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Crowdcast vs Microsoft Teams Live Events

Crowdcast logo

Crowdcast

Software

Live video Q&As, interviews, and webinars

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Microsoft Teams Live Events logo

Microsoft Teams Live Events

Software

Enterprise live event and webinar platform by Microsoft

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Microsoft Teams Live Events has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Crowdcast exceeding the plan's attendee limit costs $0.15 per extra live attendee, so an unexpectedly popular session bills on the spot; Microsoft Teams Live Events teams live events retired on June 30, 2026, and only events scheduled before that date remain supported through February 28, 2027
  • They diverge on capability: Crowdcast covers Live streaming, Microsoft Teams Live Events covers Live Q&A.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Crowdcast and Microsoft Teams Live Events actually diverge.

Attributes where Crowdcast and Microsoft Teams Live Events differ
AttributeCrowdcastMicrosoft Teams Live Events
Starting price$49/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWindows, Mac, IOS, Android, Web
Founded20151975

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Crowdcast

  • Live streaming
  • Q&A sessions
  • Polls
  • Multi-speaker
  • Replay library
  • Zapier
  • ConvertKit
  • Mailchimp

Only in Microsoft Teams Live Events

  • Live Q&A
  • Attendee engagement
  • RTMP support
  • Recording
  • Microsoft 365 integration
  • Microsoft 365
  • Azure
  • SharePoint

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Crowdcast

  • Hosting live webinars and interactive Q and A sessionsnot Microsoft Teams Live Events
  • Running paid online events with registrationnot Microsoft Teams Live Events

Microsoft Teams Live Events

  • One to many broadcast of company town halls to large internal audiencesnot Crowdcast
  • Streaming an externally produced RTMP feed from a hardware encoder to Teams viewersnot Crowdcast

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Crowdcast

  • Exceeding the plan's attendee limit costs $0.15 per extra live attendee, so an unexpectedly popular session bills on the spot
  • Session length is capped by plan, at 2 hours on Lite, 4 on Pro and 6 on Business
  • Team seats are tightly limited, at 1 on Lite and 2 on Pro, with additional seats at $29 each
  • Studio storage is capped at 1 GB on Lite and 5 GB on Pro
  • The 14 day trial allows 10 live attendees and 60 minute sessions, which is short of any real event

Microsoft Teams Live Events

  • Teams live events retired on June 30, 2026, and only events scheduled before that date remain supported through February 28, 2027
  • Microsoft directs users to the separate unified Teams events experience instead
  • Organizers must use the Teams web client to schedule a live event; scheduling is not available in the desktop client
  • Users cannot schedule meetings or live events when offline or running with limited bandwidth
  • Keeping internal broadcast traffic off the corporate network requires an eCDN, either Microsoft's own or a certified partner such as Hive, Kollective or Ramp

Pricing, plan by plan

Crowdcast

$49/month
  • Lite$49/month
    • 50 live attendees
    • 2-hour sessions
    • Basic features
  • Pro$89/month
    • 100 attendees
    • 4-hour sessions
    • Custom branding
  • Business$195/month
    • 500 attendees
    • Multi-day events
    • Priority support

Microsoft Teams Live Events

Free
  • Microsoft Teams FreeFree
    • Up to 300 participants
    • Live events
  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic$6/month
    • Enhanced live events
    • 10000 attendees
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard$12.5/month
    • Advanced features
    • Unlimited events

Which should you pick?

Choose Crowdcast if

  • You need live streaming.
  • You also want q&a sessions.
Crowdcast review

Choose Microsoft Teams Live Events if

  • You need live q&a.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want attendee engagement.
Microsoft Teams Live Events review

Questions people ask

Is Crowdcast or Microsoft Teams Live Events better?
Neither clearly leads. Crowdcast starts at $49/month and Microsoft Teams Live Events at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Crowdcast or Microsoft Teams Live Events?
Microsoft Teams Live Events has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $49/month for Crowdcast and Free for Microsoft Teams Live Events.
Does Crowdcast or Microsoft Teams Live Events run on more platforms?
Crowdcast runs on Web. Microsoft Teams Live Events runs on Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Microsoft Teams Live Events for free?
Yes. Microsoft Teams Live Events has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Crowdcast starts at $49/month.
What is Crowdcast best used for?
Crowdcast is most often used for hosting live webinars and interactive q and a sessions, running paid online events with registration. Of those, hosting live webinars and interactive q and a sessions and running paid online events with registration are not what Microsoft Teams Live Events is typically brought in for.
What can Crowdcast do that Microsoft Teams Live Events cannot?
Crowdcast covers Live streaming, Q&A sessions, Polls, Multi-speaker. Microsoft Teams Live Events covers Live Q&A, Attendee engagement, RTMP support, Recording. Both handle Web support.
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Related pages

More on Crowdcast

More on Microsoft Teams Live Events

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