scale."
"Zoom has great functionality for virtual meetings. It's best in class."
"The most valuable feature is the ability to connect to and conduct meetings."
"Primarily during the period of problematic travel, the solution enabled us to connect with customers, clients and even colleagues and to share our thoughts, ideas and information."
"Important features include whiteboard control, the ability to set up lobbies, and managing how attendees join the meeting."
"Zoom is very easy to set up. You simply download it and use it."
 

Cons

"I think the version that I'm using doesn't allow recording. I guess it's more of a licensing issue than anything else, and it needs to be improved."
"Google Meet could be more secure."
"Sometimes, due to system restrictions, I can't use blur effects or other filters."
"Sending documents and other things is not an option."
"There is no delete option for messages which could be an added feature in a future release."
"The design could be a little bit better."
"We purchased a videoconference system called Zoom. We want to see if Google Hangouts has the ability to integrate our Zoom device to use it with Hangouts and meet directly."
"There is no recording feature in Google Meet. However, Zoom has the recording feature and we use it for any calls that require recording."
"The video quality should be better. Sometimes when there are updates at the backend, Zoom won't respond properly during that time."
"There could be more integration options for Zoom."
"You can use Teams more to collaborate with your coworkers. I think Zoom could add some of these features in addition to simple video conferencing."
"They can make it easier to use and more intuitive. Ease of use is always a key for selling a product."
"In the future, I would like to see remote access control for other computers."
"If Zoom added the feature of Zoom Phone so that I can use it as a phone, it would be much better."
"In the next release, I would like to see better security."
"Zoom should improve aspects of its security."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I use the free version of the solution."
"There is an annual subscription to use this solution."
"There is no license cost."
"I think there is a need for payment for licensing, but as students, we didn't have to pay for it when we were using it. Our professors were the ones paying for it since they needed to record the sessions."
"I don't need to buy Google Hangouts separately because it comes free with Google Workspace, and it is also available for my personal Gmail ID."
"I pay $6 per user per month for Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Hangouts."
"For individual use, there's no license requirement as such. For storage or some other purposes, if I go beyond 15 GB, then I need to buy something."
"We access the solution through Google Workspace. It is inexpensive to use."
"We generally have a strict budget so the pricing for Zoom is reasonable."
"I am making yearly payments. So, I am paying 250 USD a year."
"My company is using the paid version of Zoom."
"The tool's pricing is reasonable. I think we get discounts as an organization."
"We use the free version of the product. We utilize it only three to four times a month."
"The price is $149 USD yearly."
"Zoom is free to use."
"It is reasonable. It has a monthly license."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
71%
Computer Software Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
4%
Performing Arts
3%
Educational Organization
59%
University
6%
Computer Software Company
5%
Financial Services Firm
4%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Google Hangouts?
It's integration with Google is the valuable feature.
What needs improvement with Google Hangouts?
One improvement could be integration with Google Calendar to help find available timeslots when scheduling meetings with many participants.
LucidChart vs LucidSpark for brainstorming sessions over Zoom
Hi @Krista Thompson ​ - Yes, LucidSpark is a much more nimble and, in some ways, user-friendly tool than LucidChart. LucidSpark is designed to do a better job managing multiple users participating ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zoom?
Zoom offers a free version for up to forty minutes.
 

Comparisons

No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Fortinet, Veeva, Proofpoint, Box, Ticketmaster, Trend Micro, Caesars Entertainment, Santa Clara University, Pandora, Stanford Continuing Studies
Find out what your peers are saying about Google Hangouts vs. Zoom and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
861,803 professionals have used our research since 2012.