Zoom vs Microsoft Teams vs RingCentral Video: Features, Pricing and Reviews Compared
- Starting price
- $14.16/user/mo · free plan
- Ease of use
- 9.1
- Functionality
- 9.0
- Value for money
- 7.7
- Customer support
- 7.9
Best for
- Sales, consulting and client-service teams that meet with people on other platforms
- Businesses that want AI meeting summaries included rather than as an add-on
- Organisations with mixed devices and spotty connections
- Starting price
- $4/user/mo · free plan
- Ease of use
- 7.6
- Functionality
- 9.0
- Value for money
- 8.6
- Customer support
- 7.5
Best for
- Organisations on Microsoft 365 that want meetings, chat and files in one place
- Small businesses that need unlimited meetings for $4 per user without Office apps
- Companies that need enterprise security and compliance controls
- Starting price
- $30/mo · free plan
- Ease of use
- 7.0
- Functionality
- 6.9
- Value for money
- 7.4
- Customer support
- 7.3
Best for
- Small businesses already using or considering RingEX
- Teams that host frequent client or external guest meetings
- Organizations running staff town halls and training sessions
Our verdict
Zoom comes out ahead at 85/100 versus Microsoft Teams at 83 and RingCentral Video at 71. Reliable call quality and the lowest friction for external guests. Zoom is the better fit for customer-facing meetings where the other side may not be on the same platform. Microsoft Teams makes more sense if you need included with most Microsoft 365 business plans; Essentials is only $4/user/month or you want to start cheaper ($4/user/mo vs $14.16/user/mo).
On Zoom: Zoom remains the easiest video meeting to join for people outside your company, which is why customer-facing teams keep it even when they have Teams or Meet. Call quality on poor connections is still the best, and Zoom Workplace now folds in chat, docs, whiteboard, scheduler and the AI Companion at no extra cost on paid plans. The 40-minute free limit is the pain point for small businesses, and the add-on model (webinars, phone, events) means the real bill grows if you want more than meetings.
Features comparison
The 8 video conferencing capabilities we check on every product, ordered by importance to buyers.
| Feature | Importance | Zoom | Microsoft Teams | RingCentral Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HD video meetings | 96% | Included | Included | Included |
| Screen sharing | 92% | Included | Included | Included |
| Meeting recording | 81% | Included | Included | Included |
| Calendar integration | 78% | Included | Included | Not included |
| Team chat | 67% | Included | Included | Included |
| AI meeting summaries | 58% | Included | Not included | Not included |
| Breakout rooms | 49% | Included | Included | Included |
| Webinars / large events | 44% | Included | Included | Not included |
What stands out in each
Meetings
HD video and audio with noise suppression, gallery and speaker views, breakout rooms, polls, reactions and screen sharing with annotation. Pro raises the limit to 30 hours and Business to 300 participants.
AI Companion
Meeting summaries, action items, in-meeting catch-up questions and smart recordings with chapters, included on paid plans. Quality is good enough to replace a note-taker for most internal meetings.
Recording and transcripts
Local recording on every plan; cloud recording with transcripts, highlights and shareable links on Pro and above (5GB included, more purchasable).
Workplace apps
Team Chat, Docs, Whiteboard, Notes, Clips and Scheduler come with the client. They are capable but most teams still pair Zoom with Slack or Teams for day-to-day collaboration.
Meetings
Scheduled and instant meetings with screen sharing, breakout rooms, live captions, recording to OneDrive or SharePoint and Together mode. Essentials allows 300 participants and 30-hour meetings.
Chat and channels
Persistent channels per team with threaded conversations, file tabs backed by SharePoint, and apps embedded as tabs. It is the strongest part of Teams for organisations that live in Microsoft 365.
Microsoft 365 integration
Outlook calendar, OneDrive files, Planner tasks, Loop components and Power Automate flows all surface inside Teams; single sign-on and security policies come from Entra ID.
Copilot and AI
Intelligent recap, meeting notes and chat summaries require the Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on (about $30 per user per month). Live captions and transcription are included on paid plans.
RingCentral VideoAI meeting notes and recaps
The built-in AI assistant produces live transcripts, captions, and in-meeting notes. After the call, it generates recaps that capture key decisions and action items, so attendees who missed part of the meeting can catch up quickly.
Smart invites and scheduling
Smart Invites check availability and send invitations through the channel most likely to reach each guest, including email, SMS, message, or video call. Meetings can be scheduled from a calendar and synced with Google and Outlook.
Presenter toolbar and annotations
Presenters can switch between shared screens with a single click, preview exactly what the audience sees, and pause a share without ending the meeting. Annotations stay on screen until cleared, which helps when marking up slides or data.
