Zoom vs Microsoft Teams 2026: Which is Better for Your Nepal Business?

sonam seo

January 1, 2026

Zoom vs Microsoft Teams 2026: Which is Better for Your Nepal Business?

Introduction:

Pitching Zoom vs Microsoft Teams can feel overwhelming. Both platforms promise seamless video calls and collaboration, but they’re built for different purposes. What works for a digital agency in Thamel might be completely wrong for a software company in Lalitpur.

In this guide, we’ll break down the key differences between Zoom and Microsoft Teams, specifically from a Nepal business perspective. You’ll learn about features, pricing in NPR, and most importantly, which platform actually makes sense for your situation.

zoom-vs-microsoft-teams

Quick Comparison: Zoom vs Teams at a Glance

Here’s what you need to know upfront:

Feature	Zoom	Microsoft Teams
Best For	External meetings & webinars	Internal collaboration & Office integration
Free Plan	Yes (40-min limit for groups)	Yes (60-min limit)
Max Participants	Up to 1,000 (paid plans)	Up to 10,000 (with add-ons)
Chat	Basic	Advanced (persistent channels)
File Storage	None	Yes (1TB with M365)
Office Integration	Limited	Native & seamless
Starting Price	~NPR 1,800/user/month	~NPR 800/user/month (with M365)
Internet Speed Needed	1.5 Mbps minimum	2 Mbps minimum
Best for Nepal	Works on slower connections	Needs a stable internet

The bottom line: Zoom is purpose-built for meetings and webinars. Teams is an all-in-one collaboration platform that happens to include meetings.

Platform Overview: Zoom vs Microsoft Teams

What is Zoom?

Zoom was launched in 2013 with one mission: make video meetings simple. It succeeded. Zoom is now the go-to platform for virtual meetings because it just works, even if your non-tech-savvy clients can join without calling for help.

Zoom’s core strengths:

Incredibly simple user experience
Superior video/audio quality on Nepal’s variable internet speeds
Powerful webinar capabilities for large audiences
Perfect for external meetings (clients, partners, customers)

In Nepal, Zoom is popular among educational institutions, training companies, consultancies, and businesses that frequently meet with external stakeholders.

What is Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams (launched in 2017) is fundamentally different. It’s your team’s digital workspace that combines video meetings, persistent chat, file storage, and seamless integration with Microsoft Office apps.

Think of Teams as your digital office, not just a meeting tool.

Teams’ core strengths:

All-in-one collaboration hub (meetings, chat, files in one place)
Included with Microsoft 365 (no extra cost)
Perfect for internal team collaboration
Enterprise-grade security and compliance

Teams is slowly gaining traction among medium-to-large Nepal businesses, IT companies, banks, and organizations already using Microsoft 365.

Key Features Compared

Meeting Experience

Winner: Zoom (slight edge)

Both deliver solid video quality, but Zoom handles Nepal’s variable internet speeds better. It adjusts intelligently when bandwidth fluctuates (common during peak hours).

Zoom advantages:

Simpler join process (one-click, no account needed)
Better virtual backgrounds (extensive library, smoother performance)
Gallery view shows up to 49 participants
Works smoothly on older computers

Teams advantages:

Together mode (creative but not essential)
Integrated with Outlook calendar
No time limit on free plan (60 minutes vs Zoom’s 40)

Nepal reality: If your internet occasionally drops to 1-2 Mbps, Zoom handles it better. Teams can get choppy or drop quality significantly.

Real scenario: You’re a Kathmandu digital agency presenting to a new client. With Zoom, they click the link, and you’re presenting in seconds. With Teams, they might need to download the app, wait in the lobby, and struggle on a slower connection. For client-facing meetings, Zoom wins.

Webinars & Large Events

Winner: Zoom (significantly)

If you host webinars, training sessions, or virtual events, Zoom is purpose-built for this.

