Pro - Organizer

After testing the GL.iNet Comet I think IT professionals will love this adorable device that trades time-consuming travel for effective remote access

5:02 pm | November 2, 2025

GL.iNet Comet: 30-second review

The GL.iNet Comet (GL-RM1) is a compact, hardware-based KVM-over-IP device. It allows you to remotely control a computer (desktop, server, or headless system) at the BIOS level, even if the OS isn’t running. It’s designed for IT professionals, homelab enthusiasts, and anyone needing reliable remote access without ongoing subscription fees.
With a base price of around $80-90, and discounts for bulk purchases, this isn’t an expensive option for those who need to control computers that aren’t in the same location.

Yes, it is entirely possible to achieve that purely with software, but that assumes you have a mechanism to remotely power the system on, and those options are generally limited in terms of screen resolution and performance.
Acting like a conventional KVM, with cables that connect to USB, HDMI and Ethernet, and powered by USB, the GL.iNet Comet circumvents many of the classic issues with this type of technology by clever design and provisioning.

There are alternative options, like JetKVM, that offer a WiFi connection the Comet doesn’t include, but they are also more expensive.

For another $13, GL.iNet makes a small board that can be fitted to a desktop PC, which will help remotely power up that machine without getting Wake-on-LAN to work reliably or having someone physically power it up. The brand also has another gizmo intended to help power remote laptops: the Fingerbot, which is designed to press the laptop's power button.

One good reason not to buy this device, from our perspective, is that the Comet PoE (GL-RM1PE) exists —a version of this hardware that can be powered by a PoE network connection for even greater flexibility. That costs another $25, but it allows you to use this with systems that don’t power their USB ports when they shut down.

Overall, the GL.iNet Comet is a product that lives up to its promises, and for a small outlay, it could avoid unnecessary journeys or the need for assistance.

GL.iNet Comet: price and availability

How much does it cost? $90/£90/€90
When is it out? Available now globally
Where can you get it? Direct from GL-iNet and online retailers.

GL-iNet keeps the pricing of the Comet remarkably straightforward, costing $89.99 in the USA, £89.90 in the UK and €89.87 in Europe. That seems like a better deal for Americans, for some inexplicable reason, but GL-iNet picks up the bill for international shipping for US, Canadian, European, and Asia Pacific customers.

The two potential accessories are the ATX board for desktop systems, costing $15.90/£12.90/€18,92 and the hilariously named Fingerbot, which is $29.99/£22.90/€30.93, making the UK the best place to source those items.

As an alternative made by GL-iNet themselves, the Comet PoE (GL-RM1PE) is $109.99/£106.99/€119.99, but his model has proven so popular that it's out of stock in some regions at this time.

Most of these items can be found on Amazon for the same prices, if you prefer that retailer. I'm seeing it on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk right now.

The most popular product with a similar capability is the JetKVM, which sells for the same price in the UK via wisfPi. And the makers of that hardware also have a $19 ATX card and a $35 separate PoE splitter. What they don’t offer is anything like the Fingerbot, yet.

There are some options for cards that combine the functionality of the Comet with the ATX card, but these are exclusively for desktop or server installs. These can be found as cheaply as $60.

But for self-contained solutions, the Comet seems reasonably priced, and the accessories also won’t bust the budget.

Value score: 4/5

GL.iNet Comet: Specs

Feature	GL.iNet Comet (GL-RM1)
Type	KVM-over-IP (hardware-based)
Video Support	Up to 4K @ 30fps, audio passthrough
Remote Access	BIOS-level (even if OS/network is down)
Connectivity	Ethernet only (no Wi-Fi)
USB Ports	1 x USB-A 2.0 (no USB 3.0/3.2)
Power Input	USB-C (5V/2A, adapter not included)
Onboard Storage	8GB eMMC
Web Interface	Yes (no client software required)
Security	Hardware isolation, 2FA, Tailscale VPN
Accessories	Optional ATX board, Fingerbot
Subscription Fees	None
Firmware	Updatable
Dimensions	80 x 60 x 17.5mm
Weight	85g
Included Cables	All except the power adapter
Warranty	2 years

GL.iNet Comet: design

Small and potent
Lacks a power adapter
No through-ports

There is a fine irony with this device, in that GL.iNet made it remarkably small at just 8cm long and 60 cm wide, but the number of cable connections makes it seem much larger.

Thankfully, you don’t need to attach every cable, and I was able to get the review Comet operational with just four wires.

Obviously, the box needs power, and it accepts a 2A USB-C input, the sort of power that modern phone chargers output.

One slight curiosity is that the GL-iNet website states that you should only use the PSU provided, even though no PSU is actually included. Despite that confused messaging, I found it worked with a phone charger with no problems. Maybe, if you have a PC that supports the charge-while-off feature on one of its ports, you could power it from the host system.

The obvious weaknesses of this design are that it doesn’t have through-HDMI or through-LAN capability. The lack of a through HDMI solution means that if the host system has only a single HDMI port, it must be unplugged and reconnected to a local monitor to use it locally.

If the host has dual video outputs, then that’s not an issue. But what GL.iNet needs to consider is a USB-C connected version where the video comes over that connection, along with keyboard, mouse and LAN port, making deploying that model even simpler.

The Ethernet port is less of an issue, but it does require two network lines to operate both the host system and the Comet. A cheap five-port 1GbE Switch would solve that issue if only a single line is available.

To make this solution work locally, only the Comet's IP address is required. However, those wanting to connect from another network, on the other side of the world, will need to use a Cloud service. Unlike some similar products, there are no ongoing costs for Cloud connections, irrespective of use or the number of Comets you use.

What I didn’t try with my Comet was the ATX card or the Fingerbot, as neither of these was supplied for this review. From what I understand, the ATX card is designed for server or PC installation, where it connects between the power and reset buttons and the motherboard, so you can press those buttons remotely. And, the port on the Comet marked USB 2.0 is designed to connect to the external backplane plate of the ATX card to square that circle.

As we’ll get into in the user experience section, the Achilles heel of any remote KVM technology is finding a reliable way to power a system back up from either a shutdown or hibernation. If you have a system that wakes from USB input (keyboard or mouse) or can be woken via Wake-on-LAN, you should be able to deploy the Comet successfully.

Design score: 4.5/5

GL.iNet Comet: In use

Windows and Mac app
Slow virtual media
Security options
Needs a fall-back plan

As I mentioned previously, it is possible to have direct access to the system on the same network by knowing its IP address and having a login to that system. Those wanting to control a system from farther away need to register for a GL.iNet account and use the web portal to select the target device.

I used the Windows application, which lists all the registered Comets and provides more control over the connection once it's established.

When you first connect, the system will be presented as being in its typical screen resolution, and the speaker and microphone will be disabled. But the settings control of the app allows these to be enabled, which might prove to be highly useful for someone trying to fix an issue with the help of someone standing next to the computer.

One mild confusion I had was that by default, there are two mouse cursors, one on the remote system and another on my viewing PC. The remote cursor follows my local one around with a tiny delay, which is odd to see. However, I soon discovered you can disable this by toggling ‘Show Local Cursor’ and have only the local mouse pointer.

Using the settings sidebar, you can set alternative resolutions, orientations, the quality of the graphics, and choose between WebRTC H.264 or Direct H.264. On a local LAN, I didn’t notice any significant difference in high quality. The LAN port on the Comet is 1GbE, but for those connecting from another site over the Internet, the broadband performance could be the limiting factor to the quality and lag levels you might experience.

One of the classic limitations of LAN KVMs is that if you press Ctrl-Alt-Delete, the local computer will react, not the remote system. The app provides a clever way around that by having shortcuts for that and a few other special key sequences, and you can create your own.

You can also cut and paste to the remote system, send a Wake On LAN command and open a BASH terminal to the Comet, which, if you hadn’t guessed, runs Linux. And, you can SSH into it.

For those interested, the source code for this device is available in a GitHub repository, and it's based on PiKVM but with a newly created GUI by GL.iNet.

Where I was less impressed was with the Virtual Media functionality, a mechanism that GL.iNet put in the Comet that allows bootable images to be uploaded and mounted so the host system can boot off that virtual drive.

There are two issues with this, the first of which is how slow it is to upload images to the flash memory on the Comet. And the speed of that memory isn’t the only issue, as it only offers a total capacity of 5.73 GB. That’s barely enough for a Windows 11 distro, if you are prepared to wait long enough to load it on there. What this device needed was a USB 3.0 port to connect an external drive to and then mount it.

GL.iNet Comet App Interface — (Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Security wasn’t an afterthought here, and it impressed me that when you initially set the Comet up, it doesn’t have a silly admin/admin default. You must set a password, and you will need this and that of the remote system to get to its desktop.

For those who are more security-minded, 2FA can be activated, and there is also now the option for Tailscale, a VPN solution built on Wireguard. This should be reasonably secure if you have the proper protocols in place for when those with passwords leave and regular changes are made every few months.

What I really liked about this hardware was that when it links to a host system that’s booting, the keyboard becomes active early enough to get into the BIOS, enabling all manner of changes to be made.

The only snags I ran into were getting the system to reboot after a full shutdown, since the system I picked to use for testing appeared to ignore wake-on-LAN magic packets on occasion.

Without the ATX card, or on a system that couldn’t use that or the Fingerbot, the best solution would probably be to set the BIOS to start on power loss and use a smart socket to toggle the power. And, even if WOL or hibernation work as intended, that might be a good backup plan if you can’t get the system to wake when required.

Overall, with the exception of the Virtual Media aspect, the Comet works exceptionally well, and is certainly fit for purpose.

In Use: 4/5

GL.iNet Comet: Final verdict

There are only two valid reasons not to buy this excellent solution, and one of those is the PoE version also sold by GL-iNet. The other is the third incarnation of this concept, currently being promoted on Kickstarter —the Comet Pro —which bears an uncanny resemblance to the JetKVM, with its front-facing display. That hardware can be obtained for $129.99 via Kickstarter, suggesting it will cost more when sold through standard retail channels.

Before the Comet launched, the JetKVM held sway over the sub-$100 remote KVM market, but since then, tariffs have increased the device's cost in America and reduced its availability.

For that same market, the Comet is available and competitively priced, and does the job that many IT departments need.

I’d probably recommend the PoE version for those who use PoE, and I’ll be curious to see what extra the Pro model offers once it's available in retail.

Should I buy a GL.iNet Comet?

GL-iNet Comet Score Card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	One of the cheaper remote KVMs available	4/5
Design	Small device, but lots of cables, and you need a 5V power adapter	4.5/5
In Use	Works with any system, and you can even enter the BIOS	4/5
Overall	Does what IT people want with a few minor caveats	4.5/5

Buy it if...

You need to remotely control a system
If the system you need to control is on the other side of the building, campus or in another country, the GL.iNet Comet works just as well. It’s OS-agnostic, and it offers options for remotely powering up systems.

