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Software · head to head

Microsoft Teams Live Events vs Pear Deck

Microsoft Teams Live Events logo

Microsoft Teams Live Events

Software

Enterprise live event and webinar platform by Microsoft

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pear Deck logo

Pear Deck

Software

Interactive presentations that engage every student

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; Pear Deck the Teacher Dashboard, draggable and drawing responses and Reflect and Review require Teacher Premium at $149 per year
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Teams Live Events covers Live Q&A, Pear Deck covers Interactive slides.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Microsoft Teams Live Events and Pear Deck differ
AttributeMicrosoft Teams Live EventsPear Deck
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsWindows, Mac, IOS, Android, WebWeb, Chrome Extension
Founded19752014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Microsoft Teams Live Events

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

Only in Pear Deck

  • Interactive slides
  • Real-time responses
  • Formative assessment
  • Student-paced mode
  • Dashboard
  • Audio responses
  • Drawing
  • Vocabulary

Both cover

  • 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 Pear Deck
  • Streaming an externally produced RTMP feed from a hardware encoder to Teams viewersnot Pear Deck

Pear Deck

  • Turning slide decks into interactive lessons with student responsesnot Microsoft Teams Live Events
  • Running formative checks for understanding during classnot Microsoft Teams Live Events
  • Student paced review activities and assessmentsnot 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

Pear Deck

  • The Teacher Dashboard, draggable and drawing responses and Reflect and Review require Teacher Premium at $149 per year
  • Pear Assessment Premium is a separate $125 per year purchase from Pear Deck Premium
  • Standards aligned content, district library and efficacy reports are only in the Schools and Districts plan
  • SIS and LMS integration is only in the Schools and Districts plan
  • School and district pricing is by quote with no published rate

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

Pear Deck

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 5 question types
    • Real-time responses
    • Student-paced mode
  • Premium$149.99/month
    • All question types
    • Audio responses
    • Flashcard factory
  • School/District$undefined/month
    • All Premium
    • Admin dashboard
    • Rostering

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 Pear Deck if

  • You need interactive slides.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Chrome Extension.
  • You also want real-time responses.
Pear Deck review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Teams Live Events or Pear Deck better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Teams Live Events starts at Free and Pear Deck at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Teams Live Events or Pear Deck?
Microsoft Teams Live Events starts at Free and Pear Deck at Free.
Does Microsoft Teams Live Events or Pear Deck run on more platforms?
Microsoft Teams Live Events runs on Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Web. Pear Deck runs on Web, Chrome Extension.
Can I use Microsoft Teams Live Events for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Pear Deck is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Teams Live Events do that Pear Deck cannot?
Microsoft Teams Live Events covers Live Q&A, Attendee engagement, RTMP support, Recording. Pear Deck covers Interactive slides, Real-time responses, Formative assessment, Student-paced mode. Both handle Web support.
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Related pages

More on Microsoft Teams Live Events

More on Pear Deck

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