We’ve Tried Skype vs Google Meet and Chat (Our Team’s Feedback)

Microsoft and Google have been battling for years to own the future of tech.

Today, I’m comparing two of their popular tools – Skype and what was once Google Hangouts. (Now it’s split into Google Chat for messaging and Google Meet for video calls.)

Thanks to building Chanty – a simple team chat, our team had to perform an in-depth analysis of our competitors. We’ve considered their pros and cons from a customer’s perspective and tried to come up with a better, cleaner and more user-friendly chat alternative.

My team and I will share the things we love about Skype and Google’s tools as well as some things that got us confused. Meanwhile, feel free to book a demo with our team to learn how your business can benefit from using Chanty.

Google Meet (Chat) vs Skype launch

It looks like Skype has been there for ages. It was 2003 when the world heard of Skype for the first time and in eight years it’s been acquired by Microsoft.

Google Hangouts, launched in 2013, brought together Google’s previous messaging services such as Google Talk, Google Plus Messenger and the Hangouts feature from Google+. More recently, Google has split the functionality of Hangouts into two separate apps: Google Chat for messaging and Google Meet for video and audio calls, each with its own specialised features.

I bet you’ve tried them all – It’s hard to find a tech-savvy person who hasn’t.

This week, however, our team took a closer look at these tools. Now it’s up to us to decide who’s the winner.

Google Chat vs Skype features

Both Skype and Google Meet are quite similar when it comes to communication features. The apps let you chat, make audio and video conferences, call mobile and landline. Let’s take a look.

Google Meet vs Skype interface and design (0:0)

Skype interface has always had a familiar “chat” look. It’s either because we grew up on Skype or because every other chat interface has pretty much the same looks. However, if you use Skype a lot you couldn’t help but notice the latest radical redesign.

This is what some of the reviewers said about it:

This latest update is the most thrown-together looking thing I’ve seen in a long time.

The layout looks and feels nothing like Skype, the chat system is a mess and the Highlights system just screams ‘we want to be as successful as SnapChat.

In terms of interface, I was surprised that you can create unlimited number of untitled chats in Skype now by clicking Add People and removing the existing contact from that chat.

Nowadays Skype retains a classic, user-friendly design that’s easy to navigate. The latest update introduces helpful features such as unsending, editing, and forwarding messages, making communication more efficient. With its minimalist layout, Skype allows users to find what they need quickly and without confusion.

Google Chat and Google Meet, formerly part of Hangouts, have come a long way. The new Google Meet is super easy to use! All the important controls are right there in the bottom bar of your meeting window, so you can easily manage your microphone, camera, and presentations. Plus, you can see both your presentation and other participants at the same time. The updated tile view makes it easier to see who is speaking, so it feels more interactive.

As for Google Chat, it’s designed with simplicity in mind. The left rail shows you all your rooms (or channels) and chats (direct messages), neatly organized. When you click on a room, the conversation pops up in the main window, making it easy to follow along.

Each Room also has handy tabs for Chat, Files, and Tasks, so you can quickly find shared documents and assign tasks. You can even upload attachments, add fun emoticons or GIFs, and jump right into a Google Meet call-all without breaking a sweat.

No more cluttered Hangouts chat windows! With Google Chat and Meet, staying connected and collaborating is seamless and efficient.

Unfortunately, we didn’t give any UI and design points to Skype or former Hangouts.

Google Chat  vs Skype instant messages (0:1)

Google Chat is clearly built for day-to-day communication. It’s more comfortable on your computer with wider chat windows. You can edit, delete, and forward messages, which is useful for teams.

E.g. our team is used to editing, deleting, forwarding and pinning messages in Chanty. However, Google Hangouts doesn’t give you any of these options. Moreover, you can’t search through your messages in Hangouts while you can perfectly do it in Skype.

Skype is more friendly in this case and here’s what you can do:

Skype message options

Overall, instant messaging in Skype is more comfortable and once again in our review Skype scores 1:0 against Hangouts.

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Google Meet vs Skype audio/video calls (0:1)

People choose Skype or Google Meet mostly because of their audio and video call features. That’s why it’s important that they work perfectly. And the fact is they do. We had no concerns whatsoever with the quality of video and audio calls in Skype and Hangouts – they are great as long as your Internet connection is great. We had a group call with the team and I could hear and see everyone perfectly. There’s also a screen sharing option that works just fine in both apps.

However, the devil is always in the details.

When you make a call in Google Meet, chances are the friend you are trying to reach won’t hear the call. You can easily miss it unless one of the following is true:

• Your computer volume is on
• The Google Meet tab is open
• You have the Google Meet app installed

An email notification from Google about an incoming video call

There’s no popup. No push notification. Unlike Skype where no matter what you are busy with on the computer, the popup with a call will cover it all.

Skype call notification

There’s one more thing that could potentially make Skype video calls more attractive to you. Reactions. Although, I doubt it’s very useful for work communication, it’s still fun to have.

Skype reactions

Along with graphic reactions, you can also type in text that will appear at the screen.

Skype video call text

This novelty tells us Skype is doing its best to follow the trend. I bet the next thing we’ll see in the Skype releases will be augmented reality.

Google Hangouts vs Skype: task management (0:0)

Neither of the tools has a built-in task manager. So in order to give someone a particular piece of work to do, you’ll have to use a third-party app.  Just for the record, in Chanty your task management workflow will be much easier. Right within the tool, you can create new tasks from scratch or turn any message into a task.

Google Meet vs Skype limits (0:1)

Video conferencing in both Google Meet and Skype is limited to 100 participants, making them great choices for larger team calls.

It’s interesting that Skype doesn’t specify the limit of people for group instant messaging (unlike Google Chat, where you have 400 people maximum). Does it mean there’s no limit?

