Trying to figure out whether to use Zoom or GoToMeeting in 2025?
It’s a choice that could change how your team talks and works as a group. We get that.
Both are big names for video calls, but they have differences that matter for how you work, what you pay, how private you are, and how easy they are to use.
This comparison of GoToMeeting and Zoom is here to help you see past all the sales talk and show you what these platforms are like in real life.
Why should you listen to us?
We’ve used both a lot, switching back and forth, and we’ve done our homework. We’ve paid attention to everything from quick team chats to big presentations for clients.
In our Zoom versus GoToMeeting review, you’ll get a good idea of which one is best for your business and how it can help your team get more done.
In our Zoom versus GoToMeeting review, you’ll get a good idea of which one is best for your business and how it can help your team get more done.
Table of Contents
How Zoom And GoToMeeting Got Here
Zoom and GoToMeeting became popular in the video meeting world in different ways.
Learning about how they started and where they stand now can give you a clue about what each app thinks is most important.
This info can help you pick the one that’s right for you and your company.
GoToMeeting started way back in 2004 under the name Citrix. Later, LogMeIn (now GoTo) bought it in 2016. So, it comes from a more standard business software background. Zoom was founded in 2011 by Eric Yuan, who used to work for Cisco WebEx. Zoom was created as a simple, easy-to-use, all-in-one program.
During the pandemic, Zoom blew up. It went from 10 million users each day in December 2019 to over 300 million in April 2020. That’s huge. GoToMeeting also grew then, but it stuck with business users. Zoom, on the other hand, is aimed at everyday people and businesses.
This is the main thing that sets Zoom and GoToMeeting apart.
The platforms also have clear differences in how they’re designed.
- Zoom focuses on being easy and simple to use. It’s super easy to jump into meetings, which is a big reason why it got so popular.
GoToMeeting, on the other hand, has always pushed its reliability and security. This makes it a good pick for industries like healthcare and finance, where they have to follow strict rules.
But, things have changed their plans lately.
Maybe it’s because there’s more competition, or maybe users just want more these days—whatever the reason, they’ve both had to change.
- GoToMeeting got a makeover to fit better with GoTo’s whole communication setup. This new design made the interface nicer to use and let it work with more business software.
At the same time, Zoom fixed those security problems it had before by adding end-to-end encryption and better safety features. Plus, it added stuff like Zoom Phone and Zoom Contact Center to do even more.
GoToMeeting vs. Zoom: Comparing The Main Stuff
Okay, so we know a bit about where they come from and what they’re trying to do in video calls. But how do their actual features stack up?
We have put together a simple list, so you can easily see the differences.
Check it out.
Feature-By-Feature Breakdown
| Features | Zoom | GoToMeeting |
| Maximum number of participants | Up to 1,000 (10,000+ for webinars) | Up to 250 (3,000 for webinars) |
| Meeting duration | 30 hours (paid plans) | Unlimited |
| AI features | AI Companion (summaries, chatbot, translations) | Action item detection, Smart Assistant |
| Cloud recording | Limited storage | Unlimited storage |
| Security | SOC2, HIPAA compliance, end-to-end encryption | SOC2, HIPAA compliance, end-to-end encryption |
| Integrations | Extensive (e.g., Slack, Google Workspace | Moderate (e.g., Slack launcher) |
Okay, so looking at the data, here’s what stands out:
- Zoom lets you have way more people in a meeting.
- If you need a meeting to last a long time, GoToMeeting is the way to go.
- Both Zoom and GoToMeeting now have AI tools that do pretty much the same things.
- GoToMeeting gives you better recording and storage than Zoom does.
- Both platforms are secure, with good privacy and encryption.
- Zoom works with more stuff than GoToMeeting does.
Video Quality Differences
After testing Zoom and GoToMeeting several times, we saw some things.
- Zoom’s video looks a bit better, and it’s got some cool features like Touch Up My Appearance and settings for when the lighting is bad. Plus, you can see up to 49 webcams at once in the gallery view.
- GoToMeeting lets you mess with brightness, contrast, and gamma, but it doesn’t have those fancy softening options that Zoom does.
Still, both give you good-looking HD video if you have a stable internet connection.
Audio Quality
When it comes to audio, Zoom is a bit better than GoToMeeting:
- Zoom’s audio quality is great because it cancels out background noise and lets you tweak the settings. Plus, it still works well even if your internet is slow or has high ping.
- GoToMeeting’s audio is good too, but it can have problems if your connection gets slow or spotty.
- Both let you dial in for free, but Zoom charges extra for that feature. GoToMeeting includes it in all their plans.
Screen Sharing Capabilities
Screen sharing is a must-have these days. Even WhatsApp has it! So, we wanted to talk about it specifically.
Both Zoom and GoToMeeting let you share your screen, but they do it a bit differently.
- Zoom has some cool extras that are seriously handy. You can share across two monitors, pick just one app or tab to show, share only part of your screen, and even make sure videos play smoothly when you’re sharing. On top of that, Zoom lets you draw and write on the screen with different tools. You can change text and add shapes, which is a nice touch.
- GoToMeeting has basic screen sharing with some drawing tools. It works, but the drawing stuff isn’t as flexible as what you get with Zoom.
Okay, so summing up the differences and features we talked about:
Zoom is great if you want fancy stuff like AI tools and being able to tweak everything.
While,
But GoToMeeting works better for businesses and teams that need a cheap option with unlimited storage and good security.
Comparing Zoom and GoToMeeting Functionalities
Talking from an individual user’s perspective.
