We use the solution for virtual meetings.
System Administrator at Access Techy Limited
User-friendly, easy to deploy, and stable
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is easy to use and navigate."
- "The scalability has room for improvement."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The solution is easy to use and navigate.
What needs improvement?
The scalability has room for improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for two years.
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Google Hangouts
April 2025

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I give the stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I give the scalability an eight out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Zoom and switched to Google Hangouts because it was cheaper.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward and takes under one hour. The deployment was completed by one person. To use the solution we must set up a Gmail account and create meeting links.
What about the implementation team?
The implementation was completed in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is no license cost.
What other advice do I have?
I give the solution an eight out of ten.
We have 15 end users and plan to gradually increase that number.
Google Hangouts is user-friendly and I recommend it to others.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Google
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

AVP, Automation Center of Excellence Head at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
It has multiple features, such as polling, whiteboarding, and captioning
Pros and Cons
- "What I like best about Google Hangouts is its integration with other Google solutions, so scheduling is easy because you have the calendar. It also has a whiteboard feature. I also like its polling feature and that it even has a captioning feature."
- "Google Hangouts has breakout rooms now, but not as extensive as Zoom, so that's one area for improvement. I mentioned that I like the Google Hangouts captioning feature, but that could be improved. For example, importing Filipino-English captions here in the Philippines would be great."
What is our primary use case?
We use Google Hangouts for meetings and alignment.
What is most valuable?
What I like best about Google Hangouts is its integration with other Google solutions, so scheduling is easy because you have the calendar. It also has a whiteboard feature. I also like its polling feature and that it even has a captioning feature.
What needs improvement?
Google Hangouts has breakout rooms now, but not as extensive as Zoom, so that's one area for improvement.
I mentioned that I like the Google Hangouts captioning feature, but that could be improved. For example, importing Filipino-English captions here in the Philippines would be great.
I want to add a Zoom feature in Google Hangouts, where multiple people can interact with what's shown on the screen and draw and put shapes, for example.
For how long have I used the solution?
I joined the company in 2020, and that's the time I started using Google Hangouts.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Google Hangouts is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
So far, I'm happy with Google Hangouts in terms of scalability, but that still depends on your license because that dictates the number of users you can have in a room.
How are customer service and support?
Google technical support is okay, but I used it for a different solution, Google AppSheet, and not for Google Hangouts. The team gave me a fast response for other solutions. However, for my Google AppSheet concern, it took a while to receive feedback from Google because the general support team needed to pass my question to a real expert.
How was the initial setup?
Google Hangouts is installed on the web browser, so setup or installation-wise, it's okay.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I believe my company has a yearly license for Google Hangouts, but I'm not sure because this is a corporate account, so I don't have the details.
What other advice do I have?
My company uses Google Workspace, which includes Google Hangouts.
In my company, more than five hundred people use Google Hangouts.
I'm happy to recommend the solution to others because it's web-based and extensive, with features for emailing, documentation, and conferencing.
My rating for Google Hangouts is nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Google Hangouts
April 2025

Learn what your peers think about Google Hangouts. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2025.
849,963 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Independent Consultant - Digital Transformation at Jennifer Yalden
Has a straightforward initial setup process, but they should increase the session time
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup process is straightforward."
- "They should increase the platform's session time beyond an hour."
What is our primary use case?
We use the platform for scheduling meetings with clients.
What needs improvement?
They should increase the platform's session time beyond an hour.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Google Hangouts for five years. At present, we use the latest version.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup process is straightforward. We have deployed it on the cloud.
What about the implementation team?
I implemented the product myself.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend Google Hangouts and rate it a seven out of ten. I advise others to have a clear idea of their business use cases before they deploy the product.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Structural Engineering at Tahaluf
An easy-to-install tool that is useful for setting up virtual meetings
Pros and Cons
- "The installation part of the product is easy since one generally needs to use a browser to use the product."
- "It would be better to have a feature for recording the meetings in Google Hangouts."
What is our primary use case?