You need a secure KVM
With WireGuard support via Tailscale, it's possible to establish secure remote control from one network to another across the internet. But you need a Tailscale account to have that option.

Don't buy it if...

If the host system is also used on a daily basis
Because there is no through port on the HDMI, if the host system only has one video output, it will be necessary to unplug this device for the system to be used locally. Which isn’t ideal.

For more connectivity solutions, we've reviewed the best business routers

Piocreat Halot-X1 3D printer review

10:47 am | November 1, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Comments: Off

Usually, by the time I've gone through the first litre of resin, I'm tired of the mess that these resin 3D printers tend to create. So, while I was excited about the innovative new feature design of the Piocreat Halot-X1, I was also slightly reserved about this new machine.

As yet, there is only one resin 3D printer that I feel 100% confident about using all the time, and that is the Formlabs Form 4, but as that particular printer is well out of the price range of most people, there have to be other options available to supply ultra-high-resolution prints from this format.

The Halot-X1 has come a long way compared with many other resin 3D printers on the market, and it promised to provide some very fine detail prints, which I can totally confirm it does. In fact, I was impressed with the quality of the models it produced.

The initial set-up was incredibly easy, just remove the packaging, fill the tank with resin, and select the print impression. There's no levelling process or anything else. The one thing that struck me from the outset was the change in the build plate design, which was completely different from anything I'd seen before.

I was dubious about the design working when it started due to the complete lack of needing to set anything up. It just seemed too good to be true that there was no fiddling around with sheets of paper and other checks. Literally, it was a straightforward switch-on and press go.

However, after 30 minutes, I could see the print emerging, and it looked absolutely spot-on. As the process continued, the print formed beneath the build plate. I could see that the auto-levelling process had worked 100%. I've now had the machine for well over a month. I've not been running it continuously, but every few days, printing out objects and small characters just to see how far I could go with this particular printer. So far, it's been incredibly consistent.

There have been a few issues along the way, and inevitably, quite soon, I am going to have to change the nFEP film. But for now, with several litres through the machine, all seems to be working absolutely fine.

While for the most part the use is simple and easy, there have been a few hiccups, the auto resin feed system just doesn't seem to work, however much I fiddle with it, and there have been a few support structure fails. From experience with previous resin printers, I've found checking the tank after each model is always a good idea.

Then there's the age-old issue of the mess. After each print finishes, it needs to be transferred over to a wash, then cured, and along the way, gloves and goggles still need to be worn and disposed of. So while you might get that additional quality, it does come at the cost of time.

However, this resin 3D printer is definitely a step forward, and with that new build plate design, making it so much easier to extract the prints, it does help reduce a lot of the mess that's usually created. So, while it's by no means perfect, this is definitely a step in the right direction.

Piocreat Halot-X1: Price & availability

The Piocreat Halot-X1 can be purchased directly through the Piocreat website, although you do need to ask for a quote on the price rather than make a direct purchase.

Otherwise, retailers such as 123-3D.co.uk retail the printer for £579, and in the US, companies such as 3DWithUs.com list the printer between $579 and $749. The availability of the printer will become more widespread soon, and you should be able to purchase it through many online retailers such as Amazon.com.

Piocreat Halot-X1: Design

Piocreat HARLOT-X1 — (Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Piocreat Halot-X1 has descended from the Creality Halot series and features much of the same consistency and quality we saw on those machines. In fact, Creality have passed over their resin printers to this new company, Piocreat, which usually deals with more B2B machines, with the Halot-X1 being one of their first consumer-level options.

Compared with the old Halot machines, the X1 takes on a new style and design. It's has a smaller footprint and overall form factor. It's also more ergonomically designed, with a touchscreen on top, a visor-style shield protecting the resin area, and a tank that raises, rather than using the traditional mechanism of the print bed lowering into the tank.

The machine also comes with an automatic resin feed system in the combo version, which just adds to the level of professionalism. It's something we've seen on previous machines with various rates of success. Again, as with many 3D printers, there are multiple ways to transfer files over to the system, either through USB or Wi-Fi, and it's good to see this did seem solid with our review sample.

Compared to many other resin 3D printers, the footprint is relatively small, 344 x 331 mm with a height of 434 mm. You do then have to consider the visor when that's open, but to be honest, compared to many others, it's nice and small and definitely easier to use due to the design, compared with those that still utilise a lift-off cover.

The weight is also relatively light at 12.9 kg, lighter than most FFF printers. This essentially means it's very easy to stick in the corner of an office. However, because it's resin, you do really need to make sure that it's well vented, at the very least by a window, and ideally with its own enclosure and extractor to ensure that any toxic fumes don't enter your workspace.

When it comes to the design, it just looks completely different to the past HALOT machines, with a more modern design. There are a few big changes alongside the aesthetics when compared with previous generations, most notably the quick-release platform, which features a twist-release mechanism that can release any print in around three seconds. That time proved pretty much correct during testing.

Piocreat Halot-X1: Features

Specs

Connectivity: USB + Wi-Fi support
Size: 344 × 331 × 434 mm approx
Accessories: Quick-release build plate, resin vat, tools, optionally AFU (auto resin feed unit)
Build Volume: 211.68 × 118.37 × 200 mm
Layer thickness: 0.01–0.2 mm
Print speed: Up to ~170 mm/h
Resolution: 16K Mono LCD: 15,120 × 6,230 px, pixel size ~14 × 19 µm
Motion system: Fixed build plate, moving optics/vat

Initially, the Halot-X1 looks like any other resin 3D printer, but there are some major changes in the technology and design. Starting off, however, with some of the more traditional features, the 16K mono LCD offers a 15,120 x 6,230 resolution with a pixel size of 14 x 19 µm. This should guarantee extremely fine prints, and that’s certainly what I saw during the test.

Print speed is also finely tuned with speeds up to 170 mm/h, which is relatively fast, by no means the fastest on the market, but considering the small footprint and balanced pricing, that’s not a bad rate at all. Likewise, the build volume is impressive for the size of the machine at 211.68 x 118.37 x 200 mm, large enough for most character and miniature printing, and also suitable for a good amount of prototype engineering prints. However, if you want to go larger than that, an FDM printer is a better idea.

On to some of the more major new features, including the auto-levelling. This works with a fixed build plate, so there’s no need for manual calibration, and throughout testing, this actually proved incredibly effective.

There’s also a motion detection system so that the vat screen light moves instead of the build plate, this helps to reduce shaking and improve stability during the print.

The LCD and exposure system have also been overhauled with a 92-zone intelligent exposure system, which only enables the areas that need to be lit. This helps to improve the longevity of the LCD.

There’s also an optional Double AFU or auto-feed unit, and this enables resin monitoring, auto resin refill, preheating of the resin, RFID identification for the bottles, and generally less need to interact with any resin. While I had this kit for the review, the bottles of Creality resin that I had didn’t seem to be compatible, so this is something I’ll return to when I have compatible resin bottles to test.

The most notable new feature, as I mentioned in the build section, is the new quick-release build plate. At the same time, it might seem like a small change, as we saw with the Formlabs Form 4, a quick-release plate can make a huge difference to the ease of use of these machines.

Piocreat Halot-X1: Performance

The setup of the Halot-X1 was probably one of the quickest of any resin 3D printer that I’ve used. Essentially, all I needed to do was remove the packaging, make sure everything was in place, switch it on, pour the resin into the tank, and press go. There’s a single model pre-installed onto the system, and as I just pressed play, after no more than 10 minutes of set-up, the Halot-X1 got to work printing.

The initial print took a few hours to run through, and from the intricate network of support material, I could already see the quality of the print within. While there was quite a bit of support structure, it was all very fine and detailed.

Once the print had finished, I pulled the platform away from the printer, twisted the two handles on the side and the print dropped the short distance into the wash basket. It was then left to wash for around 30 minutes. On removing the print, the support structure was removed relatively easily, revealing an extremely detailed print below.

This is, of course, the highly optimised print that comes with the printer, so I did expect it to be exceptionally good, and thankfully, it was. Despite my choice of resin color, the detail and quality of the modelling really stood out. It is a bit of a shame that only one test model is included on the machine, I would’ve liked two or three, just to test out what the machine was capable of before trying my own options.

However, switching over to Halot Box and loading in my first few test prints, I transferred them to the machine via a USB stick, due to the fact that I was having some initial connection issues between the machine and my network. That issue seemed to be resolved later on through a firmware update.

As the first few prints emerged, I was once again struck by just how quick and easy this was. I think taking out the step where you have to use a spatula to extract your prints, which can often be a really messy process, just makes using the printer much easier. You still need gloves and eye protection, but it's far easier than with most other printers.

I’ll also say that I always use these printers in an extremely well-ventilated room. So while there might have been some fumes coming from the resin, there was a constant draught of air through the workshop to ensure that those fumes didn’t hang around. And actually, with a fully sealed environment, it did appear that the fumes inside this machine are well contained.

Alongside the printer, I also had the AFU unit, which should’ve enabled me to use the auto resin filling option. To be honest, the AFU unit looks great. However, once I plugged it in and tried to install a Creality resin bottle, I found that the height of the bottle wasn’t sufficient for the tube. Then, when I tried to adjust the tube, I found I couldn’t get a decent seal for the screw cap onto the resin bottle. Eventually, I realised this wasn’t the correct bottle to use with the system.

Trying out a few other options and bottles that correctly fit the cap, I still couldn’t get the system to feed properly. So in the end, I just left it aside, something I’ll take a look at again at a later date.

Ultimately, now with several litres of resin poured through the system, and lots of characters and small prototype objects printed, I’m impressed, firstly by the speed, and secondly by the pure accuracy of the prints. There’s a high quality to the finish, and the surface detail was really well produced. There were a few situations where the support structure was missing, it obviously started to print, but then got stuck at some point, only to partially reappear on a later overhang. But this was rare, and always easy to clear from the main print.

When it came to straight lines and the visibility of layers, the fine resolution really does make a difference, and the final print is as close to injection moulding as I’ve seen from any resin printer at this price. So if you’re looking for a resin 3D printer for modelling, small production runs, or printing miniatures, then, actually, for the price, this is the best option I’ve yet seen.

Piocreat Halot-X1: Final verdict

This is the first of the Piocreat Halot-X machines that I’ve seen, and it’s a really good start, although they do have a foundation with the Creality Halot machines, which I was extremely impressed with in the past. The new mechanism and design really do seem to work, and I like the fact that it has such a small form factor compared with the older machines.

But for me, the real winner here is that new build plate, just a simple twist action to release the 3D print makes a huge difference, not only in time but in the amount of mess and faff that can be involved with resin 3D printing.

Extracting the print from the build platform is one of my pet hates with these machines, and the fact that they’ve actually come up with a very good and simple solution makes a huge difference.

