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Video conferencing software · head to head

Zoom vs Microsoft Teams

Sebastiaan Smits Editor Sebastiaan Smits · Published September 30, 2026 · Updated October 20, 2026

Zoom is a meetings product first, strongest when the other party is outside your company, with AI Companion included on paid plans. Microsoft Teams is a workplace hub inside Microsoft 365 where meetings sit next to chat, files and retention policies. Firms whose calendar is full of client and partner calls tend toward Zoom; Microsoft 365 firms meeting mostly internally should already be using Teams.

Side by side

ZoomMicrosoft Teams
What it isMarket-leading meetings platform grown into a work suiteMeetings, chat and calling inside Microsoft 365
Best forExternal-facing teams of any sizeMicrosoft 365 organizations
HeadquartersUnited StatesUnited States
Pricing modelPer user / monthPer user / month
PricingPer user per month on published tiers, with a free plan capped at 40 minutes per meeting; webinars, rooms, phone and larger meetings are add-ons.Included in many Microsoft 365 business plans or sold as Teams Essentials per user per month; phone, rooms and Copilot are extra.
Free optionFree planFree trial
Place in our video conferencing software ranking#4 of 14#5 of 14
Websitezoom.commicrosoft.com

Both are reviewed in full in Best Video Conferencing Software in 2026. Position in that ranking can be paid for; the wording of a review or of this comparison cannot. Placement disclosure.

Which one to choose

Choose Zoom if

most of your meetings involve clients, candidates or partners, you run large external events, and you are not committed to the Microsoft 365 way of working.

Zoom, #4 in the ranking · Visit Zoom →

Choose Microsoft Teams if

your company runs on Microsoft 365, meetings are mainly internal, and you want recordings, chat, files and retention rules governed in one place.

Microsoft Teams, #5 in the ranking · Visit Microsoft Teams →

Where they differ

Meeting people outside the organization

Zoom is what most outsiders expect when an invitation arrives, though in the site's view its app nudges guests to install. Teams lets unsigned guests join if admins allow it, but they show as unverified, lose meeting chat before and after the call, and in a browser see a single video stream or shared screen at a time. For client-facing work, Zoom is smoother.

Edge: Zoom

Meetings as part of daily work

Teams stores channel files in SharePoint and OneDrive, so tenant-wide compliance rules apply to them, and admins govern recording, transcription and Copilot through meeting policies. Zoom now sells chat, phone and docs too, but for a Microsoft 365 customer those duplicate tools already owned. As an internal hub for a Microsoft shop, Teams is the clear choice.

Edge: Microsoft Teams

Meeting sizes

Zoom Pro hosts 100 participants, Business 300 and Enterprise 500 or more, with larger meetings sold as an add-on. Microsoft documents Teams meetings of up to 300 people on Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard, Premium and Teams Essentials, and up to 1,000 on E3, E5 and similar enterprise plans. Meetings run up to 30 hours on either. Sizes are comparable tier for tier.

Edge: even

AI notes and the add-on bill

Zoom lists Pro at $14.16 per user per month billed annually, with AI Companion summaries included, then sells webinars, large meetings, rooms and phone separately. In Teams, Copilot in meetings needs an add-on Microsoft Copilot license per user, and some meeting controls require Teams Premium. For AI meeting notes without a second license, Zoom is simpler.

Edge: Zoom

Webinars and big external events

Zoom Webinars reach up to 100,000 attendees, with Q&A, polls, simulive sessions and streaming to social platforms. Microsoft retired Teams live events on June 30, 2026 and points organizers to its unified webinars and town halls; breakout rooms work only in events of up to 1,000 attendees. For a public-facing event program, Zoom is the more developed platform.

Edge: Zoom

Tally: Zoom 3, Microsoft Teams 1, even 1.

When neither fits

A company on Google Workspace needs neither: Google Meet is already included and joins from the browser. A small client-facing business that wants only simple calls with no download or account for guests is better served by Whereby.

See Google Meet and Whereby among the 14 products in Best Video Conferencing Software in 2026.

Questions and answers

Should a Microsoft 365 company pay for Zoom on top of Teams?

Usually not if meetings are mainly internal, because Teams is likely already licensed and tied to SharePoint, OneDrive and meeting policies. A second platform earns its cost when external guests struggle with Teams, or when you run webinars larger than Teams events handle comfortably.

Is Zoom or Microsoft Teams better for client meetings?

Zoom, in the site's view. Outsiders expect it, and Teams guests without a work account join as unverified participants with fewer features, and in a browser see only one video stream or shared screen at a time. Zoom's desktop app does push guests toward an install, so test it with your own clients.

Are AI summaries included in Zoom and Microsoft Teams?

Zoom includes AI Companion on its paid plans, and the free Basic plan gets a few summaries a month. In Teams, Copilot in meetings requires an add-on Microsoft Copilot license for each user who wants it. Budget for that difference if AI notes are a requirement.

How many people can join a Zoom or Teams meeting?

Zoom allows 100 participants on Pro, 300 on Business and 500 or more on Enterprise. Teams allows 300 on Microsoft 365 business plans and Teams Essentials, and 1,000 on enterprise plans such as E3 and E5. Zoom Webinars go up to 100,000 attendees.

Sources

Prices, plan limits and product facts on this page were checked against the vendors' own pages on September 30, 2026. Vendors change both without notice, so treat the figures as of that date.