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Software · head to head

Microsoft Teams vs Whereby

Microsoft Teams logo

Microsoft Teams

Software

Meet, chat, call, and collaborate in just one place

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Whereby logo

Whereby

Software

No downloads, no logins - just video meetings that work

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Microsoft Teams resource-heavy application; slow to load and consumes significant CPU/memory compared to alternatives; Whereby no breakout rooms, polls, or whiteboard tools
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Teams covers Chat & channels, Whereby covers Browser-based meetings.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft Teams and Whereby actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft Teams and Whereby differ
AttributeMicrosoft TeamsWhereby
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, AndroidWeb
Founded19752013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), 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

  • Chat & channels
  • Video conferencing
  • File collaboration
  • Office integration
  • Live events
  • Phone system
  • Apps & workflows
  • Office 365

Only in Whereby

  • Browser-based meetings
  • No downloads required
  • Personal room URLs
  • Recording
  • Google Calendar
  • Slack
  • HubSpot
  • Trello

Both cover

  • Screen sharing
  • Outlook

What people use each for

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

Microsoft Teams

  • Remote meetingsnot Whereby
  • Team collaborationnot Whereby
  • Document sharingnot Whereby
  • Project managementnot Whereby
  • Webinars

Whereby

  • Client meetingsnot Microsoft Teams
  • Remote consultationsnot Microsoft Teams
  • Team standupsnot Microsoft Teams
  • Webinars

Both are used for webinars, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

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

Microsoft Teams

  • Resource-heavy application; slow to load and consumes significant CPU/memory compared to alternatives
  • Limited channel structure; maximum of 200 public and 30 private channels per team
  • Cannot invite guest users to specific channels; guest access grants full team visibility
  • Unable to chat during screen sharing; limits real-time collaborative communication
  • Limited customization options for branding and interface; cluttered UX compared to Slack
  • Channels cannot be moved between teams; requires manual replication for reorganization

Whereby

  • No breakout rooms, polls, or whiteboard tools
  • Hard cap of 200 participants and performance drops with groups of 12+
  • No phone dial-in option for participants without internet
  • Occasional connectivity issues and laggy screen sharing reported

Pricing, plan by plan

Microsoft Teams

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited chat
    • 100 participants in meetings
    • 5GB file storage
  • Microsoft Teams Essentials$4/month
    • 300 participants in meetings
    • 10GB cloud storage
    • Phone & web support
  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic$6/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • 1TB OneDrive storage
    • Web & mobile Office apps
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard$12.5/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • Desktop Office apps
    • Webinar hosting

Whereby

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 meeting room
    • 100 participants
    • Screen sharing
  • Pro$6.99/month
    • 3 meeting rooms
    • Custom branding
    • Recording
  • Business$11.99/month
    • Unlimited rooms
    • SSO
    • Analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Microsoft Teams if

  • You need chat & channels.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want video conferencing.
Microsoft Teams review

Choose Whereby if

  • You need browser-based meetings.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want no downloads required.
Whereby review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Teams or Whereby better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Teams starts at Free and Whereby at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Teams or Whereby?
Microsoft Teams starts at Free and Whereby at Free.
Does Microsoft Teams or Whereby run on more platforms?
Microsoft Teams runs on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. Whereby runs on Web.
Can I use Microsoft Teams for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Microsoft Teams best used for?
Microsoft Teams is most often used for remote meetings, team collaboration, document sharing, project management. Of those, remote meetings and team collaboration are not what Whereby is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Teams do that Whereby cannot?
Microsoft Teams covers Chat & channels, Video conferencing, File collaboration, Office integration. Whereby covers Browser-based meetings, No downloads required, Personal room URLs, Recording. Both handle Screen sharing, Outlook.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Microsoft Teams: Does Microsoft Teams have a free tier?

Yes. Microsoft Teams offers a free Home tier with unlimited chat, 60-minute group meetings for up to 100 people, 5GB cloud storage, and basic file sharing, though limits are restrictive for growing teams.

Source
Whereby: Does Whereby require software downloads?

No. Whereby is browser-based and requires no downloads or complex configuration. Participants join via a simple link without needing to install software.

Source
Microsoft Teams: What are Microsoft Teams' paid plans?

Microsoft Teams Essentials costs $4/user/month (chat, calling, meetings, 10GB storage). Microsoft 365 Business Basic costs $7/user/month (includes desktop Office apps, 1TB storage). Premium plans with Copilot start at $23.50/user/month.

Source
Whereby: What is Whereby's pricing model?

Whereby offers a free-forever plan and paid plans starting at $5.82/month when billed annually. Whereby does not offer a free trial.

Source
Microsoft Teams: What are Microsoft Teams' primary features?

Teams provides real-time chat, video and voice calling, meetings with up to 300 participants, file sharing and storage integration with OneDrive, recording and transcripts, and deep integration with Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).

Microsoft Teams: What integrations does Teams support?

Microsoft Teams integrates with calendar apps (Outlook, Google Calendar), project management tools (Trello), and works with Zapier for custom workflow automation. Teams also has native connectors to many Microsoft 365 apps and third-party services.

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Related pages

More on Microsoft Teams

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