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Video Conferencing

Google Meet vs Microsoft Teams: Which Video Tool Fits Your Business in 2026?

Google Meet is sold bundled into Google Workspace; Microsoft Teams has a standalone meetings-only tier that undercuts it on price but leaves out the rest of the office suite. Here is what each actually costs and includes.

By Bill Belcamino · Last updated September 23, 2026 · Our methodologyResearched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team
Google Meet logoGoogle Workspace Business Starter — $7/user/mo (annual commitment)

Google Meet

VS
Microsoft Teams logoTeams Essentials — $4/user/mo (paid yearly)

Microsoft Teams

Run the cost calculator Compare pricing tiers
Google Meet vs Microsoft TeamsVerified Sep 23, 2026
Bottom line Editorial assessment

Which is better, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams?

Choose Microsoft Teams Essentials if you only need meetings and want recording included at the entry tier; choose Google Meet (via Google Workspace) if you want a full office suite bundled with your video tool. Teams Essentials is $4/user/mo versus Workspace Business Starter's $7/user/mo, though the Workspace price already includes Gmail, Docs, Sheets and Slides.

Quick verdict: Microsoft Teams Essentials is $3 a seat cheaper ($4 vs $7) and, unusually, includes meeting recording with transcripts and captions at its entry tier — a feature Google Workspace withholds until its $14/seat Business Standard plan. But Teams Essentials is meetings-only: no email, Docs or Sheets equivalent, while Google Workspace Business Starter bundles Gmail, Docs, Sheets and Slides alongside Meet at $7. If you already have (or want) a full office suite, Workspace’s $7 buys more; if you only need meetings, Teams Essentials is a genuinely cheaper single-purpose tool.
Verified data

Google Meet vs Microsoft Teams: quick facts

At a glanceGoogle MeetMicrosoft Teams
CategoryVideo Conferencing
Entry priceGoogle Workspace Business Starter — $7/user/mo (annual commitment)Teams Essentials — $4/user/mo (paid yearly)
Free planPersonal Google account: 1:1 calls up to 24 hrs; group calls (3+) capped at 60 minMicrosoft Teams Free — 100 participants, meetings capped at 60 min

Is Google Meet cheaper than Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams Essentials, by $3 a seat a month: $4 against Google Workspace Business Starter’s $7. But that comparison is not quite apples-to-apples — Teams Essentials is a meetings-only product, while the $7 Workspace price already includes Gmail, Docs, Sheets and Slides on top of Meet. The closer bundle match is Microsoft 365 Business Basic at $7/user/mo (paid yearly), which adds web/mobile Office apps and 1TB storage to full Teams — at that point the two are priced identically.

Verified data

Google Meet vs Microsoft Teams at a glance

CategoryGoogle MeetMicrosoft Teams
Entry priceBusiness Starter $7/user/mo (annual)Teams Essentials $4/user/mo (paid yearly)
What it includes beyond meetingsGmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, 30GB pooled storageMeetings and chat only — no Office apps
Free planPersonal account: 60-min cap on group callsTeams Free: 100 participants, 60-min cap
Recording at entry tierNo — starts at Business Standard ($14/user)Yes — recording, transcripts, live captions included
Participant cap (paid)100 (Starter), scales to 500 on PlusFlat 300 on every paid tier
Max meeting length (paid)Up to 24 hoursUp to 30 hours
Closest full-suite matchBusiness Starter already bundles the suite at $7Microsoft 365 Business Basic, $7/user/mo (adds Office apps + full Teams)
Storage included30GB pooled per user10GB per user (1TB on M365 Business Basic)

Verified September 23, 2026Prices recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page. See sources

Prices in USD from workspace.google.com/pricing and microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/compare-microsoft-teams-options, both checked September 23, 2026.

Editorial assessment

How they actually differ

Both cover the core job — scheduled video meetings with screen share and chat — but they are sold as very different bundles.

Bundled suite vs. meetings-only

Google sells Meet as part of Google Workspace; there is no standalone “just Meet” business plan, so the $7 Business Starter price already includes Gmail on your domain, Docs, Sheets and Slides. Microsoft sells Teams Essentials as a meetings-and-chat-only product with no Office apps — to get Word, Excel and PowerPoint alongside full Teams, you need Microsoft 365 Business Basic at the same $7/user/mo Workspace charges for its full bundle.

Recording is inverted from what you might expect

Microsoft includes meeting recording, transcripts and live captions in its cheapest paid tier (Teams Essentials, $4). Google withholds recording entirely from Business Starter — you need to upgrade to Business Standard at $14/user/mo to record a Google Meet call, a real gap if recording matters to your team.

Meeting limits

Both free tiers cap group calls at 60 minutes. On paid plans, Microsoft allows longer individual meetings (up to 30 hours vs Google’s 24), while Google’s participant caps scale higher on its upper tiers (500 on Plus) against Microsoft’s flat 300-participant cap across all its paid tiers.