Zoom Webinars:

Support up to 10,000 attendees
Professional registration pages
Presenter controls (attendees can’t unmute themselves)
Q&A, polls, and hand-raise features work flawlessly
Practice sessions before going live

Teams Live Events:

Can handle up to 10,000 viewers
More complex setup
Less intuitive controls
Better for internal town halls than external webinars

Real use case: Organizing a 500-person product launch? Zoom Webinars takes 15 minutes to set up. Teams Live Events? You’ll spend an hour troubleshooting and wishing you’d chosen Zoom.

Note: Zoom Webinars require a separate license (starting ~NPR 6,000/month). But if webinars are core to your business, it’s worth every paisa.

Learn more about Zoom Webinar pricing and features →

Chat & Collaboration

Winner: Microsoft Teams (significantly)

This is where Teams dominates. Zoom has chat, but Teams is a collaboration platform.

Zoom Chat:

Basic one-on-one and group chats
Messages tied to meetings
No persistent channels
File sharing is clunky

Microsoft Teams Chat:

Persistent channels organized by team/project
All conversations, files, and recordings are searchable in one place
@mentions, threaded conversations
Files are automatically backed up to SharePoint
Integrations with Planner, OneNote, and Power BI

Practical scenario: Your 30-person software company works on 5 client projects. With Teams, you create channels for each project. Developers discuss code, share files, and all meeting recordings automatically appear in the channel. Everything is organized and searchable.

With Zoom? You’d need Slack for chat, Dropbox for files, Asana for tasks, and Zoom for meetings. Four tools instead of one.

Integrations

Winner: Depends on your existing tools

Microsoft Teams:

If you use Microsoft 365, integration is seamless and native
Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint, i.e., everything works together
Single sign-on (one login for everything)
Most Nepal businesses already use Office, making Teams a natural fit

Zoom:

Strong third-party integrations (1,500+ apps)
Works well with Google Workspace
Good for businesses using best-of-breed tools
Integrates with Slack, Salesforce, HubSpot, Trello

Decision factor: If your team already pays for Microsoft 365 (most Nepal businesses do), Teams is included at no extra cost. Massive advantage.

Recording & Storage

Zoom:

Cloud recording (paid plans): 1GB included, extra storage costs money
Local recording (all plans): Save to your computer, no storage limits
Downloadable MP4 files (easy to share externally)

Microsoft Teams:

Recordings saved to SharePoint/OneDrive
1TB storage per user (with Business Standard)
Recordings automatically appear in the relevant Teams channel
Better for internal sharing, trickier for external

Nepal consideration: If you record frequently (training companies, educators), Teams’ 1TB per user is generous. Zoom charges for extra cloud storage.

Pricing: What You’ll Actually Pay in Nepal

Zoom Pricing (According to the market)

Basic (Free):

Unlimited 1-on-1 meetings
40-minute limit on group meetings
100 participants max
Local recording only

Pro: ~NPR 1,800/user/month

Unlimited meeting duration
100 participants
5GB cloud recording
User management

Business: ~NPR 2,400/user/month

Everything in Pro
300 participants
Company branding
Minimum 10 licenses

Add-ons:

Zoom Webinars (100 attendees): ~NPR 6,000/month
Additional cloud storage: ~NPR 600/month per 10GB

Microsoft Teams Pricing (According to the market)

Teams (Free):

Unlimited chat
60-minute meetings
100 participants
5GB storage
No recording

M365 Business Basic: ~NPR 800/user/month

Unlimited meetings
1TB storage
Web/mobile Office apps
Meeting recording

M365 Business Standard: ~NPR 1,600/user/month

Desktop Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Webinar hosting (300 attendees)
Advanced security

Real Cost Comparison

Small Agency (8 people):

Zoom: 8 × NPR 1,800 = NPR 14,400/month (meetings only)
Need: Slack (~NPR 6,400), Dropbox (~NPR 6,400) = Total: ~NPR 27,200/month
Teams: 8 × NPR 1,600 = NPR 12,800/month (includes everything)
Winner: Teams saves NPR 14,400/month

Training Company (5 trainers, weekly webinars):

Zoom: 5 × NPR 1,800 + NPR 18,000 (webinar license) = NPR 27,000/month
Teams: 5 × NPR 1,600 = NPR 8,000/month
Winner: Teams saves NPR 19,000/month…but Zoom’s webinar quality is significantly better. Worth paying extra if webinars are your core business.

