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Webinar & Virtual Events · head to head

Microsoft Teams Live Events vs ON24

Microsoft Teams Live Events logo

Microsoft Teams Live Events

Webinar & Virtual Events

Enterprise live event and webinar platform by Microsoft

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ON24 logo

ON24

Webinar & Virtual Events

The digital engagement platform

From
$2000/month
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: 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; ON24 the Internet Archive's capture of ON24's homepage on 1 January 2021 named five distinct platform tiers, Webcast Elite, Engagement Hub, Target, Intelligence, and Connect, but pointed visitors to a 'Find your pricing fit' quiz rather than publishing figures.
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Teams Live Events covers Live Q&A, ON24 covers Live webinars.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft Teams Live Events and ON24 actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft Teams Live Events and ON24 differ
AttributeMicrosoft Teams Live EventsON24
Starting priceFree$2000/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Mac, IOS, Android, WebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded19751998

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Webinar & Virtual Events).

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 Microsoft Teams Live Events

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

Only in ON24

  • Live webinars
  • Virtual events
  • Engagement hub
  • AI-powered analytics
  • Content hubs
  • Salesforce
  • Marketo
  • Eloqua

Both cover

  • Android support
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Microsoft Teams Live Events

  • One to many broadcast of company town halls to large internal audiencesnot ON24
  • Streaming an externally produced RTMP feed from a hardware encoder to Teams viewersnot ON24

ON24

  • Event planningnot Microsoft Teams Live Events
  • Ticket salesnot Microsoft Teams Live Events
  • Attendee managementnot Microsoft Teams Live Events
  • Virtual eventsnot Microsoft Teams Live Events
  • Event marketingnot Microsoft Teams Live Events

Where each one falls short

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

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

ON24

  • The Internet Archive's capture of ON24's homepage on 1 January 2021 named five distinct platform tiers, Webcast Elite, Engagement Hub, Target, Intelligence, and Connect, but pointed visitors to a 'Find your pricing fit' quiz rather than publishing figures.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

ON24

$2000/month
  • Core$2000/month
    • Webinars
    • Engagement tools
    • Basic analytics
  • Professional$4000/month
    • Virtual events
    • Advanced analytics
    • Integrations
  • Enterprise$8000/month
    • Full platform
    • AI insights
    • Dedicated success manager

Which should you pick?

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

Choose ON24 if

  • You need live webinars.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want virtual events.
ON24 review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Teams Live Events or ON24 better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Teams Live Events starts at Free and ON24 at $2000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Teams Live Events or ON24?
Microsoft Teams Live Events has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Microsoft Teams Live Events and $2000/month for ON24.
Does Microsoft Teams Live Events or ON24 run on more platforms?
Microsoft Teams Live Events runs on Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Web. ON24 runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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. ON24 starts at $2000/month.
What is Microsoft Teams Live Events best used for?
Microsoft Teams Live Events is most often used for one to many broadcast of company town halls to large internal audiences, streaming an externally produced rtmp feed from a hardware encoder to teams viewers. Of those, one to many broadcast of company town halls to large internal audiences and streaming an externally produced rtmp feed from a hardware encoder to teams viewers are not what ON24 is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Teams Live Events do that ON24 cannot?
Microsoft Teams Live Events covers Live Q&A, Attendee engagement, RTMP support, Recording. ON24 covers Live webinars, Virtual events, Engagement hub, AI-powered analytics. Both handle Android support, Web support.
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Related pages

More on Microsoft Teams Live Events

More on ON24

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