Zoom vs Google Meet vs Teams: Free Plans Compared

On free plans, Zoom Basic ends meetings at 40 minutes, Microsoft Teams free ends them at 60 minutes, and free Google Meet ends group calls at 60 minutes while allowing one on one calls up to 24 hours on a computer. All three allow 100 people. Those facts come from each company's official page, checked November 10, 2026.

Below is the full side by side, what each free plan is good at, and where each one will frustrate you. We also say where our own product fits, and where it does not.

How do the free plans compare side by side?

Here are the free plans compared on the details people ask about most. Every cell comes from the official page linked in the row or column header, checked November 10, 2026. "Not listed" means the page we checked does not say.

Sources: Zoom pricing and Zoom Web App help; Google Meet plan help; Microsoft Teams for personal use plan page.

Which free plan gives you the longest meetings?

Free Google Meet gives you the longest meetings, but only for two people. Google's help page says personal accounts on a computer can hold one on one meetings for up to 24 hours. With 3 or more people, Meet stops at 60 minutes, and the host gets a notice at 50 minutes.

For group calls, it is a tie at 60 minutes between Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. Zoom Basic is the shortest at 40 minutes, and its pricing page does not list a separate rule for two person calls. We cover the Zoom side in detail in how to get around the Zoom 40 minute limit.

Which free plan fits the most people?

All three free plans list 100 people per meeting. That is more than most small businesses need. If you run trainings or classes bigger than that, you are into paid plans on every service.

For reference, Microsoft lists 300 participants and 30 hour meetings on Microsoft 365 Personal and Family. Google's Workspace pricing page lists 100 people on Business Starter and 150 on Business Standard, with meetings up to 24 hours. Zoom Pro lists 100 participants and 30 hours.

Which free plan lets you record?

Zoom Basic is the only one of the three that lists recording on its free plan, and it saves the file to your own computer, not the cloud. Microsoft's page lists meeting recordings as "No" for free Teams. Google's personal account help page does not list recording as a free feature, and on Google Workspace, the pricing page lists recording on Business Standard but not on Business Starter.

If you need recordings, transcripts or AI notes every week, plan on paying for something. The question is whether you pay for a meeting tool alone or a tool that also handles booking and notes.

What is each free plan best for?

Each free plan has a sweet spot:

• Zoom Basic fits short meetings where people already have Zoom installed, and where a local recording or a few AI summaries a month help.
• Free Google Meet fits two person calls between people who live in Gmail and Google Calendar. The 24 hour one on one limit is generous.
• Free Microsoft Teams fits families and small groups already using Microsoft accounts for chat and file sharing, as long as calls stay under an hour.

And each has a pain point. Zoom's 40 minutes ends real conversations. Meet's 60 minute group cap hits small groups and classes. Teams' 60 minutes and lack of recording on free limit it for client work.

Where does Let's Sit Down fit in this comparison?

Let's Sit Down fits when you need group meetings that run past an hour on a free plan, and guests who join without installing anything. The Free plan has no time limit per meeting, a waiting room, breakout rooms, screen share and one free booking page with email reminders. Guests join in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer.

Where it falls short of the big three on free: rooms hold 25 people, not 100, and there is no recording, transcript or AI on Free. Fair use is 20 hosted hours a month.

Business raises rooms to 100 people and adds recording, transcripts and AI recaps for $9.99 a month or $99 a year at the founding price for anyone who subscribes by December 31, 2026 (then $14.99 a month or $149 a year). See all plans on our pricing page, or the full feature table on our Let's Sit Down vs Zoom comparison and Google Meet alternative pages.

How should you choose?

Choose by your longest regular meeting and the number of people in it. If your calls are short or one on one, a free plan from Zoom, Google or Microsoft may be all you need. If you host groups that run past an hour, every free plan from the big three will cut you off, and you either pay or switch to a tool without a timer.

Also think about your guests. If they are comfortable with technology, any of these works. If they are older or nervous, the join experience matters as much as the time limit. Our guide to a free video call with no time limit and no download covers what to test before you send a link.

If you would like to see a meeting with no clock and nothing to install, you can try Let's Sit Down free. No card needed.

Facts checked as of November 10, 2026 on the official pages linked above. Prices and limits can change, so check each company's page for today's details. Zoom is a trademark of Zoom Communications, Inc. Google Meet and Google Workspace are trademarks of Google LLC. Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Let's Sit Down is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected with any of them.