ARCHITECTURAL COMPARISON · EDUCATIONAL REFERENCE · REV 2025.1
A unified communication and collaboration platform combining chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration for workplace productivity.
A comprehensive cloud computing platform offering infrastructure, platform, and software services including compute, storage, databases, AI, and more.
How each platform serves different organizational needs
Direct interface for employees. Chat, calls, meetings, file sharing.
End users interact with apps built on Azure, not Azure directly.
Tabs, bots, connectors. Integrates third-party and custom apps.
Hosts and runs business applications at scale.
Teams app development, Power Platform integration.
Full development platform. DevOps, containers, serverless, AI/ML.
No infrastructure management. Microsoft handles everything.
VMs, networking, storage, global data centers.
Teams is for workplace collaboration—chatting, meeting, sharing files. Azure is for building and running technology solutions—hosting apps, storing data, running AI models.
Teams serves everyday employees who need to communicate. Azure serves developers, IT professionals, and technical teams building software and infrastructure.
Azure can power Teams integrations. Custom apps built on Azure can appear in Teams. They're complementary parts of Microsoft's ecosystem.
| Capability | Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Video Conferencing | Core feature—meetings, webinars, calls | Via Azure Communication Services API |
| Instant Messaging | Built-in chat, channels, threads | Build your own with services |
| File Storage | SharePoint/OneDrive integration | Azure Blob, Files, Data Lake |
| Virtual Machines | Not available | Core infrastructure service |
| Database Services | Not available | SQL, Cosmos DB, PostgreSQL, more |
| AI/ML Services | Copilot features (consumer) | Azure AI, OpenAI Service, ML platform |
| Pricing Model | Per-user subscription | Pay-as-you-go / reserved |
Team joins video call, shares screens, discusses tasks, drops files in channel for everyone to access.
Developer pushes code, Azure DevOps builds it, deploys to App Service, connects to Azure SQL database.
Create team channel, add Planner for tasks, integrate apps, share documents, communicate in one place.
Ingest data to Data Lake, process with Databricks, visualize with Power BI, all running on Azure.
Host live event for hundreds of attendees, present slides, Q&A, record for later viewing.
Build with Bot Framework, deploy to Azure, integrate Azure OpenAI, publish to multiple channels.
This document is provided for general educational and informational purposes only. It is NOT official Microsoft documentation and is NOT affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, and all related names and logos are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Information presented reflects general understanding and may not be current, complete, or accurate. Features, pricing, and availability change frequently. For official information, consult Microsoft's official documentation. This is an independently produced educational comparison and should not be used as the basis for purchasing or technical decisions.