Microsoft Teams Essentials review

Teams Essentials is Microsoft's way to buy Teams without the rest of Microsoft 365, and for a small company it is one of the best value chat apps available. At $4.00 per user per month paid yearly, it includes unlimited chat with coworkers and guests, file sharing, tasks and polls, plus meetings for up to 300 participants that can run for up to 30 hours. Each user gets 10 GB of cloud storage, and meetings can be recorded with transcripts. The calendar connects with Outlook or Google, so it fits companies that are not fully on Microsoft. The weaker points are structural. There is no permanent free business plan, only a trial, and the subscription is annual. Teams also does a lot in one window, so people moving from a simpler chat app often need a short adjustment period. If you later want email and Office apps, Microsoft 365 Business Basic at $7.00 per user per month paid yearly also includes Teams.

Who it is for

Small businesses that use Outlook and want chat plus long, large meetings at a low per-user price.

Price

$4.00 per user per month paid yearly; free trial available.

Microsoft Teams Essentials Affordable, professional meeting solution for small and medium-sized businesses $4.00 user/month, paid yearly
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 6, 2026.

Key features

• Unlimited chat with coworkers, including guest access
• Meetings with up to 300 participants for up to 30 hours
• 10 GB of cloud storage per user
• Meeting recordings with transcripts
• Calendar connection with Outlook or Google

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Lowest paid per-user price among the big three chat suites
• Strength: Chat and meetings with 300 participants in one app
• Strength: Teams is also bundled with Microsoft 365 business plans if you grow into them
• Weakness: Annual subscription that renews automatically
• Weakness: Essentials does not include Office desktop apps or business email
• Weakness: The interface packs in many features, which takes new users time to learn

Key facts

• Free plan: No, free trial available
• Meeting size: Up to 300 participants, up to 30 hours
• Storage: 10 GB of cloud storage per user

Where it ranks

Microsoft Teams Essentials is No. 2 in our Best Team Chat Apps verdict and No. 3 in Best Video Conferencing Software.