Google Meet vs WebEx

June 13, 2023 | Author: Adam Levine
17
Google Meet
(Formerly Google Hangouts) Video meetings for your business. Connect with your team from anywhere. With easy-to-join video calls, you can meet face to face without the added cost of travel.
18
WebEx
Cisco Webex is your one place to call, message, meet. Build stronger relationships with face-to-face meetings and real-time collaboration using whiteboarding, screen sharing and more. Showcase the best you with video conferencing that is simple but powerful.
Google Meet and WebEx are both popular video conferencing platforms, but they have distinct differences in their features, pricing models, and integrations. Google Meet is a part of Google Workspace and offers seamless integration with other Google tools like Gmail and Google Calendar. It provides features such as video calls, screen sharing, and real-time collaboration on documents. Google Meet focuses on simplicity and ease of use, making it accessible to individuals and small teams.

WebEx, on the other hand, is a comprehensive video conferencing solution offered by Cisco. It offers advanced features like webinar capabilities, breakout rooms, and detailed analytics. WebEx is known for its scalability and ability to handle large-scale conferences and events. It provides a wide range of collaboration tools, including file sharing and whiteboarding, to enhance team productivity.

See also: Top 10 Videoconferencing software
Google Meet vs WebEx in our news:

2022. Google Meet gets automatic meeting transcriptions



Google has introduced automatic meeting transcriptions as a built-in feature for its video conferencing service, Meet. Previously, users had to rely on third-party services like Otter to record and transcribe their calls. This new functionality is currently available for meetings conducted in English, with support for French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese slated for release in 2023. It's worth noting that Microsoft Teams already introduced a similar feature for English meetings over a year ago. Although Google possesses expertise in speech-to-text services through products like Assistant and the Android Recorder app, the addition of this feature to Meet has been a long-awaited development. Nevertheless, it is a welcome addition to enhance the meeting experience within Meet.


2022. Google Meet’s new feature lets users consume YouTube and Spotify together



Google has recently announced the addition of live-sharing features, similar to Apple SharePlay, to Google Meet. This update aims to enhance collaboration during video calls by allowing participants to engage with content simultaneously in real-time. It's worth mentioning that Google had previously introduced live-sharing features, such as watching YouTube videos together, in Duo back in February. Now, with the integration of Duo into Meet, these features are being extended to the Meet platform. With the new live-sharing functionality, users will have the ability to watch YouTube videos collectively. These exciting features will be accessible through the Activities tab, which also includes options for Q&A sessions and polls, and can be found in the three-dot menu.


2022. Google Duo to unite with Google Meet



Google Duo, the consumer-focused video chat service by Google, is set to merge with Google Meet, the video chat service designed for business users. In this upcoming transition, the Duo app will incorporate all of Meet's features, including the ability to schedule calls. Subsequently, the Duo app will be rebranded as Google Meet, and the existing Meet app will seamlessly transition to the new combined Duo/Meet app. Although the process may appear complex, it is understandable considering the significant undertaking of migrating millions of users to the unified platform.


2021. Cisco to acquire startup Socio to bring hybrid events to Webex



Cisco has made an acquisition by purchasing the startup Socio, a company specializing in planning hybrid events that combine both in-person and virtual elements. Socio offers a crucial hybrid event management component that will complement Cisco's existing Webex platform. The objective behind this acquisition seems to be integrating Socio's capabilities with the recently acquired Slido, thereby transforming Webex from a primarily video meeting application into a comprehensive event platform. Socio, established in 2016, has received approximately $7 million in investment capital, as reported by Crunchbase. The company boasts an impressive roster of enterprise clients, including Microsoft, Google, Jet Blue, Greenpeace, PepsiCo, and Hyundai.


