Microsoft Teams vs Polly (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Microsoft Teams: it is second in our ranking of team communication apps, and it grades higher too, 3.0 against 2.4.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Microsoft Teams grades higher on value for money, features and ease of use. Polly grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Microsoft Teams
Chat, video meetings and calling tied into Microsoft 365
Which one is for you
Pick Microsoft Teams if
- Fits if your company already pays for Microsoft 365, because Teams usually comes with it
- Works for teams who want chat and meetings at $4.00 a person and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint files together
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your team runs Linux, because Microsoft says Teams is no longer supported there
- Tight if you're hoping for a free team chat, since the free version is for one person and group calls stop at 60 minutes
- Pricey if you need webinars, which start on Business Standard with Copilot at $23.50, or Phone and Premium at $10.00 each
- Not for you if a slow, busy app drives you mad, going by Hacker News and App Store reviews
- Watch out: the one-month trial needs a card and turns into a paid plan, and the lower-priced plans stop at 300 users
Pick Polly if
- Fits if you want quick polls in Slack without leaving the channel
- Works for HR and internal comms teams that run regular pulse surveys
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want surveys or standups, as they start at $19 per licence a month
- Tight if you stay free, since history stops at 45 days and some poll types are paid
- Skip it if you don't use Slack or Teams, as it runs inside them
- Watch out: the 7-day trial charges your card unless you cancel
- Watch out: the Teams version lists only Free, Pro and Enterprise, and the API and admin controls need Enterprise
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAMicrosoft TeamsVery good | 2.4GPAPollyFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BTeams Essentials is $4.00 a user a month paid yearly, the low end of the category: 300-person meetings of up to 30 hours, recordings with transcripts, 10 GB each. Business Basic at $7.00 adds Office and business email. Webinars, Phone and Copilot cost extra. | DBasic is $19 per licence a month billed annually, above the $16.20 that marks the dearer quarter of team-chat tools. Pro is $29 and Team is $249 a month for 5 users. |
| Free plan and trial | CMicrosoft's own page says the free version is for one person, so it won't run a team. Chat is unlimited, but group calls stop at 60 minutes and 100 people with 5 GB of storage. The one-month trial of the paid plans wants a card and turns into a subscription on its own. | BFree in Slack gives unlimited responses, 3 poll types and 45 days of results history. Paid plans have a 7-day trial that charges the card automatically unless you cancel. |
| Features | BIn one window: chat and channels, 300-person meetings with breakout rooms and noise suppression, recordings with transcripts, shared Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, and Teams Phone if you want the office line in here too. Webinars, Phone, Premium and Copilot are all priced separately. | CPolls, surveys, standups, quizzes, Q&A and presentations in Slack and Teams. It only adds feedback to chat and is not a chat app. |
| Ease of use | A4.8 on the App Store from about 3.4 million ratings, and for most people it's already installed and signed in by work. Chat, meetings, calls and files are in one window, so there's no second app to learn. Hacker News regulars still call it slow and bloated. | BNo store rating on record, but it runs inside the Slack or Teams account you already have, so there is little to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. No Linux desktop app: Microsoft says the Linux client is no longer supported and points you at a web app. The integrations on record are all Microsoft's own, Loop, OneNote, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Whiteboard, Exchange and Copilot. | BSlack, Teams, Google Chat, PowerPoint, Google Slides and Zoom, plus an API on Enterprise. No desktop or phone app of its own is listed. |
| Best for | offices that already pay for Microsoft 365 | polls and standups inside Slack and Teams |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Microsoft Teams and Polly. How we grade
Price against what you get
Microsoft Teams starts at $4 a month for each person and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Polly starts at $19 a month for each person and scores 2.7.
Microsoft Teams scores higher and starts $15 a month lower. Of the other team communication apps on the chart, 1 scores higher than Microsoft Teams for less, and 11 score higher than Polly for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Microsoft Teams also covers transcription, noise cancellation, whiteboard, video calls and file sharing.
- Polly also covers workflow automation and surveys.
At a glance
| Microsoft Teams | Polly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $4.00 per user / month, paid yearly | $19 per license / month, billed annually |
| Free plan | Microsoft Teams (free) is for one person: unlimited chat, group calls of up to 60 minutes and 100 participants, and 5 GB of cloud storage. | Free plan for Slack: unlimited responses, polls sent to any channel, voting links, and 45 days of results history. |
| Free trial | One-month free trial of the paid plans; a credit card is required and it converts to a paid subscription. | 7-day free trial on paid plans; the card is charged automatically unless cancelled |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Microsoft | Polly |
| Price read from | microsoft.com | polly.ai |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Microsoft Teams
- The free version is built for one person: group calls stop at 60 minutes and 100 participants, with 5 GB of cloud storage.
- Teams Essentials and the Microsoft 365 Business plans stop at 300 users; larger organizations need Teams Enterprise or Microsoft 365 E3 or E5.
- There is no Linux desktop app: Microsoft points Linux users to a progressive web app and says the Linux client is no longer supported.