Software Company (40 developers, already using M365):

Zoom: NPR 72,000/month + existing M365 cost
Teams: NPR 0/month (already included in M365)
Winner: Teams saves NPR 864,000/year — no-brainer.

Want a custom pricing analysis? Request a quote, and we’ll calculate exactly what you’d pay.

When to Choose Each Platform

Choose Zoom If You:

✓ Primarily meet with external clients, partners, or customers

✓ Host regular webinars or training sessions (100+ attendees)

✓ Need the simplest possible user experience for guests

✓ Have inconsistent internet (Zoom works better on 1.5-2 Mbps connections)

✓ Don’t need advanced collaboration tools (chat, file storage)

✓ Aren’t already using Microsoft 365

Best for: Consultancies, agencies, coaching institutes, event organizers, client-facing businesses

Example: A Kathmandu digital marketing agency with 12 people meeting clients daily and hosting monthly webinars for 200+ attendees.

Choose Microsoft Teams If You:

✓ Need internal collaboration (chat, file sharing, project management)

✓ Already use Microsoft 365 for Office apps and email

✓ Want everything in one platform (meetings, chat, files, apps)

✓ Have stable internet (2+ Mbps consistently)

✓ Need enterprise security and compliance

✓ Primarily meet internally with your team

Best for: Software companies, remote teams, enterprises, banks, organizations with Microsoft 365

Example: A Lalitpur software company with 50 employees working on multiple projects needing organized collaboration channels.

Can You Use Both?

Yes. Some businesses use both:

Zoom for external client meetings and webinars
Teams for internal team collaboration

This makes sense if you’re already on Microsoft 365 (Teams is free) and webinars are important to your business (Zoom is better).

Pros & Cons Summary

Zoom

Pros:

Simplest user experience
Superior meeting quality on slower internet
Best webinar features
Works on older computers
Low mobile data usage

Cons:

No collaboration tools
No file storage
Chat not persistent
Need separate tools for teamwork

Microsoft Teams

Pros:

All-in-one workspace
Included with Microsoft 365
Persistent chat & channels
1TB storage per user
Native Office integration

Cons:

Steeper learning curve
Requires better internet
Complex for external guests
Can feel overwhelming initially

Set Up & Getting Started in Nepal

Zoom Setup

Create an account at zoom.us
Download desktop/mobile app
Schedule your first meeting
Configure key settings (waiting room, recording preferences)
Start meeting in under 5 minutes

Internet requirements: Minimum 1.5 Mbps, recommended 3 Mbps

Teams Setup

Get a Microsoft 365 subscription
Download the Teams app
Set up team structure and channels
Add team members
Configure Outlook calendar integration

Internet requirements: Minimum 2 Mbps, recommended 4 Mbps

Nepal ISP recommendations: Worldlink, Vianet, and Subisu generally provide stable speeds for both platforms. If you’re on 10-20 Mbps plans, both work fine.

Final Recommendation

Here’s our honest take: most Nepal businesses should start with Microsoft Teams if they already use (or need) Microsoft 365. You’re paying for Office anyway, and Teams comes free. It handles meetings well enough for internal calls and provides collaboration tools you’d otherwise buy separately.

However, choose Zoom if:

You frequently meet with external clients
You host webinars regularly
Meeting quality is critical to your business
You want the simplest possible experience

And remember: you’re not locked in. Both platforms offer monthly plans. Try the free versions, then commit once you’re sure.

Still not sure which fits your business? That’s exactly what we help with. Contact us for a free consultation, and we’ll analyze your specific needs, team size, and budget to recommend the right solution. We can also help with setup, training, and ongoing support.