Skype for Business vs Teams: Only One Remains in 2024

Last Updated on January 5, 2024

How will Microsoft Teams measure up to Skype for Business?

In this article, let’s talk about the future of communication and collaboration in Microsoft through Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business.

Let’s get started.

Overview

Let’s start with a basic overview of both apps first.

Later on, we will go through the comparison of specific features and functions.

What is Skype for Business?

Are you familiar with the free version of Skype? You probably have it installed on your computer.

The free Skype is great for communication and meeting (group calling) up to 100 people. It’s free to use unless you want to make calls to mobiles and landlines.

Skype for Business lets you add more people (more than 250) to online meetings with enterprise-grade security.

Note: Unfortunately, Skype for Business Online is already phased out, with its users moved to Microsoft Teams.

What is Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams has an overlap with Skype for Business in terms of usage.

There are a lot of ways to describe Teams — it’s a collaboration tool and a communication tool at the same time.

Microsoft also positions Microsoft Teams client as something like an app hub where almost all Microsoft 365 tools integrate natively.

People use Microsoft Teams to:

• Voice and video conferencing calls
• Private or group chat
• Create, edit, and share documents

Note: If you want to learn Microsoft Teams, read this tutorial: Microsoft Teams Tutorial: Become a Teams Expert Quickly.

With the overview out of the way, let’s talk about specific features and functions and how they stack up against each other.

Microsoft Teams vs Skype for Business: Communication

In terms of communication, Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams both have a chat, audio and video calls, and group conference capabilities.

Here is a summary:

• Skype for Business closes the real-time chat at the end of the working day and stores those conversations in Microsoft Outlook or Exchange.
• Microsoft Teams has a persistent chat (the normal way) where chat history is retained and kept in the channel.
• Microsoft Teams has channels where multiple contacts or users can chat within a set team (per project, per department, per topic, etc.).
• Both Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams support call meeting recording, file uploads, screen sharing, and more.
• Meetings held in Microsoft Teams can make use of extra features like the Microsoft Whiteboard, 1-click instant poll, and more.
• Skype for Business can host 100 participants in a video or voice call — similar to the free plan of Microsoft Teams.
• Skype Meeting Broadcasts can host and broadcast business meetings with up to 10,000 participants (requires Skype for Business Server in a hybrid setup).
• Meetings and calls in Skype for Business can run for 24 hours while it’s up to 30 hours for Microsoft Teams (60 minutes for the free plan).
• Paid plans of Microsoft Teams can host audio and video calls with 300 participants.
• 20,000 people can join calls or Teams meetings through the view-only feature. Only the original 300 members can contribute to the call.

Right off the bat, it’s clear that Microsoft Teams offers more features that allow users to collaborate with one another.

But if you don’t mind those extra features, you can say that Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams are on the same levels in terms of communication.

Note: For more info on the new features of Microsoft Teams, read this: Microsoft Teams New Features 2022: Exciting Updates.

Microsoft Teams vs Skype for Business: File storage and transfer

As for file storage, there is quite a difference between the two.

Here is a quick summary:

• Both Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business allow users to upload files in chats and conversations.
• Files uploaded via Skype for Business aren’t automatically stored in OneDrive (it only serves as one of your file transfer options).
• Files uploaded in Microsoft Teams are stored in a SharePoint site.
• The free plan of Microsoft Teams comes with 5 GB of cloud storage per user. The paid plans come with 10 GB of storage per user.

How the file storage works in Microsoft Teams deserves a little more detail here.

• Specifically, files uploaded in team channels are saved in a specific SharePoint document library.
• Each team has its own site in SharePoint Online. Each channel created within that team gets its own folder.
• Meanwhile, if you attached files in user-to-user chats, those files are saved in OneDrive for Business.
• Each team user gets a subfolder for chat files — with the files stored in the sender’s OneDrive for Business account.

By the way, the reason why Microsoft Teams is connected to SharePoint and OneDrive is due to the created Microsoft 365 group.

Note: For more info on what happens when you created a new team, check out this article: How to Create a Microsoft 365 Group: The Ultimate List.

Microsoft Teams vs Skype for Business: Integration

In this category, the purpose and design of each app are as clear as day, with Skype for Business primarily made for communication purposes only.

Here is a quick summary:

• Skype for Business offers little app integration — only for telephony apps (and quite a few at that).
• Microsoft Teams integrate with hundreds of Microsoft apps (like Microsoft Office apps) and third-party apps for all sorts of functions and features you may need.

There was a move to enable more integration options in Skype for Business. But it got shelved when the focus shifted to Microsoft Teams.

In the Microsoft Teams store for apps, you will find apps for:

• Productivity
• Project management
• Image and video galleries
• Utilities

Apps are neatly categorized into functions/uses and industries so it’s easy to discover an app you may need for a specific purpose.

When you install an app in Microsoft Teams, make sure to set up app management to avoid security risks, especially from third-party apps.

Note: For more security best practices, read this guide: Microsoft Teams Security Best Practices: Compliance & Governance.

Microsoft Teams vs Skype for Business: Guest Access

How about guest access?

It’s a usual question that company leaders have to ask especially when the organization has to work with external participants.

