Virtual conferencing and business communication is on the rise. With pandemic restrictions, the demands for online communication and virtual offices saw a significant increase this year.
Many businesses and individuals adopted online communication methods. Both ZOOM and Microsoft Teams are great tools when it comes to online communication.
We have compiled a list of comparative features for you to choose the best option for your requirements.
1) Account Set-Up and Interface
Account setup with ZOOM is a simpler task than with Microsoft Teams. You can create a new ZOOM account with an email address or even a Facebook ID.
ZOOM video conferencing and webinar attendees do not need an account too. With Microsoft Teams, users need to set up a Microsoft 360 account and use the Teams function for video calls.
The user interface and experience are clean and easy for both platforms. Overall, ZOOM offers an easier account setup and participation experience.
2) Product Features and Options
Both platforms come with several video conferencing and video calling features. Screen sharing, file transfers, IM, chats, and call recording features are standard for both platforms. ZOOM takes an edge over Microsoft Teams with its ability to quickly include external participants with a shareable link.
At the same time, the Team’s restricting feature for external users makes it a more professional option for businesses with more internal communication needs.
3) Pricing
Microsoft Teams offers a free account with up to 100 participants. The video calls length is usually up to 60 minutes. You can currently host up to 300 participants in 24 hours, making it free for a certain participant limit. Its paid plans come with Microsoft 365 pricing and plan to start at $ 5 onwards.
ZOOM has a similar free plan with up to 100 participants and a 40-minute video calling length limit. Both these limits have been eased currently. ZOOM’s price plans start at $149.90 with an option of purchasing up to 10 user licenses.
Microsoft Teams’ pricing plan has a cheaper option than ZOOM.
4) Supported Platforms
Supported platforms for video communication or any other social media platform are very similar. Both ZOOM and Teams support desktop/online and mobile applications. Supported platforms for both ZOOM and Microsoft Teams include:
- Windows, Mac, and Linux. (Team does not support Linux currently)
- IOS and Android
- Online browser extensions for both
5) Third-Party Integration
Both ZOOM and Microsoft Teams offer third-party integration coding and APIs. ZOOM has an open-source API coding policy, making it an easily accessible tool for developers. Microsoft Teams also offers a wide set of coding and API tools to let developers integrate with their platform with customization.
6) Business Telephone
Many businesses are shifting their internal communication from traditional telephone systems to cloud and internet-based phone systems.
Microsoft Team offers a cloud-based phone system ads-on with its 365 office package. The phone system offers a comprehensive set of features using PSTN without needing an additional conferencing license.
Some of the features that come with the Microsoft Team phone system include:
- Cloud Compliance Recording
- Call Queue
- Direct routing
- Audio conferencing
- Extension dialing
- Centralized Teams admin center
ZOOM has also launched a similar cloud-based phone system solution for business clients. It also comes with most of the features mentioned above for Microsoft Teams.
7) Marketplace Applications
Microsoft Teams come with an option of over 700 external applications. As the Teams app comes in with a Microsoft 365 bundle, it’s hard to compare the additional features with ZOOM here.
ZOOM also offers a wide range of third-party apps, including Slack, G Suite, Gmail, Hubspot, etc.
Microsoft Teams app utility for both in-package and third-party integration has a larger pool of options than ZOOM. Microsoft has embedded the Teams application with other MS 365 office apps, so the comparison becomes of two different platforms here.
8) Privacy and Security
Microsoft has been in the technology and internet business for decades now. ZOOM was launched in 2011. It faced an unexpected growth in its demand very recently. ZOOM has seen several security and privacy issues publically.
Again, comparing an industry household name like Microsoft with ZOOM would seem unreasonable. However, objectively speaking Microsoft Team offers a more secure experience to its customers than ZOOM.
9) A Quick Wrap-Up
Both ZOOM and Microsoft Teams offer great video conferencing and communication tools for both individuals and corporate clients. However, Microsoft’s TEAM application comes with its office 365 subscription that offers plentiful utility apps.
For businesses with large public events like Webinars, ZOOM offers a more suitable option. For professional businesses looking for internal communication with a bundle of other Microsoft features, TEAMS offers the perfect solution.
