Microsoft Teams
Based on 3599 reviews and ratings
Zoom
Based on 4180 reviews and ratings
Highlights
Microsoft Teams is a collaboration tool designed to streamline internal communication. Zoom began as a tool dedicated to high-quality video conferencing, but recent updates have added new communication and collaboration features.
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 primarily used by companies that need high-quality video conferencing with minimal setup for both employees and external users. Some companies use both Microsoft Teams and Zoom: Microsoft Teams for its chat features and Office 365 integrations, and Zoom for web conferencing.
Microsoft Teams is used mostly by mid-sized companies and large enterprises, likely due to its inclusion with the Office 365 suite. Zoom, on the other hand, is popular with businesses of all sizes, likely due to its low barrier to entry and emerging ubiquity as a go-to video chat solution.
Features
Microsoft Teams and Zoom both provide web conferencing and chat features, but they still have unique distinctions that set them apart from each other.
Microsoft Teams’s collaboration features benefit greatly from the software’s Office 365 integration. For example, multiple users can simultaneously view or edit Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Visio files within Microsoft Teams. Recent updates have added more privacy, usability, and administration features to the platform’s video conferencing. Granular lobby control, increased meeting capacity, customizable video backgrounds, improved support for in-browser meetings, and virtual whiteboard tools help make Microsoft Teams a more robust option for remote workplaces and large virtual meetings.
Zoom’s simple, high-quality video and audio conferencing is its core feature. 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. Recent updates have added more features to round out the software, such as a channel-based chat interface (similar to applications like Slack) and a calendar pane that integrates with both Google and Office 365 calendars.
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. Microsoft Teams can also suffer from a clunky UI and a steep learning curve, leading to frustration if users aren’t properly trained on how to use the software.
Zoom has powerful web conferencing features but is missing some of the collaboration features that Microsoft Teams has, such as live document editing. Zoom also experiences some performance issues with international conferences if the connection is less than perfect. Some platforms, such as Chromebook, may be lacking polish or feature parity with other versions of Zoom. 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 Business Basic tier is $5.00 per user per month and includes a small number of Office services including Teams and SharePoint. The Business Standard plan costs $12.50 per user per month and includes the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, etc.). Lastly, the Office 365 E3 plan costs $20.00 per user per month and includes advanced security protection and support for hosting online events with up to 10,000 attendees. All Microsoft Team’s plans require a one year commitment.
Zoom’s Basic pricing tier is free and allows unlimited one-on-one meetings and 40-minute group meetings with up to 100 participants. The Pro pricing tier costs $15.00 per license per month and allows meetings as long as 24 hours. The Business tier costs $20.00 per license per month and includes custom branding and SSO options, with group meetings of up to 300 participants. Lastly, the Zoom United Business tier costs $30.00 per license per month and requires at least 10 licenses. This plan includes unlimited cloud storage and phone features.
Which is Right For You?
Microsoft Teams is a good choice for organizations that already use the Office 365 suite. 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.
Provided by the TrustRadius Research Team
Published on April 24, 2020
Feature Set Ratings
Project Management
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Task Management

Gantt Charts

Scheduling

Workflow Automation

Mobile Access

Search

Visual planning tools

Communication
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Chat

Notifications

Discussions

Surveys

Internal knowledgebase

Integrates with GoToMeeting

Integrates with Gmail and Google Hangouts

Integrates with Outlook

File Sharing & Management
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Versioning

Video files

Audio files

Document collaboration

Access control

Advanced security features

Integrates with Google Drive

Device sync

Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
High quality audio

High quality video

Low bandwidth requirements

Mobile support

Screen Sharing
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Desktop sharing

Whiteboards

Online Meetings / Events
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Calendar integration

Meeting initiation

Integrates with social media

Record meetings / events

Slideshows

Online Events Collaboration
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Live chat

Audience polling

Q&A

Online Events Security
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
User authentication

