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Microsoft Teams Live Events vs Zoom Webinars

Microsoft Teams Live Events logo

Microsoft Teams Live Events

Software

Enterprise live event and webinar platform by Microsoft

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoom Webinars logo

Zoom Webinars

Software

Dedicated webinar platform by Zoom for large-scale events

From
On request
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; Zoom Webinars webinars tier limited to standard platform features; advanced features like pre-recorded content and multi-session events require Webinars Plus or Events tier
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Teams Live Events covers Live Q&A, Zoom Webinars covers Attendee registration.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Microsoft Teams Live Events and Zoom Webinars differ
AttributeMicrosoft Teams Live EventsZoom Webinars
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Mac, IOS, Android, WebCloud-based SaaS
Founded19752011

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 Microsoft Teams Live Events

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

Only in Zoom Webinars

  • Attendee registration
  • HD video
  • Screen sharing
  • Polls and surveys
  • Q&A
  • Breakout rooms
  • Analytics
  • Salesforce

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 Webinars
  • Streaming an externally produced RTMP feed from a hardware encoder to Teams viewersnot Zoom Webinars

Zoom Webinars

  • Large-scale broadcasts with 10,000+ attendeesnot Microsoft Teams Live Events
  • Multi-session virtual events and hybrid conferencesnot 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 Webinars

  • Webinars tier limited to standard platform features; advanced features like pre-recorded content and multi-session events require Webinars Plus or Events tier
  • All tiers support up to 100,000 attendees but 30-hour event limit applies across all packages

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 Webinars

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Zoom Webinars 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 Webinars if

  • You need attendee registration.
  • You work on Cloud-based SaaS.
  • You also want hd video.
Zoom Webinars review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Teams Live Events or Zoom Webinars better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Teams Live Events starts at Free and Zoom Webinars at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Teams Live Events or Zoom Webinars?
Microsoft Teams Live Events has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Microsoft Teams Live Events and On request for Zoom Webinars.
Does Microsoft Teams Live Events or Zoom Webinars run on more platforms?
Microsoft Teams Live Events runs on Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Web. Zoom Webinars runs on Cloud-based SaaS.
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. Zoom Webinars starts at On request.
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 Webinars is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Teams Live Events do that Zoom Webinars cannot?
Microsoft Teams Live Events covers Live Q&A, Attendee engagement, RTMP support, Microsoft 365 integration. Zoom Webinars covers Attendee registration, HD video, Screen sharing, Polls and surveys. Both handle Recording, Windows support, Mac support, IOS support.
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Related pages

More on Microsoft Teams Live Events

More on Zoom Webinars

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