I use the solution mainly to attend meetings through a video call, especially when I have to present something and talk about it to a prospective client. I also use the tool for internal communications within my company so that I can communicate with my designer or project manager.
What is most valuable?
The features of Google Hangouts I find most beneficial for enhancing virtual communication stem from the tool's ability to provide its users with functionalities that allow them to make use of the product's sharing features. The fact that Google Hangouts is integrated with Google Calendar helps me to set up meetings easily. Most of my contact lists are in my Gmail account, making it very easy for me to pull out the details of the contacts or the potential attendees that I expect and want to invite to a meeting.
What needs improvement?
It would be better to have a feature for recording the meetings in Google Hangouts. I don't know if there is a feature in the basic version of Google Hangouts that allows for the recording of meetings, but I know that it is possible in Zoom. I think the advanced version or the licensed version of Google Hangouts may allow for the recording of meetings, but I have not explored it. Having a recording feature for the basic version of the tool would be helpful, as it is the only shortcoming of the product.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Google Hangouts for around ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have not had any issues with the stability of the product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have not had any issues with the scalability part of the product since I operate in a small team. In general, I don't know much about this scalability part of the product.
Only two people in my company use the product. There is an extended group of freelancers attached to my company who use Google Hangouts through their personal Gmail accounts.
How are customer service and support?
I haven't had any issues with the solution's technical support. I rate the technical support a nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I use Zoom to attend meetings. I use Zoom and Google Hangouts. Cisco Webex is a tool that I used to use fifteen years ago. I started to use Google Hangouts because of Google Workspace,which comes with functionalities that allow its users to send emails and share documents. Zoom is better than Google Hangouts when it comes to the video conference part.
How was the initial setup?
The installation part of the product is easy since one generally needs to use a browser to use the product. I can use the product on my phone by just installing the application, which is a pretty easy process with which I haven't had any issues.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
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.
What other advice do I have?
I integrate Google Hangouts into my workflow for external client meetings or presentations by using my official email ID in Google Workspace, through which I can send meeting links and make use of the calendar invite feature to ensure that the details of the meeting are automatically integrated with Google Hangouts. I just create a meeting link through the calendar invite, and then I use it.
Speaking about whether Google Hangouts integration with other Google services has added any value to my user experience, I would say that value addition doesn't come from Google Hangouts alone. When I want to share some documents or spreadsheets, it is easy to invite those who have a Gmail account with Google Hangouts.
I haven't experienced any significant issues with connectivity or quality during the calls on Google Hangouts.
I rate the overall tool an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Account Executive - Special Accounts at Iron Mountain Incorporated
An excellent user-friendly tool that helps us with our commercial and sales meetings
Pros and Cons
- "It is easy to use, and we don't need to make a lot of configurations."
- "The solution can be improved by integrating other tools."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case for the solution is having internal meetings for ongoing projects. We also use it for our commercial and sales meetings with our customers.
What is most valuable?
It is easy to use and we don't need to make a lot of configurations. Additionally, It's a very user-friendly tool.
What needs improvement?
The solution can be improved by integrating other tools such as Microsoft Teams to make calls with different servers because many of our customers wouldn't have to change their tools to attend meetings. Additionally, the next release could include viewing the main screen and zooming in and out during a presentation on the desktop version.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the solution for approximately three years and are currently using the most recent version.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. Approximately 1,200 people in different roles are using the solution at Iron Mountain Brazil.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward, and I rate it a ten out of ten. As a user, it took no time because when I logged in as a user, the workspace was already pre-configured, and I didn't do anything to start using the solution. However, I cannot comment on how long it may have taken from an IT perspective.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Network Administrator at Lahore Garrison university
video conferencing features enable more than two or three people to be connected at a time but it should have meeting reminders
Pros and Cons
- "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."
- "There should be more space for multiple users at a time so that multiple people can connect, can share, and even transfer control to another colleague, employer, student, etc."
What is most valuable?
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.
What needs improvement?
There should be more space for multiple users at a time so that multiple people can connect, can share, and even transfer control to another colleague, employer, student, etc.