- Webinar hosting is left out of Teams Essentials and Business Basic, and phone service, Teams Premium and Copilot are separately priced add-ons.
Polly
- It runs inside Slack or Microsoft Teams and is not a standalone chat app; plans and features differ between the two versions.
- The Teams version lists only Free, Pro and Enterprise, and the Pro price there is $19 a month, billed $228 annually.
- Pairings is a $24 a month add-on, billed annually, and admin controls, API and IP access limits need Enterprise.
- The pricing page shows annual billing figures; no monthly-billed price is stated.
Key features
Microsoft Teams
- Chat and channels
- Chats and channels hold conversations, shared files, Loop and OneNote pages and third-party apps. Paid plans include unlimited chat messages, file attachments and search.
- Video meetings
- Business plans allow meetings of up to 300 participants and 30 hours, with screen sharing, breakout rooms, custom backgrounds, Together mode and noise suppression.
- Recordings, transcripts and captions
- Paid plans record meetings with transcripts. Live captions cover more than 30 languages on the Microsoft 365 business plans and English only on Teams Essentials.
- Webinars
- Webinar hosting with attendee registration and reporting comes with Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot and the enterprise suites, not with Business Basic or Essentials.
- Teams Phone
- A cloud phone system added to a Teams license. Teams Phone Standard is $10.00 per user / month paid yearly, and US bundles that add a calling plan start at $13.00.
- Copilot and Teams Premium
- Microsoft 365 Copilot and Teams Premium are add-ons. Teams Premium costs $10.00 per user / month paid yearly and needs a plan with a Teams Enterprise license.
Polly
- Polls and surveys in chat
- Polls are posted to any Slack channel, and surveys, pulse checks and standups can be scheduled, with results exported on paid plans.
- Presentations and live Q&A
- Polls, quizzes and Q&A can run inside PowerPoint and Google Slides, which the pricing page lists on the Pro plan.
- Quizzes and trivia
- Multiple-choice quizzes score automatically in Slack or on the web, and trivia games and team trivia are included on Basic and above.
- Anonymity and delivery options
- Pro adds anonymous responses, privacy settings and delivery by direct message.
- Workflows, API and MCP server
- Workflows are limited on Team and unlimited on Enterprise, which also adds an API with webhooks; the site lists an MCP server for AI assistants.
- Slack and Microsoft Teams versions
- Polly has separate apps and price lists for Slack and Microsoft Teams, and lists Google Chat and Zoom among its integrations.
Plans
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams (free)$0
For one person: unlimited chat, group calls of up to 60 minutes and 100 participants, tasks and polling, and 5 GB of cloud storage.
Microsoft Teams Essentials$4.00
per user / month, paid yearly
Teams on its own for up to 300 users: meetings of up to 300 people and 30 hours, recordings with transcripts, and 10 GB of storage per user.
Microsoft 365 Business Basic$7.00
per user / month, paid yearly
Suite plan that includes Teams, plus web and mobile Office apps, custom business email and 1 TB of cloud storage per user. Up to 300 users.
Microsoft Teams Enterprise$8.55
per user / month, paid yearly
Teams on its own for organizations of more than 300 people, with recordings, transcripts and 10 GB of cloud storage per user.
M365 Business Standard with Copilot$23.50
per user / month, paid yearly
Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot: Teams with webinar hosting, desktop Office apps and Copilot in the apps. Up to 300 users.
Microsoft 365 E3$39.00
per user / month, paid yearly (annual commitment)
Enterprise suite for any size that includes Teams with webinars, desktop Office apps and added security. Microsoft 365 E5 is $60.00.
Polly
Free$0
Unlimited responses, 3 poll types and 45 days of results history in Slack.
Basic$19
per license / month, billed annually
Adds surveys, standups, trivia, scheduling, exports and unlimited results history. Billed $228 a year for 1 license.
Pro$29
per license / month, billed annually
Adds presentations, quizzes, Q&A, anonymity options and custom branding. Billed $348 a year for 1 license.
Team$249
per month for 5 users, billed annually
Pro plus demographic filters, audience by email and 1 workflow for up to 100 users. Invoice payment is available.
EnterpriseCustom
Priced on team size or active usage, with admin dashboard, unlimited workflows, API and webhooks, and a dedicated CSM.
Ways to pay less
Microsoft Teams
- Nonprofit
75% off Microsoft 365 Business Premium for nonprofits
Eligible nonprofits can get Microsoft 365 Business Premium, a suite that includes Microsoft Teams, at a 75% discount after registering and confirming eligibility.
Polly
- Education
Education and nonprofit pricing on Teams
The Polly for Microsoft Teams pricing page shows a $10 a month Pro price for education and nonprofit organizations, billed annually.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Teams or Polly?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Microsoft Teams is cheaper to start with: $4 a month for each person, against $19 a month for each person for Polly. Microsoft Teams starts at $4.00 per user / month, paid yearly, and Polly starts at $19 per license / month, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, Microsoft Teams or Polly?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Microsoft Teams and Polly have a free plan.
Which platforms do Microsoft Teams and Polly run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Microsoft Teams lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.