Zoom pricing: Features explained and how they built it

‍Zoom is a widely used platform for video conferencing, online meetings, and webinars. Zoom offers a mix of seat-based plans and usage-based add-ons.

This guide summarizes the pricing structures of Zoom plans, how they bill for usage, and why it matters for this growing company.

Note: Keep in mind that pricing is often subject to change, and you should always check the latest pricing info from Zoom’s official pricing site.

What are the Zoom pricing plans?

Zoom pricing is designed to be flexible and cater to a variety of needs and budgets, from individual users to large enterprises.

Individuals & Business category

Zoom's "Individuals and Business" category offers various pricing plans for a wide range of users, from solopreneurs and small teams to large organizations. It includes four main tiers within its Workplace offering:

• Basic (Free)
• Pro ($15.99/month or $159.90/year)
• Business ($21.99/month or $219.90/year)
• Business Plus (Contact Sales).

The Basic tier provides the basics, while Pro removes meeting time limits and adds features like cloud recording. Business increases the participant capacity and adds tools like unlimited Whiteboards. Business Plus improves the offering with Zoom Phone and advanced features.

Note: Planning monthly vs. annual and thinking about renewals, proration, and invoicing? Here’s a walkthrough of subscription billing from contract to invoice.

Zoom Scheduler

Beyond the Workplace tiers, Zoom offers a standalone Scheduler service ($5.99/month or $59.90/year). It allows users to easily schedule meetings and integrates with popular calendar platforms.

Enterprise category

Zoom also offers an Enterprise category. This tier builds upon the Business Plus offering with increased capacity and advanced controls. For instance, their Workplace offering is more varied and requires you to contact them for a custom quote.

This Enterprise category adds more offerings:

• Zoom Contact Center: This is a platform for managing customer interactions. It has tiers like Essentials (starting at $69.00/month/agent), Premium (starting at $99.00/month/agent), and Elite (starting at $149.00/month/agent).

Keep in mind that Zoom pricing for the Contact Center varies based on the chosen tier and features.

• Zoom Revenue Accelerator (quote required): This is a tool to boost sales productivity. It also includes AI automation for sales team tasks and pipeline visibility options.
• Workvivo (quote required): This is a platform to strengthen company culture. It was originally a standalone product, but it was acquired by Zoom and became an additional tool.

Add-ons

Zoom offers a range of add-ons. When you look them up on their official Zoom pricing website, you’ll see that both their Individuals & Business and their Enterprise categories have these offerings, too. The main add-ons include:

• Zoom Phone: Expands phone system with options like international calling (starting at $8.00/month/user) and advanced call analytics. Refer to the Zoom pricing page for detailed information on Zoom Phone costs.
• Zoom Events & Webinars: Boosts event hosting capabilities with options for increased capacity and advanced tools. Zoom Webinars pricing tiers start at $79.00/month, while Zoom Sessions costs $99.00/month and Zoom Events costs $149.99/month.

Like most Zoom pricing tiers, each tier includes an annually billed price that costs less over the long term than renewing the plan each month.

• Zoom Rooms: Improves conference rooms with features like advanced room controls. Zoom Rooms cost $49.00/month/room or $499.00/year/room.

Note: Many add-on prices depend on the capacity or metered units. This set of tiered pricing examples shows some best practices for tiered pricing.

Industries

Zoom provides solutions for specific industries, each with its own Zoom pricing structure:

• Zoom One for Education: Offers special pricing for educational institutions. Tiers include School and Campus ($10.00/month/license), School and Campus Plus ($15.00/month/license), and Enterprise (quote required).
• Zoom for Healthcare: Provides HIPAA-compliant solutions. Zoom pricing tiers include Pro ($15.99/month/user or $159.90/year/user) and custom-priced options for higher tiers.
• Zoom for Developers: Offers tools and SDKs for developers. Options include Video SDK Pay as You Go (free for 10,000 minutes/month, then $0.0035/minute) and SDK Universal Credit.

That last one costs $100/month/100 credits, and there’s a $450/month/credits option for more complex development tasks.

Note: Need a quick refresher on common pricing models (seat-based, usage-based, tiered)? Read our guide on pricing models for products to see how these patterns map to real offerings.

Zoom paid vs. free features

Free includes essential meeting functionality for lightweight use. Paid tiers add higher limits, admin controls, advanced collaboration capabilities, and support. Teams typically step up as collaboration needs grow.

Zoom business vs. enterprise pricing

Business plans suit midsize teams that want enhanced administration and collaboration at a predictable per-host seat cost. Enterprise plans serve larger organizations that need higher limits, advanced security/governance, and custom purchasing.

Note: Pricing, plans, and features are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, always refer to the Zoom pricing page.

