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Google Hangouts

77
57
+ 1
0
Skype

17.2K
13.3K
+ 1
653
Zoom

1.7K
1.9K
+ 1
155

Google Hangouts vs Skype vs Zoom: What are the differences?

  1. Audio and Video Quality: Google Hangouts has a reputation for inconsistent audio and video quality, especially in larger groups. Skype offers better audio and video quality in comparison, ensuring a smoother experience for users. Zoom, on the other hand, provides high-definition video and audio quality, making it superior in terms of clarity and reliability.

  2. Participant Limit: Google Hangouts allows up to 150 participants in a video call, while Skype offers a limit of 50 participants. Zoom stands out by allowing up to 1000 participants in a single meeting, making it ideal for large-scale conferences and webinars.

  3. Screen Sharing Features: While all three platforms offer screen sharing capabilities, Zoom provides more advanced features like the ability to choose specific application windows for sharing. Skype and Google Hangouts offer basic screen sharing options without the same level of customization.

  4. Security and Privacy: Zoom faced criticism for security and privacy concerns, especially during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Skype is known for its strong encryption and security measures, ensuring a safer communication environment. Google Hangouts also maintains a high level of security but has fewer customization options compared to Skype.

  5. Integration with other Tools: Google Hangouts seamlessly integrates with other Google Workspace tools like Gmail and Google Calendar, making it convenient for users already using these platforms. Skype integrates with Microsoft Office applications, providing a cohesive experience for Microsoft users. Zoom offers integrations with various third-party apps and services, enhancing its versatility.

In Summary, Google Hangouts, Skype, and Zoom differ in overall quality, participant limits, screen sharing features, security measures, and integration capabilities.

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Pros of Google Hangouts
Pros of Skype
Pros of Zoom
    Be the first to leave a pro
    • 258
      Free, widespread
    • 147
      Desktop and mobile apps
    • 110
      Because i have to :(
    • 57
      Low cost international calling
    • 56
      Good for international calls
    • 10
      Best call quality anywhere, generally
    • 5
      Beautiful emojis
    • 4
      Chat bots
    • 2
      Translator
    • 2
      Skype for business integration with Outlook
    • 1
      United kingdom
    • 1
      Not the Best, but get the job done
    • 25
      Web conferencing made easy
    • 16
      Remote control option
    • 13
      Draw on screen
    • 12
      Very reliable
    • 11
      In-meeting chat is pretty good
    • 9
      Free
    • 9
      Pair programming sessions with shared controls
    • 8
      Easy to share meeting links/invites
    • 7
      Good Sound Quality
    • 6
      Cloud recordings for meetings
    • 5
      Great mobile app
    • 4
      Virtual backgrounds
    • 4
      Recording Feature
    • 4
      Other people use it
    • 4
      User Friendly actions
    • 2
      Reactions (emoticons)
    • 2
      Auto reconnecting
    • 2
      Chrome extension is great to easily create meetings
    • 2
      While sharing screen, you can still see your video
    • 2
      Mute all participants at once
    • 2
      When ending the videocall, everybody gets kicked
    • 2
      Different options for blocking chat
    • 1
      Easily share video with audio
    • 1
      /zoom on Slack
    • 1
      Registration form
    • 1
      Meant for business and education
    • 0
      Zoom

    Sign up to add or upvote prosMake informed product decisions

    Cons of Google Hangouts
    Cons of Skype
    Cons of Zoom
      Be the first to leave a con
      • 5
        Really high CPU utilization during video/screenshare
      • 3
        Not always reliable
      • 3
        Outdated UI
      • 3
        Birthday notifications are annoying
      • 3
        The worst indicator noises of any app ever
      • 2
        Finding/adding people isn't easy
      • 20
        Limited time if you are a basic member
      • 14
        Limited Storage
      • 11
        Hate how sharing your screen defaults to Full Screen
      • 10
        Quality isn't great (Free)
      • 9
        No cursor highlight on screenshare.
      • 8
        Potential security flaws
      • 7
        Onboarding process for new users is not intuitive
      • 5
        Virtual background quality isn't good
      • 5
        Security
      • 4
        Editing can be improved
      • 4
        Doesn't handle switching audio sources well
      • 4
        The native calendar is buggy
      • 4
        Dashboard can be improved
      • 3
        Pornographic material displayed
      • 3
        Any body can get in it
      • 3
        Not many emojis
      • 3
        Past chat history is not saved
      • 3
        Recording Feature
      • 3
        En In reality,the chat in the meet not is excelent,noo
      • 3
        Zoom lags a lot

      Sign up to add or upvote consMake informed product decisions

      What is Google Hangouts?

      Message contacts, start free video or voice calls, and hop on a conversation with one person or a group.

      What is Skype?

      Skype’s text, voice and video make it simple to share experiences with the people that matter to you, wherever they are.

      What is Zoom?

      Zoom unifies cloud video conferencing, simple online meetings, and cross platform group chat into one easy-to-use platform. Our solution offers the best video, audio, and screen-sharing experience across Zoom Rooms, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and H.323/SIP room systems.

      Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!

      What companies use Google Hangouts?
      What companies use Skype?
      What companies use Zoom?

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      What tools integrate with Google Hangouts?
      What tools integrate with Skype?
      What tools integrate with Zoom?

      Sign up to get full access to all the tool integrationsMake informed product decisions

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      What are some alternatives to Google Hangouts, Skype, and Zoom?
      Hangouts
      It is a communication platform which includes messaging, video chat, and VOIP features.
      Duo
      Duo is a next-generation package manager that blends the best ideas from Component, Browserify and Go to make organizing and writing front-end code quick and painless.
      Google Meet
      It is the business-oriented version of Google's Hangouts platform and is suitable for businesses of all sizes. It allows users to dial in phone numbers to access meetings, thus enabling users with slow internet connection to call in.
      Slack
      Imagine all your team communication in one place, instantly searchable, available wherever you go. That’s Slack. All your messages. All your files. And everything from Twitter, Dropbox, Google Docs, Asana, Trello, GitHub and dozens of other services. All together.
      Microsoft Teams
      See content and chat history anytime, including team chats with Skype that are visible to the whole team. Private group chats are available for smaller group conversations.
      See all alternatives