What is the difference between Microsoft Teams and Lark?

Microsoft Teams is best for Organizations already using Microsoft 365, while Lark is best for Teams wanting an all-in-one collaboration suite. Microsoft Teams starts at $4/user/mo and Lark starts at Free.

Is Microsoft Teams or Lark cheaper?

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

Is there a free alternative to Lark?

Both Microsoft Teams and Lark offer free tiers.

Microsoft Teams vs Lark

Microsoft Teams is all-in-one communication platform with chat, video meetings, and Office 365 integration, while Lark is integrated workspace combining messaging, video, docs, and project management from ByteDance. The biggest difference up front: Lark is free, while Microsoft Teams starts at $4/user/mo. Microsoft Teams is built for organizations already using microsoft 365, whereas Lark targets teams wanting an all-in-one collaboration suite.

At a glance

	Microsoft Teams	Lark
Best for	Organizations already using Microsoft 365	Teams wanting an all-in-one collaboration suite
Starting price	$4/user/mo	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	—
Calendar	—	✓
Channels	✓	—
Docs	—	✓
File Sharing	✓	—
Messenger	—	✓
OKRs	—	✓
Office 365 Integration	✓	—
Video	—	✓
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

Lark

Strengths

Includes Messenger as a core feature, purpose-built for team communication workflows
Includes Video as a core feature, purpose-built for team communication workflows
Free for up to 50 users — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Includes docs alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Feature-rich interface takes time to learn — not the simplest option for quick adoption
Notification overload is a real problem as the number of channels grows
Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish

Try Lark → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Lark is completely free (Free for up to 50 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 Lark lacks. Lark brings Calendar, Docs and Messenger that Microsoft Teams does not have.

Team fit: Microsoft Teams is geared toward enterprise teams, while Lark is aimed at any size 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). Lark's biggest strengths are: includes messenger as a core feature, purpose-built for team communication workflows. includes video 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 Lark, 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 Lark if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams wanting an all-in-one collaboration suite
Budget is a hard constraint — Lark is free, Microsoft Teams is not
You specifically need Calendar and Docs
You care about includes video as a core feature, purpose-built for team communication workflows
Your team size fits the any size profile Lark is designed for