Breakout rooms and engagement tools
Hosts can split a meeting into smaller groups for brainstorming and bring them back together. Polls, electronic hand raising, on-screen emoji reactions, and in-meeting chat give quieter participants ways to contribute.
Pricing comparison
Zoom starts at $14.16/user/mo with a free plan; Microsoft Teams starts at $4/user/mo with a free plan; RingCentral Video starts at $30/mo with a free plan (Free trial). Plans are shown as the vendors publish them; the BSR Value subscore reflects what you get for the money.
Basic
Meetings up to 40 minutes with 100 participants, chat, whiteboard and limited AI.
- 40-minute meetings
- 100 participants
- Team Chat
- Whiteboard, Notes and Clips (limited)
Pro
30-hour meetings, cloud recording, AI Companion, Docs.
- Meetings up to 30 hours
- 5GB cloud recording
- AI Companion summaries
- Zoom Docs
Business
300 participants, SSO, managed domains, custom branding, unlimited whiteboards.
- 300 participants
- SSO and managed domains
- Custom branding
- Unlimited whiteboards
Enterprise
Larger meetings, Zoom Rooms, advanced governance and support.
- Up to 1,000 participants
- Zoom Rooms
- Translated captions
- Compliance and governance
Pro is limited to 9 licences; larger teams move to Business. Webinars (from $79/month), Zoom Phone (from $10/user), Events, extra cloud storage and large-meeting capacity are add-ons. Monthly billing is about 13% higher than annual. Pricing varies by region and device, and promotions are frequent.
Value for money: 7.7/10 · Monthly, Annual (save up to 16%), Cancel anytime, Pro limited to 9 licences · Vendor pricing page ↗
Teams (free)
60-minute meetings for up to 100 people, chat and 5GB storage.
- 60-minute group meetings
- 100 participants
- Unlimited chat
- 5GB cloud storage
Teams Essentials
Standalone meetings and chat for small businesses without Office apps.
- 30-hour meetings
- 300 participants
- 10GB storage per user
- Phone and web support
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
Teams plus web and mobile Office apps, Exchange email and 1TB OneDrive.
- Teams included
- Web and mobile Office apps
- Business email (Exchange)
- 1TB OneDrive
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
Adds desktop Office apps, webinars and collaborative workspaces.
- Desktop Office apps
- Webinars with registration
- Collaborative workspaces (Loop)
- Everything in Basic
Teams Essentials ($4) is meetings and chat only, with no email or Office apps. Business Basic ($6) is usually the better buy because it adds Exchange email and OneDrive. In the EU, Microsoft 365 plans are sold without Teams and Teams is purchased separately. Copilot and Teams Phone are add-ons. Prices require annual commitment.
Value for money: 8.6/10 · Annual commitment, Monthly billing available on annual plans, Add-ons for Phone and Copilot · Vendor pricing page ↗
RingCentral VideoMeetings (RingCentral Video)
Suited to teams that want HD video meetings and messaging alongside a RingEX phone and messaging account.
- HD video and messaging at no extra cost
- In-meeting note taking and recaps
- Live translations of closed captions and transcripts in 15+ languages
- Background noise reduction
Town Halls (RingCentral Webinar)
Built for organizers who need to host large audience sessions such as town halls, trainings, and company updates.
- Host unlimited town halls with up to 10,000 attendees available
- AI-generated smart answers for Q&A
- Q&A translation in 15+ languages
- Polls, Q&A, and moderated session formats
Rooms (RingCentral Rooms)
Designed for conference rooms that need one-touch joining and camera control for hybrid meetings.
- Dynamic camera focus and zoom
- Closed captions with live translations
- One-touch join for Teams, Zoom, Webex, Google, and RingCentral meetings
- Compatible with HP Poly and Yealink hardware
Webinars & Events (RingCentral Events)
Aimed at marketing and community teams running branded, high-production webinars and events.
- Unlimited registrations, attendees, and events
- Caption translation in 40+ languages
- 40+ apps and 5+ CRM integrations
- Q&A categorization and polls suggestions
The Meetings tier is free when users are added through RingEX, and Town Halls offers a free trial. Annual payment saves up to 25 percent, and Town Halls, Rooms, and Webinars & Events are add-ons or standalone products with their own pricing.
Value for money: 7.4/10
Integrations comparison
No integrations in common · 14 only in Zoom · 14 only in Microsoft Teams · 1 only in RingCentral Video. Logos link to our review when we cover the tool.
Only RingCentral Video1Which one is best for my use case?
Who each product is built for, who should look elsewhere, and the jobs it gets bought for, from our editorial review and the vendor's own customer profile.
