Zoom vs. Teams. Which one is right for you?
As we’ve been adjusting to remote working while our students try to adjust to remote learning, Zoom and Microsoft Teams have become significant parts of our workdays. This sudden upswing of use has folks almost as divided as the iPhone vs. Android debate. So, Zoom or Teams? The answer is really in how you use it and what features your usage requires.
Both Teams and Zoom allow users to place video and audio calls, share screens and files, as well as utilize a chat service. Teams can host up to 250 people in a video conference and up to 10,000 for a live presentation, while Zoom hosts up to 100 participants on a basic account (more depending on licensing agreements). From there, they diverge; while Zoom is single user-based, Teams can be organization-based, allowing your entire team to add, collaborate, and work together. Teams incorporates all the Microsoft Office 365 interface, allowing for automatic backup and searchable files.
Although the Office 365 integration is an advantage over Zoom, Zoom’s features include longer meeting abilities and allows for greater control over security and other options. Zoom allows the host to assign an autonomous co-host that can begin meetings and then further assign a co-host of their own. This allows for one person in your office to schedule a set of meetings while not needing to attend to start the meeting or use its full set of features. Additionally, the ability to pre-assign breakout rooms makes Zoom handy for group work. Zoom has options for waiting rooms as well, which ensures a presenter is set and ready prior to participants joining the meeting. It also incorporates a cloud-based recording function, including options to save the meeting chat for later review. This is great for online presenters when the material would be helpful later, especially when questions are received and/or responded to via the chat system.
Which is right for you or your team? We can’t say, but knowing the available features and which service provides the options best suited to your meeting needs, can help you make the best choice for your digital meetings!