What is the difference between Microsoft Teams and Flock?

Microsoft Teams is best for Organizations already using Microsoft 365, while Flock is best for Teams wanting messaging with built-in productivity tools. Microsoft Teams starts at $4/user/mo and Flock starts at Free.

Is Microsoft Teams or Flock cheaper?

Microsoft Teams starts at $4/user/mo with a free tier. Flock starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Flock?

Both Microsoft Teams and Flock offer free tiers.

Microsoft Teams vs Flock

Microsoft Teams is all-in-one communication platform with chat, video meetings, and Office 365 integration, while Flock is team messaging with built-in to-dos, polls, notes, and file sharing. The biggest difference up front: Flock is free, while Microsoft Teams starts at $4/user/mo. Microsoft Teams is built for organizations already using microsoft 365, whereas Flock targets teams wanting messaging with built-in productivity tools.

At a glance

	Microsoft Teams	Flock
Best for	Organizations already using Microsoft 365	Teams wanting messaging with built-in productivity tools
Starting price	$4/user/mo	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	—
Channels	✓	—
File Sharing	✓	—
Notes	—	✓
Office 365 Integration	✓	—
Polls	—	✓
To-Dos	—	✓
Video Calls	—	✓
Video Meetings	✓	—
Webinars	✓	—

Microsoft Teams

Strengths

Included with Microsoft 365 subscriptions
Deep integration with Office apps (Word, Excel, SharePoint)
Strong video conferencing with large meeting support
Enterprise-grade security and compliance

Weaknesses

Interface can feel cluttered and confusing
Heavy on system resources
Navigation between chats, teams, and channels is unintuitive
Notifications management is frustrating

Try Microsoft Teams → Full review

Flock

Strengths

Lightweight to-do lists keep daily tasks front and center without project-management overhead
Includes Polls as a core feature, purpose-built for team communication workflows
Free for up to 20 users — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Established product with 12+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Notification overload is a real problem as the number of channels grows
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Flock → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Flock is completely free (Free for up to 20 users), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Microsoft Teams starts at $4/user/mo, but Free basic chat and video meetings. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Microsoft Teams offers Channels, File Sharing and Office 365 Integration that Flock lacks. Flock brings Notes, Polls and To-Dos that Microsoft Teams does not have.

Team fit: Microsoft Teams is geared toward enterprise teams, while Flock is aimed at small teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Where each tool shines: Microsoft Teams's biggest strengths are: included with microsoft 365 subscriptions. deep integration with office apps (word, excel, sharepoint). Flock's biggest strengths are: lightweight to-do lists keep daily tasks front and center without project-management overhead. includes polls as a core feature, purpose-built for team communication workflows.

Watch out for: With Microsoft Teams, users commonly note that interface can feel cluttered and confusing. With Flock, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose Microsoft Teams if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: organizations already using microsoft 365
You specifically need Channels and File Sharing
You care about deep integration with office apps (word, excel, sharepoint)
Your team size fits the enterprise profile Microsoft Teams is designed for
The free tier works for you: free basic chat and video meetings

Choose Flock if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams wanting messaging with built-in productivity tools
Budget is a hard constraint — Flock is free, Microsoft Teams is not
You specifically need Notes and Polls
You care about includes polls as a core feature, purpose-built for team communication workflows
Your team size fits the small teams profile Flock is designed for