Ideal for
- Sales, consulting and client-service teams that meet with people on other platforms
- Businesses that want AI meeting summaries included rather than as an add-on
- Organisations with mixed devices and spotty connections
Not for
- Teams already on Microsoft 365 that just need internal meetings; Teams is included
- Businesses that want webinars or phone without paying separate add-ons
- Companies that want one app for chat, docs and files first; Zoom's are secondary
Common use cases
Sells to: Freelancers, Small businesses, Mid-size companies, Enterprises, Education. Common industries: Education, Healthcare, Financial services, Professional services, Government, SaaS and technology.
Ideal for
- Organisations on Microsoft 365 that want meetings, chat and files in one place
- Small businesses that need unlimited meetings for $4 per user without Office apps
- Companies that need enterprise security and compliance controls
Not for
- Businesses whose clients and partners mostly use other tools; Zoom is easier for guests
- Teams that want a light, fast chat app (Slack) and don't need Microsoft 365
- Small businesses that want AI meeting summaries included; Copilot is extra
Common use cases
Sells to: Small businesses, Mid-size companies, Enterprises, Education, Government. Common industries: Professional services, Education, Healthcare, Government, Financial services, Manufacturing.
RingCentral VideoIdeal for
- Small businesses already using or considering RingEX
- Teams that host frequent client or external guest meetings
- Organizations running staff town halls and training sessions
Not for
- Buyers who want video without any RingCentral phone or messaging account
- Teams that need the AI writer for messaging on a lower-tier RingEX plan
Common use cases
Sells to: Freelancers, Small businesses, Mid size businesses, Enterprises.
Support, training and setup
How you get help, how you learn the product, and how fast you can be running.
- Support score
- 7.9/10Leads
- Ease of use
- 9.1/10Leads
- Support channels
- Chat (paid plans)
- Phone (Business+)
- Help center
- Community
- Premier support (Enterprise)
- Training
- Zoom Learning Center
- Documentation
- Live training webinars
- Certification programs
- Deployment
- Windows app
- Mac app
- Linux app
- iOS app
- Android app
- Web client
- Zoom Rooms hardware
- Typical setup
- Minutes
- Languages
- English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese +10
- Support score
- 7.5/10
- Ease of use
- 7.6/10
- Support channels
- Phone and web support (paid plans)
- Microsoft Learn documentation
- Community
- Microsoft 365 admin support
- Training
- Microsoft Learn
- Teams adoption resources
- Webinars
- Partner-led onboarding
- Deployment
- Windows app
- Mac app
- iOS app
- Android app
- Web client
- Teams Rooms hardware
- Typical setup
- Same day for Essentials; 1–2 weeks with Microsoft 365 migrat
- Languages
- English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Japanese +5
RingCentral Video- Support score
- 7.3/10
- Ease of use
- 7.0/10
- Support channels
- Email/Help Desk
- FAQs/Forum
- Knowledge Base
- Phone Support
- 24/7 (Live rep)
- Chat
- Training
- Live Online
- Webinars
- Documentation
- Deployment
- Web
- Typical setup
- Not published
- Languages
- Not published
Security and reliability
Certifications and controls as published by each vendor. We list them; we don't audit them.
- Security
- SOC 2 Type II
- ISO 27001
- GDPR
- HIPAA (with BAA)
- FedRAMP Moderate
- End-to-end encryption option
- SSO (Business+)
- Two-factor authentication
- Public API
- Yes
- Mobile apps
- iOS · Android
- Company
- San Jose, CA · 7,000+ employees · founded 2011
- Security
- SOC 1, 2 and 3
- ISO 27001 and 27018
- GDPR
- HIPAA
- FedRAMP
- Microsoft Entra ID SSO and MFA
- Data loss prevention (Microsoft 365)
- Public API
- Yes
- Mobile apps
- iOS · Android
- Company
- Redmond, WA · 200,000+ employees · founded 2017
RingCentral Video- Security
- Single sign-on (SSO)
- Enforced multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Required meeting passwords
- Waiting rooms and moderator controls
- End-to-end encryption that can be turned on before or during a meeting
- Data-at-rest and data-in-transit encryption
- Audit trail to track changes
- Restricted screen sharing and authenticated-only meeting attendance
- SEA FINRA 17a-4 archiving for messaging
- RingCentral Trust Center
- Public API
- Yes
- Mobile apps
- None published
- Company
- Belmont, California, USA
Pros and cons
Our editors' pros and cons for each product. No user reviews have been published for these products yet.
