Zoom vs Microsoft Teams: Which online meeting platform should you choose?

Choosing the right Communication and collaboration platform is a crucial strategic decision for every company. Zoom and Microsoft Teams are two of the most popular solutions on the market, but which is a better fit for your organization's needs? This guide helps you make an informed decision by highlighting the main differences between the two platforms and discussing key selection criteria.

Zoom vs. Teams: Comparing Functionality

Zoom: The specialist for video conferences

Zoom is known for its outstanding video conferencing features. It was developed specifically for virtual meetings and focuses on an intuitive user interface and high reliability.

Key Features:

• Number of participants: Up to 100 participants per meeting in a free package, in the Business variant (for 17.49 EUR/month) up to 300 participants.
• Breakout rooms: During a Zoom meeting, the entire group can easily be divided into several small groups, the so-called Breakout rooms. These are perfect for smaller group discussions or live exercises.
• Whiteboards: Zoom offers editable whiteboards during video conferences.
• webinars: Enable paid add-ons major events with up to 10,000 spectators.

Microsoft Teams: Online meetings, collaboration & more

Microsoft Teams is part of the so-called Microsoft 365 Suite and provides a comprehensive collaboration platform that integrates chat, file sharing, project management, and video conferencing.

Key Features:

• Chats and channels: For internal & cross-team communication during and after meetings.
• Integration with Microsoft 365: Seamless integration and direct access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint.
• Video conferences: Up to 300 participants (more in Enterprise plans).
• File sharing and storage: Seamless real-time collaboration and centralized storage of documents and files.
• Telephony: With a telephone connection, landline phone calls can be made and received by teams.

Microsoft Teams is much more than a video conferencing tool — it's a comprehensive platform for corporate collaboration. Are you looking for a versatile tool for cross-departmental collaboration with channels and chats, MS Teams is a recommended choice as it offers more features than Zoom. However, does your organization already have a collaboration solution such as Slack or Google Chat and you only need one Affordable video conferencing option, Zoom is the better alternative.

We have now analysed the core functions of both platforms. But what about usability?

Ease of use: How easy are MS Teams and Zoom to use?

Zoom: The intuitive user interface makes Zoom ideal for beginners. Attendees can dial in to meetings with just a few clicks, even without previous technical knowledge.

Microsoft Teams: A bit steeper start, especially for users who are not familiar with the Microsoft environment. However, once the platform is understood, it offers more extensive options.

Both platforms prove to be user-friendly and easy to use, especially when it comes to online meetings. When it comes to the Microsoft Teams interface, there's a difference: While Zoom is clearly focused on video conferencing, Teams offers a comprehensive platform for collaboration with chats, channels, files, and other features. This variety of options can seem overwhelming at first, but when used regularly, it proves to be extremely productivity-boosting once users have found their way around the structure.

Pricing model: How do Teams and Zoom differ in terms of pricing?

Zoom:

• Free version: Meetings with up to 100 participants, but limited to 40 minutes.
• Pro: $12.49/month/user — No time limit, use of AI Companion, 5GB cloud storage.
• Business: $17, ,49/month/user — Up to 300 participants, unlimited use of whiteboards, booking calendar.

Microsoft Teams:

Microsoft Teams is available as part of Microsoft 365, with pricing varying by plan:

• Microsoft Teams Essentials: €3.70/month/user: 10 GB cloud storage, Recording team meetings, real-time collaboration with data sharing.
• Microsoft 365 Business Basic: €5.60/month/user — Includes basic Microsoft 365 services, phone support, personalized business email.
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard: €11.70/month/user — Comprehensive collaboration tools, desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint & Outlook.
• Office 365 E3: €31.50/month/user — For enterprise solutions.

Integration and expandability

Zoom: Integrates well with third-party tools such as Slack, Salesforce, or Sally AI. However, it has less extensive integration options than teams.

Microsoft Teams: Deeply integrated into the Microsoft 365 environment, providing seamless access to tools such as SharePoint, Planner, and OneDrive. Teams also offers an extensive library of apps.

Security: How secure is my data with Zoom & MS Teams?

The security of personal and business data is a decisive factor when choosing a communication platform. Both Zoom and Microsoft Teams have invested significantly in security measures in recent years to meet the growing needs of their users. But how secure is your data really, and what are the two platforms doing in terms of compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?

Zoom: Advances and challenges in data protection

Zoom has made headlines in the past due to security breaches and privacy issues, such as the so-called “zoom bombing” trend in 2020, but the company has significantly improved its security measures since then. Key measures include:

End-to-end encryption (E2EE): Zoom offers end-to-end encryption for meetings, meaning that only participants have access to the encrypted content. This protects sensitive information from unauthorized access, even by Zoom employees.

Advanced security features: Standard options include password protection, waiting rooms, and the ability to remove unwanted participants from meetings.

GDPR compliance: Zoom claims to meet the requirements of the GDPR. The company has set up servers within the EU and offers European customers the option to store data in the region. However, there are always discussions about whether the GDPR is being fully complied with, in particular with regard to the transfer of data to the USA.

Concerns: Data protectionists have occasionally pointed out that the processing of personal data in the USA could still pose a risk, as US authorities can theoretically request access to this data under the CLOUD Act. Users should therefore carefully review Zoom's privacy policy and consider additional protective measures.

Microsoft Teams: Security based on Microsoft 365

Microsoft Teams benefits from the strong security architecture and extensive data protection measures of the Microsoft 365 platform. Key features include:

Data encryption: Microsoft Teams encrypts data in transit and at rest to ensure that unauthorized third parties cannot access it.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Using MFA adds an additional layer of protection that makes unauthorized access to user accounts difficult.

GDPR compliance: Microsoft is fully committed to GDPR compliance and provides customers with detailed controls to meet data protection requirements. European data can be stored in data centers within the EU, and Microsoft regularly publishes reports on privacy and security standards.

Concerns: Although Microsoft Teams is considered trustworthy under the GDPR, there is also the fundamental challenge of data processing by a US company. The Schrems II decision of the European Court of Justice has made the lawfulness of data transfer to the USA more difficult, which may also be relevant for Microsoft.

Both platforms offer a high level of security, but there are differences in how they approach and perceive their GDPR compliance. While Zoom has made significant progress to compensate for previous weaknesses, Microsoft Teams is benefiting from Microsoft's established infrastructure and data protection standards.

Users should carefully review the respective security features and privacy policies and take additional measures as needed, such as using encryption tools or configuring secure meeting settings. Especially for companies that process sensitive data, it is crucial to obtain comprehensive information about potential data protection risks and compliance issues.

Zoom vs MS Teams: Which platform is better suited to your company?

Zoom is ideal when:

• Your company needs a simple and powerful video conferencing solution.
• Your focus is on virtual meetings and webinars.
• the organization is already using other collaboration tools

Microsoft Teams is ideal when:

• You're looking for a comprehensive collaboration platform.
• Your company is already using the Microsoft 365 suite.
• You need an all-in-one solution for communication, project management, and file sharing.

Conclusion: Zoom or MS Teams - Which video conferencing tool is better?

The decision between Zoom and Microsoft Teams depends heavily on Your company's requirements off. While Zoom is great for video conferencing, Microsoft Teams provides a more versatile platform for collaboration. When choosing, consider the range of features, usability, costs, and integration options.

A trial period can help you find the best solution for your business. Try out both platforms to see which one best meets your needs.