Google Chat vs Lark

Google Chat

• Organizations already paying for Google Workspace
• Teams that work in Gmail and want chat in the same window
• Companies moving chat history over from Slack or Teams

Lark

• Teams of up to 20 that want free chat, docs and meetings in one app
• Multilingual teams, since message translation is on every plan
• Companies replacing separate chat, docs, email and workflow tools

Google Chat

• Chat is not sold on its own: a business gets it by paying for a Google Workspace plan that also covers Gmail, Drive and Meet.
• Gemini in Chat is left out of Business Starter, and Google marks some listed features as coming soon or limited to Business and Enterprise plans.
• There is no desktop app: computers use the web interface or Chat inside Gmail, and the apps are for phones and tablets.
• Business Starter, Standard and Plus can be bought for a maximum of 300 users.

Lark

• The free Starter plan stops at 20 users, 100 GB of storage and 18 months of message history.
• Starter and Basic allow only 1-on-1 video meetings; group meetings need Pro at $12 per user / month.
• Single sign-on and advanced security controls are limited to Enterprise, and Basic and Pro stop at 500 users.
• Lark Basic is not sold in the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Japan or South Korea, and payment is in USD, SGD or JPY depending on country.

Google Chat

Direct messages and spaces

Chat covers direct messages, group messaging and persistent spaces with threaded conversations. Google says a space can hold up to 500,000 members on eligible plans.

Huddles and voice or video messages

Huddles let teammates connect in real time for drop-in collaboration, and updates can be shared as recorded audio or video messages.

Gemini in Chat

Gemini summarizes conversations, lists action items and translates messages. The pricing table includes it from Business Standard up, not in Business Starter.

Built into Gmail and Workspace

Chat appears in Gmail's left navigation and works with Drive, Calendar, Meet and Tasks, so files, meetings and assigned tasks are handled from a conversation.

Chat apps and API

Chat apps cover tools such as Asana, Jira, GitHub and Salesforce. Custom apps can be built with the Chat API, webhooks and Apps Script, or without code in AppSheet.

Migration and interoperability

Existing data can be migrated from Slack or Teams, and interoperability products from Mio and NextPlane connect Chat with other messaging platforms.

Lark

Messenger

Team chat with real-time message translation on every plan. Starter keeps 18 months of message history, and the paid plans keep it without a limit.

Video meetings

Starter and Basic are limited to 1-on-1 video meetings. Pro and Enterprise host up to 500 participants, and Pro lists single meetings of up to 24 hours.

Minutes and AI Meeting Notes

Minutes turns meetings into searchable transcripts. AI Meeting Notes, which writes summaries and tracks action items, is a paid add-on at $1,699 for 1,800 notes.

Docs, Slides and Wiki

Documents, sheets and slides are created and shared inside Lark, and Wiki works as a central team knowledge base.

Base and Approval

Base builds workflows and dashboards without code, and Approval automates sign-offs. Tables hold 2,000 rows on Starter and Basic and 20,000 on Pro.

Email and Calendar

Lark includes team email and a shared calendar, with direct integrations for Exchange, Outlook, Google Calendar and Gmail.

Google Chat

• Consumer (Google Account)$0

  Chat for consumer Google Workspace users. Google notes that some premium features require a paid subscription.

• Business Starter$7

  per user / month, 1-year commitment, billed monthly

  Google Workspace suite plan that includes Chat, with 30 GB of pooled storage per user. Gemini in Chat is not included.

• Business Standard$14

  per user / month, 1-year commitment, billed monthly

  Suite plan with Chat plus Gemini in Chat to find, summarize and translate conversations, and 2 TB of pooled storage per user.

• Business Plus$22

  per user / month, 1-year commitment, billed monthly

  Suite plan with 5 TB of pooled storage per user, Vault to retain and search data, and advanced endpoint management.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Suite plan with data loss prevention, context-aware access and data regions, with no minimum or maximum number of users.

Lark

• Starter$0

  Up to 20 users, 100 GB of storage, 1-on-1 video meetings, 18 months of message history and 1,000 automations a month.

• Basic$6

  per user / month, billed annually

  Up to 500 users, 5 TB of storage and unlimited message history. Video meetings stay 1-on-1.

• Pro$12

  per user / month, billed annually

  Up to 500 users, 15 TB of storage, 500-participant video meetings, 50,000 automations a month and Base advanced permissions.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Unlimited users, 15 TB plus 30 GB per user, single sign-on, 500,000 automations a month and advanced security and compliance controls.

Google Chat

• Annual discount

  Save 16% with a 1-year commitment

  Google's pricing page says the Annual plan saves 16% compared with paying without a commitment. The listed prices are the Annual ones, billed monthly.

• Other savings

  Up to 50% off the first 3 months

  New Google Workspace customers get 50% off Starter, 30% off Standard and 20% off Plus for the first 3 months. Google calls it a limited-time offer and gives no end date.

• Nonprofit

  Free Google Workspace for Nonprofits

  Eligible nonprofits get Google Workspace for Nonprofits, which includes Chat, at $0 per user, and Business Standard for $3.50 per user / month on a 1-year commitment.

• Education

  Education Fundamentals at no charge

  Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals, which includes Chat, is available at no charge to qualifying institutions. Education Plus is a paid edition.

Lark

• Annual discount

  Save 16.6% with yearly billing

  Lark's plans page states a 16.6% saving for yearly billing. Monthly subscriptions are available for Basic and Pro at a higher rate.