Zoom dominates video conferencing with superior meeting quality and ease of use, while Microsoft Teams excels as an integrated workplace platform with deeper Office 365 integration and better collaboration features for enterprise users already in the Microsoft ecosystem.
Microsoft Teams vs Zoom — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Zoom if you need the simplest, most reliable video conferencing with minimal setup and best-in-class call quality for external meetings and webinars. Choose Microsoft Teams if your organization uses Office 365, requires deep document collaboration, persistent team communication, and wants to consolidate tools into one platform.
All-in-one workplace collaboration platform with video, chat, and Office integration
Industry-leading video conferencing platform with advanced features and enterprise reliability.
Microsoft Teams vs Zoom — Comparison Data
Structured comparison data for Microsoft Teams vs Zoom with 214 attributes.
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)
Free Tier Meeting Duration for Group Calls
Global Enterprise Video Conferencing Market Share (2024)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro/Standard)
Annual TCO (1,000 users, 3-year average)
Maximum Video Conference Participants (Free)
Average Setup Time for New Recording/Meeting
AI Transcription Support (Standard Tier)
Auto-Generated Captions Languages Supported
Enterprise Plan Starting Price (Monthly)
Microsoft Teams vs Zoom — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Microsoft Teams vs Zoom.
Can I use Teams or Zoom for free without time limits?
Microsoft Teams offers unlimited free group meetings with no duration restrictions. Zoom's free plan limits group meetings to 40 minutes with 3+ participants, though one-on-one calls are unlimited. For organizations needing frequent group calls, Teams wins on free tier functionality.
Which platform integrates better with Microsoft Office?
Microsoft Teams is deeply integrated with Office 365—you can co-author documents in Teams without switching apps, access OneDrive and SharePoint files directly, and calendar invites sync with Outlook automatically. Zoom requires third-party integrations or manual setup for Office file access.
What's the video quality difference in real-world use?
Both support 1080p standard, but Zoom's 1080p is consistently cleaner and maintains quality better in poor network conditions. Zoom also offers 4K at 60fps on Pro plans versus Teams' 4K at 30fps (premium only). For external client/customer meetings where first impression matters, Zoom's video quality is demonstrably superior.
Which is cheaper for a 1,000-person company?
Microsoft Teams at $15-20/user/month standalone (or bundled in Microsoft 365) costs $15,000-20,000/year. Zoom Pro at $20.99/user/month costs $250,000+/year. However, if your organization already pays for Microsoft 365, Teams' marginal cost is zero, making it significantly cheaper.
Can meeting participants join without creating an account?
Yes, with Zoom—you can click a meeting link and join instantly without signing up. Microsoft Teams requires at least a guest account or Microsoft login, adding 2-3 minutes of friction for external participants. This makes Zoom superior for ad-hoc external meetings.