Google Meet vs Whereby

Google Meet

• Organizations that already use Google Workspace
• People who want guests to join from a browser without installing anything
• Short meetings on a free Google Account
• Teams that want Gemini to take meeting notes and write summaries

Whereby

• Consultants, coaches and therapists who meet clients in one fixed room
• Guests who should join from a browser without an account or download
• Small teams that want simple per-host pricing
• Product teams adding video calls through the separate Embedded API

Google Meet

• No-cost meetings end at 60 minutes unless they are 1:1 or mobile calls.
• Paid Meet features are not sold separately: they come with a Google Workspace plan, or Google One Premium for individuals.
• Business Starter has no recording, noise cancellation or Gemini in Meet, and Business plans stop at 300 users.
• Computers join through the browser; the site lists apps only for phones and tablets, not a desktop app.

Whereby

• The Free plan allows 1 host, 4 attendees per meeting and 30-minute meetings; Business requires at least 3 hosts.
• There is an iOS app but no Android or desktop app; Android users join in Chrome, and screen sharing and recording work only on computers.
• End-to-end encryption is listed only for small peer-to-peer rooms.
• The about page says product and engineering have focused entirely on Whereby Embedded, the API product, since 2023.

Google Meet

Meetings in the browser

Computers join from the browser with no software to install, and phones and tablets use the Google Meet app from the App Store or Play Store.

Meeting size and length

No-cost meetings hold 100 participants for up to 60 minutes. Workspace plans allow 24-hour meetings with 100, 150, 500 or 1,000 participants depending on the plan.

Recordings and transcripts

Recordings and transcripts capture what was discussed, with recordings saved to Google Drive. Recording is a paid feature that starts at Business Standard.

Gemini in Meet

Gemini can take notes, summarize and translate meetings. It is included from Business Standard up and is not part of Business Starter.

Noise cancellation and video quality

AI reduces background noise, and video runs at up to 1080p with studio look and lighting options. These are premium features on certain paid plans.

Captions and audience tools

Live captions show subtitles as people speak. Polls, breakout rooms, moderation controls and Q&A are premium features on certain paid plans.

Whereby

Rooms that run in the browser

Calls run in desktop and mobile browsers over WebRTC with no download needed, and guests join a fixed room URL without creating an account.

Collaboration during calls

Screen sharing, live chat with reactions and file sharing, breakout groups, and embedded Miro boards and Google Docs for working together.

Recording

The Pro plan lists unlimited recording, and the Meetings plan comparison lists local recording, which saves a call to your own device.

Room controls

Rooms can be locked so the host decides who joins, with background effects and noise reduction in calls and a custom waiting room on the plan comparison.

Branding and shared rooms

Pro adds custom room colors, logos and backgrounds. Business adds a custom subdomain, shared rooms, and Flex rooms that run without a licensed host present.

Whereby Embedded API

A separately priced API and SDK for adding video calls to your own product: free to test, then $9.99 a month plus usage, with 2,000 participant minutes included.

Google Meet

• Free (Google Account)$0

  Meetings of up to 100 participants and 60 minutes, with no time limit on 1:1 and mobile calls.

• Business Starter$7

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

  Google Workspace suite plan: Meet with 100 participants and 24-hour meetings, without recording, noise cancellation or Gemini in Meet.

• Business Standard$14

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

  Suite plan: 150 participants, recordings saved to Drive, Studio Sound noise cancellation and Gemini in Meet.

• Business Plus$22

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

  Suite plan: 500 participants with attendance tracking, plus 5 TB of pooled storage per user and Vault.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Suite plan: 1,000 participants and in-domain live streaming, with no minimum or maximum number of users.

Whereby

• Free$0

  1 host, 1 room URL, 4 attendees per meeting and meetings of up to 30 minutes.

• Pro$10.99

  per month, billed monthly ($109.90 billed annually)

  For one host: 3 room URLs, 100 attendees per meeting, no time limit, custom branding and unlimited recording.

• Business$13.99

  per host / month, billed monthly ($139.90 billed annually)

  Minimum 3 hosts. Unlimited room URLs, 200 attendees per meeting, shared and Flex rooms, and a custom subdomain.

Google Meet

• 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 at $0 per user with 150-participant meetings, 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 Meet, is available at no charge to qualifying institutions. Education Plus is a paid edition.

Whereby

• Annual discount

  Save 17% with annual billing

  The pricing page lists a 17% saving on annual plans: Pro is $109.90 billed annually against $10.99 a month, and Business is $139.90 per host against $13.99 a month.

• Nonprofit

  20% off Pro and Business for nonprofits

  Registered nonprofits and charities can claim 20% off monthly or annual Whereby Meetings Pro and Business plans by emailing support, per a 2023 Whereby announcement.