Here is a quick summary:

• Skype for Business allows guests and are invited through email or calendar.
• The guests in Skype for Business have to use a web plugin or install the Skype for Business desktop app in order to attend.
• Guests are also welcome in Microsoft Teams with generous permission access.
• Since MS Teams has a web app, the guests don’t have to install anything in order to attend Microsoft Teams meetings.

By default, guests in Microsoft Teams can:

• Create a channel
• Start a private chat
• Post, edit, or delete a message
• Share a file in the channel

Because of these capabilities, I highly recommend that you visit the guest access settings in the Microsoft Teams admin center.

You can also specify the external domain that is permitted to communicate with your Microsoft Teams users.

Doing so will disable users that have a different domain name in their email address from accessing any teams in your tenant.

Related: Microsoft Teams Best Practices Guide: Focus and Management

Microsoft Teams vs Skype for Business: Security

Even if both apps came from Microsoft, the way they handle security differs.

Here is a quick summary:

• Skype for Business is in compliance with the Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) with the help of Micro IM Security.
• Conversations in Skype for Business are protected with an advanced encryption standard (managed centrally).
• Microsoft Teams is compliant with important standards in the world including (but not limited to) HIPAA, EUMC, ISO 27001, and many more.
• There are also tools to help Microsoft Teams users manage how information is retained in the organization.

For the retention policy, you will have to go to the compliance center and visit the data lifecycle management page.

You can then set up the retention policy to affect Teams channel messages and chats:

There is also a way to set up a team expiry date so that you can protect sensitive information that might be lurking in inactive teams.

Note: Check out this article to know more about retention policy and team expiry date: The Definitive Guide: How to Manage Microsoft Teams Sprawl.

Microsoft Teams vs Skype for Business: Support

Even if Skype for Business Online today, the support it would get still pales in comparison to how much Microsoft Teams get.

Here is a quick summary:

• Support for Skype for Business Online retired on July 31, 2021, together with the SBO client.
• Skype for Business Server will continue to enjoy support through the Fixed Lifecycle Policy from Microsoft.
• Microsoft Teams has a dedicated support page for users complete with technical and user readiness training, contact options, and community.

Skype for Business Server is an on-premises deployment of the app and will continue to receive support until 2025.

To be precise, here are the extended end date for the following products:

• Microsoft Lync Server 2013 – April 11, 2023
• Skype for Business Server 2015 – October 14, 2025
• Skype for Business Server 2019 – October 14, 2025

In addition, the Fixed Lifecycle Policy promises security updates, self-help support, and paid support to qualified products.

Microsoft Teams vs Skype for Business: Pricing

In terms of pricing, since Skype for Business is phased out, Microsoft isn’t selling licenses for it anymore.

Before, Skype for Business Online was included in the Microsoft 365 business plans.

For Microsoft Teams, there are four basic plans:

• Free
• Microsoft Teams Essentials
• Microsoft 365 Business Basic
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard

The free plan already includes:

• Online meetings (calling and video) with 100 participants
• Maximum group meeting duration of 60 minutes
• Maximum one-on-one meeting duration of 30 hours
• Screen sharing
• Customized backgrounds
• Together mode
• Scheduled meetings
• English live captions
• 2 GB per user file attachments
• 5 GB file storage across all teams

The essentials plan bumped all these goodies into the following:

• 300 participants
• Maximum group meeting duration of 30 hours
• Microsoft Whiteboard
• 300 maximum number of users (from 100)
• 10 GB file storage
• Phone and web support around the clock

If you need more, then that’s the time to check if any of the business plans suit your needs.

But from the free plan, you could already see how generous the features are — enough for the needs of most small businesses.

Microsoft Teams vs Skype for Business: Roadmap

Lastly, let’s talk about what will happen to these apps in the future:

Here is a quick summary:

• Skype for Business Online was taken down last July 31, 2021.
• Skype for Business Server will still receive enhancements from time to time until October 14, 2025.
• Microsoft Teams will continue to receive updates for improved productivity and collaboration in its features.

For Microsoft Teams, you can check out Microsoft 365 roadmap for its upcoming updates like the following:

1. Devices dashboard for device analytics (health and usage metrics) on October 2023
2. Pre-meeting room creation and participants assignment on June 2023
3. Global sign-in and sign-out in Teams iOS app on June 2023
4. Loop components in Teams chat on May 2023
5. Workspace management within Microsoft Teams admin center on April 2023

Users of Skype for Business Online have long been reminded to move to Microsoft Teams even if it might not be a direct replacement for the app.

SFB Server though is different since it’s a platform or software that provides the infrastructure for messaging, VoIP, and more.

An example of an upcoming enhancement to Skype for Business On-Premises (Server) is the capability to call Teams Call Queue via VoIP or PSTN.

Microsoft Teams = Future

From the details above, it’s quite obvious that Microsoft Teams is the future.

In fact, even the new Microsoft Viva has a module that runs on a brandable SharePoint Home app right inside Microsoft Teams.

Related: Guide: How to Create a Viva Connections-Teams Integration

When you compare Skype for Business Online and Microsoft Teams, you really don’t have much of a choice.

Since Microsoft announced the phasing out of Skype for Business Online, they have also recommended to users move to Microsoft Teams.

How do you feel about Microsoft retiring Skype for Business? Does Teams seem overpowered for communication purposes?

For business inquiries, kindly send me a message using the form from this page and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.