Key elements of Zoom’s pricing approach

Zoom uses a simple base for pricing, and you can add flexible layers on top for more features:

• Seat-based foundation. Zoom sells core Meetings on a per-host seat cost. You choose how many hosts you need. The base stays predictable for budgeting.
  
  
• Capacity tiers for events. Webinars and events scale by attendee limits. Larger audiences sit in higher capacity tiers. Teams select the tier that fits typical demand with room for peaks.
  
  
• Usage-based add-ons. Zoom bills many add-ons by consumption. More minutes, attendees, or extra storage will drive up the charges. Spending rises in line with actual use.
  
  
• Clear plan tiers. Each plan groups features by depth of control and collaboration. Higher tiers unlock more administration and compliance options. Teams step up as coordination needs grow.
  
  
• Bundles and modular catalog. Zoom offers bundles that combine products in a single package. Teams add modules as workloads expand. This keeps procurement simple.
  
  
• Flexible terms and cadence. You pick monthly or annual billing. Terms align with budget cycles and renewal processes.
  
  
• Upgrade paths that scale. Teams start small and expand when adoption increases. Admins add seats, capacity, or add-ons without re-architecting the account. Growth follows real usage.
  
  
• Governance and security with scale. Larger tiers introduce advanced controls. IT teams manage permissions, retention, and oversight in one place. Operations stay consistent across groups.
  
  
• Self-serve and sales-assisted purchasing. Small teams check out online. Larger organizations work with sales for volume buying and tailored packages. Both paths support fast rollout.
  
  
• Centralized billing and visibility. Zoom unifies seats and metered add-ons on one invoice. Teams monitor usage and entitlements in one view. Finance leaders tie spend to activity.
  
  
• Global readiness for large deployments. Large organizations operate across regions and teams. Zoom’s model supports staged rollouts and standardized controls. Buyers keep a single pricing framework as they expand.

Note: Packaging changes by segment and use case. This pricing and packaging strategy guide shows how to tailor bundles and limits for each audience.

Why do companies like Zoom adopt usage-based billing?

Modern collaboration swings with projects and seasons. A usage model connects price to activity without friction. Buyers start small and scale in line with value. Revenue and finance teams gain cleaner signals for decisions:

Align price with value

Usage-based pricing connects spend to engagement. Heavy usage drives higher bills because teams capture more value. Light usage keeps costs lower during quiet periods. Stakeholders see a clear link between activity and outcomes.

Teams also track value signals with simple units. Minutes, attendees, and storage tell a clear story. Leaders compare those units to outcomes like deals closed or trainings delivered. When value rises, budgets scale with confidence. When value stabilizes, spend levels off without friction.

Teams also test price sensitivity in small steps. They adjust thresholds, then review unit trends and outcomes. Pricing stays aligned with the value curve.

Reduce barriers to start

Teams try the product with a small commitment. Adoption grows as people invite clients and partners. Pricing follows that journey. No one needs to predict every seat or audience size on day one.

Procurement teams like this path. They approve a small footprint first. They watch activation and engagement in the first month. If the team leans in, they green-light more seats or capacity. Adoption drives the decision, not speculation.

Legal moves faster with a smaller initial scope. Stakeholders review real usage instead of projections. Renewals then scale on clear results.

Match variable demand

Projects spike around launches, events, and deadlines. Collaboration volume drops when cycles end. Metered pricing tracks those swings. Budgets stay connected to real activity.

Seasonal teams benefit most. Education, events, and media run on cycles. They plan for peaks and dial back after the rush. Finance tracks those cycles and sets guardrails. The model respects the rhythm of the work.

Leaders set preapproved bands for peaks. Teams scale within those bands and share results after each cycle. Budget reviews become straightforward.

Support product velocity

Product teams ship new capabilities often. Pricing scales with feature uptake instead of a full repackaging. Customers activate features when they need them. Bills reflect the value they choose to unlock.

Pricing keeps up with shipping. Product launches a feature behind a flag. Early adopters turn it on and generate usage. Revenue leaders see uptake in dashboards and set the right price metric. No one waits for a packaging overhaul to monetize value.

Growth teams launch usage trials with clear metrics. They monitor activation, retention, and unit volume. Monetization follows proven engagement.

Give finance clarity

Finance leaders plan with measurable units. Minutes, attendees, and storage map to clear drivers. Reports explain why spending has changed. Leaders adjust forecasts with current signals.

Reporting gets easier. Finance maps units to the cost of goods and margin. They run cohort views and variance checks by team or region. Close becomes cleaner because the business ties every charge to a recorded event. Audit trails stay tight without extra spreadsheets.

Controllers reconcile units and revenue on one timeline. They link invoices to events and close the books with fewer adjustments. Forecasts improve with each cycle.

