Zoom excels in video conferencing quality and ease of use with superior HD/4K capabilities, while Microsoft Teams integrates seamlessly with Office 365 and enterprise workflows at a lower cost for existing Microsoft users. The choice depends on whether you prioritize standalone meeting excellence or integrated productivity suite functionality.
Zoom vs Microsoft Teams — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Zoom if you prioritize superior video quality (4K support), standalone meeting reliability, and don't need deep productivity tool integration—it dominates the dedicated conferencing space with 43.7% market share. Choose Microsoft Teams if you're already invested in Microsoft 365, need seamless Office/Outlook integration, and want unified communications with lower total cost of ownership for enterprise users.
Compare Zoom Video Communications, Inc. vs Microsoft Teams
Cloud-based video conferencing platform specializing in high-quality meetings and webinars.
Comprehensive unified communications platform combining video conferencing, chat, and file collaboration.
Maximum Participants in Standard Meeting
Global Market Share for Video Conferencing (2024)
Zoom Video Communications, Inc. — Wikipedia
Zoom vs Microsoft Teams — Comparison Data
Structured comparison data for Zoom vs Microsoft Teams with 142 attributes.
Free Tier Meeting Duration for Group Calls
Global Enterprise Video Conferencing Market Share (2024)
Maximum Free Tier Group Meeting Duration
Advanced Chat Features (Channels, Threading, Workflows)
3-Year Total Cost of Ownership (1,000 users)
Enterprise Deployment Adoption (500+ seat orgs)
3-Year TCO Advantage for 1,000 Users with M365
Annual Subscription Cost (Pro, 100 users)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro/Standard)
Annual TCO (1,000 users, 3-year average)
Maximum Video Conference Participants (Free)
Zoom vs Microsoft Teams — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Zoom vs Microsoft Teams.
Can I use Zoom or Teams for free, and what are the limitations?
Yes, both offer free plans. Zoom's free tier allows unlimited 1-on-1 meetings but caps group meetings at 40 minutes for 3+ participants. Microsoft Teams offers 60-minute group meetings with unlimited participants at no cost. Both include 1-5 GB storage. Choose Teams for longer free group calls; choose Zoom if you need unlimited 1-on-1 meetings.
Which is better for screen sharing and document collaboration?
Microsoft Teams excels at document collaboration with native Office 365 integration—edit Word/Excel files in real-time during calls without leaving the platform. Zoom offers robust screen sharing and recording but requires third-party tools (Google Drive, Dropbox) for document co-editing. Teams wins for unified productivity workflows.
How much does each platform cost for a business with 100 employees?
For Zoom: $189.99/year × 100 = $18,999/year for Pro plan. For Teams: Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($6/month) includes Teams at $7,200/year for 100 users, plus full Office suite access. Teams is 60% cheaper when bundled with Microsoft 365. If you already use Microsoft 365, Teams costs nothing extra.
Which platform has better video quality and is more reliable for large meetings?
Zoom supports 4K video (vs Teams' 1080p) and handles up to 1,000 participants with better optimization for larger groups. Zoom dominates video conferencing quality with 43.7% enterprise market share. Teams maxes at 300 participants and 1080p but excels at reliability within Microsoft's enterprise infrastructure. Choose Zoom for webinars; choose Teams for corporate integration.
Do I need a Microsoft account to join a Teams meeting, or can guests join like in Zoom?
Teams allows guests to join via browser links without accounts, but it's slightly less frictionless than Zoom. Zoom lets attendees dial in or join directly without any account creation. If ease of guest access is critical, Zoom has a slight edge. Teams guests may see additional sign-in prompts.