Video quality? All three are identical on a decent connection. The real differences in 2026 are AI features, free plan limits, and which ecosystem owns your team. Here's the honest breakdown.
The Only Table You Need
| Zoom | Google Meet | Teams | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business price | $13–$22/user/mo | $7–$14/user/mo (in Workspace) | $6–$13/user/mo (in M365) |
| Free plan limit | 40 min, 100 people | 60 min, 100 people | 60 min, 100 people |
| AI feature | AI Companion (included) | Gemini (included) | Copilot ($30/user/mo extra) |
| Recording | Cloud + local | Google Drive | OneDrive |
| Breakout rooms | ✅ All plans | Business Standard+ | ✅ All plans |
| Webinars | Up to 50K attendees | Basic events only | Town Hall up to 20K |
Zoom — Best for External Meetings
Zoom wins when you meet people outside your org. Client clicks a link — they're in. No Google account, no Microsoft login, no "please download our app" friction.
AI Companion is included in all paid plans (no extra charge): real-time transcription, auto-generated meeting summary with action items, sent to participants after the call. For webinars and large events (1,000+ people), Zoom Events has no real competitor.
The catch: Most expensive standalone. Free plan is the stingiest — 40 minutes for group calls while Meet and Teams give 60. For a 50-person team on Workplace Business: $1,100/mo.
Google Meet — Best if You're on Google Workspace
Already paying for Gmail + Drive + Docs? Meet is included. Zero extra cost, zero extra app. Click a Calendar event → you're in the call.
Gemini AI generates meeting notes in a Google Doc, translates subtitles in real time (18 languages), and does "Take notes for me" — a structured summary generated by AI while you focus on the conversation.
The catch: No webinar format. Breakout rooms locked behind Business Standard ($14/user/mo). If your clients aren't on Google, the join experience is slightly clunkier than Zoom's "just click the link."
Microsoft Teams — Best if You're on Microsoft 365
Teams isn't a video app — it's a work platform where video is one feature. Chat, channels, files, wiki, 800+ integrations. After a meeting, the recording + transcript + notes auto-attach to the channel. No "where's that recording?" moments.
Copilot is the most powerful meeting AI — generates summaries, answers "what did I miss?", creates action items from transcript. But it's the most expensive: $30/user/mo on top of your M365 subscription.
The catch: Desktop client eats 500–800 MB RAM. External guests need a Microsoft account or admin-configured guest access — more friction than Zoom. And if your team uses VPN, expect quality degradation.
The Decision Is Simple
Your existing stack decides for you:
Google Workspace user? → Google Meet (already included)
Microsoft 365 user? → Teams (already included)
Meeting external clients? → Zoom (lowest join friction)
$0 budget? → Meet Free or Teams Free (60 min)
Zoom Free only gives 40 min
That's it. Don't overthink it. If you're paying for Workspace or M365, you're already paying for video — adding Zoom on top is burning money unless you run public webinars.
What About AI Transcription on Free Plans?
None of them offer it free. Your options:
- Otter.ai free plan — 300 min/mo transcription
- tl;dv free plan — records + transcribes Meet and Zoom
- Whisper API — self-hosted, free, best accuracy, requires dev work
- Record locally → pipe through AssemblyAI or Deepgram API
📖 The full article covers detailed security comparisons (E2E encryption, HIPAA, SOC 2), Town Hall vs Zoom Webinars breakdown, noise cancellation benchmarks, and integration guides for email deliverability (DMARC/SPF/DKIM for meeting invites).