I’m a member of a Skype group with more than 500 people and to tell you the truth, I’ve never experienced issues or seen a popup telling me I’ve reached my limit. If you find that limit, however, feel free to share in the comments.

Google Hangouts vs Skype platforms (0:1)

You can enjoy Skype on various platforms – iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux as well as the web. Google Meet and Google Chat now offer standalone apps that you can install on your phone or computer. This makes them much more accessible for desktop use compared to the past when you had to rely on browser access.

I must say though Skype web version is quite limited compared to the desktop app. There’s another option to download the browser plugin both for Skype and Google Meet (Chat) to have quick access.

Google Meet (Chat) vs Skype file sharing (0:1)

What caught me by a complete surprise is this – you can’t send or receive files other than images in Google Hangouts. The icon at the right bottom speaks for itself.

Looks like Google wants you to engage with Google Drive and send a link to a file you want to share.

On top of that, keep in mind that Google positions Hangouts as a video conferencing tool, therefore their chat is far from being user friendly.

I can’t say I like the file sharing flow in Skype either, however the fact that you CAN share all kind of files there makes me pretty happy. Moreover, you can view all the files you’ve shared with a particular Skype contact now. However, the comfortable file search that we are so used to in our Chanty messenger isn’t yet available.

In the previous Skype version you can view your files in a dropdown like this:

File gallery in Skype 7.59

The new Skype version (the one with a redesign) displays them at the right panel.

File gallery in Skype 8.9.0.1

Obviously, Skype scores 1:0 for file sharing.

Google Meet vs Skype landline/mobile calls (1:0)

Phone calls are available in Skype, but neither Google Chat nor Google Meet currently supports landline or mobile calls like Hangouts did in the past. While in Skype you can call right away as long as you have Skype credit, Hangouts requires to confirm your telephone number first.

Another difference is Hangouts claims that most calls to US and Canada are free while you’ll definitely pay some kind of fee (depending on the country) when calling landline or mobile in Skype.

Now let’s see some real life example. Here’s Filipe, my friend from London and no, that’s not his car;).

What if I’m in a desperate need of calling Filipe, but he’s suffering from Internet outage? Let’s check which way of calling UK Orange mobile operator is less expensive.

Skype landline/mobile calls prices

Skype would charge me 0.1 USD per minute plus 0.089 for a connection fee. For a 10-minutes phone chat, I’d pay a little more than $1. Not bad, right?

Let’s compare to Google Hangouts fees.

Google Hangouts landline/mobile calls prices

The same 10-minute call using Google Hangouts would cost me 10 cents only. Wow! It’s like 10 times less than Skype. It wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me since I don’t really call London that often, but if you get to call a lot, 10 times difference would be quite substantial.

However, with Google Chat and Google Meet not offering this feature anymore, it’s a different game. So, for now, Skype takes the lead for landline and mobile calls.

Google Meet (Chat) vs Skype notifications (0:1)

While I personally dislike push notifications both on the phone and desktop, it’s still good to have an option to turn them on. I was surprised to discover that Google Meet (Chat) have some limitations here.

I mean, they claim to have notifications, there’s even a notification checkmark in the settings, but once you check it – nothing happens. Unfortunately, you won’t receive push notifications in Google Meet (Chat) even if you turn them on. However, you’ll be able to see the new Google Meet (Chat) message if you are actively using the app or if you have Gmail open.

If you’re not in Gmail or the Google Meet (Chat) app, you might miss out on important messages or updates during meetings. While it’s not ideal, being in Gmail ensures you won’t completely miss notifications from Google Meet (Chat).

At the same time, you won’t miss a single message in Skype as it has no notification issues.

Skype push notifications

Google Meet (Chat) vs Skype bottom line

Let’s face it – Google Meet and Google Chat, which replace the former Google Hangouts, are separately focused on video conferencing and team messaging. The chat functionality has improved, allowing users to send a variety of file types and access message threads more effectively. However, features such as deleting and editing messages are still limited. Notifications for new messages can be unreliable, which can lead to missed updates, especially if you’re not actively using the app. 

However, video calls work just fine with the only exception – it’s pretty easy to miss them if your volume is off. Also, remember that Google Meet (Chat) works under a Google account. In case you are no Google fan without a Gmail, you’ll have to create one to start using these services.

One significant change is that Google Meet and Chat no longer offer the ability to make landline or mobile calls, which was a strong point of Hangouts, especially for those who made international calls frequently.

In contrast, Skype has maintained its reputation as a comprehensive communication tool. Despite some redesign criticism, Skype remained the communication app we’ve known – with its powerful chat functionality, file sharing, comfortable search, and high-quality audio and video calls.

If you need a tool for personal communication, Skype is still a great choice.

Looking for a team communication app?

If you need a communication app for a team at work, not for personal use, we recommend you to choose the tools designed for business needs. You will realize the difference is enormous.

Team communication tools like Chanty save your time by creating the closed universe with your coworkers. It means no more unnecessary chit-chat at work with a random Skype contact, just you and your colleagues.

Powerful search within messages, files and links make your day less stressful and more productive. But here’s the most important – integrations. Connecting various apps you use at work to your team chat is extremely beneficial.

From now on you will get all the notifications in a single place. Imagine receiving a new email lead from MailChimp, a new support ticket from Zendesk, a new GitHub commit – all of those in one place, your team communication app. As mentioned, to assign a task in Chanty you won’t even need an integration with a third-party app. At the same time, you can enjoy high-quality audio and video calls in Chanty just like in Skype or Hangouts.    

Join Chanty today to enjoy the team communication app of tomorrow.

This article was initially posted in November 2017.