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Teams

Microsoft Teams Free (classic) is retiring

After April 12, 2023, Microsoft Teams Free (classic), the legacy free Teams app for business, will no longer be available.

Upgrading to Microsoft Teams Essentials is the easiest way to continue using Teams and maintain access to all your chats, files, teams, and meetings. Teams Essentials also provides unlimited group meetings for up to 30 hours in length with up to 300 participants per meeting, and 10 GB of cloud storage per user—all for only $4.00 per user/month, paid yearly (annual subscription-auto renews).1

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Why should I upgrade?

Upgrading to a comparable offering, such as Teams Essentials, ensures that you can continue using Teams with similar features and without interruption. If you’re using Microsoft Teams Free (classic) in your organization, you must upgrade all profiles on your organization’s account to continue accessing your data.
Learn more

Explore different ways to continue using Microsoft Teams

Choose Microsoft Teams Essentials to maintain access to your chats, files, and meetings

Teams Essentials is a simple, affordable, collaboration app that allows you to maintain access to all your chats, files, teams, and meetings. For $4.00 per user/month, paid yearly (annual subscription – auto renews)1, it includes:

  • Unlimited group meetings up to 30 hours long.
  • Up to 300 participants per meeting.
  • 10 GB of cloud storage per user.

Upgrade now

Upgrade to Microsoft 365 Business Basic to get Teams plus other apps

Upgrading to Microsoft 365 Business Basic for $6.00 per user/month, paid yearly (annual subscription – auto renews)1 will enable you to continue using Teams, maintain access to your chats, files, teams, and meetings, and enjoy everything included in Teams Essentials, plus:

  • Team meetings recordings with transcripts.
  • Web and mobile versions of Microsoft 365 apps, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
  • The ability to manage customer appointments with Bookings.
  • 1 TB of cloud storage per user.

Upgrade now Or buy a version without Teams
Learn more about Microsoft 365 Business Basic

Switch to Microsoft Teams (free)

If you prefer to continue using a free version of Teams, you may sign up for the new free Teams option. None of your data will transfer, but you’ll be able to view and save the files that are in your current account to another location through April 12, 2023. Microsoft Teams (free) includes:

  • Unlimited group meetings up to 60 minutes long.
  • Up to 100 participants per meeting.
  • 5 GB of cloud storage per user.
Sign up

Preserve your files

You have until April 12, 2023, when Teams Free (classic) retires, to view and save your files. After that date, you'll lose access to your account and your data will be deleted. Or, you can upgrade by then and keep access to your data.

 

Get started with Teams Essentials today

Buy Teams Essentials

Frequently asked questions

  • Teams Essentials has most of the features that Microsoft Teams Free (classic) has. And, once you upgrade, you’ll maintain access to your data.

    Designed specifically with small- and medium-sized businesses in mind, Teams Essentials is the newest version of Teams, which you can purchase separately from Microsoft 365 offerings. After April 12, 2023, Microsoft will no longer support Teams Free (classic). If you use that free version of Teams, you can maintain access to your data by upgrading to Teams Essentials by that date.

  • Yes. Although you’ll no longer have access to your current Teams Free (classic) account after April 12, 2023, you have the option to sign up for the new free version of Teams.

    After the switch, however, you’ll have access to a different set of features than you did with Teams Free (classic), and your data won’t be retained (including existing chats and recurring meetings). If you want to keep your data and continue using Teams, consider upgrading to Teams Essentials.

  • You can purchase Teams Essentials or a Microsoft 365 offering, which includes Teams.

  • To see if you're currently using Teams Free (classic):

    • Open the Microsoft Teams app and click on your profile picture in the top right-hand corner to open the drop-down menu.
    • If you’re using the free version of Teams that’s being retired, you'll see Microsoft Teams Free (classic) at the top of the menu.

    Confirm which version of Teams you’re using.

  • Check how many people are using Teams Free (classic) in your organization by following the steps on the Upgrade from Teams Free (classic) to Teams page.

  • Yes, you’ll need to tell people and they’ll have new login information. Learn more about how upgrading will affect the profiles associated with your account.

  • For organizations with more than 300 members, we recommend upgrading to Microsoft Office 365 E1.

    Contact Microsoft 365 business sales to learn more. Or click here to upgrade to Office 365 E1.

  • Microsoft is making this change to invest in a single free Teams experience across personal and small business.

    For over a year, Microsoft has only allowed new customers to sign up for the new Teams (free).

[1] Once your paid subscription begins, you have a 7-day cancellation window to receive a prorated refund, only paying for what you use. You may cancel your subscription at any time in the Microsoft 365 admin center. Learn how to cancel your Microsoft 365 subscription. When a subscription is canceled, all associated data will be deleted. Learn more about data retention, deletion, and destruction in Microsoft 365.

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