Webex vs Teams: Is It Time to Migrate?

Quick Answer: Webex and Microsoft Teams both provide video meetings, chat, and calling features, but they work quite differently. Webex is backed by Cisco, which continues to invest heavily in its development and integration with enterprise tools. Teams has quickly evolved from a chat platform into an enterprise-capable communication and collaboration suite.

A lot of organizations are finding themselves at a crossroads, wondering if they should stick with Webex or make the jump to Teams. This decision isn’t just about features—it’s about how these tools fit into your entire business technology stack

Let's evaluate whether changing from Webex to Microsoft Teams makes sense for your current setup. We'll look at integration pros and cons, user adoption hiccups, costs involved, and where either platform might make more sense for you.

When Does Migration Make Sense?

Switching platforms is not an easy decision to make or implement. Users might struggle to break old habits, and if you've heavily invested in Webex, transitioning can be costly. User workflows will also need to be considered, as the two platforms have slightly different focuses. 

It's not all bad news, though. Some scenarios make moving from Webex to Microsoft Teams worthwhile.

For Organizations Already Using Microsoft 365

Migrating to Teams makes the most sense if your company already runs Microsoft 365. Adding Teams is relatively trivial as your users already have access to it. Teams does a good job of integrating Office tools into its workflow, so spreadsheets and documents are all accessible directly in chats and meetings.

That’s not to say that Webex can’t connect to Microsoft tools, it can—but Teams has native integration that feels seamless instead of just added on. Teams offers users these features:

• Documents that are shared in Teams chats are automatically saved to SharePoint.

• Meeting notes link directly to Outlook calendar events.

• Multiple people can edit files during a call without leaving the Teams interface and interrupting the flow of the meeting.

• Single sign-on across all Microsoft tools for better security.

The management side of Teams also gets simpler. IT admins can control Teams policies, permissions, and configurations from the same Microsoft Admin Center they already use for other Microsoft services. You won't have to jump between different management portals and create duplicate security policies across applications.

Streamlining Collaboration Tools

Tool sprawl occurs when multiple tools require separate configuration and maintenance—a very real problem for many businesses. A lot of organizations find themselves with a mixture of:

• Webex Meetings for video conferences

• Webex App or Slack for chat

• A separate phone system for calling

• SharePoint or OneDrive for document storage

• Project management tools that don't natively connect to any of the above

Teams is great because it consolidates chat, calling, meetings, file sharing, and collaboration into one place. However, when you constantly jump between apps, context switching can seriously reduce productivity.

A simplified tech stack makes training much easier. You’ll also have fewer frustrated users logging support tickets when things aren’t working between apps. With Teams, users learn one interface instead of a bunch of different ones. Your IT department benefits when it supports fewer unique platforms and has the potential to lower operating costs.

Cost-Effective Calling and Meeting Solutions

Teams has also added calling features into the mix. They allow you to make phone calls directly, which still incurs charges for phone calls. If you're currently using Webex Calling with Webex Meetings, making the switch to Teams won't be a huge change in how you make calls, but there are differences in how you integrate calling and manage it.

Microsoft calling pros:

• Phone System with Calling Plans: Microsoft hands out phone numbers and minutes. 

• Direct Routing: Teams can connect to your existing phone system. 

• Operator Connect: Choose who you work with. You can select the telecom providers that you prefer.

For meetings, Teams offers features that would need premium Webex licenses:

• Up to 1,000 participants in meetings

• Live events for up to 10,000 viewers

• Breakout rooms for small group discussions

• Live transcription and recording

• AI-powered summaries and meeting analytics are available in select Microsoft 365 license tiers that include Copilot features

Many companies are starting to realize that if they are already paying for Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 licenses, they're essentially paying twice when they use Webex and Teams.

How Accessible is Teams for Non-Technical Users?

Like any new application, users can resist change, which is normal. The good news is that Teams was designed to be simple. Its interface is easy to navigate, even for less tech-savvy team members. There is a slight learning curve, especially if a legacy app like Webex has been the go-to tool for a long time within the organization, but it's smooth sailing after a few days of primary use for most users.

Certifications to Support Your Microsoft Teams Migration

If you're in charge of a migration from Webex to Teams, getting properly certified will help make the switch much smoother. The MS-721 exam (Microsoft Teams Voice Engineer) is an associate-level certification that focuses on Microsoft Teams voice and conferencing setup.

This certification covers:

• Setting up voice calling in Teams

• Configuring audio conferencing

• Managing large-scale meetings like town halls

• Setting up emergency calling policies

• Troubleshooting audio and video issues

What's great about this cert is that it focuses on practical scenarios that you will likely encounter, not just technical information that has no real-world value and cannot be implemented. If you've managed Webex installs before, then some concepts will feel quite similar, just implemented in a different way.

Ease of Adoption for Teams

Microsoft has invested heavily in making Teams user-friendly. If your staff already uses Outlook and other Microsoft tools, then it will feel quite familiar. 

The Teams interface uses a familiar Microsoft aesthetic and app layout, and for Webex users, a lot of features map directly:

• Webex Spaces = Teams Channels

• Webex Meetings = Teams Meetings

• Webex Calling = Teams Calling

To make things easier for users and admins, Microsoft has released some training resources:

• Step-by-step tutorials built into the Teams app

• Short video guides for the most common tasks

• Downloadable quick start guides for different roles

• Admin training, especially for those migrating from other messaging apps

A good migration strategy is to identify "champions" inside each department to become your company’s early Teams adopters. These users can then help train everyone else and answer day-to-day questions that usually come up after migrating.

