Summary
Microsoft Teams Meetings and Zoom Meetings share many core capabilities, but they also differ in several key areas. Based on internal documentation and recent comparisons, here’s a breakdown of how they compare and what to consider. This document provides a bridge between Zoom and Teams Meetings. That is, core capabilities of both platforms along with key differences. At the time of preparing this document, note that no decisions or actions have been made on the future of Zoom. Senior leadership is exploring Teams, as we already pay for Teams in our Microsoft license.
Before You Start
Consider that while Teams Meetings and Zoom are both remote conferencing platforms and share some similarities, they are different applications and likely use brand-specific terminology, buttons, and tools to activate features and tools. Your quest to find success with Teams begins with adapting your thinking, wants, needs, and understanding of meetings in Zoom to how these meetings may operate in Teams.
Steps
This section does not present steps but rather documents key features that are common to both, and different between, Zoom and Team meetings.
Core Capabilities: Both Platforms Offer
- Video Conferencing: High-quality video and audio with support for large meetings.
- Screen Sharing: Share entire screens, specific windows, or applications.
- Breakout Rooms: Both support breakout sessions for small group collaboration.
- Recording: Meetings can be recorded; Zoom offers local/cloud options, while Teams integrates with OneDrive, SharePoint, and optionally Panopto.
- Closed Captioning: Real-time captions and transcription are available on both platforms.
- Waiting Rooms / Lobbies: Control over who can join meetings and when.
- Chat: In-meeting chat and persistent chat threads (Teams has deeper integration with channels).
- Calendar Integration: Zoom integrates with Google and Outlook; Teams is natively integrated with Outlook and Microsoft 365.
- Security Controls: Both offer encryption, meeting locks, and admin-level controls.
Key Differences to Consider
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Feature
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Microsoft Teams
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Zoom
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Participant Limits
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Up to 300 (standard), 1,000+ with add-ons
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100 (free), 300 (licensed), 1,000+ with add-ons
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User Interface
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Integrated with Microsoft 365; may feel complex to new users
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Streamlined and intuitive for first-time users
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Static/Permanent Personal ID (PMI)/Meeting Room
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No PMI like Zoom, but you may create and reuse Teams Channel and Recurring Meetings links
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Permanent Personal Meeting ID (URL link)
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Backgrounds & Filters
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Custom backgrounds and Together Mode
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More extensive background and filter options
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Webinar Support
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Available via Teams Live Events or Teams Premium
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Strong native webinar tools with registration and analytics
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Integration with M365
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Deep integration with Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams Calling
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Limited M365 integration; better with Google Workspace
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Storage & Access
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Recordings stored in OneDrive/SharePoint; Panopto optional
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Cloud/local storage with expiration controls
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Ease of Use
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Better for organizations already using Microsoft 365
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Generally easier for new users or external guests
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Additional Resources
More information on how to utilize Microsoft Teams features may be found in this Knowledge Base article: Article Content - Teams Meetings: Help from ...