VIDEO CONFERENCING
Google Meet is a Google-operated cloud service. Polybase offers EU-region cloud, private VPC and self-hosted deployments. Offline calls require a self-hosted LiveKit media server inside the same network; captions and recording depend on configured services.
Start an ad-hoc call from a channel or DM, or join a scheduled meeting. Calls sit beside persistent chat, documents and tasks; users can turn chat messages into tasks. Media uses WebRTC through a self-hosted LiveKit server, encrypted in transit with DTLS-SRTP. Live captions need a configured speech provider. Recording needs enabled LiveKit Egress, recording storage and an eligible non-guest user.
Google Meet supports instant meetings, Calendar scheduling, screen sharing and live captions. Google Chat adds huddles for eligible work accounts. Continuous meeting chat can retain discussion before and after eligible meetings for internal invitees; external guests have more limited access. Recording and cloud noise cancellation depend on eligible subscriptions and settings, while some Android devices provide noise cancellation for all users.
Review how Polybase and Google Meet approach the work your team needs to do.
Based on publicly available information about Google Meet as of 14 October 2026. Products evolve — plans and features may have changed; please verify details with the vendor. Spotted something out of date? Let us know at [email protected].
A practical sequence for planning the change, moving the useful material and introducing the new workspace.
Inventory useful Meet recordings, meeting notes and calendar events. Meet recordings are stored in the organiser's Google Drive; retain the originals and check access before retiring accounts. Do not assume old meeting URLs, chat history or recording permissions transfer automatically.
Test supported browsers or available desktop and mobile apps with the team's microphones, cameras and network. Validate screen sharing and background effects on the actual devices. For self-hosted or offline calls, include LiveKit in the deployment and test it from the intended network.
Create channels for recurring team work and try an ad-hoc channel or DM call. For scheduled meetings, use calendar events and standard ICS invitations with RSVP. Test an external guest's invitation, admission and access rather than assuming channel membership and meeting attendance are interchangeable.
Confirm the deployment's speech provider, LiveKit Egress and recording storage before making those features part of the workflow. Test an eligible user's explicit start and stop controls, the visible recording state and playback access. Guests cannot start Polybase recordings. Check any required recording subtitles with the configured transcription provider.
Turn useful chat messages into tasks, assign an owner and record decisions in a channel document. Decide who needs access after a guest meeting. Treat generated recording subtitles as a configured feature; automatic AI call summaries and action items are not a shipped promise.
The additional workspace capabilities to consider when comparing Polybase with Google Meet.
Polybase starts team calls from channels and DMs alongside the relevant work. Google Meet also supports instant meetings and Google Chat huddles; compare which entry point matches your team rather than assuming every Meet call needs a calendar event.
Polybase keeps channel chat, documents and tasks together. Google offers continuous meeting chat through Google Chat for eligible meetings and internal invitees, with restrictions for external guests. Test who retains access to the conversation in your actual meeting scenario.
A user can turn a Polybase chat message into a tracked task and then confirm its owner and details. Google Chat spaces also support team tasks through their Tasks tab. Neither workflow should be described as automatic extraction of decisions from a call.
Polybase offers screen sharing, background effects and a picture-in-picture or detached window on supported devices. Live captions require a speech provider; recording requires enabled LiveKit Egress and storage. Test permissions and availability in the deployment you will use.
Choose Polybase's EU-region cloud, a private VPC or your own infrastructure. In an offline deployment, operate LiveKit inside the same network. Any captions or recording services must also fit that network's requirements; self-hosting does not remove the need to operate them.
Polyspace adds a 2D office with rooms, proximity audio and video, and shared walls for embeds. It is a separate add-on, priced at €5 per user per month in the cloud offering; it is not required for ordinary channel calls.
Common questions about switching from Google Meet to Polybase.
Google Meet alternatives: free plans, self-hosting and recording
Zoom is meetings as a destination. Polybase starts calls from the channel you're already in — with captions built in.
See the comparisonLoom records async video; Polybase keeps outcomes as searchable text next to the work — live calls, threads and docs you can self-host.
See the comparison