Choosing Teams or Zoom for SMBs
Kalamazoo, MI | August 5th, 2026
This article at a glance:
- Teams and Zoom are both industry-leading options for SMBs.
- Zoom is better for organizations with fewer communications needs.
- Teams provides comprehensive communications solutions, but at a slight learning curve.
In just 90 days, Zoom skyrocketed from 10 million to 300 million daily users.
And for those who already guessed it: yes, that 90-day period was from January to April 2020.
But while Zoom was the perfect tool for your SMB six years ago, is it still the best free video conferencing tool today?
What SMBs Need from a Communications Platform
Before you can decide if Teams or Zoom is better for your organization, the real question to answer is this: what do you need out of a communications platform?
While Teams and Zoom both offer simple, reliable video conferencing, they have some key differences you’ll need to keep in mind. But before we choose which is better, answer these questions.
6 Questions to Ask When Choosing Teams or Zoom
What Tools Do We Use Already? If you’re already using the Microsoft applications (like Outlook, Word, and Excel) then Teams has many nice integrations to help with it.
What Are Our Communication Needs? If you only need to video conference, then Zoom may be for you.
Are We Having Internal or External Meetings? Teams has many benefits for internal meetings in an organization, while Zoom’s simple interface makes it easier if you’re frequently meeting externally.
What Are Our IT Needs? If you’re an organization of more than 5 paid employees, then cybersecurity can become an issue if you rely on Zoom.
Are We Scaling Up? If you’re scaling up your operations, then Teams is almost always better.
Zoom: Pros and Cons
There's a reason Zoom became the go-to video conferencing tool during the pandemic: it's easy to use, quick to set up, and provides a consistently reliable meeting experience.
And not only that, but Zoom is also so well-known because of how frequently it was used from 2020-2022. I’ll put it like this: While pretty much everyone on a Windows device has access to Teams, everyone and their mother knows Zoom.
Still, using Zoom for anything more than video conferencing can be a struggle. Zoom was designed to be a streamlined video conferencing tool, not an all-around office communications tool.
Pros
Extremely easy to learn and use
Industry-leading video and audio quality
Simple meeting experience for external clients and guests
Fast deployment with minimal employee training
Works well across multiple devices and operating systems
Integrates with many third-party business applications
Ideal for organizations focused primarily on meetings
Familiar platform that many users already know
Cons
Collaboration features aren't as comprehensive as Teams
May require additional tools for chat, file sharing, and document collaboration
Can increase software costs if you already subscribe to Microsoft 365
Less centralized workflow compared to an all-in-one platform
Some advanced features require higher-tier paid plans
Organizations may end up managing multiple communication and collaboration tools
Teams: Pros and Cons
So, I’d like to clear the air on something: Teams is just as good of a video conferencing tool as Zoom (if not better).
When Zoom hit it big in 2020, it was because it was the best video conferencing tool around. It’s predecessor, Webex, was the previous industry leader, but it was just. Too. Slow.
And the same was true for most of the video conferencing services out there. But now, years later, that’s just not the case anymore; Teams is easily just as good.
On top of that, Teams boasts fantastic integrations with other Microsoft apps and even a fantastic group messaging functionality. For all-around communication solutions, Teams is the one-size-fits-all answer.
Still, there are drawbacks. Teams can be slightly more confusing to use internally, since its many features also make it a little harder to navigate. So if you’re working with a small team of people who just hate learning new technology, then you may want to stick with Zoom.
Pros
Seamless integration with Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, OneDrive)
Combines chat, video meetings, file sharing, and collaboration in one platform
Included with many Microsoft 365 Business plans
Strong security, compliance, and administrative controls
Excellent for hybrid and remote team collaboration
Persistent team channels keep conversations organized
Easy co-authoring of Office documents during meetings
Scales well as businesses grow
Cons
Steeper learning curve than Zoom
Interface can feel overwhelming for new users
More features than some SMBs actually need
Initial setup and administration can be more involved
Can consume more system resources on older computers
Best experience depends on being invested in the Microsoft ecosystem
Let Omega Help You Make the Switch
Whichever platform you choose, just know this: you shouldn’t be stuck with Teams or Zoom just because it’s what you already have.
As a managed service provider serving Southwest Michigan for decades, we’ve helped countless businesses switch communications platforms; and we’d be happy to help you, too.
