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Google Meet vs RingCentral

Google Meet logo

Google Meet

Software

Get on a video call in seconds

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RingCentral logo

RingCentral

Software

Unified communications platform for enterprise

From
$24.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Google Meet has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Google Meet google Meet only available as part of Google Workspace subscription; no standalone free option; RingCentral the pricing page shows no per user rate until you enter a user count, so the headline plan cost is not published outright
  • They diverge on capability: Google Meet covers Screen sharing, RingCentral covers VoIP calling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Meet and RingCentral actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Meet and RingCentral differ
AttributeGoogle MeetRingCentral
Starting priceFree$24.99/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android
Founded19981999

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Google Meet

  • Screen sharing
  • Recording
  • Chat
  • Real-time captions
  • Hand raise
  • Grid view
  • Google Calendar
  • Gmail

Only in RingCentral

  • VoIP calling
  • Team messaging
  • SMS/MMS
  • File storage
  • Call recording
  • Analytics
  • Salesforce
  • Microsoft Teams

Both cover

  • Video conferencing
  • Slack
  • SOC2
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • Windows support
  • Macos support
  • Ios support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Google Meet

  • Organisations already invested in Google Workspace ecosystemnot RingCentral
  • Large enterprises (500+ participants) requiring live streaming and attendance trackingnot RingCentral
  • Hybrid work environments needing integrated Gmail, Drive, and collaboration toolsnot RingCentral

RingCentral

  • Cloud phone system with business numbers, extensions and call routingnot Google Meet
  • Combining voice, video meetings and team messaging in one subscriptionnot Google Meet
  • Adding contact centre and analytics capability to a distributed workforcenot Google Meet

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Google Meet

  • Google Meet only available as part of Google Workspace subscription; no standalone free option
  • Starter plan limits Meet to 100 participants; Standard tier required for 150 participants
  • Organisation-wide user cap of 300 users on Starter, Standard, and Plus plans
  • Enterprise tier requires custom pricing and sales contact; no transparent per-user cost
  • Free tier (from basic Google account) limits meetings to 60 minutes with 3+ participants

RingCentral

  • The pricing page shows no per user rate until you enter a user count, so the headline plan cost is not published outright
  • The advertised saving of up to 33 percent requires paying annually rather than monthly
  • Cost centre management, multiple support admins, custom roles and adoption analytics are limited to the Advanced and Ultra packages
  • AI Receptionist starts at $39 a month, Conversational Intelligence at $60 a month, the Call Queues Booster is $35 a month and the Business SMS Booster is $25 a month, all charged on top of the plan
  • SMS is excluded from the free trial

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Meet

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Google Meet review.

RingCentral

$24.99/month
  • Essentials$24.99/month
    • Calls, meetings, messaging
    • Video conferencing
    • File sharing
  • Standard$34.99/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • Advanced features
    • Call recording

Which should you pick?

Choose Google Meet if

  • You need screen sharing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want recording.
Google Meet review

Choose RingCentral if

  • You need voip calling.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
  • You also want team messaging.
RingCentral review

Questions people ask

Is Google Meet or RingCentral better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Meet starts at Free and RingCentral at $24.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Meet or RingCentral?
Google Meet has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Meet and $24.99/month for RingCentral.
Does Google Meet or RingCentral run on more platforms?
Google Meet runs on Web, Mobile. RingCentral runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
Can I use Google Meet for free?
Yes. Google Meet has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. RingCentral starts at $24.99/month.
What is Google Meet best used for?
Google Meet is most often used for organisations already invested in google workspace ecosystem, large enterprises (500+ participants) requiring live streaming and attendance tracking, hybrid work environments needing integrated gmail, drive, and collaboration tools. Of those, organisations already invested in google workspace ecosystem and large enterprises (500+ participants) requiring live streaming and attendance tracking are not what RingCentral is typically brought in for.
What can Google Meet do that RingCentral cannot?
Google Meet covers Screen sharing, Recording, Chat, Real-time captions. RingCentral covers VoIP calling, Team messaging, SMS/MMS, File storage. Both handle Video conferencing, Slack, SOC2, Cloud deployment.
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Related pages

More on Google Meet

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