By Convo Team • Published January 8, 2026 • Last updated June 25, 2026
Zoom pricing: Free (40-min group limit), Pro ($13.33/user/mo annual), Business ($18.33/user/mo, 10-user min), Enterprise (custom). AI Companion is included free with paid plans, but it only works inside Zoom; cross-platform recording needs the Custom AI add-on at +$12/user/mo and joins as a visible bot. The alternative for teams on more than one platform is Convo, real-time meeting help across Zoom, Meet, Teams, Slack, and Webex with no bot, from $22.49/month.
ZOOM PRICING & THE ALTERNATIVE
Zoom Pricing 2026: Plans, AI Companion
Costs & Hidden Fees
Zoom's AI Companion is free with any paid plan, but it only works inside Zoom, and recording on Meet, Teams, or Slack needs a +$12/mo add-on that joins as a visible bot. Convo, at $22.49, helps you live across every platform with no bot in the room. Zoom's full pricing is below.
WHY TEAMS CHOOSE CONVO OVER ZOOM AI
Zoom AI Companion summarizes your Zoom calls. Convo helps you in every call, on every platform.
With Convo
With Zoom AI Companion
CONVO VS ZOOM AI COMPANION
| Feature | Convo | Zoom AI |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $22.49/mo | Included with Pro+ ($13.33+/mo) |
| Real-time help during calls | ||
| Works with Zoom | ||
| Works with Meet, Teams, Slack, Webex | Included (no bot) | +$12/mo (visible bot) |
| Invisible (no bot) | ||
| Pre-meeting briefings | ||
| Context memory across calls | ||
| Follow-up email drafting | ||
| Transcription & summaries |
If every meeting you run is on Zoom and a post-call summary is all you need, AI Companion comes free with any paid plan and is hard to beat on price. If your week spans Meet, Teams, and Slack, or you want help while the call is still live, Convo covers every platform from $22.49/month with no bot in the room.
WHICH SHOULD YOU PICK?
Choose Convo if you work across platforms
Choose Zoom AI if you live in Zoom
ZOOM WORKPLACE PLANS, FOR REFERENCE
Basic
Personal use
Pro
Business
Enterprise
Contact sales
Prices as of April 2026. Source: zoom.us/pricing
ZOOM AI COMPANION PRICING
AI Companion is Zoom's built-in AI assistant. Here's what's included and what costs extra.
| AI Feature | Free plan | Paid plans (Pro+) | Custom AI (+$12/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meeting summaries | |||
| Action item extraction | |||
| Smart recording highlights | |||
| Cross-platform recording (Teams, Meet, Slack) | |||
| Custom AI agent |
AI Companion included free with Pro, Business, Enterprise. Standalone (without Zoom license): $10/user/month. Custom AI add-on: +$12/user/month.
ZOOM VS GOOGLE MEET VS TEAMS
| Feature | Zoom | Google Meet | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free group limit | 40 min | 60 min | 60 min |
| Cheapest paid plan | $13.33/mo | $8.40/mo | $4/mo |
| AI features included | Yes (all paid) | Partial | +$30/mo (Copilot) |
| Cloud recording (free) | |||
| Max participants (paid) | 100-1,000 | 100-500 | 100-1,000 |
Zoom's free plan has the shortest group limit (40 min). But Zoom includes AI free with paid plans, while Teams charges $30/user/mo for Copilot. See the Google Meet time limit guide.
HIDDEN COSTS & LIMITATIONS
Price volatility at renewal
Zoom's pricing has been volatile: 45% increase in July 2025, then 37% decrease in February 2026. Users report surprise hikes of 5-51% at renewal. Always check renewal rates.
Pro cloud storage is only 5GB
5GB fills quickly with regular recordings. Extra 30GB costs $10/month. Business has unlimited storage but requires 10-user minimum.
AI Companion only works in Zoom
Included AI is limited to Zoom meetings. For Google Meet, Teams, or Slack, you need Custom AI (+$12/mo) which sends a visible bot.
No refund policy
Strict no-refund policy on annual plans. Cancel mid-year and you keep access but don't get money back.
Add-ons escalate costs quickly
Phone, Webinar, Rooms, and extra storage are all separate. Teams needing video + phone + webinars can spend $50-80/user/month.
Zoom pricing FAQ
Sources & References
- Zoom Official Pricing Page
- Zoom AI Companion Pricing
- Zoom Workplace Plans Comparison