Then there’s the auto-levelling system, which also just seems to work. I’ve printed several litres of resin through the Halot-X1, and while on a couple of occasions the resin has run low and needed refilling, the success rate has been exceptionally good. I’ve only seen a few incidents where the support structure has failed, with the usual odd gaps in the print, but those have been rare. For the most part, I’ve had a near 100% success rate on the printing process.

There’s still the issue of having to clean and cure the print afterwards. If you just want a quick and easy solution, then don’t use resin, go directly to FFF. However, if you want the best possible detail from your prints, and as close to injection moulding as you can get, then this is a superb option. If you’re printing miniatures or jewellery designs, then the fine detail and accuracy make this a superb option.

Should You Buy the Piocreat Halot-X1?


Value:	High-quality resin printers don’t come cheap, but for the quality of detail and build, this is exceptionally well priced	4
Design:	This is the first generation of this innovative design, but it does appear to work, despite a few small quirks.	4.5
Features:	One of the great things about resin printers is their relative simplicity, and here the refinement of levelling and the build platform make a huge difference.	4
Performance:	The detail is as good as any, and the speed sits around the mid-range, giving a good, balanced approach to this new resin printer.	4.5
Total:	As one of the first Piocreat 3D printers I’ve looked at, I have to say it’s extremely impressive — especially considering the size and price.	4.5

Buy it if...

You want high‑detail prototyping

You regularly print miniatures, jewellery prototypes, dental models, or other parts where ultra‑fine resolution matters.

You're a regular user

If you need a reliable, compact resin 3D printer, the quick-release build plate just makes it easier to use.

Don't buy it if...

You're on a budget

You want a cheaper resin printer and don’t need 16K resolution or the extra automation.

You hate a messy workflow

Resin printing always demands cleaning, ventilation, and materials handling. If you prefer plug‑and‑play with minimal fuss, an FDM machine might be better.

For more essential crafting tools, I tested the best 3D printers and best laser engravers

Google Sites website builder review 2025

2:55 pm | October 29, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Website Building | Comments: Off

Google Sites is a simple website builder that stands out, mostly, for its complete lack of cost and complexity. While it may not offer the sophisticated features of premium builders like Wix or Squarespace, it still offers some limited utility through its integration with Google Workspace.

While it's hard to recommend Google Sites among the best website builder platforms, it still presents a viable entry point for first-timers, hobbyists, or students looking for one of the best free website builders to get online without cost. It serves mainly to keep users within Google's product ecosystem, offering unlimited websites, storage, and bandwidth at zero cost.

However, most businesses serious about their online presence quickly encounter its limitations. With no ecommerce or blogging features and very limited room to grow, Google Sites is merely a gateway and not a replacement for serious website building solutions like Wix.

Google Sites: 2-minute review

Google Sites is a relic of Google's early attempts to democratize web development by removing traditional barriers like cost, complexity, and technical knowledge requirements. As part of Google's free suite of productivity tools, it integrates seamlessly with Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Workspace, allowing users to create collaborative websites as easily as sharing a Google Doc.

However, Google Sites occupies a unique position in the website builder market by deliberately limiting features rather than expanding them. While competitors like Wix and Squarespace compete on advanced functionality and design sophistication, Google Sites focuses exclusively on simplicity and collaboration.

This makes it excellent for internal company sites, educational projects, and basic portfolios, but inadequate for ecommerce, professional marketing sites, or any project requiring custom code or advanced SEO optimization. Sites can serve as an entry point but not as a comprehensive solution, with most users eventually migrating to more feature-rich platforms as their needs grow.

What is Google Sites?

Google Sites is a free web-based website builder that allows anyone with a Google account to create simple websites without any coding knowledge or technical expertise. Think of it as the website equivalent of Google Docs, it uses the same drag-and-drop approach but for building web pages instead of documents.

You can create unlimited websites, add text and images, embed content from other Google services like Drive and Forms, and share your site with others for collaborative editing — all through a simple browser interface.

Google automatically handles all the technical aspects of web hosting, security, and mobile optimization, so you don't need to worry about servers, databases, or responsive design. Your finished website gets stored in your Google Drive like any other file, and you can publish it instantly to a free Google subdomain (like yourname.sites.google.com) or connect a custom domain if you have a paid Google Workspace account.

Features

Screenshot of Google Sites website builder — (Image credit: Google Sites)

Google Sites deliberately prioritizes simplicity over feature richness, offering a streamlined set of tools designed for basic website creation rather than comprehensive web development. It includes 17 pre-designed templates, a drag-and-drop editor, basic text formatting options, image galleries, embedded content capabilities, and integration with Google Workspace.

These features are executed competently within their limited scope — the drag-and-drop interface is intuitive, templates are mobile-responsive, and Google service integration works seamlessly. But the feature set targets specific user groups like educators, small businesses, internal teams, and professionals looking to create extremely basic online experiences.

Google Sites is really good within collaborative scenarios where multiple users need to edit content simultaneously, using the same sharing and permissions system used across Google Workspace. However, the platform lacks essential features that competitors consider standard. There's no blog functionality, limited options for SEO, no ecommerce capabilities, minimal third-party integrations, and restricted customization options.

Compared to feature-rich alternatives like Wix (800+ templates) or Squarespace, Google Sites feels deliberately constrained. Advanced users will quickly encounter limitations in custom HTML, CSS modifications, advanced forms, marketing tools, and analytics integration beyond basic Google Analytics. The platform lacks password-protected pages, contact forms, and the ability to add custom code or scripts.

At zero cost, Google Sites offers exceptional value for its intended use cases, but the feature limitations mean most users outgrow the platform as their website needs evolve. The pricing model essentially trades advanced functionality for accessibility. Perfect for getting started, but inadequate for long-term professional web presence.

Tools

Google Sites has a focused selection of built-in tools designed for straightforward content creation and collaboration. It emphasizes integration with Google's ecosystem rather than offering extensive standalone features, making it ideal for users already invested in other products within Google Workspace.

Drag-and-drop editor

Sites' core website building tool uses a simple UI where users can add, move, and modify elements by simply dragging them into position. An editor includes basic content blocks for text, images, embedded content, and layout elements, with real-time preview capabilities that show exactly how the site will appear to visitors.

Google Workspace integration

Sites seamlessly embeds content from Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Maps, and Calendar directly into web pages. This allows users to display live documents, spreadsheets, and presentations that automatically update when the source files change, making it easier for teams to share dynamic content.

Collaboration tools

Multiple users can simultaneously edit website drafts using the same sharing system as Google Docs, with commenting, suggestion, and version control capabilities. Site owners can control permissions for different collaborators and manage who can view the published website separately from editing access.

Template system

Google Sites offers 17 pre-designed and mobile-responsive templates covering basic website types like portfolios, project sites, and informational pages. While limited compared to competitors, these templates provide professional starting points that automatically adapt to different screen sizes.

Publishing and domain management

You can instantly publish sites to free Google subdomains or connect custom domains through Google Workspace. Sites' publishing system includes basic privacy controls, with the ability to make sites public, restricted to specific users, or accessible only to people with a link.

Ease of use

Logging in with your Google account at sites.google.com will take you to the Sites editor. Google Sites offers an extremely minimalist environment, where you can choose to start a site with a blank page or use one of the few available templates. Launching your first project opens a very sparse-looking and minimalist editor. If you choose a template, it will be loaded for you and ready to be customized.

The bulk of the window is taken up by a preview of the current page. A toolbar on the right displays a list of widgets. You have the ability to add text boxes, images, embed code, and connect to your Google Drive. You have a handful of layout options, as well as tools to create collapsible text, image carousels, and a table of content among others. Additional options let you connect to other Google services like YouTube, Calendar, Map, Docs, Slides, Sheets, Forms and Charts.

There’s also a Themes tab which gives you a choice of six header and site styles, along with simple tweaks to your colours and font. There’s a good amount of flexibility when adding text and images. And when you add an image to the header, it’s automatically ‘adjusted for readability’, which alters its settings. If you don’t like the result, you can always click on the button lower right of the image to revert it. There doesn’t seem to be a way to manually alter the photo.

While the editor always displays your site in Desktop mode, tapping the preview button enables viewing your site in desktop, tablet or mobile views. The editor isn't exactly powerful, but it's more capable than it initially seems. Sadly, Google has mostly stopped making updates to Sites, although there is a possibility for renewed interest in the platform thanks to the success of Google Gemini.

Pricing

Google Sites operates on a completely free model for personal use, letting you create unlimited websites with no hosting fees. This makes it one of the most cost-effective website builders available, as users can build, host, and maintain their sites indefinitely without any subscription costs. The platform includes generous storage quotas and doesn't count embedded Google documents, calendars, or videos against storage limits.

For businesses requiring custom domains and advanced administrative features, Google Sites integrates with Google Workspace plans starting at $6 per user per month for Business Starter, $12 per user per month for Business Standard, and $18 per user per month for Business Plus. These paid plans unlock custom domain hosting, enhanced security features, and administrative controls, but the core website building functionality remains the same.

Security

Google Sites benefits from Google's enterprise-grade security infrastructure, implementing multiple layers of protection for user data and websites. All data transmission uses HTTPS encryption with TLS 1.2 or higher and automatic SSL certificates ensure secure connections without user intervention. Sites also leverages Google Cloud Armor for DDoS protection, providing always-on monitoring and automatic attack mitigation to safeguard websites from volumetric network attacks.

Google Sites inherits the same security standards as other Google Drive files, with automatic backup and recovery options preventing data loss. But additional security features are available, like regular automatic security updates, fine-grained sharing controls, and integration with Google's Advanced Protection Program. You can also set precise permissions to control website access, ranging from public visibility to specific individuals or groups.

Support

Google Sites support operates through Google's standard help system, primarily offering self-service resources through the Google Help Center. You can access documentation, tutorials, and community forums, but direct support options are limited for free account holders. The platform relies heavily on its intuitive design philosophy to minimize support needs, though this can leave users stranded when encountering complex issues.

Google Workspace subscribers receive enhanced support options, including phone and chat support depending on their plan tier. For example, Business Standard and Business Plus plans typically include faster response times and more comprehensive assistance. However, even paid support focuses primarily on account and billing issues rather than design guidance or website troubleshooting.

Google’s support ecosystem includes active community forums and third-party resources, but no dedicated website building support like with competitors like Wix or Squarespace. Users mostly rely on community-generated content and unofficial tutorials, which can be inconsistent in quality and currency.

Alternatives

Google Sites occupies a unique niche in the website builder market by prioritizing simplicity and cost-effectiveness to an uncanny degree. It’s an ideal entry point for users creating basic informational sites but lacks the advanced features required for professional marketing or e-commerce operations.

