Microsoft Teams has long been a cornerstone of workplace collaboration. With its seamless integration with legacy tools like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, it’s easy to see why it remains a go-to choice for many organizations. After all, most of us grew up using Microsoft products for school assignments—so using the same software in an office setting feels like a natural transition.
But in 2025, the landscape is shifting. A new generation of platforms is challenging the status quo—and that’s where Lark comes in. Designed as a true all-in-one productivity superapp, Lark doesn’t just work alongside traditional tools—it replaces them with a streamlined, modern experience. As more businesses look for smarter, more integrated ways to work, Lark has emerged as a powerful alternative to Microsoft Teams.
So how do the two really compare? In this blog, we’ll break down Lark vs Microsoft Teams and their key differences to help you decide which platform is the best fit for your business.
Lark and Microsoft Teams at a glance
What is Lark?
Lark is an all-in-one super app that brings every aspect of teamwork onto a single platform. Lark boosts efficiency by combining messaging, virtual meetings, document collaboration, file sharing, project management, and workflow automation in one place.
What is Microsoft Teams?
Source: microsoft.com
Microsoft Teams is a team collaboration platform that offers features like chat, file sharing, and video conferencing. Teams is integrated with other Microsoft Office tools, like Word and Excel, and allows for third-party app integration. Teams also offers the ability to create channels and groups, making it easy to organize conversations by topic or workstream.
Lark vs Microsoft Teams: Feature comparison
Both Lark and Microsoft Teams are built to support modern collaboration—but they take different approaches to bringing teams together. While Microsoft Teams focuses on strong integration within the Microsoft ecosystem, Lark offers a fresh, all-in-one experience that combines communication, collaboration, and automation in a single platform.
What you can do with Lark
Lark is more than just a communication tool—it’s a complete workspace designed to help teams work faster, smarter, and more efficiently. Everything is natively integrated, reducing the need for extra tools or complicated setups.
Lark key features:
Chat with your team through instant messaging.
Host meetings, manage room bookings, and automatically generate meeting notes.
Manage email directly within the platform—no need for a separate inbox.
Automate workflows and streamline approvals using built-in visual tools.
Share files and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, slides, and wikis in real time.
Communicate effortlessly across borders with built-in language translation.
Whether you're running a lean startup or scaling a global team, Lark adapts to your workflow—keeping everything in one place and your team in sync.
What you can do with Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a go-to solution for businesses already using Microsoft 365. It’s a strong collaboration hub that brings together collaboration tools with access to the wider Microsoft Office ecosystem.
Microsoft Teams key features:
Connect through team chats and threaded conversations.
Share and collaborate on files using OneDrive and SharePoint.
Host video meetings and turn on screen sharing with ease.
Integrate with Office tools like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Add third-party apps to customize your workspace.
Organize conversations into channels for projects, teams, or topics.
For organizations deeply invested in Microsoft tools, Teams offers a familiar and reliable experience with solid scalability.
What Microsoft Teams doesn’t have: Lark Base
While Microsoft Teams covers the basics, it falls short when it comes to no-code data management and advanced workflow control. That’s where Lark Base steps in—giving teams a dynamic way to organize, track, and automate work without writing a single line of code.
Custom Dashboards: Get a bird’s-eye view of your most important metrics with layouts you can tailor to your workflow.
Smart Automation: Set up rules to trigger actions automatically—no manual follow-ups needed.
Multiple Views: Switch between Kanban, Calendar, List, Gallery, and more to work the way that suits your team best.
Advanced Data Tools: Import spreadsheets, connect via APIs, and collect real-time input with integrated forms.
Custom Fields & Formulas: Capture the data that matters and perform live calculations without leaving your workspace.
Collaboration-Ready: Mention teammates, assign tasks, and manage updates—all without relying on third-party plugins. Ideal for task management.
AI Integration: Let AI help generate content or summarize information based on the data you're already working with.
Lark Base isn’t just a table with rows and columns—it’s a flexible, intuitive workspace that adapts to your team’s real-world needs. Whether you're focused on CRM, performance tracking, project planning, or data management, it’s designed to bring clarity, automation, and power to your operations.
Lark vs Microsoft Teams: Custom bots and automated workflows
Automation and custom bots are essential for reducing manual work and streamlining daily operations. Both Lark and Microsoft Teams support these features, but they differ in flexibility, accessibility, and how deeply they're integrated into the user experience.
What you can do with Lark
Lark is designed with automation in mind. Its built-in workflow automation tools allow teams to automate repetitive tasks without needing third-party services. Whether it’s sending notifications, assigning tasks, collecting responses from forms, or setting approval flows, automation is tightly integrated across Lark’s apps.
Approval automation: Create multi-step automation flows using a visual builder—no coding required. Automate leave requests, expense approvals, onboarding flows, and more.