Editorial assessment

Pros & cons

Google Meet

Pros

  • Full office suite (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides) bundled at the same $7 price
  • 30GB pooled storage per user at entry, vs Teams Essentials’ 10GB
  • Participant caps scale higher on upper tiers (500 on Plus)
  • Meetings run up to 24 hours on paid plans

Cons

  • No recording, transcripts or captions until Business Standard ($14/user)
  • $3/seat more than Teams Essentials for meetings alone
  • Free tier caps group calls at 60 minutes, same as Teams Free
  • No standalone meetings-only plan at a lower price

Microsoft Teams

Pros

  • $3/seat cheaper for meetings-only use
  • Recording, transcripts and live captions included at entry
  • Meetings run up to 30 hours on paid plans
  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic matches Workspace’s $7 bundle price exactly

Cons

  • Teams Essentials has no Office apps — email and documents need a separate plan
  • Only 10GB storage per user at the Essentials tier
  • Flat 300-participant cap on every paid tier, no higher option
  • Live captions are English-only at this tier
Verified data

Cost calculator: what does your team actually pay?

Google Meet

 
$0/mo

Microsoft Teams

 
$0/mo
 

Google Workspace Business Starter already bundles Gmail, Docs, Sheets and Slides at $7/user/mo; Microsoft Teams Essentials at $4/user/mo is meetings and chat only, with no Office apps included. Checked September 23, 2026.

Choose Google Meet if…

You want a full office suite (email, docs, spreadsheets) bundled with your video tool at one price, or need meetings up to 24 hours with scaling participant caps.

Choose Microsoft Teams if…

You only need video meetings and chat, want recording and transcripts included at the entry tier, or already have Office apps from elsewhere.

Total cost over time

Uses your selections above. Estimate excludes add-ons, overages, and negotiated discounts.

Ready to pick your video conferencing tool?

Both offer a free tier capped at 60-minute group calls. Run a real team meeting on each before committing your organization’s domain email to one.

See Google Meet pricing See Microsoft Teams pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Google Meet or Microsoft Teams cheaper?

For meetings alone, Microsoft Teams Essentials is cheaper at $4/user/mo against Google Workspace Business Starter’s $7. But Workspace’s $7 already includes Gmail, Docs, Sheets and Slides, which Teams Essentials does not — the closer bundle match, Microsoft 365 Business Basic, is priced the same $7/user/mo.

Does Google Meet include call recording?

Not at the Business Starter tier. Recording is withheld until Business Standard ($14/user/mo). Microsoft Teams Essentials includes recording, transcripts and live captions at its $4 entry tier.

How long can meetings run?

Up to 24 hours on Google Workspace paid plans and up to 30 hours on Microsoft Teams paid plans. Both free tiers cap group calls (3+ participants) at 60 minutes.

Does Teams Essentials include Office apps?

No — it is meetings and chat only. Microsoft 365 Business Basic adds web/mobile Word, Excel and PowerPoint plus 1TB storage for the same $7/user/mo Workspace charges for its bundle.

Migration Guides

Already decided? Here’s how to actually switch.

Step-by-step migration guides covering what transfers automatically, what doesn’t, and how to handle the gap — in both directions.

Switching from Google Meet to Microsoft Teams Switching from Microsoft Teams to Google Meet
Editorial assessment

When to Buy — and When to Walk Away

Every “best video conferencing tool” listicle tells you why to buy. Here’s the other half: the specific conditions under which Google Meet or Microsoft Teams is the wrong purchase for your team.

Google Meet

Buy Google Meet if:

  • You want email, docs and spreadsheets bundled with your video tool
  • You need meetings up to 24 hours or scaling participant caps
  • You are already on Google Workspace for other reasons

Do NOT buy Google Meet if:

  • You need call recording at the entry tier
  • You only need meetings and chat, nothing else
  • You want the lowest possible per-seat price

Microsoft Teams

Buy Microsoft Teams if:

  • You only need video meetings and chat
  • You want recording, transcripts and captions included at entry
  • You already have Office apps or email from elsewhere

Do NOT buy Microsoft Teams if:

  • You want a full office suite bundled at the same price
  • You need more than 10GB of storage per user without upgrading
  • You need participant caps above 300 on a paid tier

Canonical data for the tools on this page

Every pricing fact, rating, AI billing model and switching guide we hold on each tool, on one page, with the date each figure was last verified.

Google MeetPricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›Microsoft TeamsPricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›
Slack vs Microsoft TeamsHead-to-head comparisonZoom vs Microsoft TeamsHead-to-head comparisonZoom vs Google MeetHead-to-head comparisonZoom vs GoToMeetingHead-to-head comparisonZoom vs WebexHead-to-head comparison

Sources

Prices on this page were recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page on the date shown at the top of the page. Vendors change pricing often — check the live source before you buy.

Every figure is also in our open dataset (JSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0), with its source page and verification date. See how we research pricing.

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01 · CompareWhich tool fits your team, side by side.113 comparisons 02 · Price & approveSourced, dated pricing and a one-page brief for sign-off.Decision brief 03 · SwitchWhat moves, what you rebuild, what it costs.226 guides 04 · ShareDownload and cite the data. CC BY 4.0.Open data
Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
About the author

Bill Belcamino

Founder and author, HelpCompare

Engineer by training, operator by experience, marketer by choice. Bill spent nine years as an engineer at HP, was COO of Auctiva (the number one third-party selling platform on eBay, past 200,000 users) and ran Google’s $70M/year search syndication partnership at Alot.com. Then he spent 13 years building his own web properties with his own money at stake. He has bought, trialled, integrated and cancelled more SaaS tools than he can count, and started HelpCompare because the real cost of switching tools is the part nobody covers.

“I’ve sat on both sides of the table: the agency recommending the tool and the client paying for it.”

Researched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team. Pricing on this page was last verified on September 23, 2026. No paid sponsorships, no affiliate commissions.

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