Primary competitors include Wix, WordPress.com, Squarespace, Weebly, and specialized platforms like Webflow. Wix offers superior design flexibility and hundreds of templates, while Squarespace provides professional aesthetics and better SEO tools. Meanwhile, WordPress.com delivers more robust content management capabilities. However, none of these alternatives offer zero cost websites, unlimited hosting, and free real-time collaboration.

Google Sites: Summary

Google Sites delivers exactly what it promises: a completely free, user-friendly website builder that removes traditional barriers to web publishing while integrating seamlessly with Google's productivity ecosystem.

Its strength lies in collaborative website creation for educational, internal, and basic informational purposes, offering unlimited sites and hosting at zero cost with enterprise-grade security.

However, the platform's deliberate simplicity becomes a significant limitation for users requiring advanced features like ecommerce, sophisticated SEO tools, or extensive design customization. While it’s just usable as an entry-level solution for budget-conscious users, most will eventually outgrow its capabilities and need to migrate to more feature-rich platforms.

Google Sites review: FAQs

Is Google Sites really free?

Yes, Google Sites is entirely free for personal use with a Google account. You can create unlimited websites, use Google hosting, and access all core features without any subscription fees or hidden costs. The only limitations are storage quotas (which are generous) and the inability to use custom domains without a paid Google Workspace account. Even with these restrictions, you get more value than most paid website builders offer in their basic plans.

Can I use my own domain name with Google Sites?

Custom domains are only available through paid Google Workspace plans, starting at $6 per user per month. Free Google Sites accounts must use Google's subdomain format (yourname.sites.google.com). While this limitation may seem restrictive, the subdomain is perfectly functional for most use cases, and the upgrade cost is reasonable if custom branding becomes essential for your project.

How does Google Sites compare to WordPress or Wix?

Google Sites prioritizes simplicity over functionality, making it ideal for basic websites but inadequate for complex projects. WordPress offers superior content management and customization options, while Wix provides more templates and design flexibility. However, neither matches Google Sites' combination of zero cost, unlimited hosting, and collaborative editing capabilities. Choose Google Sites for simple, collaborative projects; select WordPress or Wix when you need advanced features and don't mind paying for them.

Can multiple people edit a Google Sites website simultaneously?

Yes, Google Sites supports real-time collaborative editing using the same system as Google Docs. Multiple users can simultaneously edit website content, leave comments, and track changes with full version control. This collaborative functionality is one of Google Sites' strongest features, making it exceptional for team projects, educational assignments, and organizational websites where multiple contributors need editing access.

What happens to my Google Sites if I delete my Google account?

Your Google Sites will be permanently deleted along with your Google account, as they're stored within Google's ecosystem. Unlike some website builders that allow account transfers or data exports, Google Sites doesn't offer migration tools to preserve your content outside of Google's platform. Always maintain backups of important content and consider the long-term implications of building your web presence on a free platform tied to a specific account.

Google Sites website builder review 2025

2:55 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Website Building | Comments: Off

Google Sites: 2-minute review

What is Google Sites?

Features

Tools

Drag-and-drop editor

Google Workspace integration

Collaboration tools

Template system

Publishing and domain management

Ease of use

Pricing

Security

Support

Alternatives

Google Sites: Summary

Its strength lies in collaborative website creation for educational, internal, and basic informational purposes, offering unlimited sites and hosting at zero cost with enterprise-grade security.

Google Sites review: FAQs

Is Google Sites really free?

Can I use my own domain name with Google Sites?

How does Google Sites compare to WordPress or Wix?

Can multiple people edit a Google Sites website simultaneously?

What happens to my Google Sites if I delete my Google account?

I reviewed the Xerox C320 – and I finally found a laser that prints like an inkjet

4:01 pm | October 20, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Comments: Off

Specs

Type: Color laser printer

Functions: print only

Connectivity: Ethernet, Wi-Fi, USB

Max print speed: 33ppm

Max paper size: A4/letter

Print quality: 600dpi (4,800dpi enhanced)

Apple AirPrint: yes

Consumables included: 4x setup cartridges (1,000 color x 1,500 black)

Dimensions/Weight: 318 x 455 x 421 mm (WxDxH)/21kg

The Xerox C320 is an upper mid-price laser printer packing all the features demanded by a busy workgroup, while also appealing to the home worker with high print demands. It’s built for volume printing with a fairly fast print speed of 35ppm (pages per minute), a paper capacity of 250 sheets and a duty cycle of up to 65,000 pages per month.

It has premium features like a touchscreen interface, USB Host port and is supported by optional components including paper cassettes. There’s also a separate manual feed slot and the strong security I’ve come to expect from Xerox products.

It looks a little clunky to my eye, with the square toner compartment raised up on the right side, rather than inside the body of the printer. However, the more easily accessible toner cartridges promise bright colors and it turns out, I’m not disappointed.

Xerox C320: Design and build

Xerox C320 laser printer during our review — (Image credit: Xerox)

Relocating the four toner cartridges adds some height, making the Xerox C320 larger than the more affordable Xerox C230 in all dimensions. The boxy form factor makes more sense in the multifunction version of this printer, the Xerox C325, where the square toner compartment forms one of the two pillars holding up the scanner section.

I found that the toner compartment opens almost too readily and the toner cartridges disengage at the lightest touch. The front access flap also flops open very easily so the whole thing feels flimsy. It’s the same with the lightweight cartridges. Xerox is using 30% recycled plastic here, which is great, so long as all these moving parts are stronger than they look. It comes with the same one-year warranty as the C230 series.

Xerox C320: Features & specifications

As a step-up model, the Xerox C320 has a higher spec and a few more features than the C230. The small difference in price of around US$27 buys you a 2.8-inch touchscreen with a more intuitive user interface and a USB Host port, so it’s with paying a little more in my view.

It’s significantly faster at 35ppm and has twice the internal memory (1GB). The paper handling is the same, with room for 250 sheets in the main tray and a single sheet in the front-loading manual feed slot. Both inputs are able to print on media up to 216gsm in simplex mode and 105gsm in duplex mode. That’s somewhat limiting, but this is a printer that doesn’t much like heavy paper.

This variant comes with the removable Wi-Fi module included and it has AirPrint and Chromebook compatibility. It’s using a 1 GHz Dual Core processor and unlike the cheaper C230, the C320 is supported by a range of accessories. These include a 100-sheet bypass tray and 550-sheet feeder, which means your printer can grow in step with your print demands.

The only thing missing is NFC, which is often useful in a shared office where staff are able to pull down their own print jobs using NFC enabled ID cards. You’ll find this feature on more expensive models like the Xerox VersaLink B600DN.

Xerox C320: Setup and operation

The responsive 2.8-inch touchscreen, an uncommon luxury on a print-only device, makes the Xerox C320 easy to operate and set up. Once you have loaded some paper in the main tray, plugged in and turned on, the display will prompt you to select a language and print out a test page.

Another prompt advises you to download the free Xerox Easy Assist app onto your iOS or Android device. This excellent app helps you make a wireless connection with the printer and get it onto your Wi-Fi network. It connects to a MacBook or Chromebook just as readily.

Xerox C320: Performance

The Xerox C320 printed quickly and efficiently throughout my tests, and with very little noise. Laser printers are usually louder than inkjets, but this one has a quiet mode that keeps the sound pressure level below 51dB.

However, I did experience two paper jams involving both of the inputs. The first was a case of too many sheets of plain paper feeding from the main tray at the same time and was easily cleared. The second was my fault when I accidentally duplex-printed 210gsm paper, which is too thick for this printer to turn. It was easy enough to open the front flap and remove the offending sheet, but harder to convince the printer the problem was solved. It took some time and multiple rebooting to resume printing.

This glitch could be a one-off event and the strong print performance of the Xerox C320, makes up it. Black text on plain A4 paper looks as clean and crisp as any premium laser printer, with characters legible down to the smallest point sizes. The quoted print speed of 33ppm for consecutive simplex A4 pages (35ppm for slightly smaller letter format pages) is accurate. That’s significantly faster than the Xerox C235, but slower than the HP LaserJet Pro 4002dn. In duplex mode, the pages are turned quickly so overall, this feels like a very efficient print rate.

The speed is the same for printing color documents, at which this printer is especially good, thanks to the bright toner in Xerox’s square cartridges. The mixed color pages in my multipage Word presentation look vibrant with no sign of banding or fading. What really surprised me, was how well the Xerox C320 prints color photographs. In general, lasers are worse than inkjets at photos because they can’t print on the same coated photo papers (laser photo paper is much like regular paper) and their resolution is usually limited to 600x600dpi.

The Xerox C320 has its true 600dpi resolution enhanced to 4,800dpi, which makes images look more detailed and natural. Combined with the boldness of the C/M/Y toner, the result is a pretty satisfying photo. I used specialist laser photo paper for this test, which gives a further subtle uplift in image quality from plain paper.

Xerox C320: Consumables

The square toner cartridges are a departure from the usual elongated shape and they feel suspiciously light. Sure enough, the bundled setup carts contain less toner than standard carts and will only yield 1,000 color pages and 1,500 black pages. Happily, high-capacity carts are available that will give you up to 5,500 color pages and 8,000 monochrome. A set of those will cost around US$670 (£500 ex VAT), which works out at a competitive CPP (cost per page) that would please any business with high print demands.

Xerox C320: Maintenance

The good news is that the maintenance routine for your Xerox C320 is a simple case of dusting the outside and apertures and replacing the imaging unit, which is very easy to access and remove, after 125,000 pages, or when prompted. The bad news is that a new imaging unit costs around US$338 (£480 ex VAT).

But because these imaging units last so long and need replacing so infrequently, the CPP is still low enough to make this printer as efficient, or more so, than many rival lasers and inkjets. You can print out a device report and quality check that will show supply levels at any time, but be warned that this will eat up nine sheets of paper.

Xerox C320: Final verdict

Image 1 of 3

Image 2 of 3

Image 3 of 3

Despite my first impressions being lowered by the paper jam and insubstantial feel of the Xerox C320, I’m completely won over by its vivid print quality. It’s certainly well equipped with two paper inputs, Wi-Fi, USB Host port and helpful touchscreen interface. It prints quickly in duplex mode and text pages always emerge crisp and professional-looking.

Best of all though, are its vivid color prints. Photos in particular benefit from the bright toner and enhanced 4,800dpi print resolution. If you switch to the high-capacity cartridges for this printer, it’s quite economical to run too, making this a solid choice for any shared office with high print demands.

For more top-rated options, I've tested out the best home printers and the best small business printers.

Xodo PDF Studio desktop PDF editor review

2:58 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Tags: PDF | Comments: Off

Last year, I reviewed Xodo, an excellent online PDF editor well worth checking out (you can read my review here). But did you know Xodo also offer a desktop version of their service for Macs, Windows and Linux?

After testing some of the best PDF editors and best free PDF editors, I was keen to see how the downloadable Xodo PDF Studio desktop version compares to its online counterpart, as well as other big players in the PDF space like Acrobat.