We compared the aspects of the user interface, the setup, and joining process, and host control between GoToMeeting and Zoom. The differences we observed are as follows:
User Interface Differences
First, going through the user interface of both these platforms was a must, so we conducted a mini-test.
After going through the descriptions different users gave, we can conclude that:
- The interface of Zoom, which we earlier described as highly user-friendly, is true down to every letter. Having a clean design with easy-to-notice and use controls, the control panel of Zoom is dynamic just the hovering the mouse, which users can use to toggle between their meetings without any difficulty whatsoever.
Zoom meetings also allow for the customization of the gallery view and a separate participant focus that users found quite useful for their comfort and convenience.
- GoToMeeting has a straightforward interface but lacks customization when compared to Zoom. Our users reported that its controls are non-dynamic, meaning they are static and appear in a separate window, which may result in slight difficulty for users.
Nonetheless, it does permit users to shrink controls into a compact view at the top of the screen for convenient navigation when in the middle of meetings.
Meeting Setup And Joining Process
When it came to the setting up and joining of meetings within both these platforms, differences that were reported are:
- In Zoom, you can schedule and plan meetings via the integration of Google Calendar or Outlook, which most teams, users, and businesses use these days. Also, just by clicking on an access-free and shared link/ URL or by entering the meeting ID, users can join in on a conference call.
The simplest route is what made Zoom appeal the most to various user bases, and that too of different age categories.
- GoToMeeting provides a similar level of ease of setup but with the addition of personalization options like custom meeting links and themes. Joining requires either downloading the app or using its web-based client, which works best with Google Chrome.
The platform also provides a “Call Me” feature that lets participants join via phone call without dialing manually.
Host Controls Differentiation
Every meeting has a moderator or host, who acts as a sort of administrator to monitor the flow of the meeting and regulate the participants.
Both these platforms have the same features when it comes to host controls with an ever so slight difference:
When hosting in Zoom, the host has a good level of control and autonomy over the meetings held. This level of control has been observed to be especially beneficial when it comes to large webinars or events where there are a lot of participants.
The control/ features Zoom provides are:
- Audio/ video management of the participants
- Appointing co-hosts
- Highlighting videos for ease of attendees/ participants
- Screen sharing control
Host control in GoToMeeting can be observed to be similar to that of Zoom with features like:
- Muting/unmuting participants
- Locking sessions
- Managing screen-sharing permissions
- Co-organizer functions to share administrative duties during meetings.
Price Comparison: Difference Between Zoom And GoToMeeting Plans
Price is a very important factor when comparing any type and kind of platform, and we know it can be tedious to compile the plans and packages of applications like these.
Hence we have taken the liberty to do it for you so you don’t have to worry about it.
You will be going through a detailed and structured price and plan comparison between Zoom and GoToMeeting.
| Plan | GoToMeeting(Monthly Cost) | Zoom (Monthly Cost) | GoToMeeting (Annual Cost) | Zoom (Annual Cost) |
| Free | N/A | 0$ | N/A | 0$ |
| Entry Level Plan | $14/organizer | $14.99/license | $12/organizer | $149.9/license |
| Mid-Tier Plan | $19/organizer | $19.99/license | $16/organizer | $199.90/license |
| Enterprise Plan | Quote/demand based | Quote/demand based | Quote/demand based | Quote/demand based |
Max Participants | 150 (Professional); 250 (Business); up to 3,000 (Enterprise) | 100 (Pro); 300 (Business); up to 1,000 (Enterprise) | Same as monthly | Same as monthly |
Free Plan Limitations
- Zoom free plan: Allows up to 100 participants per meeting with a 40-minute time limit for group sessions. It is inclusive of basic features like: screen sharing; virtual backgrounds; and waiting rooms, but won’t be able to utilize advanced options like cloud recording and breakout rooms.
- GoToMeeting free plan: GoToMeeting does not offer a free plan, making Zoom the better choice for individuals or small teams seeking a no-cost solution.
Business And Enterprise Plan Differences
Zoom business plan:
- Costs $19.99/month/license or $199.90/year/license.
- Supports up to 300 participants.
- Includes advanced features like single sign-on (SSO), branding customization, and cloud recording transcripts.
GoToMeeting business plan:
- Costs $19/month/organizer or $16/year/organizer.
- Supports up to 250 participants.
- Offers unlimited cloud recording, transcription services, and co-organizer functionality.
Enterprise plans:
- Zoom supports up to 1,000 participants with additional features like unlimited cloud storage and dedicated customer success managers.
- GoToMeeting supports up to 3,000 participants with demand-based pricing, onboarding assistance, and volume discounts.
Hidden Costs When Comparing Zoom And GoToMeeting
Hidden costs are those costs that you might not account for or be aware of as you buy a package or plan.
These costs can turn up due to factors like emergencies, fallout, technical issues, etc.
Zoom hidden costs:
- Additional fees for toll-free dial-in numbers.
- Limited cloud storage in lower-tier plans; extra storage requires additional payment.
- Add-ons like webinars or large meetings incur extra charges24.
GoToMeeting hidden costs:
- Add-ons such as advanced integrations or phone system features may increase costs.
- Enterprise features like onboarding support are included but require custom pricing.
Final Verdict
Your final decision boils down to what you need and what you’re willing to spend:
- If you want lots of features, the ability to grow, and easy integrations, then Zoom is probably your best bet, even though it costs more. Big businesses often pick it for big online events or if they need AI stuff.
- Now, if you’re a team or company that wants cloud storage and a strong, safe system, then GoToMeeting is the way to go. It’s cheap and easy to use, which is why many small to medium-sized companies like it.