Pros
- Reliable call quality and the lowest friction for external guests
- AI Companion summaries and action items are included on paid plans
- Rich ecosystem of integrations, hardware and apps
Cons
- 40-minute cap on free meetings
- Webinars, phone and large meetings are all separate paid add-ons
- Team chat and docs are weaker than Slack or Teams if you want one app for everything
Pros
- Included with most Microsoft 365 business plans; Essentials is only $4/user/month
- Deep ties to Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive and Entra ID security
- Channels, files and meetings in one app reduce tool sprawl
Cons
- Heavier and slower than Zoom or Slack, especially on older hardware
- Copilot meeting summaries, webinars and phone need extra licenses
- External guests on other platforms often struggle with the join flow
RingCentral VideoPros
- The Meetings tier is free for RingEX users and includes HD video, team messaging, and AI meeting notes.
- Meetings can be joined from a supported desktop or mobile browser without downloading software.
- A call can be elevated to video in one click, and meetings can move between desktop and mobile devices.
- The video API allows developers to start meetings or embed live video directly into their own apps.
- Admin controls include single sign-on, enforced multi-factor authentication, waiting rooms, and an audit trail.
Cons
- The free Meetings tier is added through a RingEX account rather than sold as a standalone free product.
- The AI writer for messaging is limited to RingEX Advanced and Ultra plans.
- Town Halls, Rooms, and Webinars & Events are separately priced add-ons that increase total cost for larger deployments.
- Some end-to-end encrypted calling and team chat features are available only in closed beta.
Full side-by-side table
Zoom leads in 8 of 10 rows where they differ. Green marks the leader in each row.
RingCentral Video 71Leads 0 of 10 rows · Best for small teams already on RingEX or needing free video meetings with AI notes and recaps| Feature | Zoom Best for customer-facing meetings where the other side may not be on the same platform | Microsoft Teams Best for organizations already on Microsoft 365 that want meetings, chat and files in one place | RingCentral Video Best for small teams already on RingEX or needing free video meetings with AI notes and recaps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scores | |||
| BSR score | 85 | 83 | 71 |
| Ease | 9.1 | 7.6 | 7.0 |
| Features | 9.0 | 9.0 | 6.9 |
| Value | 7.7 | 8.6 | 7.4 |
| Support | 7.9 | 7.5 | 7.3 |
| Pricing | |||
| Starting price | $14.16/user/mo | $4/user/mo | $30/mo |
| Free plan | Included | Included | Included |
| Free trial | — | — | Free trial |
| Features | |||
| Features included | 8 / 8 | 7 / 8 | 5 / 8 |
| HD video meetings | Included | Included | Included |
| Screen sharing | Included | Included | Included |
| Meeting recording | Included | Included | Included |
| Breakout rooms | Included | Included | Included |
| Webinars / large events | Included | Included | Not included |
| Team chat | Included | Included | Included |
| AI meeting summaries | Included | Not included | Not included |
| Calendar integration | Included | Included | Not included |
| Details | |||
| Biggest strength | Reliable call quality and the lowest friction for external guests | Included with most Microsoft 365 business plans; Essentials is only $4/user/month | The Meetings tier is free for RingEX users and includes HD video, team messaging, and AI meeting notes. |
| Biggest weakness | 40-minute cap on free meetings | Heavier and slower than Zoom or Slack, especially on older hardware | The free Meetings tier is added through a RingEX account rather than sold as a standalone free product. |
| Platforms | Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux | Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | Web |
| Best fit | 1–1,000+ users | 1–10,000+ users | Freelancers, Small businesses, Mid size businesses, Enterprises |
Zoom vs Microsoft Teams vs RingCentral Video: FAQs
Is Zoom better than Microsoft Teams?
Zoom scores 85/100 against Microsoft Teams's 83, a 2-point lead. Reliable call quality and the lowest friction for external guests. Microsoft Teams is the better pick if included with most Microsoft 365 business plans; Essentials is only $4/user/month matters more to you.
Which is cheaper, Zoom or Microsoft Teams or RingCentral Video?
Microsoft Teams has the lowest starting price at $4/user/mo and offers a free plan. Zoom starts at $14.16/user/mo; RingCentral Video starts at $30/mo. Per-user pricing, annual discounts and add-ons change the real total, so price out your actual seat count.
Which has more features?
Zoom covers 8 of the 8 video conferencing features we track, including Webinars / large events, AI meeting summaries, Calendar integration which not every product here offers.
Do Zoom and Microsoft Teams integrate with the same tools?
They publish different integration lists. Zoom lists Google Calendar, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, HubSpot; Microsoft Teams lists SharePoint, OneDrive, Planner, Loop; RingCentral Video lists RingEX.
How this comparison was made
Each product was scored on the same four subscores (Ease, Features, Value, Support) from the vendor's published pricing and documentation, our editorial review, then combined into a 100-point BSR score. Hands-on tested: Zoom, Microsoft Teams. Feature checks use one list per category; plans, integrations, support and security come from what each vendor publishes and are refreshed when listings change. Green marks the leader in a row. Sponsored placements are labeled elsewhere on the site and never touch a comparison. Full methodology →