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Webinar & Virtual Events · head to head

Microsoft Teams Live Events vs StreamYard

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
StreamYard logo

StreamYard

Webinar & Virtual Events

Professional live streaming made easy

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; StreamYard the free plan stamps a StreamYard logo on every stream, caps local recordings at 2 hours per month, allows 6 on screen participants and 1 seat
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Teams Live Events covers Live Q&A, StreamYard covers Multi-streaming.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Microsoft Teams Live Events and StreamYard differ
AttributeMicrosoft Teams Live EventsStreamYard
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsWindows, Mac, IOS, Android, WebWeb
Founded19752018

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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
  • Microsoft 365 integration
  • Microsoft 365
  • Azure
  • SharePoint
  • Outlook

Only in StreamYard

  • Multi-streaming
  • Custom branding
  • Screen sharing
  • Guest management
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitch

Both cover

  • Recording
  • 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 StreamYard
  • Streaming an externally produced RTMP feed from a hardware encoder to Teams viewersnot StreamYard

StreamYard

  • Browser based live streaming to YouTube, Facebook and other destinations at oncenot Microsoft Teams Live Events
  • Recording remote guest interviews and podcasts with on screen brandingnot Microsoft Teams Live Events
  • Running small webinars with a live viewer audiencenot 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

StreamYard

  • The free plan stamps a StreamYard logo on every stream, caps local recordings at 2 hours per month, allows 6 on screen participants and 1 seat
  • 1080p full HD, watermark removal and unlimited streaming require the Core plan at $44.99 per month billed monthly
  • Core limits multistreaming to 3 destinations; 8 destinations require Advanced at $88.99 per month
  • Core caps permanent recording storage at 50 hours
  • 4K local recording, on air webinars for up to 100 viewers, extra camera and transcript downloads are Advanced only
  • The free trial on paid plans runs 7 days

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

StreamYard

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 20-hour streaming
    • StreamYard branding
    • Basic features
  • Basic$25/month
    • No branding
    • Custom overlays
    • 6 guests
  • Professional$49/month
    • Full HD
    • 10 guests
    • Recording

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 StreamYard if

  • You need multi-streaming.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want custom branding.
StreamYard review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Teams Live Events or StreamYard better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Teams Live Events starts at Free and StreamYard 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 StreamYard?
Microsoft Teams Live Events starts at Free and StreamYard at Free.
Does Microsoft Teams Live Events or StreamYard run on more platforms?
Microsoft Teams Live Events runs on Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Web. StreamYard runs on Web.
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 StreamYard is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Teams Live Events do that StreamYard cannot?
Microsoft Teams Live Events covers Live Q&A, Attendee engagement, RTMP support, Microsoft 365 integration. StreamYard covers Multi-streaming, Custom branding, Screen sharing, Guest management. Both handle Recording, Web support.
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Related pages

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