Microsoft Teams is an enterprise collaboration platform bundled with Microsoft 365, combining team messaging, video conferencing, file sharing, and app integrations in one workspace. It replaced Skype for Business as the primary communication tool for enterprise Microsoft customers and has grown to 320 million monthly active users. Teams deeply integrates with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Azure Active Directory — making it the default choice for organizations in the Microsoft ecosystem.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft's team collaboration platform combining chat, video meetings, file sharing, and Microsoft 365 — the go-to for enterprise teams.
Best for: Organizations already using Microsoft 365 — Teams is included in their subscription and provides tighter integration with Office apps, SharePoint, and Azure Active Directory than any alternative
- Free plan
- $4 / user / month
4.4/5 ratingEditorial score 80/100microsoft.com
Starts at
$4 / user / month
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Editorial score80/100
The editorial note
What to know about Microsoft Teams
Is it right for you?
Who Microsoft Teams suits
Choose it if
- Organizations already using Microsoft 365 — Teams is included in their subscription and provides tighter integration with Office apps, SharePoint, and Azure Active Directory than any alternative
Look elsewhere if
- Organizations outside the Microsoft ecosystem needing a faster, simpler messaging tool — Slack provides a better communication experience for teams not tied to Office and Azure
What you get
Key features
- Team messaging and channels
- Video conferencing and webinars
- File sharing with Office co-editing
- SharePoint integration
- Teams Phone VOIP
- App integrations marketplace
- Together Mode and meeting rooms
- Teams Rooms for conference rooms
Works with
Integrations8
What it costs
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $4 / user / monthBilled monthly | Unlimited group meetings, 10 GB file storage, and live captions |
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | $6 / user / monthBilled monthly | Teams with 1 TB OneDrive, Exchange email, and web apps |
| Microsoft 365 Business Standard | $12.50 / user / monthBilled monthly | Full desktop Office apps, webinars, and advanced meeting features |
Prices are recorded from the vendor's public pricing page and can change. Check before you buy.
The trade-off
Pros and cons
Pros
- Included in Microsoft 365 subscription at no additional cost for existing customers
- Deep integration with Word, Excel, PowerPoint — co-edit documents directly in Teams
- Enterprise-grade security and compliance with Microsoft's regulatory certifications
- Teams Phone replaces traditional phone systems with cloud-based calling
- Large app marketplace with integrations from Salesforce, ServiceNow, Adobe, and hundreds more
Cons
- UI and navigation are more complex and less intuitive than Slack or Zoom
- Performance can be sluggish compared to Slack, especially on older hardware
- File organization in Teams and SharePoint is confusing for non-technical users
- Free plan is more limited than Slack's free tier for non-Microsoft 365 users
Quick read
At a glance
- Category
- Business & Productivity
- Pricing model
- Freemium
- Entry plan
- $4 / user / month
- Free plan
- Available
- Free trial
- Not listed
- Website
- microsoft.com
Head to head
Microsoft Teams compared
The verdict
Our take on Microsoft Teams
If your organization pays for Microsoft 365, Teams is a no-brainer — the cost is zero and the Office integration is unmatched. If you're not in the Microsoft ecosystem, Slack offers a better experience and more developer-friendly integrations. The Copilot AI features are genuinely useful for meeting-heavy organizations, though the $30/user/month add-on pricing is steep.
Editorial review
From the journal
Editorial review of Microsoft Teams
If your organization pays for Microsoft 365, Teams is a no-brainer — the cost is zero and the Office integration is unmatched. If you're not in the Microsoft ecosystem, Slack offers a better experience and more developer-friendly integrations. The Copilot AI features are genuinely useful for meeting-heavy organizations, though the $30/user/month add-on pricing is steep.
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