Teams Rooms Basic is a no-cost license that covers core meetings (join, share, gallery video) for up to 25 rooms per organization. Teams Rooms Pro is a paid per-room license that adds the intelligent audio and video features, dual-screen and Front Row layouts, Teams Phone calling, Conditional Access and full remote management in the Pro Management portal. Most businesses with more than a couple of rooms, or any room with two displays, should buy Pro.
The two current license types
Microsoft sells two Teams Rooms licenses today:
- Teams Rooms Basic - free, assigned to the room's resource account. Limited to 25 per tenant, Teams Rooms systems only (not Teams Panels), and purchased only through the Microsoft 365 admin center.
- Teams Rooms Pro - paid per room, per month, typically on an annual commitment. No room limit. Available through the admin center, Microsoft resellers and CSP partners. Check current pricing with Microsoft or your reseller, as it changes.
Every certified Teams Rooms device needs one or the other. A regular user license (like Microsoft 365 E3) is not a substitute. See how to assign a Teams Rooms license.
Feature-by-feature comparison
Based on Microsoft's published comparison:
| Feature | Basic | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| One-touch, proximity and meeting ID join | Yes | Yes |
| Ad hoc meetings | Yes | Yes |
| Direct Guest Join (Zoom, Webex) | Yes | Yes |
| Join across Teams clouds, coordinated meetings | No | Yes |
| Room check-in with Teams Panels | No | Yes |
| Share all Teams content types | Yes | Yes |
| Whiteboard via content camera | No | Yes |
| Video gallery layouts | Yes | Yes |
| Meeting chat, Front Row, large gallery (up to 50) | No | Yes |
| Dual screen support | No | Yes |
| Peer-to-peer and group calls | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft 365 Phone System, end-to-end call encryption | No | Yes |
| Speaker ID, multi-camera, panoramic view, AI noise suppression, people counting | No | Yes |
| Entra Conditional Access | No | Yes |
| Pro Management portal enrollment, inventory, auto updates | Yes | Yes |
| Health monitoring, remote config, device history, ITSM integration, alerts, analytics | No | Yes |
| Max rooms per tenant | 25 | Unlimited |
Two items catch people out. First, dual screen is Pro-only, so a two-display boardroom on Basic runs as single screen. Second, multi-camera setups (like a front bar plus a Logitech Sight or Neat Center) need Pro to get the camera switching. See IntelliFrame and multi-camera.
The 25-room Basic limit
You can assign up to 25 Basic licenses in a tenant. Room 26 onward must be Pro. Basic also can't license Teams Panels. Panels use the Teams Shared Device license or a Pro license; see shared device vs Teams Rooms license.
Legacy Standard and Premium
Teams Rooms Standard and Premium were the earlier licenses. They are no longer sold to new customers.
| Legacy license | Replaced by |
|---|---|
| Teams Rooms Standard | Teams Rooms Pro (or Basic for simple rooms) |
| Teams Rooms Premium | Teams Rooms Pro (Premium's managed service was retired) |
Existing legacy licenses keep working until they expire (Enterprise Agreement customers until their next renewal). They do not convert automatically. At expiry you buy Pro or Basic. Switching can take up to 48 hours to take effect. More detail: Standard and Premium licenses.
Which one to buy
Choose Basic when:
- You have a few simple huddle or small rooms, one display each.
- Your IT team doesn't need remote monitoring or alerts.
- You're piloting a room before committing.
Choose Pro when:
- You have more than 25 rooms, or plan to.
- Any room has two displays, a content camera or multiple cameras.
- You want AI noise suppression, speaker ID and Front Row.
- You need PSTN calling from the room, Conditional Access, or ticketing integration.
- You're in GCC, GCC High or DoD. Microsoft lists Pro for those segments; Basic is listed for commercial, education and non-profit only. See Teams Rooms for GCC High.
A common pattern: Pro in boardrooms and large rooms, Basic in a handful of huddle rooms, staying under 25.
Hardware works with both
The license doesn't change the hardware. Any certified device, such as a Logitech Rally Bar + Tap IP, Poly Studio X52 or Neat Bar Generation 2, runs Basic or Pro. You can upgrade a room from Basic to Pro later by reassigning the license. Compare devices in best Microsoft Teams Rooms devices and costs in Teams Rooms license cost.
Not sure which rooms need Pro? Send us your room list and we'll map hardware and licenses for each.
Related guides
- Teams Rooms Pro Management portal explained
- How to Assign a Teams Rooms License to a Room Account
- Teams Rooms Basic license: free, limits and how to get it
- Teams Rooms End of Life and Unmonitored Devices
- Teams Rooms Pro license: features, price and setup
- How to Set Up Microsoft Teams Rooms: Step by Step
Outfitting several rooms, or reselling? Get a volume quote or apply for wholesale pricing →
