Which Is Finest for Small Companies in 2023?

Our Microsoft Groups vs Zoom comparability discovered that each platforms provide free-forever plans, integrations, and high-definition (HD) video conferencing. Nonetheless, Microsoft Groups beats Zoom as a result of, greater than digital conferencing, it offers giant assembly and webinar capabilities and crew collaboration options like crew chat and Microsoft app integrations. Zoom, then again, is superb for giant video conferences with its user-friendly interface.

• Microsoft Groups: Higher for budget-conscious Microsoft suite customers wanting a safe digital workspace
• Zoom: Higher for small companies searching for a free plan with sturdy video conferencing instruments

Microsoft Groups vs Zoom at a Look

*Pricing is predicated on Microsoft Groups’ entry-tier plan, Necessities, with annual prepayment.
**Zoom permits quarterly and pay as you go billing in one-, two-, and three-year increments.

Finest Options

Many companies use Microsoft Groups or Zoom as a result of the plans are inexpensive and there are many options to assist a distant workforce. Nonetheless, corporations searching for different choices that provide all-in-one unified communications as a service (UCaaS), voice, video, and chat options, or open utility programming interfaces (APIs), could want a special software.

Just a few Zoom and Microsoft Groups alternate options embody the next:

• RingCentral: Add telephone capabilities with RingCentral’s voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) platform. It has video and audio conferencing, crew messaging, file sharing, and on-screen co-annotation capabilities. Study extra about this supplier in our skilled RingCentral assessment.
• 8×8: 8×8 is a enterprise telephone system with unified communications (UC) options providing telephone calls, enterprise and crew messaging, and video conferencing. Its strongest function is its limitless calls to as much as 48 international locations. This answer is finest for companies with internationally distributed groups or steadily doing enterprise abroad. Discover out if 8×8 is an efficient alternative for your online business by studying our detailed 8×8 assessment.
• Google Meet: Begin or be part of a video convention at no cost utilizing Google Meet. Customers can share screens, co-annotate paperwork, and chat in actual time. Paid variations embody breakout rooms and polling, and seamlessly combine with Google Workspace. Right here’s our complete Google Meet assessment.

Finest for Pricing: Microsoft Groups

Despite the fact that each suppliers provide free variations, Microsoft Groups is way extra budget-friendly than Zoom. Customers save greater than $10 per person, month-to-month for Microsoft Groups Necessities and Enterprise Fundamental in comparison with the Zoom Professional plan. Groups’ Necessities plan hosts as much as 300 contributors for as much as 60 minutes, a lot greater than Zoom’s Professional plan, which stays at 100 individuals for as much as 40 minutes.

Groups’ highest plan prices $12.50 per person, month-to-month for as much as 300 assembly contributors, limitless chat messages, and 1TB of cloud file storage. That is outright cheaper than Zoom’s high plan ($250 per person). Nonetheless, Microsoft Groups solely affords an annual subscription, which may get dear for small companies. Alternatively, Zoom affords month-to-month, quarterly, and yearly billing choices with a reduction.

Finest Free Plan for Conferences: Zoom

In terms of Microsoft Groups versus Zoom’s free variations, each embody crew chats with file sharing and a most participant capability of 100. Small companies doing frequent one-on-one conferences are higher off with Zoom’s limitless two-person conferences. Microsoft Groups imposes a 60-minute time restrict. Zoom’s free plan consists of native recording, ready rooms, and digital backgrounds.

Highlight completely different assembly contributors (Supply: Zoom)

Microsoft Groups nonetheless affords some nice options, e.g., Groups’ group conferences are longer on the free plan, reaching 60 minutes versus Zoom’s 40. Groups’ free plan additionally comes with 5GB of cloud storage for shared information and media, limitless chat messages, and helps real-time collaboration utilizing Microsoft 365 functions. Zoom permits co-annotation inside paperwork however doesn’t provide free storage capability.

Finest for Massive Video Conferences: Zoom

Zoom and Microsoft Groups are on our checklist of the perfect video conferencing software program, however Zoom is the higher alternative for giant video conferences with an choice to extend attendees to 500 or 1,000 individuals. Zoom’s social streaming function is a part of all subscriptions, and customers can retailer as much as 1GB of movies per license within the cloud. One other Zoom benefit is how simple it’s to affix a gathering. Individuals be part of by clicking one hyperlink—no assembly ID, code, or obtain is required.

Breakout rooms can be found in all Zoom plans. Microsoft Groups solely unlocks this function in its high two tiers. What units Microsoft Groups aside is its tight integration with the complete Microsoft 365 software program stack, permitting customers to make use of Microsoft Groups with Microsoft functions seamlessly.

Finest for Distant Collaboration: Microsoft Groups

Microsoft Groups earns a high spot for distant teamwork as a result of Zoom is primarily a video conferencing software. Microsoft Groups is a feature-rich platform combining video conferencing, crew chat, and collaboration capabilities. “Collectively” mode is exclusive to Microsoft Groups and places video contributors right into a shared background.

Different instruments, like greater cloud storage limits and e-mail internet hosting, flip Microsoft Groups right into a unified communications (UC) platform. Customers talk through video, e-mail, or chat, make plans utilizing shared to-do lists, and consolidate all chats, lists, and duties in a single dashboard.