Xodo PDF Studio: Pricing & plans

A choice of subscription or perpetual licence is always welcome, and should be praised. The free trial is very short, so run the tests you need quickly to decide if it’s worth paying for

Whether you opt for Xodo’s online service or its desktop version, it’ll cost you the same if you opt for a yearly contract (which would be the equivalent of around $10 a month per license). Choose to pay on a month by month basis, and the value changes to $13 online, and $20 for the desktop version.

If you’re sick to the back teeth of subscriptions, Xodo have you covered, offering you a perpetual licence for the Desktop app, for $240 per seat.

Curious about the service but don’t want to financially commit just yet? Then grab their 3-day free trial. All its features are unlocked and hopefully three days should give you enough time to check out the software, and decide if it’s right for you or not.

You can check it out over on the official Xodo website by clicking here.

Pricing & plans: 4/5

Xodo PDF Studio: Interface

Xodo Desktop PDF Editor during our review — (Image credit: Xodo // Future)

Offering multiple ways of accessing the same tool is a very good thing… only the way the app’s menubar is setup could be given a little more love

Launch Xodo and you’ll find the interface to be… fine. It doesn’t scream ‘modern design’, nor does it bask in unwanted 90s nostalgia. It’s just… ok. All the tools and icons you need are located at the top of the window, in a basic black and blue minimalist style. It’s fine, really. It’s just not… that appealing.

What is a nice touch however, is that the first time you launch the app, it will automatically open a PDF which explains what its interface does. and where to find what you need. Full marks for that.

You’ll find the tools are accessible in multiple ways. For instance, by default, those you see are from the ‘Home’ menu, and pretty much all the ones you need are there, from selecting text, to searching inside the document, adding a comment, highlighting a section, even editing the PDF’s content, and adding shapes, among others.

However, above these large icons is a thin menu bar, which lets you focus on specific categories of tools, even though you can also access most of them from ‘Home’ already. For instance, if you want to add a comment, in ‘Home’, click on the ‘Comment’ icon to reveal a drop down list bearing multiple options. But if you were to click on ‘Comment’ in the thin menu bar instead, those icons are replaced with a new set, showing you all those that were in that drop down list we just saw.

It’s all the same tools, just available in different ways. It can get a tad confusing, especially as the selected menu in that thin menu bar only has a subtle blue line underneath it, which can be easy to miss, which can make you wonder why the icon you’re after isn’t displayed… until you realise you’re in the wrong menu.

Mac users have a third option, through the system’s own menu bar, from which you can also select all the tools you need. Don’t get me wrong: options are good, and being able to access the same tool in different ways is a good design decision… I just wish the app’s selected menu was at least more prominently highlighted to reduce possible confusion.

Interface: 4/5

Xodo PDF Studio: Tools

Numerous tools, all incredibly easy to use, even if their layout at first can feel awkward

To start using the tools, take a quick trip to the ‘File’ menu to open an existing document, either from your computer, or directly through one of various online storage services, such as OneDrive, DropBox, GoogleDrive, or Xodo’s very own XodoDrive. This is also the place where you can create a new document, either from scratch, or by importing various files, like images, a scanned file, collate multiple files into one, or convert docs from MS Office or AutoCAD.

Once you’ve got a document loaded up, you’re free to annotate and alter it to your heart’s content. It’s actually pretty easy to make notes, highlight, draw on the PDF itself, add shapes to mask areas (although redaction is a much better tool for that should the info be sensitive and not to be divulged - Xodo supports this feature too).

Reordering pages and deleting some is a cinch and done through the left sidebar, but perhaps the most exciting option is the ability to edit the very existing content of a PDF.

This is not a feature that is available from all PDF applications - in fact, it’s usually seen as one of the most advanced features, and not every app that includes it does a good job of it, making editing more of a chore than it should be.

I’m pleased to report that the Xodo Desktop App excels at editing existing content. When that tool is activated, you’ll see a faint blue rectangle surrounding the various text and image boxes in your document. Click on one to select it and move it around, or once selected, click inside the text box to alter its existing content, using the exact same font and size as the original. Now it doesn’t work like a word processor or a desktop publishing application: you can’t link text boxes together and make your copy flow from one to the next. This is for minor edits, and changes that don’t require having to go back to the original document and make alterations from there instead. But with those limitations in mind, for a PDF editing tool, it works fantastically well.

The only tool I thought was superfluous was the Snapshot, which as its name suggests, allows you to take a screenshot of a selected part of the PDF you’re working on. Sure, you have the option of selecting its format (PNG, JPEG, TIFF or GIF), or send it straight to a printer - which is novel - but every computer has screenshotting capabilities built-in, so why bother using that one? But that’s a minor quibble.

All in all, despite its icon design or tool organisation which could do with a little love, the Xodo Desktop App is an excellent PDF editor which makes it easy to perform even tricky tasks.

Tools: 4.5/5

Should I buy the Xodo PDF Studio desktop app?

Buy it if...

You’re looking for a desktop PDF editor (ideal for increased security over an online service), with a boatload of tools that are easy to use, and includes well implemented, powerful advanced features.

Don't buy it if...

You only need to make a few changes to a PDF, like delete a page, or reorder another, but all the other tools Xodo has is just overkill for your needs.

For more productivity tools, we tested the best free PDF readers, the best PDF reader for Mac, and the best PDF readers on Android.

I tested Google Docs and found it to be one of the best online word processors you can choose

1:34 pm | October 10, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Tags: Google Docs | Comments: Off

The best word processors are essential tools for both personal and corporate use. They make it easy to type and edit everyday documents, from contracts to memos, articles, letters, resumes, and many more.

You can download an offline word processor or use an online version like Google Docs. This free tool, provided by Google, allows you to create and edit documents with ease. You can collaborate with other people on the same document and share or download the final work to your device.

I’ve used Google Docs for a while and can attest to its features, pros, and cons. I thoroughly tested and reviewed it to help you decide if it’s ideal for your personal or business use. Read on to learn what Google Docs offers and how it fares against alternatives.

Google Docs: Plans and pricing

Google Docs is free for personal use. Some restrictions exist, as each Google account is limited to 15 GB of storage across all services. However, 15 GB is more than enough for the average person to create and store all their texts.

However, if you surpass the 15 GB limit, you can purchase a Google One subscription to increase your storage capacity. $20 annually unlocks 100 GB of storage, $100 offers 2 TB, and $250 annually unlocks 5 TB. This storage space can be shared between you and friends or family (whom you invite to join your Google One plan).

Companies can use Google Docs to collaborate and create documents. A Google Workspace subscription provides access to robust storage capacity and numerous Google services, including Docs.

Google Workspace offers three pricing plans – Starter, Standard, and Plus – that unlock 30 GB, 2 TB, and 5 TB of storage per account, respectively. The Starter plan costs $7 per user per month, the Standard plan costs $14 per user per month, and the Plus plan costs $22 per user per month.

A 14-day free trial is available for a Google Workspace subscription. During this trial period, employees can test the ins and outs of Google Docs, although they can also do that by using Google Docs for free from their personal Google accounts.

Google Docs: Features

Google Docs is similar to any document editor you may have worked with. It’s essentially an online version of Microsoft Word, designed for real-time collaboration. The text pane is the most prominent part of the Google Docs interface, and the features are highlighted across the top menu.

Real-time collaboration is the defining feature of Google Docs. Multiple people can work on the same document simultaneously, and every user’s changes can be monitored in real-time.

Every user working on a document has an icon displayed at the top, and their cursor is highlighted on the document. This way, as a document owner, you’ll know exactly who is working on a document and which part they’re working on.

Collaborators can highlight specific words and leave comments and suggestions for each other. When someone creates a suggestion, such as deleting a paragraph or adding a new sentence, you can click the accept button to automatically implement the suggested change or the reject button to ignore the suggestion. You can also reply to a suggestion to provide context.

Likewise, when someone leaves a comment, you can reply to the person and create a back-and-forth conversation thread if needed. Everything is displayed on the same dashboard, and you can view all comment history. This way, you can track all changes made to a document by specific users.

The version history feature allows you to view all previous versions of a document, including its original state. If you don’t like the changes that have been made, you can restore a document to a previous version at a specific date and time.

As a document owner, you control who can access a document and what they can do with it. For instance, you can allow collaborators only to view but not edit or suggest changes. You can enable collaborators to suggest changes but not make final edits.

On the corporate version, you can prevent any user outside your organization from accessing a document. Outsiders with non-organizational email addresses would need explicit permission before accessing a document in this case.

To say I enjoyed the smooth collaboration of Google Docs is an understatement. It’s the best part of using Google Docs – the ability to work together on the same document, despite being physically far apart. It felt like being in the same room with my collaborators.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is raging in this era, and any product that doesn’t incorporate it risks getting left behind. Google has integrated AI features into Google Docs, bringing noticeable improvements compared to when I last reviewed the app.

If subscribed to Google Workspace, employees can switch on the Gemini AI assistant while using Google Docs. This assistant functions as a writing companion, suggesting new words, correcting errors, and refining a document to make it easy to read.

Gemini can generate text based on your prompts, although the text often felt robotic during my test. The good thing is that you can make the final edits to make the generated text sound more human. I enjoyed Gemini’s suggestions and corrections of mistakes I initially overlooked. I can attest to it being a productivity boost when creating and editing texts.

Creating business documents from scratch can be hectic. Often, users don’t know where to begin, but Google Docs provides help. It features a collection of templates that can serve as the foundation of your document. Examples include meeting notes, product roadmaps, project proposals, and sales quotes.

The free version has these templates, albeit in limited numbers. Google Workspace subscribers have access to a much larger template collection. Another advantage for Google Workspace subscribers is the ability to append e-signatures to documents. These signatures are just as legally binding as manually appended ones, so you can use them to sign contracts, invoices, vendor agreements, and other crucial corporate documents.

Google Docs is integrated with many other Google tools, including Drive, Meet, Chat, Tasks, and more. For instance, you can create new Google Docs files directly from Google Drive or upload existing documents into Google Drive and edit them with Google Docs. Any changes you make to Google Docs will be automatically saved to Google Drive.

I earlier mentioned that Google Docs’ collaborative features made me feel like I was in the same room with other people working on my document. It gets even better with the Google Meet integration, which allows you to host video meetings directly within the Docs interface.

You can create a new meeting and invite other collaborators, or join existing meetings created by others. This way, you can pass across vital information while editing a document.

Similarly, you can chat with collaborators in real-time, thanks to the Google Chat integration. If video-conferencing isn’t convenient, chat is a reliable alternative to exchange vital information during collaborative edits.

Another standout feature is Voice Typing, which allowed me to dictate text into my document instead of typing endlessly. This feature is based on Google’s advanced speech-to-text technology. However, don’t expect perfection. It’ll make some mistakes when converting your speech to text, which you’ll have to correct afterwards.