Participant roles & permissions

Confidential attendee list

Attribute Ratings
- Microsoft Teams is rated higher in 1 area: Likelihood to Renew
- Zoom is rated higher in 5 areas: Likelihood to Recommend, Usability, Support Rating, Contract Terms and Pricing Model, Professional Services
- Microsoft Teams and Zoom are tied in 1 area: Implementation Rating
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Likelihood to Renew
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Usability
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Availability
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Performance
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Support Rating
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Implementation Rating
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Product Scalability
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Professional Services
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft Teams
Zoom
Pros
Microsoft Teams
- Video calls are great with Microsoft Teams. They've made big improvements over the last year and I rarely have issue with getting on. It's nice when things just work.
- The most used functionality is, of course, the chat feature. It does what it's supposed to do and you can create chat groups from whoever you'd like. We use it a lot when there is a special project and a team from various groups get together for a short period of time to get things done.
- An overlooked function is the ability to search anything within Microsoft Teams. Any photo, document, or chat can be searched and found pretty easily. I can't tell you how many times this has saved me from having to rewrite something or start over.
Zoom
- The ease of hosting & joining meetings with a simple URL.
- The ability to screen-share and share control of screens seamlessly makes collaboration even better.
- Participants limit in a zoom meeting is way better than other collaboration tools.
- Ability to restrict unwanted users from joining the meeting even with the meeting password.
Cons
Microsoft Teams
- Sometimes pings are not instantaneous, especially when there are more than 100 participants in the Teams meeting
- Gets hung up once in a while when the system is loading
- Some headphone/Bluetooth connectivity issues. I turn on my Bluetooth just after receiving a Teams call notification. Sometimes the audio doesn't switch to Bluetooth and sometimes the sound is completely lost after connecting the call. In both cases, I had to completely reboot the system.
Zoom
- Sharing zoom complete information is not visible on the screen, and also a bit is confusing minimizing and maximizing.
- Every time someone enters the chat, a chat box appears on my screen, and some features are missing from this version.
- Automatic conference connection based on a schedule isn't an option, and neither is enhanced security measures.
Pricing Details
Microsoft Teams
General
Free Trial
—Free/Freemium Version
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
—Entry-level set up fee?
Starting Price
Microsoft Teams Editions & Modules
Edition
Free | $0.001 |
---|---|
Microsoft 365 Business Basic | $5.001 |
Microsoft 365 Business Standard | $12.501 |
Office 365 E3 | $20.001 |
- per user/per month
Additional Pricing Details
Discounts are available for non profit organizations.Zoom
General
Free Trial
Free/Freemium Version
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Entry-level set up fee?
Starting Price
Zoom Editions & Modules
On-premise Edition
Virtual H.323/SIP Room Connector | $491 |
---|---|
Business | 19.991 |
- per month
SaaS Edition
Basic | Free1 |
---|---|
Pro | 14.992 |
Business | 19.992 |
Enterprise | 19.992 |
- Free
- per month/per license
Additional Pricing Details
Discounts available for each plan if you pay annually.Likelihood to Renew
Microsoft Teams
Zoom
Usability
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Reliability and Availability
Microsoft Teams
Zoom
Performance
Microsoft Teams
Zoom
Support Rating
Microsoft Teams
Zoom
Implementation Rating
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Alternatives Considered
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Microsoft Teams

Zoom
Scalability
Microsoft Teams
Zoom
Professional Services
Microsoft Teams
Zoom
Return on Investment
Microsoft Teams
- I think it has allowed us to leverage our Office365 more effectivly since all of the apps are synced together.
- It has really allowed us transition away from more formal webex meetings and have a more free flow conversation.
- It also gives us a more direct line to our manager if we need there input they can easily join our team chat.

Zoom
- It enables me to send and receive messages from my team members during video calls, handling online presentations.
- With the ability to quickly stop, mute, and even receive notifications when someone enters or exits the meeting room, I'm never obligated to show up while making a call.
- It is possible to record online meetings for future reference and more effective customer service. As we dealt with a lockdown, Zoom helped our business run smoothly.