free
Free video meeting apps with no time limit — what Zoom, Google Meet and Teams really give you for free, and an option with AI notes included
You're 38 minutes into a good conversation and Zoom starts its countdown. Here's what each of the big three actually allows on a free account, according to their own pages as of 7 November 2026, and where to go if you want no clock at all.
The free limits, side by side
| Group meeting length | One-to-one | People per meeting | AI notes on the free plan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoom (Basic) | 40 minutes | 40 minutes | 100 | 3 uses a month |
| Google Meet (personal account) | 60 minutes (3+ people) | 24 hours | 100 | Not included: needs Google AI Pro or Ultra |
| Microsoft Teams (free) | 60 minutes | 30 hours | 100 | Not listed for the free version |
| Meetful (Free) | No time limit | No time limit | Built for team-sized calls | Transcript, recap and action items on every plan |
Where those numbers come from:
- Zoom: the Basic plan is "40 minutes per meeting" and "100 participants per meeting", with "AI note-taking (3 uses per month)". Paid Pro removes the limit, at $16.99 a month (or $14.16 a month billed yearly) when we checked.
- Google Meet: without a subscription, "one-on-one meetings for up to 24 hours", "meetings with 3 or more participants for up to 60 minutes", and up to 100 participants. Its "Take notes for me" AI is for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers and eligible Workspace business customers.
- Microsoft Teams: the free version allows "free group calls and meetings for up to 60 minutes", "up to 100 participants per meeting", and one-to-one calls "for up to 30 hours".
Limits change. If you're reading this months later, check those pages.
Why Meetful can be free with no time limit
During a Meetful call, the video travels directly between the browsers in it. Hosting a call costs us almost nothing, so we don't put a clock on it. What we charge for is what does cost us: video kept on our disks after the call, unlimited AI, and tools that work across all your meetings at once.
The free plan keeps the parts people actually come back to:
- The transcript, with the right name on every line. Each person's microphone is transcribed separately, so names aren't guessed from a mixed recording. Why that matters.
- The recap and action items. Every decision quotes the words it came from, so you can check it before you send it.
- No bot. The notes are part of the room, not a "Notetaker" guest in the participant list. More on that.
- No download and no account for guests. The link opens in any browser.
When it's not the right tool: because the video goes browser to browser, Meetful is built for team-sized calls: stand-ups, client calls, interviews, a few people working something out. If you're broadcasting to an audience of hundreds, use a webinar tool.
Switching without losing anything
If your old notes live in Zoom, Google Meet, Otter or Read AI, you can bring the transcripts with you. They become searchable alongside your new meetings.
Start a meeting. It takes one click, and there's no clock.
Read next
Sources
- Zoom, Zoom Workplace pricing (checked 7 November 2026)
- Google Meet Help, Google Meet access requirements (checked 7 November 2026)
- Microsoft, Free Microsoft Teams (checked 7 November 2026)
- Google, Take notes for me in Google Meet (29 June 2026)