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Microsoft Teams vs. Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Microsoft Teams

    Score8.2 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft Teams combines video conferencing software with team collaboration tools. The communications platform allows MS Office users to conduct conference calls and share files via SharePoint, and join or initiate a group chat.

    $4.80

    per month per user

    Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)

    Score6.5 out of 10
    N/ASkype for Business was an online messaging and conferencing tool, now superseded by Microsoft Teams.N/A
    Pricing
    Microsoft TeamsSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    Editions & Modules
    Microsoft Teams Essentials
    $4.80
    per month per user
    Microsoft Teams Enterprise
    $5.25
    per month (paid yearly) per user
    Microsoft Teams Enterprise
    $5.25
    per month per user
    Microsoft 365 Business Basic
    $7.20
    per month per user
    Microsoft 365 Business Standard
    $15
    per month per user
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Microsoft TeamsSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsDiscounts are available for non profit organizations.—
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Microsoft TeamsSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    Considered Both Products
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    Discontinued Products
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    90%
    Would buy again
    255 Answers
    80%
    Would buy again
    85 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    95%
    Delivers good value for the price
    225 Answers
    94%
    Delivers good value for the price
    80 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    90%
    Happy with the feature set
    255 Answers
    92%
    Happy with the feature set
    98 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    92%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    144 Answers
    94%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    46 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    93%
    Implementation went as expected
    174 Answers
    93%
    Implementation went as expected
    56 Answers
    Features
    Microsoft TeamsSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    Project Management
    Comparison of Project Management features of Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    Feature
    Microsoft Teams
    8.2
    241 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    Task Management8.1179 Ratings00 Ratings
    Gantt Charts8.196 Ratings00 Ratings
    Scheduling8.3208 Ratings00 Ratings
    Workflow Automation8.4126 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile Access8.2229 Ratings00 Ratings
    Search7.6212 Ratings00 Ratings
    Visual planning tools8.4143 Ratings00 Ratings
    Communication
    Comparison of Communication features of Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    Feature
    Microsoft Teams
    8.0
    251 Ratings
    0% above category average
    Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    Chat9.0250 Ratings00 Ratings
    Notifications8.4249 Ratings00 Ratings
    Discussions8.7235 Ratings00 Ratings
    Surveys8.2146 Ratings00 Ratings
    Internal knowledgebase8.6157 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integrates with GoToMeeting6.547 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integrates with Gmail and Google Hangouts5.743 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integrates with Outlook9.1155 Ratings00 Ratings
    File Sharing & Management
    Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    Feature
    Microsoft Teams
    8.2
    236 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    Versioning8.6168 Ratings00 Ratings
    Video files8.4202 Ratings00 Ratings
    Audio files8.8200 Ratings00 Ratings
    Document collaboration8.9216 Ratings00 Ratings
    Access control8.6198 Ratings00 Ratings
    Advanced security features8.5158 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integrates with Google Drive5.353 Ratings00 Ratings
    Device sync8.6172 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software
    Comparison of Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software features of Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    Feature
    Microsoft Teams
    -
    Ratings
    Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    8.0
    195 Ratings
    1% above category average
    High quality audio00 Ratings9.1191 Ratings
    High quality video00 Ratings9.0185 Ratings
    Low bandwidth requirements00 Ratings5.0181 Ratings
    Mobile support00 Ratings9.0146 Ratings
    Screen Sharing
    Comparison of Screen Sharing features of Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    Feature
    Microsoft Teams
    -
    Ratings
    Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    7.0
    191 Ratings
    13% below category average
    Desktop sharing00 Ratings9.0191 Ratings
    Whiteboards00 Ratings5.0120 Ratings
    Online Meetings / Events
    Comparison of Online Meetings / Events features of Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    Feature
    Microsoft Teams
    -
    Ratings
    Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    9.3
    188 Ratings
    13% above category average
    Calendar integration00 Ratings10.0174 Ratings
    Meeting initiation00 Ratings9.5182 Ratings
    Integrates with social media00 Ratings8.182 Ratings
    Record meetings / events00 Ratings9.0143 Ratings
    Slideshows00 Ratings10.0115 Ratings
    Online Events Collaboration
    Comparison of Online Events Collaboration features of Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    Feature
    Microsoft Teams
    -
    Ratings
    Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    7.5
    173 Ratings
    7% below category average
    Live chat00 Ratings8.5171 Ratings
    Audience polling00 Ratings7.094 Ratings
    Q&A00 Ratings7.094 Ratings
    Online Events Security
    Comparison of Online Events Security features of Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    Feature
    Microsoft Teams
    -
    Ratings
    Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    6.8
    156 Ratings
    17% below category average
    User authentication00 Ratings9.0142 Ratings
