Microsoft Teams vs Roam
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
Roam
Virtual office with drop-in meetings, chat and AI meeting notes
Where they differ
- Microsoft Teams starts at $4.00 per user / month, paid yearly. Roam starts at $19.50 per active member / month, billed monthly.
- Microsoft Teams has a free plan. Roam does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Roam lists a Linux app.
- Microsoft Teams also covers noise cancellation, whiteboard and file sharing.
- Roam also covers meeting notes, booking links and screen recording.
At a glance
| Microsoft Teams | Roam | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $4.00 per user / month, paid yearly | $19.50 per active member / month, billed monthly |
| 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. | None |
| Free trial | One-month free trial of the paid plans; a credit card is required and it converts to a paid subscription. | 14-day free trial for every new team member, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Microsoft | Roam HQ Inc. |
| Price read from | microsoft.com | ro.am |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Microsoft Teams
- Organizations that already pay for Microsoft 365
- Small businesses that want meetings and chat without the full suite
- Companies that want phone calling inside their chat app
- Teams that co-edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint files
Roam
- Remote and hybrid companies that want meetings, chat and presence in one tool
- Teams that prefer short drop-in conversations to scheduled calls
- Companies that want month-to-month billing with no annual contract
- All-hands presentations held in the same workspace as daily work
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.
Roam
- There is no free plan; each new member gets a 14-day trial before appearing on the bill.
- Roam states it offers no discounts and no annual plans, so the per-member price is the same for every customer.
- The rate rises on a published schedule: $19.50 per active member a month in 2026 and $20.88 in 2027.
- Billing follows the number of active members each month, so the total can change from one bill to the next.
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.
Roam
- Virtual office map
- A live view of who is in the office, who is meeting with whom and who is talking. Click a person to chat with them or an empty seat to enter their room.
- Drop-in meetings and meeting rooms
- Knock on a seat in someone's office to start an audio-only drop-in meeting, or use a meeting room for video with screen sharing and a whiteboard.
- AInbox group chat
- Direct messages, group chats and confidential chats with custom folders, pinned chats, bookmarks, scheduled messages and search across the full history.
- Magic Minutes
- Turns on a transcription and AI summary that every participant receives in a group chat, where they can ask questions about the meeting.
- Theater and On-Air
- Theater seats an all-hands audience in rows with a backstage, a Q&A microphone and a stadium mode for 100 or more people. On-Air hosts virtual events.
- Lobby, Magicast and On-It
- Lobby links let guests book time or drop in, Magicast records the screen with a transcript, and On-It is an AI assistant that schedules and follows up.
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.
Roam
Virtual Office Super Bundle$19.50
per active member / month, billed monthly (2026 rate)
All nine Roam products at one price, charged only for members active that month. Guests are free. The published 2027 rate is $20.88.
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.
Roam
No public discounts listed.
