business collaboration
Zoom Rooms vs Microsoft Teams Rooms - Which Platform Fits Your Business?
Meeting Room AV Guide
Zoom Rooms vs Microsoft Teams Rooms: Which Platform Fits Your Business?
Zoom Rooms and Microsoft Teams Rooms both provide a permanent, professional video conferencing setup with calendar integration, certified hardware and one-touch meeting access. The best choice usually depends on the technology your organisation already uses.
This guide compares Zoom Rooms and Microsoft Teams Rooms across hardware, licensing, room management, meeting access, installation and mixed-platform flexibility. It is designed to help IT managers, office managers and business leaders choose the right platform for individual rooms or a complete workplace rollout.
The main difference
The same essential job, built around different business ecosystems
Zoom Rooms and Microsoft Teams Rooms are both native meeting-room systems. Unlike a basic display and webcam setup, the room contains permanent conferencing hardware connected to a room calendar, a meeting platform and a dedicated controller.
Employees can enter the room, view the scheduled meeting and join from the controller without connecting their own laptop. Cameras, microphones and speakers remain installed and configured for that specific space.
The real difference is not that one platform is universally better. It is that each system is designed around a different technology ecosystem. A business already using Microsoft 365 and Teams will often find Microsoft Teams Rooms the more natural choice. An organisation standardised around Zoom may find Zoom Rooms easier for employees and IT teams to manage.
If you are already reviewing your wider meeting room AV solutions, platform choice is usually the first major decision because it influences licensing, controllers, room accounts, certified hardware and ongoing management.
Zoom Rooms
How does a Zoom Room work in practice?
A Zoom Room is a permanent meeting-room environment built around the Zoom platform. The room normally has a commercial display, camera, microphone, speakers, a Zoom Rooms controller and either an integrated appliance or separate computing device.
The room is connected to a calendar resource. Scheduled meetings appear automatically on the controller, allowing users to tap the meeting and join without typing a meeting identification number or connecting a laptop.
One-tap meeting access
Scheduled Zoom meetings appear on the room controller so employees can enter and join quickly.
Dedicated room account
Each room is configured as a managed meeting resource rather than relying on an individual employee account.
Central administration
IT teams can manage room settings, devices and account access through the Zoom administration environment.
Certified hardware options
Zoom Rooms can use certified systems from manufacturers including Poly, Yealink, Logitech and AVer.
Zoom Rooms can be particularly suitable for organisations that already use Zoom as their main internal or external meeting platform. View our dedicated Zoom Room systems for huddle rooms, meeting rooms and larger boardrooms.
Microsoft Teams Rooms
How does a Microsoft Teams Room work?
A Microsoft Teams Room is a dedicated meeting-room setup built around Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365. It connects the physical room to a room resource account so meetings scheduled through Outlook or Teams appear automatically on the room console.
Employees enter the room, select the scheduled meeting and tap Join. The room camera, microphone, speakers and display activate as one managed system, removing the need to set up a laptop for every call.
Teams Rooms are available through Android appliance systems and Windows-based configurations. Android systems often combine the camera, microphones, speakers and computing within a video bar. Windows systems can provide greater flexibility for more complex or modular boardroom designs.
Microsoft 365 integration
Meetings and room bookings can connect naturally with Outlook calendars, Microsoft Teams and existing user workflows.
One-touch join
Scheduled meetings appear on the room console, reducing delays at the beginning of calls.
Android or Windows systems
Businesses can choose compact appliance-based hardware or a modular Windows room configuration.
Centralised IT management
Teams Rooms can be monitored alongside the organisation’s wider Microsoft technology estate.
Microsoft Teams Rooms are often the strongest fit for organisations already using Microsoft 365 as their main productivity platform. Explore our Teams-certified room hardware and room system options.
Certified room equipment
Hardware differences between Zoom Rooms and Microsoft Teams Rooms
The physical equipment used in both systems can look very similar. The important distinction is whether the hardware, controller and operating system are certified and configured for the chosen meeting platform.
All-in-one video bars
A video conferencing bar can combine the camera, microphones, speakers and computing device in one compact unit. This provides a tidy setup for huddle rooms, smaller conference rooms and standard meeting spaces.
