Video Conferencing has seen a significant rise in use along with an explosion in remote work during the Covid-19 pandemic, between 2019 and 2021. Even after removing social distancing restrictions after 2022, remote work, while falling slightly, remained higher than before the pandemic in 2019. (The rise in remote work since the pandemic and its impact on productivity)

With the pandemic event and the rise of remote work, video conferencing saw a parallel rise in use as meetings now needed to also be remote. In particular, Zoom saw a significant use and adoption rate over competitors such as the now discontinued Skype.

So, as of today, in 2026, which of the top video conferencing platforms do many prefer? Let’s dive into the top two: Zoom and Microsoft Teams (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams).

While both tools support video calls, collaboration, screen sharing and recording, they differ slightly and have some advantages over each other.

Zoom Meetings

Zoom Meetings is best known for its simplicity, reliability, and high-quality video conferencing. It gained massive adoption during the Covid-19 pandemic remote work boom and held onto its adoption and market share as the solution for virtual meetings, webinars, and online classes.

Key strengths of Zoom include:

• Easy meeting setup and joining – you can join a meeting from a web browser without needing to download software
• Strong performance even on low bandwidth – Important for connecting participants who may not have a high-speed Internet connection
• Advanced webinar and meeting host controls
• Broad compatibility across devices and operating systems – It’s not limited to a particular operating system (OS). Connect with most browsers or with most mobile devices.

Zoom is often favored by organizations that want a dedicated video conferencing solution without a steep learning curve. With its ease of use and many useful functions, it’s no wonder it took off rapidly when so many users suddenly needed to meet virtually.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform that combines video meetings, chat, file sharing, and app integrations in one workspace. It is tightly integrated with Microsoft 365, making it especially attractive to companies already using MS Office applications, such as Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Key strengths of Microsoft Teams include:

• Persistent team chat and channels
• Seamless Microsoft 365 integration – Share documents and easily collaborate edits within the MS-365 environment
• Strong security and compliance features – Important for keeping information confidential within your organization

Teams is designed less as a standalone meeting tool and more as a hub for teamwork and productivity.

Zoom vs Microsoft Teams: Feature Comparison

Ease of Use

Zoom excels in usability. Users can join meetings with a single link and from a browser. While applications are available and you can create a Zoom account, neither are necessary to connect to video meetings. Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, while powerful, can feel more complex due to its channels, tabs, and integrations.

Video and Audio Quality

Both platforms deliver high-quality video and audio. Zoom is widely praised for consistent performance and features like virtual backgrounds and breakout rooms. Teams performs well but can be more dependent on system resources and network conditions. Zoom has a slight edge in this area.

Collaboration and Productivity

Microsoft Teams has the advantage over Zoom here. Teams allows users to chat before, during, and after meetings, co-edit documents in real time, and manage projects within channels. Zoom offers chat and integrations, but collaboration is not its core focus. It’s not entirely difficult to collaborate within a Zoom meeting, but the integration of Microsoft Teams is seamless.

Third-party Integrations

Zoom integrates with many third-party apps such as Slack, Salesforce, and Google Workspace. Microsoft Teams has fewer external integrations but deep, native connections with Microsoft 365 apps. If your organization already implements Microsoft 365, it’ll be easier to stay with their platform. However, being able to collaborate with users across many different platforms gives Zoom the clear advantage.

Pricing

Zoom offers a popular free plan with a 40-minute limit on group meetings with up to 100 participants, plus tiered paid plans. Microsoft Teams is often bundled with Microsoft 365 subscriptions, which can be cost-effective for businesses already paying for Office tools. Again, Teams has the advantage only for organizations already subscribing to Office 365, but Zoom is better for users across multiple platforms.

Security and Compliance

Both Zoom and Microsoft Teams offer enterprise-grade security, including encryption, admin controls, and compliance certifications. Microsoft Teams has an advantage for organizations in regulated industries due to Microsoft’s long-standing compliance infrastructure.

Which platform to choose?

If you want fast, reliable video conferencing with ease-of-use and collaboration across multiple platforms, choose Zoom.

If your organization uses Microsoft 365, you need ongoing collaboration, not just meetings, and you want chat, files, and meetings in one platform, Microsoft Teams should be your choice.

Other Platforms

Zoom and Teams are the top two video conferencing platforms, but a few others also follow behind with usage and adoption.

• Google Meet– Similar to Zoom, is user-friendly, has both free and low-cost pricing, and integrates with Google Docs and Google Drive for online collaboration
• WebEx – Great for live polls and Q&A sessions. Has free and paid pricing tiers, similar to Zoom.
• GoToMeeting – This one has many security features great for organizations. However, it doesn’t have a free tier, leading to its low adoption.

For whatever your needs, we hope this helps you learn more about the different video conferencing platforms and helps you decide which to use.

Resources

Zoom vs Microsoft Teams Statistics 2026: Who Leads in Users, Features & Growth

10 Best Video Conferencing Software Of 2025

Zoom vs. Microsoft Teams – Ultimate Fighting Championship 2026!

The Art of Networking in the Age of COVID-19 Pandemic