Streamlining Audio and Video Needs

Tools like Teams work well when they handle all your meetings without needing different apps for missing functionality. Teams has so many features built into it that you don't need much else to have productive meetings and company-wide communication.

Unified Platform Benefits

Webex splits features between different tools. There’s Webex Meetings for video conferences, Webex App for chat, and Webex Calling for phone calls. These products work together, but each has its own interface and learning curve.

Teams takes a different path by bringing everything into one application:

• Start a chat, then switch to a call with one click.

• Schedule a meeting and see all your chat conversations in the meeting.

• Share and collaborate on files in the same window as your meeting.

• Access voicemail and make phone calls without switching apps.

Having fewer blockers in your workflow will speed up your daily tasks and improve your efficiency. Instead of deciding which tool to open for each interaction, you can let the conversation dictate what comes next. For example, you can move from text to voice to video from the same app.

Simplified Deployments

Setting up meeting rooms is simple. Microsoft Teams Rooms has a uniform way of using your physical meeting spaces:

• Find certified hardware bundles from multiple vendors

• Use a consistent interface across all meeting rooms

• Easy one-touch joining for scheduled meetings

• Manage all room systems with a central management tool

Teams has bigger vendor support compared to Webex. Webex usually needs special Cisco hardware for the best meeting room experience, but Teams Rooms supports equipment from Logitech, Poly, Yealink, and many more. Teams gives you more options at different budgets, making your rollout more flexible.

Enhanced Meeting Capabilities

As mentioned previously, Teams is catching up with most legacy communications apps and now has meeting features that only apps like Webex previously had:

• Webinar features with registration pages and attendee tracking

• Live events that can stream to 10,000 viewers

• Virtual breakout rooms for small group discussions

• Polls, Q&A, and raised hands for interactive sessions

• Background blur and custom backgrounds (which is convenient for work-from-home days.)

PowerPoint Live integration lets you present slides while still seeing participants, notes, and chat messages all at once. Attendees can also look at slides without disrupting the presentation for others.

Teams is a strong choice for town halls, training sessions, and client presentations. While Webex historically excelled in these areas, Teams has significantly closed the gap.

Comparing Costs and Features

When comparing Teams with Webex, there are financial costs in addition to licensing. Looking at both direct expenses and hidden costs gives you a clearer view of the total investment.

Cost Analysis

The licensing structures between these platforms are quite different:

Microsoft Teams:

• Teams is included with Microsoft 365 Business and Enterprise plans.

• Basic features available in free Microsoft 365 accounts.

• Phone calling needs additional licenses (about $8-12 per user monthly.)

• Advanced compliance features need premium licenses.

Webex:

• Separate licenses for Meetings, Teams, and Calling.

• Entry-level plans start around $14.95 per user monthly.

• Premium features need higher-tier plans.

• Hardware is often sold separately.

Teams uses your existing Microsoft investment, potentially saving thousands in duplicate licensing costs, depending on your company's size.

Besides licensing, you need to factor in these costs:

• IT administration time managing multiple platforms

• Training expenses for each tool

• Integration costs to connect non-native systems

• Support resource requirements

Companies with 500+ users often find big annual savings by consolidating on Teams, especially when they can reduce or remove separate phone systems altogether.

Key Features Comparison

Both platforms cover essential collaboration features, but they have different focus items:

Teams Advantages:

• Deep integration with Microsoft 365 (Office, SharePoint, OneDrive)

• Real-time document collaboration during meetings

• Extensive app marketplace with 700+ integrations

• Built-in wiki and file organization within channels

• Strong mobile experience across devices

• Automations are possible via Power Automate

Webex Advantages:

• More polished and refined webinar capabilities with Webex Events

• More granular meeting controls for hosts

• Better performance on lower-bandwidth connections

• Stronger hardware integration with the Cisco ecosystem

• More advanced whiteboarding features

Teams is a collaboration superstar where file sharing and co-editing are used all the time. Its tight integration with SharePoint makes it a natural hub for team document management.

Webex is great for formal webinars, big events, and organizations that are already heavily invested in Cisco networking and phone equipment.

The gap between Teams and Webex isn’t very wide. Teams now has added features like breakout rooms and larger meeting capacity, but Webex has worked on its collaboration tools. Your choice may come down to which ecosystem you're already invested in.

Making Your Decision

Your Webex vs. Teams decision hinges on a few specifics, including your organization's general communication preferences, the amount you’ve already invested, and your IT strategy.

If you can test both platforms, start with small groups to gather valuable user feedback you might not have considered. Already using Webex? Set up pilot groups to try Microsoft Teams for a few weeks and see what insights they share.

If you're heading down the Teams path, getting certified helps ensure you're implementing best practices. The MS-721 Teams Voice Engineer certification provides the knowledge needed to set up calling features effectively, while the MS-700 covers broader Teams administration skills.

Want your team to get even more out of Microsoft Teams? Set your organization up for success with CBT Nuggets Microsoft Teams for End Users training with Lalo Nunez.