Another feature I want to add is a meeting date to schedule meetings or if I want a meeting after two days, I would like to have a reminder and a note.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Google Hangouts for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The current version is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. We have around 1,500 users.
How are customer service and technical support?
We don't use technical support. We are multiple users and we have more features than other colleagues.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also use Zoom. Zoom has more control options than Google Hangouts because a presenter can give control to another colleague or student. If anyone wants to ask any question, they can raise their hand to ask a question, can send a message or can ask the presenter to give them control, or they can annotate at a certain time. They have more features. We can also send voice messages with Zoom.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate it a six out of ten. The security is already there but there should be more ability to share features. The other feature they should include is Zoom control; if one colleague wants to give control to another, there can be two, three or four sharing their presentations.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
IT Administrator at Soybean Crushing Company & Derivatives (SOYA)
Excellent solution, simple to use and helps us connect when there are network issues
Pros and Cons
- "Google Meet is a clear and simple solution."
- "Google Meet could be more secure."
What is most valuable?
Google Meet is a clear and simple solution. If we are having network issues, it works better than other solutions. It allows us to share files during meetings. The free version is APN flexible, and installation is easy.
What needs improvement?
Google Meet could be more secure.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for about two months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable, and I rate the scalability a ten out of ten. We have less than five people using this solution.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We use a paid version of Microsoft Teams and Google Meet when we have network issues.
How was the initial setup?
It has a straightforward setup and is not hard to complete.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend Google Meet to others, and I rate it a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
CEO at a energy/utilities company with 11-50 employees
Communication platform with a straightforward setup; designed for virtual meetings, project planning, and project status updates
Pros and Cons
- "Communication platform that's effective in project planning, project status communication, and virtual meetings. Setting it up is straightforward."
- "The stability of Google Hangouts could still be improved. How virtual backgrounds are handled also needs improvement."
What is our primary use case?
I work for a project-oriented company, and we focus on product design and development, cloud services development, etc. We have multiple virtual meetings daily, both internally and with our clients, so our primary use case for Google Hangouts is for our meetings.
What is most valuable?
The value of Google Hangouts is that it enables us to communicate project status very effectively. It also allows us to plan effectively, and get people all over the world into our virtual meetings.
What needs improvement?
An additional feature I'd like to see in Google Hangouts is more of a personal preference, e.g. it's not a pain point. There may be little differences in the way virtual backgrounds are handled, but it's no big deal.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using Google Hangouts for two years. The company started standardizing the use of the platform at the beginning of the pandemic, e.g. that's when we made the shift to Google Hangouts.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I've seen some stability problems in Google Hangouts, particularly when communicating with developers in Eastern Europe, but that's to be expected given the current situation there.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup for Google Hangouts was straightforward, and I never experienced any issues with it, but it would still depend on how technical the users are, e.g. the pain points are going to differ.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated Zoom.
What other advice do I have?
The company I'm working for is a big Google user, so we use Google Hangouts, and we share Google sheets, Google docs, etc. We use different Google solutions for work.
I can't think of any pain points in Google Hangouts that would make me say: "I wish it had this capability, or not." I do so many virtual meetings, and I have to think if it's going to be on Zoom, or if it's going to be on Google Hangouts, e.g. what are we using for this meeting, because we have different clients, so every once in a while, we get called into someone else's meeting, but internally, we use Google Hangouts.
I'm in very much in favor of Dev Ops, e.g. I like to see those updates come, but I have no problems with updates for this platform, because Google is normally doing something, or fixing a problem, or providing an enhancement, etc. The key is I manage when I apply updates, so it's not a problem for me. For some people, it can be a problem, but the updates don't bother me. I managed a Dev Ops environment, so we were putting out updates regularly, so we don't surprise people too often.
I have no information on the pricing of Google Hangouts, because I was not involved in that aspect.
My advice to others looking into implementing this platform is that we've had good success with it. I have no issues. It's worked for us, and we keep using it. We're not looking at anything else, so that for me, says it all.
I'm giving Google Hangouts a rating of eight out of ten, as I rarely give nines or tens.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

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