As big as Google is as a company, it sure offers a wide range of services. While it’s not uncommon to see two of Google’s apps or solutions overlapping in their features, users often get confused over which app to stick to. And that’s where we come in to help you pick the right app for you. From their introduction in the market and their similarities to their differences among various factors, we’ve tried to give an overall comparison guide on Duo vs Hangouts in order to determine which is the better video calling app for you. Read along with the article as we shed some light by comparing the two apps across factors including features, availability, support, and more.
Duo vs Hangouts | Similarities, Differneces and More
From their similarities and differences to eventually the comparison of both the apps, follow through the subsections of this Duo vs Hangouts guide. Also, read How to Add Filters on Snapchat? Create and Add Filters on Zoom Call in 2021
How Are Duo and Hangouts Similar?
Though both the apps share the similarity of being Google products, there are a few other things shared between Google Duo and Google Meet.
Both Duo and Meet feature the same friendly Google user interface with different color schemes as a point of contrast between them.
With both of these Google apps, you get the choice to make and receive video calls with a few key distinctions that we’re going to discuss in our next subsection.
Along with the option of video calling that has become a part of people’s daily life, both the apps offer a group calling feature, much needed for today’s generation.
Next point of similarity lies in the availability of both Duo and Meet across all platforms anywhere in the world.
How are Duo and Hangouts (now Meet) Different?
Both Google Duo and Google Meet have similarly fashioned yet different logos, each telling a story about the apps’ primary purposes. While Duo is specifically designed for video calling, Meet is more of a multi-purpose messaging app. To get a better idea of the distinction, let’s compare the two against some points:
1. Duo vs Hangouts – Inception
Google Duo was launched in 2016 as an ideal video calling solution. Since its release, Duo has gained significant popularity as the universal video calling app giving direct competition to Apple’s FaceTime. On the other hand, Google Meet started out originally as the enterprise group video conferencing tool by the name Hangouts. Spinning out of Google+ service, Hangouts was launched in 2013 that came integrated with Google+ Messenger and Google Talk.
2. Duo vs Hangouts – Features
Duo delivers video calling features that feel more personalized than its Google counterpart – Meet (or Hangouts). With its Knock-Knock feature which feeds your live video onto the receiver caller screen while it’s still ringing, Duo rakes up unique personalized video calling points. Along with offering an overall higher quality person-to-person video experience as compared to Meet (or Hangouts), Google Duo leads in providing a smoother network transition from Wi-Fi to mobile data and the other way around. Also, read How To Make A Video Call On WhatsApp Web 2021 Though Duo lets you leave video messages for unanswered calls, there is no screen-sharing support like that in Google Meet. Apart from that, Duo also lacks a direct text messaging feature that you’ll find in Meet. On Meet, in addition to the option of minimizing the video call on the screen in order to send messages at the same time, you also get the feature to store voicemails from Google Voice. You can even adjust call bandwidth to improve the Hangouts Video call quality in case you’re having some difficulties with the same.
3. Duo vs Hangouts – Availability and Support
With Duo, you can place voice or video calls either through phone numbers or email addresses over web browsers or via its Android and iOS apps. Just like Duo, Google Meet is also supported over Android and iOS devices along with smoothly running in a browser. While Duo supports group calling features of up to 12 people, its Google twin facilitates up to 100 participants with extended support for up to 250 participants or 100K Livestream viewers with Meet’s top Enterprise tier or level.
4. Duo vs Hangouts – Prices
While both Duo and Hangouts/Meet are free to use for all Google account holders, there are charges for Google Workspace users on Google Meet. These price ranges include a monthly £4.14 (or $6)/per user for Business Starter, a monthly £8.28 (or $12) for Business Standard, and a monthly £13.80 (or $18) for Business Plus along with an individual based Enterprise tier price tag.
Why Choose Google Duo?
Although Duo lacks some of the other features that Meet delivers, it serves the principal purpose of being a high-quality video calling solution for personal communication within a small group. There’s even a low light mode featuring Artificial Intelligence (AI) that boosts your video for an overall better experience. And so, if you’re looking for a great video calling tool to connect with your friends from Android or iOS devices, Google Duo should be your go-to choice.
Why Choose Google Meet (Hangouts)?
Launched as an evolved and sophisticated version of Hangouts replacing it in Gmail, Meet is regarded as Google’s equivalent of Zoom. Apart from delivering more features than video-exclusive Duo, Meet is also the more widely used Google platform. Also, read How to Install Zoom on Firestick? How to Conduct Zoom Meeting on Firestick? (2021) Meet, advertised as the video conferencing tool essentially used for large-scale meetings, is suitable for businesses. And so, if you’re looking for a multifunctional Google service that can support up to hundreds of participants, Meet is the right option for you. Wrapping Up With this, it’s now time to wrap up the comparison on Duo vs Hangouts. While the verdict is divided between the user intent and needs, Google Duo makes for an excellent video calling app specifically designed for personal communication and Google Meet/Hangouts as a team-based multi-purpose solution. If you liked the article, share it with your friends and comment down below which one of the two you normally prefer to make video calls. If you want to see some more comparisons, check out the following articles.
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