Microsoft Teams vs Zoom

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration tool designed to improve internal communication. Zoom is a web conferencing software that facilitates high-performance video and audio conferencing both internally and externally.

Microsoft Teams is a popular choice for businesses that use Office 365 products. It is packaged in with the Office 365 suite and syncs up well with other Microsoft technologies. Zoom is used by companies that are looking for high-quality video conferencing that is easy to set up for both employees and external users.

Some companies make use of both Microsoft Teams and Zoom. These companies use Microsoft Teams for its chat features and its integrations with Office 365 and use Zoom for all their web conferencing.

Features

Microsoft Teams and Zoom both provide web conferencing features, but also have unique features that set them apart.

Microsoft Teams includes a robust chat service that allows users to communicate quickly without setting up a conference. Syncing with Office 365 also makes collaboration easy by allowing file sharing and calendar support. Microsoft’s feature set is focused around perfecting internal communication.

Zoom is focused on video and audio conferencing. Zoom makes for easy conferencing even with users that are not part of the company account. Zoom also provides features such as multiple screen sharing to support web-based presentations. Lastly, Zoom web conferences boast high-quality video and audio.

Limitations

Microsoft Teams and Zoom both provide strong features in their area of expertise, but they also have some limitations that can impact their effectiveness.

Microsoft Teams loses some of its utility if a business is not using the Microsoft suite of office software. This is important to consider as Microsoft Teams also lacks many third-party integrations. Additionally, Microsoft Teams is missing some advanced conferencing features like multiple screen share.

Zoom has powerful web conferencing features but is missing some of the collaboration features that Microsoft Teams has, such as the chat feature. Zoom also experiences some performance issues with international conferences if the connection is less than perfect. Lastly, The free pricing plan for Zoom has a time limit of 40 minutes on group conferences.

Pricing

Both Microsoft Teams and Zoom offer a free version of their software with limited functionality.

Microsoft Teams is included in Office 365, which has three tiers of pricing. The cheapest option is $5.00 per user per month and includes a small number of Office services including Teams and SharePoint. The Office 365 Business Premium plan costs $12.50 per user per month and includes the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, etc.). Lastly, the Microsoft 365 Business Plan costs $20.00 per user per month and includes advanced security protection. All Microsoft Team’s plans require a one year commitment.

Zoom’s Pro pricing tier costs $15.00 per host per month and allows meetings as long as 24 hours. The business tier costs $20.00 per host per month and includes custom branding. Lastly, the enterprise tier costs $20.00 per host per month and requires at least 50 hosts. This plan includes unlimited cloud storage.

Which is Right For You?

Microsoft Teams is a good choice for organizations that use Microsoft software. Microsoft Teams easily integrates with Microsoft’s office suite of products as well as other software such as SharePoint. Lastly, Microsoft Teams is great for businesses that can make use of the collaboration features such as the live chat function.

Zoom is ideal for businesses that want the best quality audio and video conferencing available. Additionally, Zoom might be preferable for businesses that conference with people outside the company network frequently, as it is simple to set up outside audio/video meetings. Zoom may also be a good choice for small businesses that can make best use of its free version.