2021. Google Meet gets a refreshed UI, multipinning, autozoom and more



Google has introduced a significant update to its video-meeting service, Google Meet, incorporating a range of user interface enhancements for desktop users and introducing several new features. Noteworthy additions include multipinning, allowing users to highlight multiple feeds instead of just one, and new AI-driven video capabilities for light adjustments, autozoom, and a Data Saver feature that restricts data usage on slower mobile networks. For presenters who prefer not to view their own video feed, Meet now enables minimizing or hiding of their own feed. Additionally, users have the option to pin their own feed alongside other participants on the grid, providing the opportunity to briefly glance into their own eyes during the meeting.


2020. Cisco is buying Slido to improve Q&A, polls and engagement in WebEx



While Zoom continues to dominate the videoconferencing landscape, Cisco's WebEx division has demonstrated its commitment to staying competitive by announcing an acquisition. WebEx is acquiring Slido, a company renowned for its platform that enables moderators to manage questions and interactions from a large audience during virtual conferences and live events. Slido's innovative solution allows participants to ask questions in a separate space, and other attendees can upvote the questions they find most valuable, prioritizing them for discussion. Additionally, moderators can conduct polls and receive real-time feedback, fostering better engagement and audience interaction. This approach helps minimize unnecessary disruptions on the main video screen while still giving the audience a voice and the opportunity to actively participate in the conversation. The acquisition of Slido by WebEx strengthens its offerings and showcases its determination to stay at the forefront of the videoconferencing industry.


2020. Google brings Meet to Gmail on mobile



Google has recently integrated its Meet video conferencing service directly into the mobile version of Gmail. Users of Gmail on Android or iOS now have the convenience of joining Meet meetings directly from their inbox when someone sends them a Meet event link. This eliminates the need to install the dedicated Meet app solely for joining calls via Gmail. Within the Gmail app, a new Meet tab will appear at the bottom of the screen. This tab will display all upcoming Meet meetings from Google Calendar, allowing users to initiate a meeting, obtain a shareable link, or schedule a meeting within the Calendar. If you prefer not to have the Meet tab visible, you also have the option to disable it.


2020. Google Meet takes on Zoom by going completely free for everyone



Google has made an announcement stating that its premium videoconferencing software, Google Meet, will now be offered for free to all users. Previously, Meet was exclusively accessible through Google's G Suite, a service package designed for businesses, with a starting price of $6 per month per person. However, it will now be accessible to anyone with a Google account. Google plans to gradually expand availability over the upcoming weeks, prioritizing the maintenance of a secure and reliable user experience. The free version of Meet will impose a time limit of 60 minutes on meetings, although Google will not enforce this limitation until after September 30. In comparison, the free version of Zoom imposes a 40-minute time limit on video calls. The free version of Meet also imposes other restrictions, such as a maximum of 100 participants, whereas the paid version supports up to 250 participants. Additionally, recording and saving calls are only available with the paid version.


2020. Google Meet adds Zoom-style gallery view



Google is introducing a gallery view, similar to Zoom, to its video-chat product, Google Meet. It's important to note that this service is not available for free to all Google account holders like Hangouts. Instead, it is a paid enterprise service primarily designed for businesses. Access to Google Meet starts at $6 per month, per user for the most affordable G Suite tier. The "most popular" version is priced at $12 per month, per person. Essentially, you are paying a premium for a feature that competing platforms like Zoom provide at no cost.


2020. Google is rebranding Hangouts services



Google has made a significant change to its enterprise G Suite offering by officially rebranding Hangouts Chat as Google Chat and Hangouts Meet as Google Meet. With this move, the Hangouts brand is no longer associated with the enterprise-focused services. However, Google will retain the Hangouts name for its consumer chat app, which was originally created as a successor to Gchat and emerged from Google's discontinued social network, Google+, in 2013.

Author: Adam Levine
Adam is an expert in project management, collaboration and productivity technologies, team management, and motivation. With an extensive background working at prestigious companies such as Microsoft and Accenture, Adam's in-depth knowledge and experience in the field make him a sought-after professional. Currently, he has ventured into entrepreneurship, owning a thriving consulting and training agency where he imparts invaluable insights and practical strategies to individuals and organizations, empowering them to achieve their goals and maximize their potential. You can contact Adam via email adam@liventerprise.com