Browse video conferencing bars designed for professional meeting rooms.
Modular boardroom systems
Larger rooms may need a separate conference camera, ceiling or table microphones, speakers, processors and dedicated room computer. This allows the equipment to be positioned around a longer table and wider seating area.
Explore conference room cameras for small rooms, standard meeting spaces and larger boardrooms.
Check certification before choosing hardware
A camera or video bar may look suitable for either platform, but not every device supports every operating mode. Confirm whether the complete system is certified for Zoom Rooms, Microsoft Teams Rooms or both before ordering.
Platform comparison
Zoom Rooms vs Microsoft Teams Rooms at a glance
The following comparison focuses on the practical differences that affect purchasing, installation and day-to-day use.
| Decision area | Zoom Rooms | Microsoft Teams Rooms |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Businesses using Zoom as their primary internal or external meeting platform. | Microsoft 365 organisations using Teams as their primary collaboration platform. |
| How meetings start | Users tap the scheduled meeting on the Zoom Rooms controller. | Users tap Join on the Microsoft Teams Rooms console. |
| Calendar connection | Connects to a room calendar and Zoom Rooms account. | Connects to a Microsoft 365 room resource account and Outlook calendar. |
| Licensing | Requires a Zoom Rooms subscription for each room. | Uses Microsoft Teams Rooms Basic or Teams Rooms Pro licensing, depending on requirements. |
| Hardware options | Certified appliances and modular systems are available from multiple manufacturers. | Available as Android appliance systems or Windows-based room systems with certified peripherals. |
| IT management | Managed through the Zoom administration portal and supported device-management tools. | Managed through the Microsoft environment, with additional management capabilities available through Teams Rooms Pro. |
| Guest meetings | Guest access to other meeting platforms depends on the selected hardware and configuration. | Guest join and BYOD functionality depend on the hardware, licence and room configuration. |
| Typical strongest use | Agencies, coworking environments and organisations already standardised on Zoom. | Corporate workplaces and multi-room estates already standardised on Microsoft 365. |
Room system budgets
What determines the cost of a Zoom Room or Microsoft Teams Room?
The platform licence is only one part of the total project cost. Room size, camera coverage, audio requirements, displays, mounting and installation usually have a greater impact on the initial budget.
Huddle and small rooms
Smaller spaces may need one display, a compact video bar and a tabletop or wall-mounted controller.
Standard meeting rooms
Medium rooms may require a higher-specification video bar, larger display, extension microphones or dual-screen support.
Boardrooms and large rooms
Larger spaces may need PTZ cameras, ceiling microphones, separate speakers, processors, multiple displays and more complex cabling.
Installation and commissioning
Wall construction, screen mounting, cable routes, power, network access, acoustic conditions and final system testing all affect the project.
A properly scoped quotation should separate hardware, licensing, mounting, cabling and professional AV installation so you can understand the complete cost of each room.
Room booking and administration
Managing meeting rooms across one or multiple offices
Both platforms can connect with room calendars so employees can schedule meetings and view room availability. For larger offices, an external booking panel can show whether a room is available, occupied or reserved before someone enters.
This can reduce interruptions, prevent double bookings and make underused rooms easier to identify. View our calendar-synced room booking panels for meeting rooms, shared offices and multi-floor workplaces.
IT management should also influence the final platform decision. Zoom Rooms can be monitored through Zoom’s administration tools, while Microsoft Teams Rooms can sit within the organisation’s existing Microsoft management environment.
The easiest system to manage is usually the one that fits the technology your IT team already supports. Introducing a second platform may add new accounts, licences, hardware processes and support requirements.
Mixed meeting environments
Do you have to choose one platform for every room?
No. Some businesses use both Microsoft Teams and Zoom, particularly when internal meetings take place on one platform but clients and external partners use another.
Standardise primary rooms
Install native Zoom Rooms or Microsoft Teams Rooms in the spaces used most frequently for internal meetings.
Use BYOD for flexible rooms
Allow employees or guests to connect their own laptop when they need to use a different video conferencing platform.
Create a hybrid room estate
Use native systems in large or high-use rooms and flexible BYOD or BYOM systems in smaller and guest-facing spaces.
