Google Meet
Google Workspace organizations and teams that prioritize simplicity and browser-based meetings
Digital Samba
Anyone who wants truly free, unlimited video conferencing without compromises — plus privacy-conscious organizations and developers needing GDPR-native embedded video via Digital Samba Embedded
Score Comparison
Quick Verdict
Google Meet and Digital Samba share a browser-first philosophy and emphasis on simplicity, but serve different priorities. Google Meet is the natural choice for Google Workspace organizations — seamless Calendar/Drive/Docs integration makes it effortless. Digital Samba offers what Meet doesn't: completely free video conferencing with no participant limits and no session time limits, plus GDPR-native EU-only architecture and deeper in-meeting collaboration tools. Choose Meet for ecosystem simplicity; choose Digital Samba for truly free unlimited meetings and EU data sovereignty.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Privacy & Data Sovereignty
Digital Samba's entire infrastructure is EU-only with a zero-tracking business model. No behavioral analytics, no data shared with third parties, no advertising revenue. GDPR compliance is the architectural foundation.
Google Meet inherits Google Cloud's security and compliance certifications (SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA), and Google Workspace data isn't used for advertising. However, Google's core business model is advertising, which creates perception concerns for privacy-sensitive organizations even with Workspace's strong data separation policies. Google operates under US jurisdiction (CLOUD Act applies), and some data processing occurs globally.
For EU organizations in regulated industries, Digital Samba's pure EU architecture provides stronger guarantees.
Ease of Use
Both platforms score highly here — Google Meet at 9.5 and Digital Samba at 9.0. Both are browser-based with no downloads required for guests. Google Meet's advantage is the Google Workspace integration: meetings auto-appear in Calendar, recordings save to Drive, notes sync to Docs. It's effortless within the ecosystem.
Digital Samba's interface is clean and modern, and first-time users can navigate all features without training. The difference is that Meet's simplicity comes from stripping features down, while Digital Samba maintains a deeper feature set (breakout rooms, polling, quizzes, whiteboard) with an intuitive interface.
Collaboration Tools
Digital Samba leads here (8.5 vs 8.5 for Meet). Digital Samba offers breakout rooms, a collaborative whiteboard, polling with up to 30 options, quizzes with leaderboards, Q&A with upvoting, and shared notes. Google Meet's in-meeting collaboration is more basic — limited breakout room controls and no built-in whiteboard.
Google Meet's collaboration strength lies outside the meeting: Google Docs co-editing, shared Drive folders, and Jamboard. The collaboration happens adjacent to the meeting rather than inside it.
AI Features
Google Meet's Gemini integration (8.8) leads Digital Samba (7.5). Gemini's "Take notes for me" generates summaries directly into Google Docs, and the adaptive audio feature handles multi-laptop rooms intelligently. These features require Google Workspace Business Standard or higher.
Digital Samba's AI (captions, transcription, summaries) launched in late 2025 and is functional but still maturing. The advantage: all AI processing happens within EU infrastructure, which Gemini doesn't guarantee.
Free Tier Comparison
DS Free is completely free with no participant limits and no session time limits — a genuinely unlimited free product, not a restricted trial. Google Meet's free tier caps group meetings at 60 minutes. For anyone who regularly exceeds that limit, Digital Samba eliminates the pressure to upgrade entirely. The company monetizes through Digital Samba Embedded (its VPaaS product for developers), so the free product isn't designed to frustrate you into paying — it's a complete offering.
Who Should Choose Digital Samba?
- EU organizations needing GDPR-native video conferencing — all-EU infrastructure with zero-tracking is unmatched
- Teams needing rich in-meeting collaboration — polling, quizzes, Q&A, and whiteboard go deeper than Meet's built-in tools
- Anyone who wants truly free meetings — DS Free has no participant limits and no time limits, beating Meet's 60-minute cap
Who Should Choose Google Meet?
- Google Workspace organizations — Meet is included and the Calendar/Drive/Docs integration is seamless
- Teams prioritizing simplicity above all — Meet's stripped-down interface has the lowest learning curve
- Organizations that want Gemini AI — "Take notes for me" and adaptive audio are genuinely useful Workspace features
The Bottom Line
Google Meet wins on ecosystem simplicity for Google Workspace users. Digital Samba wins on truly free unlimited meetings, privacy guarantees, and in-meeting collaboration depth. If you're already in Google Workspace and don't have strict EU data residency requirements, Meet is the path of least resistance. If you want genuinely free meetings without time limits, or if privacy is a priority, Digital Samba delivers more.
Pricing & Features
Making Your Decision
When to Choose Google Meet
Google Workspace organizations and teams that prioritize simplicity and browser-based meetings
Google Meet delivers the cleanest, most frictionless meeting experience. Gemini AI integration is genuinely useful for note-taking and summaries, and the browser-based approach means zero installation headaches. It lacks some power features, but for Google Workspace users, it's the natural choice.
Strengths
- Gemini AI integration with "Take notes for me" feature and automatic meeting summaries
- Seamless Google Workspace integration — Calendar, Drive, Docs, and Gmail
- No download needed — fully browser-based with excellent mobile apps
- Adaptive audio reduces echo when multiple laptops are in the same room
Limitations
- Fewer advanced features than Zoom or Teams — no built-in whiteboard in meetings
- AI features require Workspace Business Standard or higher plans
- Limited breakout room controls compared to Zoom
When to Choose Digital Samba
Anyone who wants truly free, unlimited video conferencing without compromises — plus privacy-conscious organizations and developers needing GDPR-native embedded video via Digital Samba Embedded
Digital Samba offers something no other platform can match: a completely free video conferencing product (DS Free) with no participant limits, no session time limits, and no 40-minute gotchas — a genuine free alternative to the Big 3. The company makes its money through Digital Samba Embedded, a VPaaS product for developers who need white-label video with full API/SDK access and EU-only data residency. The collaboration toolset — breakout rooms, whiteboard, polling, quizzes, Q&A, shared notes — goes deeper than many premium competitors. With 20+ years in business and privacy baked into the architecture (not bolted on), Digital Samba is a serious contender that flies under the radar.
Strengths
- DS Free is completely free with no participant limits, no time limits, and no catch — a genuine alternative to Zoom, Teams, and Meet without the annoying 40-minute cap
- Privacy-first, GDPR-native platform — all infrastructure EU-only, zero-tracking business model, no data sold or shared
- Comprehensive feature set rivaling premium platforms — breakout rooms, whiteboard, polling (30 options), quizzes, Q&A with upvoting, shared notes, and AI captions/transcriptions/summaries
- Full API parity with the UI, SDK, webhooks, and CNAME white-labeling — strongest embedded/VPaaS offering for developers via Digital Samba Embedded
Limitations
- Embedded product uses EUR-based pricing and usage-based model (participation minutes), which adds complexity vs simple per-seat pricing
- Less brand recognition outside Europe — smaller community and fewer third-party reviews compared to the Big 3
- AI features launched recently (late 2025) — functional but still maturing compared to Zoom AI Companion or Teams Copilot
