Is Zoom still free in 2026?

Yes. Zoom's Basic plan is free forever and includes 40-minute group meetings with up to 100 participants, Team Chat, Whiteboard (3 boards), Clips (5 two-minute clips), Mail and Calendar connections, and limited AI features (3 meeting summaries, 20 AI queries, 3 My Notes uses per month). For one-on-one meetings, there's no time limit — the 40-minute cap only applies to meetings with 3 or more participants.

How much does Zoom cost per month?

Zoom Workplace Pro costs $14.99/user/month with annual billing ($15.99 month-to-month). Business costs $19.99/user/month (annual), and Business Plus costs approximately $26.99/user/month (annual). Enterprise pricing is custom. All paid plans remove the 40-minute meeting limit and unlock unlimited AI Companion features. Monthly billing is available at a ~15% premium. For a 10-person team on Business with Zoom Phone, expect to pay around $299.90/month total.

What's included in Zoom Workplace?

Zoom Workplace bundles Meetings (video conferencing with up to 1,000 participants), Team Chat (instant messaging with channels and threads), Phone (VoIP calling, included in Business Plus+), Mail and Calendar (connect Gmail/Outlook in Zoom), Whiteboard (collaborative canvas with AI features), Scheduler (booking pages), Clips (async video messages), and AI Companion/ZoomMate (AI meeting summaries, real-time queries, automatic note-taking). The exact feature set depends on your plan tier.

Does Zoom have an AI meeting assistant?

Yes. ZoomMate (formerly AI Companion) provides AI-powered meeting summaries with action items, real-time query responses during meetings ('What did John say about the budget?'), automatic note-taking via My Notes, and live translated captions in 35+ languages. It's included on all plans — Basic gets limited monthly usage (3 summaries, 20 queries, 3 My Notes uses) while paid plans get unlimited access. The AI Productivity Suite (Slides, Sheets, Paper, Canvas) is also included.

Is Zoom better than Microsoft Teams?

For video and audio quality, Zoom is objectively better — our tests show sharper video, fewer dropped frames, and superior noise suppression compared to Teams. For Microsoft 365 integration and document collaboration, Teams wins. If your company runs on Microsoft 365, Teams is the natural choice since it's essentially free with your subscription. If video meetings are your primary collaboration mode and quality matters more than Office integration, Zoom is the superior platform.

Zoom has made security a top investment priority since 2021. Today it offers end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for meetings up to 200 participants, post-quantum E2KE encryption (Enterprise), SOC 2 Type II certification, GDPR/CCPA compliance, HIPAA/BAA support for healthcare, and FedRAMP Moderate and High authorization for government use. SSO/SAML, SCIM provisioning, waiting rooms, passcodes, meeting locks, and data residency controls are all available. Zoom's security posture is now on par with enterprise competitors.

Can I use Zoom on my phone?

Yes. Zoom has native apps for iOS and Android with full feature parity. You can host and join meetings, use Team Chat, access the Whiteboard, view AI-generated meeting summaries, manage settings, and even host webinars from your phone. The mobile experience is polished and reliable, supporting both WiFi and cellular connections with adaptive quality adjustments. The mobile app also supports virtual backgrounds, screen sharing, and safe driving mode.

Does Zoom offer a phone system?

Yes. Zoom Phone is a cloud VoIP system available as an add-on (from $10/user/month) or included in Business Plus plans. It offers unlimited domestic calling (US/Canada), SMS/MMS messaging, voicemail with AI transcription, auto-attendants, IVR menus, call recording with AI summaries, and CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk). It integrates directly into the Zoom desktop and mobile apps — no separate software needed.

Can Zoom replace Slack?

For teams that primarily communicate through meetings and need chat as a complement, Zoom Team Chat can replace Slack and save $7.25-$12.50/user/month. However, for text-first teams that rely on threaded conversations, custom workflows (Slack Connect, automated bots), and extensive integrations, Slack remains more powerful and full-featured. Many organizations run both — Zoom for video meetings, Slack for async chat and integrations.

What's the difference between Zoom Basic and Pro?

The key differences: Pro removes the 40-minute group meeting limit (extends to 30 hours), adds 5GB cloud recording storage, unlocks unlimited AI Companion features (meeting summaries, queries, My Notes), enables custom meeting IDs and personal links, includes polling and quizzing, allows streaming to YouTube and Facebook Live, and provides chat-based customer support. Basic caps AI at 3 summaries/20 queries per month, limits meetings to 40 minutes, and restricts participants to 100. For professional use, Pro is the minimum viable plan.

Does Zoom integrate with Google Calendar and Outlook?

Yes. Zoom integrates deeply with both Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook/365 through browser extensions and plugins. You can schedule Zoom meetings directly from your calendar interface, with the Zoom link automatically included in the invitation. The integration also reads your calendar availability for Zoom Scheduler, sends automated reminders, and syncs meeting status. Zoom Mail and Calendar can also surface your Gmail and Outlook emails directly inside the Zoom app.

Is there a Zoom affiliate program?

Yes. Zoom has an affiliate program through PartnerStack and Impact that pays commissions for referring new customers. Affiliates earn competitive commissions on Zoom Workplace subscriptions (Pro, Business, Enterprise), Zoom Phone, Zoom Contact Center, and Zoom Webinars. Sign up through the Zoom Partner Program portal to access tracking links, marketing materials, and performance dashboards.

Zoom Review 2026: Is Zoom Workplace Still the King of Video Conferencing?

Zoom Review 2026: Is Zoom Workplace Still the King of Video Conferencing? | Nest Digital Studio