Workflow automation: Easily create automated processes with simple steps and conditions. This helps you set up actions based on different situations, making tasks like sending out notifications, updating records, and completing tasks more efficient.
Lark Bots: Build or integrate bots that can send messages, schedule tasks, or interact with users in chat. Use prebuilt bots or create custom ones using Lark’s open platform and APIs.
Lark’s approach is ideal for teams who want a simple way to automate tasks without relying on external tools or IT support.
What you can do with Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams supports workflow automation and bots through Power Automate and the Microsoft Bot Framework. While these tools are incredibly powerful, they often require more setup and technical know-how.
Power Automate Integration: Automate tasks across Microsoft 365 and other apps with robust templates. Ideal for advanced workflows like syncing data between platforms or managing approvals.
Custom Bots: Build bots using the Microsoft Bot Framework or access third-party bots through the Teams app store. These bots can assist with scheduling, Q&A, reminders, and more.
Deeper Integration with Microsoft Services: Automations are especially effective when tied to Outlook, SharePoint, or Excel—perfect for enterprises already embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem.
Teams offers enterprise-grade automation capabilities, but the learning curve can be steeper, and some features require higher-tier plans or developer resources.
Lark vs Microsoft Teams: Mobile app experience
Both Lark and Microsoft Teams offer mobile apps that bring key essential tools right to your fingertips.
Lark mobile experience
Lark was built with a mobile-first mindset, ensuring that its mobile app isn’t just a slimmed-down version of the desktop experience—it’s a fully capable work hub for teams on the move.
Unified access to chat, calendar, meetings, docs, and tasks
Smart reminders and real-time alerts help keep workflows on track
Intuitive UI designed for speed and ease of use on smaller screens
Optimized for frontline and field-based teams who rely on mobile as their primary device
Lark is especially well-suited for industries where employees may not be at a desk, such as retail, logistics, or customer service. On the App Store, it holds an impressive 4.9 out of 5 rating, with users highlighting its sleek design and smooth performance across devices.
Microsoft Teams mobile experience
The Microsoft Teams mobile app provides access to its core collaboration features, including team messaging, video meetings, and file sharing. For organizations already using Microsoft 365, it offers a consistent experience across desktop and mobile, making it easy to pick up where you left off.
Access chats, channels, and shared files directly from your phone
Join or schedule meetings with calendar integration
Collaborate on Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files on the go
Push notifications and in-app alerts help you stay connected in real time
While some users have noted occasional performance issues or lag—especially in low-bandwidth environments—Microsoft continues to roll out improvements regularly. On the Google Play Store, the app holds a strong 4.6 out of 5 rating, praised for its integration with Office apps and reliable functionality for larger enterprises.
Lark vs Microsoft Teams: Pricing
When comparing the pricing of Lark and Microsoft Teams, each platform has its strengths and weaknesses. However, Lark stands out with its free plan.
Lark: Offers a free plan that supports up to 20 users, allowing small teams to collaborate effectively without hidden costs.
Microsoft Teams: The free version is limited to just 1 user, making it unsuitable for startups or small businesses. While it may work for personal use, it falls short for team collaboration.
Lark's free plan provides several benefits that make it appealing for businesses:
Integrated Tools: Access to email, calendar, and contacts all within the same app.
Automation Features: Custom bots and automated workflows enhance productivity.
Content Creation: Built-in tools for content creation streamline work processes.
Generous Storage: Significantly more storage compared to Microsoft Teams.
When evaluating free plans side by side, Lark's offerings make it a more suitable choice for businesses seeking collaborative software. Its features and user capacity provide a compelling case for startups and small teams looking to maximize efficiency without incurring costs.
Lark vs Microsoft Teams: For global teams
One of Lark's standout features is its automated language translation. With this feature, users can chat with colleagues in their preferred language, and Lark will automatically translate the conversation in real-time. This is particularly useful for global teams that may be working across multiple time zones and languages. In addition, subtitles can be translated in real time.
Teams, on the other hand, does not offer automated language translation. However, it does offer the ability to add subtitles in meetings, which can be helpful for non-native speakers.
Final thoughts on Lark and Microsoft Teams
Both Lark and Microsoft Teams excel in fostering collaboration and communication within teams, and each platform brings something valuable to the table. Microsoft Teams is a powerhouse for organizations already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, offering seamless integration with tools like Office 365 and excellent chat and video conferencing capabilities. For many businesses, Teams is a reliable choice for connecting teams and managing daily tasks.
However, Lark takes collaboration to the next level by offering more than just messaging and meetings. Its integrated email system, automated language translation, and customizable workflow automation are designed to streamline day-to-day operations and boost team productivity. Lark simplifies collaboration across global teams by breaking down language barriers and reducing the need for multiple disconnected tools—saving time and improving efficiency.
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