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Microsoft Teams Live Events vs Zoom Webinar

Microsoft Teams Live Events logo

Microsoft Teams Live Events

Software

Enterprise live event and webinar platform by Microsoft

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoom Webinar logo

Zoom Webinar

Software

Professional video conferencing and webinar hosting

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; Zoom Webinar free tier capped at 40 minutes per meeting with up to 100 participants
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Teams Live Events covers Live Q&A, Zoom Webinar covers HD video conferencing.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Microsoft Teams Live Events and Zoom Webinar differ
AttributeMicrosoft Teams Live EventsZoom Webinar
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsWindows, Mac, IOS, Android, WebDesktop, Mobile, Tablet
Founded19752011

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
  • Microsoft 365 integration
  • Microsoft 365
  • Azure
  • SharePoint
  • Outlook

Only in Zoom Webinar

  • HD video conferencing
  • Screen sharing
  • Chat
  • Breakout rooms
  • Salesforce
  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Google Workspace

Both cover

  • Recording
  • Windows support
  • Mac support
  • IOS support
  • 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 Zoom Webinar
  • Streaming an externally produced RTMP feed from a hardware encoder to Teams viewersnot Zoom Webinar

Zoom Webinar

  • Large-scale webinars up to 1,000 participants on Enterprise tiernot Microsoft Teams Live Events
  • Professional organisations needing end-to-end encryption and customer-managed keysnot Microsoft Teams Live Events
  • Hybrid work environments with integrated PBX phone servicenot 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

Zoom Webinar

  • Free tier capped at 40 minutes per meeting with up to 100 participants
  • Free tier lacks cloud storage and advanced AI Companion features
  • Higher tiers require commitments to larger participant counts (Business: 300, Enterprise: 1000)

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

Zoom Webinar

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zoom Webinar review.

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 Zoom Webinar if

  • You need hd video conferencing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Desktop, Mobile, Tablet.
  • You also want screen sharing.
Zoom Webinar review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Teams Live Events or Zoom Webinar better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Teams Live Events starts at Free and Zoom Webinar 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 Zoom Webinar?
Microsoft Teams Live Events starts at Free and Zoom Webinar at Free.
Does Microsoft Teams Live Events or Zoom Webinar run on more platforms?
Microsoft Teams Live Events runs on Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Web. Zoom Webinar runs on Desktop, Mobile, Tablet.
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 Zoom Webinar is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Teams Live Events do that Zoom Webinar cannot?
Microsoft Teams Live Events covers Live Q&A, Attendee engagement, RTMP support, Microsoft 365 integration. Zoom Webinar covers HD video conferencing, Screen sharing, Chat, Breakout rooms. Both handle Recording, Windows support, Mac support, IOS support.
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Related pages

More on Microsoft Teams Live Events

More on Zoom Webinar

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