Communication & Telecoms Software
Microsoft Teams
Chat, video meetings, and calling bundled into Microsoft 365 — the default for organizations already on Office.
Solo / FreelancerSmall businessMedium businessEnterpriseGlobal
Last reviewed Jul 17, 2026 · Pricing verified Jul 17, 2026
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DEV-TOP · horizontalOur take
Best for organizations already on Microsoft 365 who want chat, meetings, and calling under one bundled subscription rather than stitching together separate tools — the free tier's 60-minute group-meeting cap makes it less useful standalone than Zoom's free plan for ad hoc video calls.
Choose this if...
- Organizations already standardized on Microsoft 365/Office apps
- Enterprises wanting one vendor for chat, meetings, files, and calling
Look elsewhere if...
- You're not on Microsoft 365 and just want a lightweight standalone chat or video tool
- You need PSTN business calling out of the box — Teams Phone is a separate paid add-on
Visit Microsoft Teams
This is a direct link to Microsoft Teams— we don't currently earn anything from it.
Pricing
Verified Jul 17, 2026 against Microsoft Teams's own pricing page.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Key limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Free | Unlimited 1:1 calls up to 30 hours, group meetings capped at 60 minutes, up to 100 participants per meeting, 5 GB cloud storage/user |
| Microsoft Teams Essentials | 4 USD/mo | 4 USD/yr | Per user, billed yearly; up to 300 users, 10 GB storage/user, 30-hour meeting duration, 300 participants |
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | 7 USD/mo | 7 USD/yr | Per user, billed yearly; up to 300 users, 1 TB storage/user, adds web/mobile Office apps and Exchange email |
| Microsoft 365 Business Standard (with Copilot) | 23.5 USD/mo | 23.5 USD/yr | Per user, billed yearly; up to 300 users, 1 TB storage/user, desktop Office apps plus Copilot AI features |
Free tier reality
The standalone free Teams plan is genuinely usable — unlimited 1:1 calls (up to 30 hours), group meetings up to 100 participants, though group calls are capped at 60 minutes and storage at 5 GB/user. Real business phone calling requires a separate Teams Phone add-on ($10-34/user/mo depending on calling plan) on top of a paid Teams/Microsoft 365 tier — it is not included in any tier listed here.
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DEV-MID · rectanglePros
- Deep, native integration with Outlook, SharePoint, and the rest of Microsoft 365
- Free tier's 30-hour 1:1 calling and 100-participant meetings are genuinely generous
- Scales cleanly from free individual use up to enterprise-grade Teams Rooms hardware
Cons
- Business phone calling is a separate paid add-on layered on top of a paid Teams tier, not included
- Free tier's 60-minute cap on group meetings is more restrictive than Zoom's 40-minute-but-larger-focus free tier for ad hoc calls
- Full value requires buying into the broader Microsoft 365 ecosystem
Key features
- Channel-based team messaging and 1:1/group chat
- Video meetings up to 300 (paid) or 1,000+ (Enterprise) participants
- Deep Microsoft 365 app integration (Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive)
- Teams Phone add-on for PSTN calling
- Teams Rooms for meeting-room hardware
Integrations
- VERIFY
Platforms
- web
- ios
- android
Regional fit
Global service; data residency options available on higher tiers — VERIFY current regional coverage.
- Global
Best for
Alternatives
Slack
Pick this instead if: Teams already living in a messaging-first workflow who want the deepest app-integration ecosystem
Google Meet
Pick this instead if: Teams already using Gmail, Google Calendar, and Docs day-to-day
Quo (formerly OpenPhone)
Pick this instead if: Small teams and solo professionals wanting a modern, app-first business phone number
Discord
Pick this instead if: Small, informal teams and creator/community-driven businesses already comfortable with Discord's culture
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DEV-BOTTOM · horizontalWas this review of Microsoft Teams helpful?
Microsoft Teams FAQ
Questions about this tool
Is Microsoft Teams free?
Yes, there's a free tier. The standalone free Teams plan is genuinely usable — unlimited 1:1 calls (up to 30 hours), group meetings up to 100 participants, though group calls are capped at 60 minutes and storage at 5 GB/user. Real business phone calling requires a separate Teams Phone add-on ($10-34/user/mo depending on calling plan) on top of a paid Teams/Microsoft 365 tier — it is not included in any tier listed here.
How much does Microsoft Teams cost?
Free. We verify pricing directly against Microsoft Teams's own pricing page — see the pricing table above for the full breakdown of plans, and check the verified date before making a decision, since software pricing changes often.
Who is Microsoft Teams best for?
Organizations already standardized on Microsoft 365/Office apps Enterprises wanting one vendor for chat, meetings, files, and calling
Who should avoid Microsoft Teams?
You're not on Microsoft 365 and just want a lightweight standalone chat or video tool You need PSTN business calling out of the box — Teams Phone is a separate paid add-on
Does Microsoft Teams work well outside the US?
Global service; data residency options available on higher tiers — VERIFY current regional coverage.
What are the best alternatives to Microsoft Teams?
Worth comparing: Slack, Google Meet, Quo (formerly OpenPhone), Discord. See the Alternatives section above for why you might pick one of these instead.