BYOD and BYOM can provide a flexible fallback
Many conferencing systems allow users to connect a laptop and temporarily use the room camera, microphones, speakers and display with another meeting platform. Learn more about BYOM for mixed-platform meeting rooms.
Decision framework
Which meeting-room platform fits your business?
Before comparing specific video bars and room kits, answer the following questions about your organisation.
Which platform do employees already use?
If most meetings are already held in Microsoft Teams, Teams Rooms may create the smoothest experience. If Zoom is the established company standard, Zoom Rooms may require less behavioural change.
Which email and calendar platform do you use?
Microsoft 365 organisations may benefit from the close connection between Outlook, Teams and Teams Rooms. Zoom Rooms can also connect with supported calendar systems but may sit outside the company’s main productivity environment.
How many rooms and offices need to be managed?
A single meeting room has different management requirements from a standardised estate covering multiple floors, offices or countries.
Who attends your meetings?
Consider whether most calls are internal, customer-facing or hosted by external organisations using a mixture of platforms.
What support can your IT team provide?
The selected platform should fit existing account management, device monitoring, security and support processes wherever possible.
What type of rooms are being equipped?
A compact huddle room may suit an all-in-one video bar, while a large boardroom may require a modular camera, microphone and speaker system regardless of platform.
Choose the platform around the business, not the other way around
Zoom Rooms and Microsoft Teams Rooms can both deliver a professional, consistent meeting experience. The strongest option is normally the one that works naturally with your organisation’s calendars, user accounts, IT processes and existing meeting habits.
If you are still weighing up the options, our meeting room technology plans can help you assess your rooms and choose a Zoom, Teams or hybrid setup without forcing a platform that does not fit your business.
Frequently asked questions
Zoom Rooms vs Microsoft Teams Rooms FAQs
Is Zoom Rooms or Microsoft Teams Rooms cheaper to run?
Neither platform is automatically cheaper. The biggest cost driver is normally the room size and hardware specification rather than the software licence alone. Businesses already paying for Microsoft 365 or Zoom at scale should ask their IT or procurement team to compare the additional licensing cost alongside the complete hardware quotation.
Can the same hardware run Zoom Rooms and Microsoft Teams Rooms?
Some appliances can support both platforms, but many systems are sold and certified for a particular operating mode. Confirm the certification and available software configuration for the specific model before assuming it can be switched between platforms.
Do we have to standardise on one platform across every meeting room?
No. Some organisations use native Zoom or Teams systems in their most frequently used rooms and flexible BYOD or BYOM systems in smaller or guest-facing rooms. This allows visitors and employees to connect through another platform when required.
Which platform is easier for IT to manage across multiple offices?
Both platforms provide centralised room and device-management capabilities. In practice, the easier system is usually the one that fits the environment the IT team already manages. Microsoft-focused organisations may prefer Teams Rooms, while businesses already administering Zoom across the company may find Zoom Rooms more familiar.
How should we choose if our business already uses both Zoom and Teams?
Review which platform is used for most internal meetings and which one appears most often in customer or external calls. Native rooms can be built around the main platform, with guest-join, BYOD or BYOM functionality providing access to the other.
Does changing platform mean replacing all the meeting-room hardware?
Not necessarily. Some displays, cameras, microphones and speakers can be reused if they are compatible with the new system. However, the controller, computing device or video bar may need to change. A room audit should be completed before replacing equipment.
Continue your research
Related meeting room AV resources
BYOD vs Native Room Systems
Compare flexible laptop-based meeting rooms with permanent Zoom Rooms and Microsoft Teams Rooms.
Read the BYOD vs native systems guideMicrosoft Teams Room Setup Guide
Learn how to plan room size, displays, cameras, audio, controllers and installation for a Teams Room.
Read the Teams Room setup guideMeeting Room AV Solutions
Explore displays, video conferencing hardware, room booking panels, installation and complete meeting-room systems.
Explore meeting room AV solutionsExpert meeting room advice
Need help choosing between Zoom Rooms and Microsoft Teams Rooms?
Tell ScreenMoove about your existing platforms, office locations, room sizes and meeting requirements. Our AV team can recommend the most suitable room system, hardware and installation route for your business.