    Participant roles & permissions00 Ratings8.5148 Ratings
    Confidential attendee list00 Ratings3.0109 Ratings
    VoIP system collaboration
    Comparison of VoIP system collaboration features of Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    Feature
    Microsoft Teams
    -
    Ratings
    Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    7.8
    1 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Video conferencing00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
    Audio conferencing00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Video screen sharing00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Instant messaging00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Microsoft TeamsSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    Small Businesses
    Flock
    Score9.5 out of 10
    ClickMeeting
    Score9.5 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Troop Messenger
    Score9.8 out of 10
    JioMeet
    Score9.8 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Cisco Business Edition 7000 (discontinued)
    Score9 out of 10
    Webex Meetings
    Score8.7 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Microsoft TeamsSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.6
    (329 ratings)
    8.4
    (198 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.0
    (12 ratings)
    9.0
    (7 ratings)
    Usability
    8.7
    (114 ratings)
    9.0
    (14 ratings)
    Availability
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    8.0
    (114 ratings)
    8.5
    (40 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    7.0
    (2 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    6.3
    (7 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Professional Services
    7.0
    (7 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Microsoft TeamsSkype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Microsoft
    It's amazing as a daily driver for team communication, and document search/store. Also, if you're doing a lot of LONG meetings and have trouble remembering details, the AI summarization is amazing and convenient. It just works. I'm not saying I always do this, of course, but if I need to 'skim' instead of really digging into every detail from a meeting, the AI-generated summary is generally good enough that I can get away with it.
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams is a remote/virtual team collaboration tool must have...especially if you already use Microsoft tools. Of course, since it now part of an MS 365 subscription, it really doesn't make sense to use anything else. It is easy to use and just works. I'm not sure how anyone who works with digital files/documents and needs to work with other people doing similar work can be effective without such a tool. Of course, there are a number of alternatives like Zoom or Webex, but why pay or use another separate tool if you don't need to. :-)
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Microsoft
    • All in one communication for Teams.
    • High quality and reliable both audio and video meetings.
    • Well organized and clear instant chat.
    • Excellent security features.
    • Beautiful integration with 3rd party tools and systems.
    • Perfect compatibility with windows ,android and iOS.
    • Allow meetings recordings for later us or sharing with teams that missed the live.
    Incentivized
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    Discontinued Products
    • Instant messaging to anyone who we know only by name/email. Even if they're offline, they get the message in missed convos and a notification automatically goes to them via Outlook mail. All conversations are saved and accessible via Outlook.
    • Video and voice calls are a norm in the WFH scenario, and an average employee has around 4-5 calls a day. Skype gives notifications for upcoming meetings, allows easy scheduling via outlook calendar, and its audio/video quality [is] reasonably good compared to the amount of data it consumes.
    • Status availabilities - in the WFH scenario, you could be off for lunch, out of office, busy, sharing screens - and might not want to be disturbed. Skype allows you to do that, and in case you're off, ensures that you know that you have missed messages.
    • Screen sharing - we have to share screens at least once or twice a day with a coworker when working on some issues/features, and Skype easily lets us do that. One of the best things about Skype is that the screen can be shared without being on a video/voice call - which is of immense advantage because oftentimes, you could prefer sharing the screen, while it [is] too noisy to talk.
    Read full review
    Cons
    Microsoft
    • The webinars feature has some missing functionally such as the ability for all users to use the Q&A feature (only those with a Microsoft Teams account can use it now), the ability to upload documents for attendees to easily access and download, and the ability for presenters and organizers to easily chat amongst themselves throughout the webinar.
    • The "Channels" organization hierarchy could be more clear. If you have several channels set up, it can get clunky and hard to find the specific channel you are looking for.
    • The MS Planner tool lacks functionality and organization. You cannot assign more than one person to a task and it's confusing when you try to share tasks with people - it would be nice if they were automatically added to someone's calendar.
    Incentivized
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    Discontinued Products
    • Connection issues can be hard to diagnose when they come up(as some knowledge of server information may be needed to reestablish as the connection troubleshooting options on the sky are not as user-friendly as the rest of the platform.
    • Some issues setting up camera/sound could use more info on troubleshooting options with playback sound, video, etc.
    • Statuses sometimes are unreliable and do not display correctly .
    Incentivized
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    Likelihood to Renew
    Microsoft
    Microsoft Teams is included with our Office 365 subscription and we have no intention of migrating off of Office 365 and Microsoft products. Since Microsoft Teams is included for free with our Office 365 subscription, and since we enjoy all the features, benefits, and functionality, there is no question that our team will continue to use the product