Create personal groups to plan for actions and collective updating (Supply: Microsoft Groups)

Notably, Microsoft Groups lacks co-annotation throughout display screen sharing, which implies you possibly can’t mark up a display screen collectively except utilizing the whiteboard function. That is barely extra sophisticated than Zoom’s easy co-annotation function.

Zoom permits customers so as to add annotations when display screen sharing. (Supply: YouTube)

Finest for Apps & Integrations: Microsoft Groups

Whereas evaluating Microsoft Groups vs Zoom in apps and integrations, we discovered that Microsoft Groups trumps Zoom. That is for the easy purpose that paid plans include Microsoft Workplace and productiveness suite apps. These apps enhance your crew’s capabilities with out buying further software program. Microsoft Groups integrates with varied productiveness, communication, undertaking administration, and buyer administration apps and software program.

Whereas Zoom integrates with Microsoft Outlook and hundreds of different productiveness, calendar, scheduling, and different enterprise apps, it doesn’t have its software program suite. Nonetheless, many apps hook up with Zoom when evaluating Groups vs Zoom.

Finest for Safety & Buyer Help: Microsoft Groups

Microsoft Groups and Zoom each meet or exceed trade safety requirements with superior encryption and multi-channel buyer assist, together with telephone, chat, and e-mail choices. Nonetheless, Microsoft Groups wins over Zoom as a result of its additional safety and assist measures can be found at a decrease price and and not using a minimal variety of customers. Zoom has a 10-user minimal to unlock single sign-on (SSO), the admin portal, and telephone assist.

Zoom and Microsoft Groups have one thing in frequent—each provide two-factor or multi-factor authentication, however on Groups, this isn’t optionally available and can’t be turned on or off. Microsoft Groups plans include a 99.9% service stage settlement (SLA), whereas Zoom doesn’t point out an SLA in its plan comparisons.

Incessantly Requested Questions (FAQs)

Which is simpler to make use of: Zoom or Microsoft Groups?

Zoom is simpler to make use of as a result of it’s devoted to video conferencing. In distinction, Microsoft Groups is a complete UC platform with crew chat, calling, and productiveness options. Nonetheless, Groups has extra complete UCaaS options and is deeply built-in with completely different Workplace 365 functions. Thus, studying use Groups could contain a brief studying curve.

Can you utilize Zoom & Microsoft Groups collectively?

Sure. Customers can combine and use Zoom and Microsoft Groups with out switching platforms. The mixing helps you to create a gathering in Groups and examine it in your Zoom account. Customers can provoke conferences or be part of one utilizing both platform.

Is cellular display screen sharing supported on Microsoft Groups or Zoom?

Sure, Microsoft Groups and Zoom enable customers to share their screens on iOS and Android telephones. Cellular gadgets have a “Share” button on the underside of the display screen, and tapping will open a listing of choices, together with the supply of the information to be shared.

How We Evaluated Microsoft Groups vs Zoom

Microsoft Groups and Zoom provide free plans and paid subscriptions for solopreneurs and small to mid-sized companies. To provide you with an goal Groups vs Zoom comparability assessment, we recognized small companies’ priorities when selecting a VoIP and video conferencing supplier. These embody pricing, normal options, collaboration instruments, and total ease of use and recognition.

Right here’s an entire breakdown of those elements that we thought of to judge the distinction between Zoom and Groups:

• Pricing: We examined the tiered pricing fashions to find out the month-to-month and annual price of Microsoft Groups vs Zoom. We additionally regarded on the availability of free plans, minimal and most numbers of customers, billing choices, and whether or not annual or volume-based reductions can be found.
• Normal options: We did a Zoom vs Groups options comparability, particularly what the free and paid plans provide. We examined audio and video conferencing limits, in-meeting collaboration instruments, and cloud storage. We additionally thought of the varieties of integrations and apps with subscriptions and the safety and buyer assist channels obtainable to customers.
• Ease of use: We checked out Zoom vs Microsoft Groups and the way intuitive the interfaces are on the browser or web-based platforms and cellular gadgets. This included the method for scheduling and beginning a video assembly and utilizing options like display screen sharing and digital backgrounds.
• UC groups: We zeroed in on collaboration options and evaluated how the 2 platforms stacked in opposition to one another concerning distant teamwork and collaboration. We scored instruments greater for providing crew messaging, file sharing, co-annotation, and whiteboards.
• Skilled rating: Our skilled rating for this Zoom vs Microsoft Groups comparability thought of the distinctive or standout options, person suggestions, and our expertise with the platform, and rated the merchandise in keeping with the perfect total worth for the cash.

Backside Line

Microsoft Groups and Zoom are high crew collaboration and net conferencing platforms offering safe companies and cellular apps. Nonetheless, Microsoft Groups is the higher choice as a result of it permits for a less expensive pricing mannequin that features collaboration options, not simply video conferencing capabilities. One in every of its standout benefits is its seamless integration into Microsoft functions, an ecosystem broadly used amongst small companies.

Nonetheless, in case you want an easy-to-use platform with in depth built-in video conferencing performance, look no additional than Zoom. It affords a free plan with sturdy options and a contemporary interface, and it doesn’t require a obtain to affix conferences, which is superb for exterior conferences with purchasers and companions.