Language translation is also available, based on Google Translate. You can translate text into over 100 languages, but don’t expect perfect translation. When I translated several texts, the system often struggled with context and translating uncommon words. It works for basic use cases, but it isn’t as good as a professional translator.

I’ve discussed a lot about Google Docs’ internal features, but it doesn’t end there. Google Docs notably has “add-ons,” which are third-party integrations created by other developers. Some of these add-ons are free, while others require payment.

Examples of add-ons I used include an AI-based video generator, a plagiarism checker, and a tool for creating detailed diagrams. Depending on your personal or organizational needs, you can select relevant add-ons from the Google Workspace marketplace.

I could spend all day talking about Google Docs’ features, but that would be tiresome. Clearly, Google Docs offers a robust feature set on both the free and personal tiers. It’s one of the best tools you can use for document editing and creation.

Google Docs: Interface and in use

Google Docs has a user-friendly interface that I think anyone can navigate. If you’ve ever used a word processor like Microsoft Word, it feels exactly the same. Even as a new user, the features are neatly arranged in a way you can quickly grasp.

All formatting buttons are arranged across the top menu, and you’ll type in the main body below. The buttons have distinct icons that let you understand them at a glance.

If clicking buttons gets tiring, you can use keyboard shortcuts to achieve the same functionality as many of the buttons. However, these shortcuts can be a steep learning curve, so don’t expect to know them all within a short time. Similarly, Google Docs’ extensive features can present a steep learning curve, but you can understand the advanced features with time.

Google Docs is accessible from your web browser or mobile app. The mobile app allows you to edit documents offline, and you can also enable offline editing on the web browser version. When you reconnect to the internet, any changes made in offline mode will be automatically synced.

Google Docs: Support

Google provides decent support for free users. You won’t have access to direct help, but Google’s help center contains extensive user guides, tutorials, and solutions to common issues encountered on Google Docs.

When I faced any challenges with Google Docs, I consulted the help center and always found a solution. It helps that Google Docs is an intuitive tool that didn’t give me many problems in the first place.

If subscribed to Google Workspace, you have access to significantly more support resources. You can speak directly with a Google support representative to resolve issues. Support reps are available via email or live chat. Companies subscribed to the Enterprise plan have a dedicated account representative who provides swift support.

You can also seek help in Google’s official support forum. This website has fairly active users who exchange solutions to each other’s issues. You can post a question on this forum and receive answers.

Google Docs: The competition

Competition is intense in the document editing software niche. Consumers have endless options when seeking document editing software, but how do they fare against Google Docs?

The main competitor I’d like to highlight is Microsoft 365 (Word Online). Microsoft Word is the most popular offline word processor with which most people are familiar. Under Microsoft 365, you can access an online version of Microsoft Word with similar features to Google Docs.

From my perspective, Google Docs fares better in real-time collaboration than Microsoft Word Online. The latter has collaborative features, but doesn’t feel as smooth as that of Google Docs.

However, Microsoft Word Online beats Google Docs in advanced formatting. It offers a broader range of document editing features than Google Docs, and it supports a wider variety of text file formats.

From my perspective, the strengths of each boil down to Microsoft Word being designed first for offline use, before an online version was later developed. Hence, it excels more at text formatting and features designed for offline use.

In contrast, Google Docs was built as an online collaborative platform from its inception. The developers have honed the collaborative editing features to deliver the smoothest experience.

Google Docs: Final verdict

Google Docs is an excellent choice for document editing. In particular, the free version offers many features that competitors charge money for.

The business version, part of Google Workspace, offers a good bang for your buck when considering the numerous other Google apps you gain access to. Google Docs is one of the best online word editors I recommend for personal and business use.

We've listed the best online collaboration tools .

I tested Google Meet and found it a user-friendly video conferencing platform good for small to medium-sized businesses

10:39 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

The best video conferencing software is essential in every workforce now. It fosters seamless communication and collaboration between employees regardless of their location. It’s a must-have for companies in 2025, but choosing the right videoconferencing platform in a sea of options can be daunting.

Google Meet is one of the options you’ll likely encounter when researching videoconferencing software. It’s offered by Google, a company best known for its search engine and a host of other software tools. Google Meet is an intuitive platform that’s directly integrated with other Google apps, and it has its unique pros and cons.

I’ve thoroughly tested and reviewed Google Meet to help you decide whether it’s an ideal tool to adopt. Read on to learn about Google Meet’s features, pros, cons, and how it compares to the competition.

Google Meet: Plans and pricing

Google Meet is free for personal use, but the personal version lacks some of the features available in the paid business plans. I used the free Google Meet version to hold video calls, and it worked excellently. However, it became limiting when using it as a group.

On the free plan, group meetings are limited to a maximum of 100 participants and a 60-minute duration. Some helpful group meeting features, including recording, attendance tracking, and admin controls, aren’t available on the free plan.

The paid version of Google Meet isn’t offered as a standalone plan. Instead, it’s part of a Google Workspace plan that unlocks access to Meet and many other tools. There are three standard Workspace plans: Starter, Standard, and Plus.

The Starter plan costs $7 per user per month. Under this plan, Google Meet is restricted to 100 participants and a 60-minute meeting duration, similar to the free plan. However, it offers additional features not available on the free plan, such as live captions.

The Standard plan costs $14 per user per month. Under this plan, the maximum number of meeting participants increases to 150, and the meeting duration is extended to 24 hours. It also unlocks enhanced features, such as polling, Q&As, and meeting recordings, which are saved to Google Drive. Each account has 2 TB of storage, so there’s ample space to store recorded meetings.

The Plus plan costs $22 per user per month. Here, a maximum of 500 participants can hold video meetings for up to 24 hours. It has advanced capabilities, including attendance tracking and the ability to dial into meetings by calling a designated phone number.

There’s an Enterprise plan with no specific pricing, but it’s best suited for companies with large workforces (500+). If you represent such a large organization, you can contact Google’s sales team to negotiate a deal.

A 14-day free trial is available for Google Workspace plans, during which you can test Meet’s features before making your final decision.

Google Meet: Features

Google Meet is designed for videoconferencing between many participants. A major appeal of Google Meet is that you don't need to download any app to use it, although a mobile app is available for convenient access. You can run Google Meet and utilize all its features on your web browser.

I enjoyed Google Meet’s intuitive interface, which made starting and managing meetings a seamless process. Unlike several other videoconferencing tools I’ve tested, new users can grasp Google Meet’s interface without needing much help.

To start a new video meeting, users can click the "New meeting" button, which is prominently displayed on the Google Meet landing page. You can create instant video meetings or schedule them for a later time.

After scheduling a meeting, you can create a unique link for other participants to join. If needed, you can set a passcode to add an extra layer of security. One of the best features I tested was the ability for participants to join meetings by dialing a phone number – Google will create a unique phone number for each meeting.

I’ve discussed the limitations of the free version, including the number of participants and meeting duration. This free version works well for personal use, but a Workspace subscription is what unlocks the full value of Google Meet and its features.

A key feature is the ability to record meetings, which is available on the Standard plan or above. Recording meetings is standard practice in many organizations, as it lets you review content for mistakes and share information with colleagues who couldn’t attend the original meeting.

Meeting recordings are saved on Google Drive, from which they can be easily accessed. With the Standard plan providing 2 TB of storage per user and the Plus plan offering 5 TB, there’s sufficient space to store many meeting recordings. However, if you run out of storage space, you can upgrade to a higher plan for additional storage or delete old recordings that are no longer useful.

I enjoyed using the polling and Q&A features, which make video meetings more interactive. As the meeting administrator, you can create polls to gauge participants’ opinions on topics related to the meeting.

For example, if debating on a corporate decision, you can make a poll for participants to vote on the direction to take. Technically, the poll could be about anything, but it’s mainly used for topics relevant to the meeting.

The Q&A feature enables meeting participants to ask questions and receive feedback. These questions can be addressed during the meeting or later. After the meeting concludes, the host and moderator receive a detailed report of all questions asked, providing them with ample time to prepare detailed answers.

Attendance tracking is a valuable feature that Google Meet provides. With this feature, meeting hosts can track which invited participants attend their meeting and which do not. After a meeting, the host will receive an email report summarizing the attendance and duration, including participant names, join/leave times, and the total time each participant spent in the meeting.

If your meeting has a large number of participants, you may need to split participants into smaller groups to discuss relevant topics. It’s similar to how large conferences have smaller meetings that take place between main sessions. Google Meet offers a Breakout Rooms feature that makes this easy.

With Breakout Rooms, you can divide participants into smaller groups that hold distinct video meetings. These breakout meetings work exactly like the main one, with the same Q&A, polling, and attendance tracking features, among others. During a breakout meeting, participants can leave at any time and return to the main session.

From my observation, Google Meet’s audio quality is much better than that of most videoconferencing apps. I think there’s a simple explanation: Google Meet was relatively late to the videoconferencing game, having launched in 2017, compared to competitors like Zoom, which was launched in 2012 and Skype (now discontinued in favor of Microsoft Teams), which launched in the early 2000s.

To differentiate itself amid intense competition, Google’s engineers invested heavily in audio quality. Google Meet offers adaptive audio, which automatically tweaks audio settings to fit your environment, and noise cancellation powered by artificial intelligence (AI). I tested these features and they worked very well, hence my observation of Google Meet’s enhanced sound quality compared to other videoconferencing platforms.

I liked that I could share my screen with other participants during meetings. Screen sharing helps users communicate clearly and address problems in real-time. For example, you can teach a colleague how to use a software tool by demonstrating it live on your desktop, and they’ll view each step you take.

Live captioning is another helpful Google Meet feature, especially during group meetings. When turned on, every spoken word is automatically translated into text you can read. When testing the live captioning feature, it worked well most of the time, but occasionally made mistakes, which is the typical experience with transcription tools.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the talk of this era, and Google Meet doesn’t disappoint in this sector. I used the “takes notes for me” feature powered by Gemini, Google’s AI assistant, which can listen in on meetings and summarize the meeting notes for you. Meeting notes are saved in Google Drive, from which you can access them.

Like with most AI-based features, the meeting notes weren’t perfect. I noticed a few mistakes here and there, but they were decent, although not yet as good as taking the notes manually.

Google Meet: Interface and in use

I won’t mince words to say that Google Meet has a stellar interface. User-friendliness is an area where it outshines most competitors. Features are arranged neatly on the dashboard, with minimal background colors and prominently displayed buttons that make the interface easy to grasp.

Even as a first-time user, you’ll likely not have any problem understanding Google Meet’s interface. First-time users have on-screen tutorials to guide them, and a few minutes can be enough to understand the features.

Google Meet is accessible through a web interface or mobile app (iOS and Android). Both offer the same intuitive interface, functionalities, and extensive integration with other Google tools.

Google Meet: Support

Google offers decent customer support, although the available resources depend on your pricing tier.

Free users have access to Google’s Help Center, which contains detailed user guides and tutorials on Google Meet. All Google Meet features are covered in this Help Center, and it’s ideally the first place to visit for troubleshooting problems.

Free-tier users can also visit Google’s official forum and ask questions. Other users provide valuable help, and you can reciprocate by answering questions too. In my experience, Google Meet didn’t give me problems in the first place, so I didn’t need to consult the forum. The slight challenges I faced were quickly resolved by consulting the Help Center.

Expectedly, paid users have access to more support resources than free-tier users. As a paid user, you can contact Google's support team directly to help resolve any issues. You can do this via email, live chat, or telephone and get quick help. Support is generally fast, but users on the highest paid plans are prioritized more than others.

Google Meet: The competition

Videoconferencing is one of the most competitive software niches. Google Meet has many rivals, and the main ones I’d like to highlight are Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

Zoom is a standalone videoconferencing software that blossomed during the Covid pandemic circa 2020 and has remained atop the industry ever since. I’ve extensively tested Zoom to note its pros and cons compared to Google Meet.

Zoom has more advanced functionalities and customization options. It supports a larger number of meeting participants, which can include up to thousands on standard plans. Suppose you want to host a large webinar with over a thousand participants– Zoom is the better choice because its standard plans can host this audience volume, unlike Google Meet.

The drawback is that Zoom isn’t as user-friendly as Google Meet. Zoom’s interface appears more cluttered, partly due to its broader feature set, and it takes longer to become accustomed to the interface than Google Meet’s.

Microsoft Teams offers similar videoconferencing features to Google Meet. However, it provides more complementary features and is integrated with the Microsoft 365 suite of business tools. It offers more customization and third-party integration, both with Microsoft tools and external platforms.

However, I found Google Meet much easier to use– its interface is less cluttered and feels more interactive. Microsoft Teams has extensive features, but there’s a steep learning curve to get used to them.

Google Meet: Final verdict

I’ll recommend Google Meet for personal use and for small to medium-sized businesses. It’s an intuitive platform with robust features and integration with other Google tools.

Google Meet isn’t the best for large enterprises with many hundreds or thousands of employees. It’s also not ideal for companies that are locked into other business software ecosystems like Microsoft 365. Rather, it’s best suited for small to medium sized businesses that want to adopt Google Workspace as their collaborative software suite.

We've featured the best alternatives to Microsoft Office.

I tested Google Chat and found it does its job well when it comes to integrating chat with Google’s productivity software

1:45 pm | October 9, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

Real-time chat is as important in the business world as it is in our personal lives. It enables information to flow smoothly within organizations, as colleagues can communicate with each other quickly when needed. Save for real-time chat, colleagues can also hold group video and audio calls to share ideas and receive feedback.

Google Chat is a real-time communication platform geared for business use. Its features facilitate effective collaboration among employees, and Google Chat is used by many companies worldwide.

However, what are Google Chat’s key features and what features are missing? How does it compare to its main rivals? I tested Google Chat extensively to help you answer these questions. Read to learn what Google Chat offers and how it compares against competitors, and then you can decide if it’s the best choice for your business.

Google Chat: Plans and pricing

Google Chat isn’t a standalone solution. Instead, the business version is offered as part of a Google Workspace subscription, which includes Chat and many other business tools.

Google Chat also has a free version for personal use. This version enables real-time communication between individuals but lacks the collaborative features offered in the business version.

There are three Google Workspace plans: Starter, Standard, and Plus. The Starter plan costs $6 per user per month, the Standard plan costs $14 per user per month, and the Plus plan costs $22 per user per month.

There’s not much difference in the three Workspace plans regarding Google Chat’s core functionalities. The differences are pronounced in other areas, including storage space, AI features, and videoconferencing, but Google Chat’s core features remain the same. For example, the Starter plan provides 30 GB of storage per user, while the Standard plan increases this to 2 TB, and the Plus plan increases it to 5 TB.

There’s an Enterprise Plus plan available to large organizations, but it does not have standard pricing. It’s reserved for large companies (usually 500+ employees) who want to negotiate custom deals with Google’s sales team.

Google offers a 14-day free trial for its Workspace plans. You can use this free trial to test the features before making your final decision. Google doesn’t have a precise refund policy, so ensure you’re comfortable with your plan before making a payment. A refund is possible, but it’ll take hectic back-and-forth conversations.

Google Chat: Features

Real-time chat is the core feature of Google Chat, as the name implies. It enables employees to chat and share important information, much like friends and family do through instant messaging apps.

Like typical instant messaging apps, Google Chat supports both individual chats and group chats. Users can create chat rooms called Spaces and collaborate, share files, and assign tasks to each other. Google Chat supports threaded replies, which makes it easy to keep up with a conversation.

By default, your chats are stored for 24 hours, but you can enable chat history to save them for up to 30 days. The storage time can be longer if you’re subscribed to the Plus plan, which unlocks Google Vault, a data retention service. You can set chats to be stored for your desired period on Google Vault, e.g., 180 or 365 days.

You can search through your chat conversations in detail, helped by Google’s powerful search algorithms. Google is best known as a search engine, so it’s no surprise that Google Chat incorporates a powerful search algorithm. In my observation, it’s much easier to search for specific information from your Google Chat history compared to other chat apps.

This feature may seem trivial, but I almost didn’t expect Google Chat to have read receipts, like typical messaging apps. I’m glad I encountered this feature, which let me know when recipients had read my messages.

Many business messaging apps purposely don't have read receipts, with the rationale that it creates pressure to respond immediately and can be a privacy intrusion. I understand this rationale, but I also find read receipts useful sometimes. However, I didn’t like the fact that Google Chat doesn’t allow users to turn off read receipts; I think users who aren’t comfortable with read receipts should have the option to do so.

You’ll be pleased to know that Google Chat offers much more than chat, thanks to its integration with other Google tools.

If your business is subscribed to Google Workspace, employees will have access to various Google tools, including Gmail, Google Meet, Docs, Slides, and more. It’s the integration with these tools that separates Google Chat from the competition.

For instance, I appreciated that I could initiate chat sessions directly from the Gmail dashboard, rather than having to open a separate Google Chat tab every time. An employee could be scrolling through their emails and notice an important piece of information to share with a colleague. In that case, they can quickly open the chat interface on the same Gmail dashboard and message the colleague.

Google Docs is another helpful integration. When employees are editing documents on Google Docs, they can open Google Chat on the same page and communicate with each other. This way, everyone working on the same document can share their ideas and suggest changes. There’s no need to juggle separate dashboards for document editing and real-time chat; Google delivers both on the same dashboard.

The above integration also applies to Google Sheets, which employees use to create spreadsheets. When multiple people are working on the same spreadsheet, they can use Google Chat to communicate without needing to open a separate tab.

Google Chat can be integrated with Google Calendar, which employees use for scheduling meetings and other events. Thanks to this integration, I could create and share calendar invites right on Google Chat. I also got automatic notifications in Google Chat whenever someone added a new event to the shared calendar.

The Google Drive integration lets users share files directly within chats. If you’ve previously uploaded the file on Google Drive, you can search for it and share it with a colleague, reducing the friction involved in sharing corporate files.

Earlier, when discussing the Spaces (group chat) functionality, I mentioned an example of colleagues assigning tasks to themselves. Google Chat is integrated with Google Tasks, which makes this process seamless. You can create a task directly within the chat menu and assign it to someone; the person will be immediately notified, and the task will be added to their dashboard.

A key feature I haven’t yet touched on is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into Google Chat. AI is rapidly advancing in the technology industry, and Google is one of the companies leading the charge in the AI race. It operates Gemini, a generative AI chatbot that has been integrated into various Google tools, including Chat.

Gemini helped me compose messages when using Google Chat, and I particularly liked its quick reply suggestions. Whenever someone sent a routine message, Gemini suggested several replies, which I could easily pick from. The chatbot also suggests the next words and phrases as you type a message.

I’m not suggesting depending entirely on Gemini when chatting, as it has some flaws, but it saves significant time you would have spent typing mundane responses and thinking of what to write next.

Notably, Google Chat isn’t only integrated with Google tools. It’s integrated with many third-party apps, and you can access these integrations on the Google Workspace app marketplace.

For example, businesses can integrate Google Chat with Jira, a popular project tracking and management platform. With this integration, employees can receive Google Chat notifications about any changes made on Jira. Suppose the due date for a Jira task changes; the people assigned to that task will be notified via Google Chat. This is just an example of many valuable integrations I tested on Google Chat.

Google Chat: Interface and in use

I’ve tested many Google tools, and user-friendliness is a criterion where they perform excellently. Google Chat is no exception. It has a simple interface that I think anyone can find easy to navigate. It doesn’t take much to get used to the interface, thanks to its neat arrangement of features and the use of minimal colors that make navigation easy.

Google Chat’s intuitive interface is in contrast to some business messaging apps I’ve reviewed. While these apps offer more functionalities, their interfaces are often cluttered and require more time to get used to. Google Chat stands out by not having a steep learning curve.

Google Chat is accessible from your web browser or mobile app. Employees can access all features conveniently from their web browser or download the mobile app to chat on the go.

A drawback is that Google Chat lacks a desktop app, unlike some of its rivals. For example, Slack offers a desktop app that I enjoyed using even more than the web version.

Google Chat: Support

Google Chat has decent customer support. If you’re on the free, personal tier, there’s no direct support from Google’s team, but you can consult Google’s Help Center to troubleshoot issues. The Help Center contains user guides and manuals to troubleshoot all Google Chat features.

If you’re a paid Google Workspace subscriber, you can get direct help from Google’s support team. The team is available via email, live chat, or telephone and provides help to resolve problems that you can’t solve yourself.

On the bright side, Google Chat has a user-friendly interface that didn’t give me problems to resolve in the first place. The few hiccups I faced were related to learning how to use some features, and I quickly resolved them via the Help Center.

Google Chat: The competition

Slack and Microsoft Teams are the two main competitors to Google Chat that I’d like to highlight.

Slack is a versatile communication tool with many functionalities. It has an interactive and smooth workflow that makes business messaging enjoyable. It’s highly customizable, for example, by allowing users to receive notifications when someone mentions a specific keyword in a group chat. It has advanced search functionalities similar to what’s available on Google Chat.

I wouldn’t say there’s a clear better choice between Slack and Google Chat; it depends more on your needs. Slack is ideal for large companies due to its extensive customizability and third-party integrations. Google Chat is ideal for smaller companies needing a simple solution or for companies already subscribed to Google Workspace that don’t want to pay extra for a communication tool.

Microsoft Teams isn’t a standalone chat app, but rather one that combines Chat and many other functionalities. It’s similar to having a Google Workspace subscription that unlocks access to many features, including chat, document editing, file storage, and videoconferencing.