    Incentivized
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    Discontinued Products
    The software is simple to install and configure. It is rather simple to explain for correct use. It is possible to profile users for the different functions offered. It is integrated quite completely with Outlook and with Active Directory security. It performs all communication functions well with one or more interlocutors and the possibility of granting control of your computer is convenient.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Microsoft
    If you have the full Microsoft Office suite, it works really well because it's integrated well within its ecosystem, but if not, it can be annoying because it tries to open a shared file in the web versions of the file equivalents. The web version is also a bit slow, and the login is very difficult to handle if you have multiple Microsoft or Outlook accounts.
    Incentivized
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    Discontinued Products
    Very easy to use. Even though Microsoft Teams has a lot of features and integrations, as a user I feel completely comfortable on finding what I need, getting information about the app extensions and using them. It's a very comprehensive tool, intuitive design and does not make me feel tired to be using it. I am glad with the current experience.
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    Reliability and Availability
    Microsoft
    Rare, but outages do happen
    Incentivized
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    Discontinued Products
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    Microsoft
    Sometimes about once a week I get a message that says "Sorry, there seems to be something wrong". But it goes away in a few minutes.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Microsoft
    The overall support provided by Microsoft for Microsoft Teams has been quite good but there is still some room for improvements. Microsoft needs to proactively work on fixing the open bugs in order to provide a seamless experience to the users. But over the service and experience provided by the Microsoft team have been quite satisfactory.
    Incentivized
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    Discontinued Products
    I have only had to reach out to the Support team at Skype for Business once with an issue, and I was pleasantly surprised and encouraged by the quickness and thoroughness of their response. The wait time was short and my question was dealt with politely and clearly, so I would say the support team has it together.
    Incentivized
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    Implementation Rating
    Microsoft
    I find everything I need for my day-to-day work.
    Incentivized
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    Discontinued Products
    Skpe for business is utilized company wide in regards to my company. Everyone not only uses it, but uses it often. It is an effective way of communicating. It also integrates very nicely with outlook and all conversation history is pushed to a folder within the outlook system. We also have it so that if someone misses a message, they are sent an email reminder saying that there is a message that went unread.
    Incentivized
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    Alternatives Considered
    Microsoft
    Microsoft Teams offers a much more integrated experience between their chat and video call function compared to Google Chat and Slack. Both other tools are much better for internal communications are they have simpler UI without other features. Whereas Microsoft Teams can be used for more critical conversations, particularly between external companies, and has been very useful in sales conversations which is what we chose it for when speaking to companies that work exclusively through Microsoft.
    Incentivized
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    Discontinued Products
    For the below reason I will always choose this app over its competitors: Better audio and video quality, Little to no disconnections or freezing when on a call/video conference Integrates well with mailbox/ calendar/ one drive, and SharePoint is easy to use
    Read full review
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    Microsoft
    Honestly, this tool is worth every penny. Yes, it's not free and you pay for the quality of services and the license. But the ROI and the benefits are all there. Also, the renewal, negotiation, and contract terms are all very well explained by our Microsoft account manager, and she's a charm.
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    No answers on this topic
    Scalability
    Microsoft
    It does not appear to have a limit to how many teams and employees we can have using it
    Incentivized
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    Discontinued Products
    No answers on this topic
    Professional Services
    Microsoft
    I used Skype for Business to take calls, hold conferences, and provide remote assistance to users. Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, is superior to Skype for Business in my opinion. My job entails a lot of screen sharing.
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Microsoft
    • Personally, I would say that by using Microsoft Teams, it upped my collaboration with my colleagues by around 50% or around more than half of what I usually did prior to using it.
    • I had 100% show rate and attendance on all of my meetings in the past 6 months.
    • If I may add, I also have been chattier & collaborative towards my colleagues in past 3 months particularly the month of December when we had huge traffic at work. I would estimate this behavior to have been increased by around 60% than what I usually incur during normal operating days.
    Incentivized
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    Discontinued Products
    • Skype for Business has enabled a migration in part away from fixed line telephony and introduced the user to mobile working with a headset which cannot be overstated as being a game changer.
    • Being able to schedule Skype for Business meetings through Outlook has meant meetings with colleagues without a meeting room has been a great enabler.
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots