Operations · Team communication and meetings
Microsoft Teams
Chat, meetings, calling and file sharing built into Microsoft 365
At a glance
Microsoft Teams is Microsoft's workspace for team chat, video meetings, webinars and calling. Conversations sit in teams and channels alongside shared files stored in SharePoint and OneDrive, and it ties directly into Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It can be bought on its own as Teams Essentials or as part of most Microsoft 365 business plans.
- Category
- Team communication and meetings
- Best fit
- SME · Mid-market · Enterprise
- Pricing
- See pricing below
- In Adam’s stack
- No
Who Microsoft Teams is best for
Organisations already running Outlook, Excel and SharePoint, from small businesses up to large enterprises. Pick it over Slack or Google Chat when your documents and email already live in Microsoft 365 and you want one licence covering chat, meetings and phone calls.
Key features
- Channels and group chats with threaded conversations
- Meetings and webinars with recordings, transcripts and live captions
- Teams Phone add-on for cloud calling with real phone numbers
- Co-editing of Office files inside chats and channels
- Copilot in Teams for meeting recaps (requires Copilot licence)
- Teams Rooms support for certified meeting-room hardware
Why it’s worth it
If your business already pays for Microsoft 365, Teams is usually included, so chat, meetings and file collaboration come without another subscription. It also lets you replace a separate phone system by adding Teams Phone.
Things to consider
- The interface is busy and can feel heavy compared with lighter chat tools, so expect some onboarding time
- Phone calling, Teams Premium and Copilot are paid add-ons that raise the per-user cost quickly
- Plans sold with and without Teams can be confusing; check which version you are buying
For Australian businesses
Microsoft publishes Australian dollar pricing (shown excluding GST) and operates Australian datacentre regions. Teams Phone calling plans are available for Australian numbers.
Microsoft Teams pricing
Pricing as published by Microsoft Teams
Prices in AUD per user per month, paid yearly, excluding GST. Teams Essentials A$6.00. Microsoft 365 Business Basic (with Teams) A$10.50. Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot A$35.20. Add-ons: Teams Premium A$15.00, Teams Phone Standard A$15.00 (calling plans extra), Teams Rooms Pro A$59.90 per room.
Source: microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-teams/compare-microsoft-teams-business-options. Checked 8 October 2026. Prices change often, so confirm on the vendor’s site before you buy.
Alternatives to Microsoft Teams
Other tools listed under Team communication and meetings. Tools from Adam’s stack are marked.
Slack
In Adam’s stackChannels, huddles and thousands of integrations
SMEMid-marketEnterpriseGoogle Meet
In Adam’s stackVideo meetings included with Google Workspace
SMEMid-marketEnterpriseTeam chat included with Google Workspace
SMEMid-marketZoom Workplace
In Adam’s stackMeetings, webinars and team chat
SMEMid-marketEnterpriseEnterprise meetings and calling from Cisco
Mid-marketEnterpriseLoom
In Adam’s stackAsync screen and camera video
SMEMid-marketEnterpriseZight
In Adam’s stackQuick screen recordings and annotated screenshots
SMEMid-market
FAQ
Microsoft Teams: common questions
How much does Microsoft Teams cost in Australia?
Teams Essentials is A$6.00 per user per month paid yearly, excluding GST. Teams is also included in Microsoft 365 Business Basic at A$10.50 and Business Standard with Copilot at A$35.20 per user per month.
Is Microsoft Teams good for small businesses?
Yes, particularly if you already use Outlook and Office files, because Teams is included in most Microsoft 365 business plans for up to 300 users. Very small teams that only need chat may find lighter tools simpler.
Microsoft Teams vs Slack?
Teams is the better value if you already pay for Microsoft 365, since chat, meetings and file storage are bundled. Slack is often preferred for its cleaner interface and wider third-party app ecosystem, but it is an extra subscription.
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