At their core, Microsoft Teams and Workplace by Facebook are collaboration tools designed to improve group or workplace communications.
Microsoft Teams is a popular choice for businesses that use Office 365 products. It is packaged in with the Office 365 suite and syncs up well with other Microsoft technologies. Workplace will feel familiar to Facebook users and it allows businesses to use news feeds and live videos to keep their users informed.
Both Microsoft Teams and Workplace are excellent choices for businesses of all sizes because they both offer free versions for small teams and can scale to meet the needs of enterprise clients as well.
Features
Microsoft Teams and Workplace both provide collaborative abilities, but each also has unique features that set them apart.
Microsoft Teams includes a robust chat service that allows users to communicate quickly without setting up a conference. Syncing with Office 365 also makes collaboration easy by allowing file sharing and calendar support as well as integrations with other Microsoft applications. Teams works on all iOS and Windows platforms and Users also enjoy how easy it is to share files and messages in the application.
Workplace offers many of Facebook’s core features like groups but takes it a step beyond and allows for multi-company groups so businesses can collaborate with external partners or customers. Workplace users also get their own personalized news feed to help keep them aware of what is going on in their company and to have a shared space for encouraging coworkers’ achievements. Workplace also offers integrations for Office 365 and GSuite. Another main benefit of Workplace is that it offers live video broadcasting on-the-fly so users can record themselves and share updates and milestones with their coworkers.
Limitations
Microsoft Teams loses some of its utility if a business is not using the Microsoft suite of office software. Users mention a lack of customization for notifications as a drawback. Some users have also had issues with statuses (offline, away, busy, etc.) from Outlook syncing correctly.
Workplace is based on social interactions and this may be somewhat of a drawback because some users report it being somewhat distracting while at work. Some users also report difficulty in understanding all of the functions available because there are so many available. Some also lack trust in the platform and have privacy concerns because it is owned by Facebook.
Pricing
Microsoft Teams is included in Office 365, which has a free version for non-business use and three paid pricing tiers. The cheapest option is $5 per user per month and includes a small number of Office services including Teams and SharePoint. The Office 365 Business Premium plan costs $12.50 per user per month and includes the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, etc.). Lastly, the Microsoft 365 Business Plan costs $20 per user per month and includes advanced security protection. All Microsoft Team’s plans require an annual commitment.
Workplace by Facebook also offers a free version for small teams. Businesses can then move up to the Advanced tier for $4 per month per user which offers unlimited groups, 1TB of storage per person, and 24/7 support. The highest tier is the Enterprise plan for $8 per user per month and includes unlimited storage, multiple single-sign-on, early access to new features, and priority customer support.