Microsoft Teams offers more features and has better customizability than Google Workspace. Regarding chat, Google is a streamlined, lightweight option, while Microsoft provides more advanced features for large organizations.

However, Google Workspace beats Microsoft in user-friendliness. I found it far simpler to navigate than Microsoft Teams, which has a steep learning curve. If you choose Microsoft Teams, expect employees to spend more time getting used to its features.

Google Chat: Final verdict

I recommend Google Chat for companies that already use Google services and need a simple chat tool for employees. The seamless integration with other Google apps makes Google Chat a wise choice in this case.

However, I don’t think Google Chat offers much as a standalone alternative against rivals like Slack. If you’re adopting Google Chat, it should be because you’re adopting the whole Google Workspace ecosystem, not just the chat tool.

We've listed the best online collaboration tools.

I tested Google Sheets and found it to be a highly collaborative spreadsheet editing tool with robust features

11:38 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Tags: Google Sheets | Comments: Off

For a long time, Microsoft Excel has been synonymous with the idea of spreadsheets, owing to its status as the best spreadsheet software. You’d think Microsoft Excel invented spreadsheets, but that’s not the case. The first spreadsheet program was developed several years before Excel.

Excel’s dominance has spawned many competitors seeking to eat into its market share. Google Sheets is one of the leading competitors and, as the name implies, is offered by Google, the company best known for running the most popular search engine.

Google Sheets is a formidable Excel rival designed with a focus on collaboration. It works primarily online, enabling multiple people to collaborate on the same spreadsheet. It has a free tier and paid business plans with advanced features.

I extensively tested Google Sheets so that you don’t have to go through the same stress. This review dives into Google Sheets’ features, pros, cons, and how it fares against Excel and other rivals. Read on to learn what Google Sheets offers and whether it’s the best choice for your business.

Google Sheets 2 — (Image credit: Google)

Google Sheets: Plans and pricing

Google Sheets has free and paid plans. The free plan is notably versatile, although the paid Workspace plans come with extra features. On the free plan, you can edit documents together with other users and access all core Google Sheets features. The free tier’s drawback is that the collaborative features are limited, and it lacks the extensive integration with other Google tools.

Google Workspace has three plans: Starter, Standard, and Plus. At $7 per user per month, the Starter plan unlocks 30 GB of storage for each corporate account and Gemini, Google’s advanced artificial intelligence (AI) assistant. However, Gemini isn’t integrated directly with Google Sheets on this plan; you have to use it as a separate app.

At $14 per user per month, the Standard plan unlocks a sizable 2 TB of storage per corporate account and direct integration with Gemini. On this plan, you can use Gemini directly on Google Sheets, for example, by asking it to create visualizations with the data on your spreadsheet. Gemini adds much more resourcefulness to Google Sheets, which we’ll dive into later.

At $22 per user per month, the Plus plan unlocks 5 TB of storage per account and the same integration with Gemini as the Standard plan. The storage allowance is important because spreadsheets can get voluminous, and so can other files from other Google services, such as videos, photos, and text documents, which also share the same storage space.

With 2 TB to 5 TB of storage on the Standard and Plus plans, respectively, there’s ample space to store many spreadsheets and other essential corporate files. The Starter plan has a lower 30 GB storage allocation, but it can work well for small to medium-sized businesses if managed well.

Notably, there’s an Enterprise Plus plan targeted at large organizations, usually 500+ employees. This plan has no standard pricing. If you represent such an organization, you can contact Google’s sales team to directly negotiate a sales deal.

Google offers a 14-day free trial for its Workspace plans. The free version of Google Sheets also lets you test the features before making a payment.

Google Sheets: Features

If you’ve used Microsoft Excel or other spreadsheet tools, you wouldn’t have issues adjusting to Google Sheets. It has similar mathematical functions and advanced formulas for manipulating data. You can visualize data with charts and graphs, and with the help of the Gemini AI assistant if you’re subscribed to the Standard plan or higher.

Before diving deeper into Google Sheets’ features, it’s crucial to point out its competitive edge: collaboration. Google Sheets was late to the spreadsheet software market, having launched in 2006, compared to Microsoft Excel, which launched way back in 1985 and cemented itself as the go-to spreadsheet software provider.

To compete with Excel, Google tuned its focus to collaboration and shared editing. It made the process of collaborative editing as seamless as possible. Many people can collaborate on the same spreadsheet and monitor each other’s changes.

The owner of a spreadsheet document can invite collaborators and control their access to the document (Viewer, Commenter, or Editor). A Viewer can only scroll through and monitor the changes made on a spreadsheet.

A Commenter can’t implement changes, but they can leave comments on specific parts and suggest changes. For example, they can suggest changing a figure, and the suggestion will be highlighted for the document owner. If the document owner agrees with the suggestion, they can click on “Accept” and implement it with a single click.

Alternatively, the document owner can reject a suggestion from a Commenter. The document owner can accept or reject each suggestion individually, or accept or reject all suggestions at once.

Editors have the same rights as a document owner. They can implement changes without the original owner's prior approval. Google Sheets logs the changes made by every user, so collaborators can always know when and which user implemented specific changes.

You might wonder, “What if an editor makes a change I’m not comfortable with? Can I revert?” Yes, you can quickly resolve this issue with the Version History feature.

Google Sheets automatically saves each version of a document at different points in time. Hence, you can view past edits and restore previous versions of a document. For example, if you don’t like the changes someone made yesterday to a shared document, you can revert the document entirely to the version made the day before yesterday.

Google Sheets 3 — (Image credit: Google)

The Version History feature maintains the integrity of shared documents. It incentivizes accountability from each collaborator, knowing that any change they make can be traced back to them and reverted if needed.

I’ve discussed the collaborative features, but Google Sheets also offers much more. A noteworthy feature is the integration with Gemini, the Google AI assistant unveiled in 2024.

Gemini is a valuable AI assistant that’s similar to the popular ChatGPT. In this case, Gemini is integrated directly with Google Sheets, so you can ask it to perform tasks on your spreadsheet. For example, if you have a spreadsheet listing the salaries of all employees in your organization, you can tell Gemini to calculate the average and median salary from the data. You can also ask it to visualize the salaries in a chart, enabling you to know which teams or levels the salaries are skewed towards.

Gemini has endless more applications. It can create templates for various spreadsheets, generate summaries of spreadsheet data, write formulas for specific calculations, and extract insights from raw data. Gemini cut down the time I would have spent manually handling tasks, and it made using Google Sheets much more convenient.

In this era, a tool like Gemini might seem common, but it wasn’t the case as recently as five years ago. The AI boom, kick-started by ChatGPT in late 2022, has brought many benefits in a relatively short time. Though Google Sheets has many upsides, Gemini was my main highlight. The drawback is that direct Gemini integration is only available on the Standard plan or upwards.

As mentioned, Google Sheets has similar built-in mathematical functions and advanced formulas as Excel. You can apply these formulas to your spreadsheet data and extract insights. If you have an existing spreadsheet made with Excel, you can upload it to Google Sheets and share it with colleagues for collaborative editing.

However, I noticed a flaw when working with Google Sheets. It often slowed down when working with vast spreadsheets, think thousands of columns and rows. The same also occurred when running complex formulas or third-party add-ons to manipulate the spreadsheet data.

However, “slow” is relative. When working with these large datasets, Google Sheets was still very much usable, but it wasn’t as lightning-fast as when working with smaller datasets.

Google Sheets mainly works online, although it has an offline mode that lets you edit spreadsheets without an internet connection. The dilemma is that you need an internet connection to open the spreadsheet in the first place. Another issue is that the collaborative features can’t work without an internet connection, defeating the main benefit of using Google Sheets. The offline version is very limited; Google Sheets is built for collaborative use with an active internet connection.

Google Sheets 4 — (Image credit: Google)

Google Sheets: Interface and in-use

Google Sheets is an intuitive tool that I had no complaints about using. The interface is arranged neatly, making it easy to find the features you need at a specific time. It’s like a typical spreadsheet, with the formatting features at the top and the body below.

When multiple users work on the same tool, you’ll see an icon representing each account currently working on the document. Each account has a unique highlight market, and you can easily monitor every user’s changes.

A slight hiccup is that Google Sheets has a steep learning curve, especially on the keyboard shortcuts, but that’s a general characteristic of spreadsheet tools and not limited to Google.

You can access Google Sheets on your web browser or download the mobile app for Android or iOS. Either way, Google Sheets offers a smooth interface that you can easily familiarize yourself with.

Google Sheets: Support

Google provides sufficient support to Google Sheets users. Its Help Center contains abundant informative resources, including user guides, tips, and tutorials. If you’re new to Google Sheets and need help in familiarizing yourself with its features, this Help Center is the go-to resource because it offers extensive assistance for free.

If you’re a paid Google Workspace subscriber, you can get direct help from Google’s team via email, live chat, or telephone. Support is available 24/7, expectedly for a company as large as Google with global customers.

The good thing is that Google Sheets is a well-designed, user-friendly app, so it wouldn’t give many problems in the first place. The little issues I encountered were in learning how to use key features, but I resolved them via the Help Center. Google Sheets’ numerous features constitute a steep learning curve, so expect some time to get used to its ins and outs.

Google Sheets: The competition

Microsoft Excel is undeniably the main competitor to Google Sheets. Whenever people hear about spreadsheets, Excel is the first platform that comes to mind, and Google Sheets is often an afterthought, but it has some pros compared to Excel.

Google Sheets is cloud-based and highly leans towards collaboration. It’s much easier for multiple people to work on the same document on Google Sheets than on Excel.

Another benefit is that Google provides a completely free version of Google Sheets that includes all core features, unlike the free version of Excel, which has very limited features compared to Excel's full capabilities.

That said, Google Sheets isn’t as advanced as Excel when it comes to analyzing complex, vast datasets. It doesn’t have as many formulas and third-party add-ons to analyze massive datasets. As I mentioned earlier, Google Sheets also often slows down when working with huge datasets, while Microsoft Excel handles these datasets more smoothly.

In summary, Google Sheets excels more (no pun intended) in collaboration and accessibility, while Excel outshines Google Sheets in data analysis and computations.

Google Sheets: Final verdict

Google Sheets has its benefits and drawbacks. If you need a tool that enables seamless collaboration when editing everyday corporate spreadsheets, Google Sheets is a perfect choice. It’s intuitive, easily accessible, and has the typical features you’ll expect in a spreadsheet.

On the other hand, if you need a tool to analyze massive and complex spreadsheets, Google Sheets may not be the best choice. Though advanced, it’s not as sophisticated as Microsoft Excel. Google Sheets’ biggest strength lies in collaborative, real-time editing.

We feature the best office alternatives.

« Previous Page — Next Page »