Around
Microsoft Teams
| Feature | Around | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10.99/mo | Free / from $4/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | remote-teams, quick-standups, pair-programming, distributed-teams | enterprise, teams, microsoft-users, remote-workers |
| Founded | 2020 | 2017 |
| Floating Video | ✓ | ✗ |
| Auto Leveling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Noise Cancellation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Screen Sharing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reactions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Virtual Backgrounds | ✓ | ✗ |
| Chat | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video Meetings | ✗ | ✓ |
| Channels | ✗ | ✓ |
| File Sharing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Apps | ✗ | ✓ |
| Whiteboard | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Around Pros
- Lightweight and fast
- Minimal floating interface
- Good noise cancellation
- Reduces meeting fatigue
✗ Around Cons
- Limited features vs Zoom
- Smaller user base
- No recording on free
✓ Microsoft Teams Pros
- Included with Microsoft 365
- Great video calling
- Deep Office integration
- Large meeting capacity
✗ Microsoft Teams Cons
- Resource heavy
- Complex admin settings
- Can feel cluttered
- Requires Microsoft ecosystem
The Verdict
Around is built for remote teams and quick standups, with a focus on floating-video and auto-leveling. Microsoft Teams targets enterprise and teams and leads with chat and video-meetings.
On pricing, Microsoft Teams is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $4/mo compared to $10.99/mo for Around. That $6.99/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.
