Currently, millions of employees, students, and families are learning the ins and outs of video conferencing due to the coronavirus pandemic. Being asked to work and study from home has created a major increase in demand for the ability to meet virtually. But which technology is best for what you need to accomplish? Here is a closer look at the advantages of Zoom and Google Meet and how each can fit into your business’s remote model. Both Zoom and Google Meet, formerly called Hangouts, have their diehard fans. The key is to know which platform is best for your company’s needs as well as the security, ease-of-use, and special features that can make your virtual meetings and presentations seamless. This week we are closely examining the cost of each platform and how that fits into your company budget for the foreseeable future.
Pricing Plans: Zoom
If your accountant is reading this, s/he will be intrigued by the variety of price points that can be garnered using Zoom or Google Meet. Business Insider reports that, “The most basic version of Zoom is available for free, but there are some limitations to this option. Notably, you can only host meetings of up to 100 people, and group meetings can only be up to 40 minutes.” The step up from the Basic plan is the Pro plan, which costs $14.99 a month per host and allows meetings of up to 24 hours, personal meeting IDs, and more. One more step up from that is the Business plan, which comes in at $19.99 a month per host with a minimum of 10 hosts. This option allows up to 300 participants, and adds some advanced administrative features that only some will need. Finally, the top tier plan is the Enterprise plan. This option is also $19.99 a month per host, but it requires a minimum of 100 hosts. The Enterprise plan offers support for up to 500 participants and includes even more advanced features, like dedicated customer service and unlimited cloud storage. An Enterprise Plus upgrade is also available with support for up to 1,000 participants.
Pricing Plans: Google Meet
As for Google Meet, the free version supports up to 100 participants and a meeting duration of 60 minutes. With that said, the 60 minute time limit will not be imposed until after September 30. To unlock more advanced features, you'll need to pay for Google Meet as part of a subscription to Google's G Suite catalog of services. G Suite is available for as little as $6 a month per user, and as much as $25 per user a month as part of the Enterprise plan. This plan offers up to 250 participants as well as other advanced features, like recording meetings and live streaming.Need help deciding which plan is right for your company? Let our team at Spectra help you determine the features, cost, and security your business requires for virtual meetings.
