What's the cost of running Microsoft Teams Rooms vs Zoom Rooms?
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Total cost of ownership for Microsoft Teams Rooms and Zoom Rooms is closer than most procurement comparisons suggest. Hardware costs are essentially the same because both platforms certify the same OEMs (Logitech, Poly, Yealink, Cisco, Neat). The real difference is in recurring per-room licensing and AI feature add-ons, which together typically swing TCO by 10 to 15 per cent over a five-year window.
The cost components side by side (indicative figures, current at time of writing; both vendors revise pricing periodically and you should verify current rates with Microsoft and Zoom):
| Cost component | Microsoft Teams Rooms | Zoom Rooms |
|---|---|---|
| Room hardware (huddle to medium) | £3,000 to £6,000 per room | £3,000 to £6,000 per room |
| Room hardware (large/boardroom) | £8,000 to £15,000+ per room | £8,000 to £15,000+ per room |
| Platform licence per room | Teams Rooms Pro at ~£36/room/month | Zoom Rooms at ~£45/room/month |
| Underlying user productivity licence | M365 (E3 from ~£23/user/month, E5 from ~£54/user/month) | Zoom Workplace (from ~£12/user/month) |
| AI feature add-on | Microsoft 365 Copilot at ~£24/user/month | Zoom AI Companion (included in most plans) |
| Network and QoS | Comparable; same VLAN/QoS work either platform | Comparable |
| Monitoring | Included in Teams Rooms Pro | Included in Zoom Device Management |
| Certification renewal / firmware | Comparable; same OEM cadence | Comparable |
| Support cost (with integrator) | £75 to £200+/room/month depending on SLA | £75 to £200+/room/month depending on SLA |
A few specifics that matter on the spreadsheet. Microsoft Teams Rooms Pro is the licence that turns a basic room into a managed one with telemetry, intelligent video and Pro Management; it's required on most enterprise deployments. Zoom Workplace sits underneath Zoom Rooms; if the user base is already licensed for Zoom, the room licence is incremental, otherwise per-user productivity costs add up. AI features are the variable that's currently moving fastest: Microsoft 365 Copilot is a paid add-on per user, while Zoom AI Companion is bundled in Zoom Workplace plans, which gives Zoom a near-term TCO advantage for organisations that want AI summaries on every call. Microsoft's pricing on Copilot has changed multiple times since 2024 and the per-user delta versus AI Companion may close.
The other variable is room hardware lifetime. MTR and Zoom Rooms both run on a 5 to 7 year hardware horizon for bars and a slightly shorter cycle for compute-driven rooms. Lifecycle replacement budgeting at roughly 15 per cent of the hardware capex per year is realistic for either platform; this is the line item most TCO comparisons miss. The meeting room AV cost guide covers the underlying room hardware build-up in detail, and video conferencing deployment includes both platforms.
Quick reference: hardware comparable (£3k-£15k+/room), MTR Pro ~£36/room/month, Zoom Rooms ~£45/room/month, AI add-ons currently bundled in Zoom Workplace but separate (Copilot) on Microsoft. Always verify current vendor pricing.
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