Zoom vs Google Meet vs Microsoft Teams: The Free Plans Compared
Zoom's free calls stop at 40 minutes. Meet and Teams give you 60. Here's which free video call app to use for family, clients and small teams.
For most free video calls, Google Meet is the easiest choice. It runs in a browser with nothing to install, group calls last up to an hour, and one-on-one calls can go much longer. Zoom is still the most familiar and has the most features, but its free group meetings end after 40 minutes. Microsoft Teams makes sense if your work or school already runs on Microsoft.
The free plans side by side
| Zoom | Google Meet | Microsoft Teams | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group meeting limit | 40 minutes | 60 minutes | 60 minutes |
| One-on-one calls | 40 minutes | Up to 24 hours | Check current limit |
| Needs an app | Recommended | No, works in browser | Recommended |
| Account needed to join | No | No (host needs Google) | No (host needs Microsoft) |
| Recording on free plan | Local recording | No | Check current plan |
These limits change from time to time, so double-check before an important call. Nothing kills momentum like a meeting that ends mid-sentence.
Zoom
Zoom is the one everyone knows how to use, which matters more than features when your guests aren't techy. Its meeting features are excellent: breakout rooms, polls, waiting rooms, great screen sharing and solid audio even on weak connections.
The free plan's 40-minute limit on meetings is the big catch. It's fine for a quick sync. It's a real problem for a class, a workshop or a long family catch-up.
Use it for: calls with people who already have Zoom installed, and anything that needs breakout rooms.
Google Meet
Meet's best feature is that there's nothing to install. Send a link, people click it, and they're in the call in their browser. On phones, they'll need the app.
Free group calls run up to 60 minutes, and one-on-one calls can go much longer. It's tied into Google Calendar, so adding a Meet link to an event is one click.
The free plan doesn't include recording, and the feature set is simpler than Zoom's.
Use it for: family calls, quick client calls, anything where you don't want to make people install software.
Microsoft Teams
Teams is less a video app and more a whole workplace: chat channels, file sharing and meetings in one. The free personal version gives you 60-minute group meetings and works well if you already use Outlook and OneDrive.
It's heavier than the others, and the interface can feel busy if all you want is a call.
Use it for: groups already using Microsoft 365, or small teams that want chat and calls in one place.
Tips for any video call
- Test your mic before the call, not during it. Every app has a preview screen.
- Use headphones. They stop echo instantly.
- Light your face from the front. A window behind you turns you into a silhouette.
- Close Slack and email before sharing your screen.
Recording a tutorial instead of a call? Try one of these free screen recorders.