Drive expansion through engagement

Revenue teams focus on active users and high-value events. Accounts expand when usage rises. Growth follows adoption rather than seat guesses. Customers see value first and then invest more.

Sales works from live signals, not guesses. Reps see who hosts more sessions, runs larger events, or records more content. They time outreach to moments of clear value. Customers accept the expansion because the usage already proves the need.

Success teams pair playbooks with usage milestones. They trigger enablement when accounts cross key thresholds. Expansion feels natural and earned.

Avoid shelfware

Customers pay for active use. Unused capacity does not sit on the books. Teams right-size spend without complex reconciliations. Confidence in the purchase grows over time.

IT and finance appreciate cleaner inventories. They retire unused entitlements and keep only what teams use. Leaders redirect budget to high-impact areas. Trust improves because invoices match reality. Renewal conversations stay focused on outcomes, not credits.

Admins prune low-use entitlements on a schedule. They reallocate those funds to high-impact features. Teams see direct gains from right-sizing.

Enable global rollouts

Enterprises roll out in phases. One region starts, then others join. Usage-based billing supports staged adoption while keeping the same pricing framework. Procurement keeps control as the footprint grows.

Operations scale in phases. One region pilots, documents the playbook, and shares it. Other regions follow with the same units and controls. Local teams meet their needs while headquarters keeps one pricing framework. Expansion feels orderly rather than forced.

Regional leaders localize training while they keep shared units. Playbooks travel cleanly across markets. Adoption scales with less rework.

Note: Rolling out new plans? Use versions and migrations to introduce changes without breaking existing contracts.

Why is usage-based billing becoming the default?

Software usage grows in surges, not straight lines. Buyers expect pricing that adapts to that pattern. Teams also want clear units and precise invoices. A usage model meets those needs while keeping growth flexible:

• Elastic workloads. Collaboration and events spike and cool. Usage pricing scales up during peak periods and scales down when work cycles reset. Teams pay in proportion to activity.
  
  
• Data-driven pricing. Modern products emit strong telemetry. Accurate metering supports precise invoices and clean reports. Trust increases when bills match observed use.
  
  
• Modular buying behavior. Buyers assemble capabilities as they go. They add modules when work expands. Consumption pricing fits the way teams adopt tools.
  
  
• Preference for value-linked spend. Leaders scale investment when value rises. They hold steady when activity stays light. Incentives align on both sides.
  
  
• Product-led growth motions. Teams try tools first, then expand through use. Adoption beats upfront commitments. Pricing follows customer momentum.
  
  
• Variable AI and media workloads. AI features and live events surge by the hour and audience size. Variable pricing matches that pattern. Bills reflect real compute and attention.
  
  
• Phased enterprise rollouts. Global organizations deploy step by step. One group pilots, others follow. A usage model supports that path without complex repackaging.
  
  
• Open ecosystems and APIs. Integrations create new usage paths. Pricing scales with those integrations rather than fixed bundles. Partners grow the pie without renegotiating plans.
  
  
• Faster shipping cycles. Vendors ship features quickly. Pricing adapts without major changes to packaging. Teams move fast while keeping billing clear.
  
  
• Finance and investor expectations. Stakeholders want transparent unit economics. Usage exposes units and margins with clarity. Forecasts improve with real-time signals.

Learn how Orb supports usage-based billing

After reading our article, you’ve learned that Zoom offers plans to suit various needs and budgets. What if you could implement a pricing strategy for your product that helps you grow too?

With Orb, you can.

Orb is a done-for-you billing platform. It lets businesses such as Perplexity and Vercel design and manage complex pricing models.

We handle the intricacies of usage-based pricing and any pricing structure you need. Orb gives you the tools to build a model that adapts and grows with your business.

Here's how Orb can help you:

• Precise usage tracking: Monitor and measure every raw event with Orb's real-time tracking. It provides accurate billing for usage. This feature is especially crucial for businesses with granular pricing models, where usage impacts costs.
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• Tiered pricing plans: Easily create many pricing tiers to cater to different customers. We aid you whether you’re offering basic plans or premium subscriptions with varying features and capacities.
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• Insights based on data: Leverage your usage data to find trends and improve your pricing strategy. Orb turns raw data into insights, helping you make decisions about your pricing model.
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• Customizable billing logic: With Orb's flexible, SQL-based billing system, you can define your own pricing rules and usage metrics. We allow you to tailor your pricing model to your business needs.
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• Integrations: Orb integrates with your existing tech stack. Think data warehouses, accounting software, and developer tools. Integrations simplify your billing workflow and guarantee smooth financial operations.

Ready to unlock the full potential of your pricing? Explore our flexible pricing options and find the perfect plan for your needs.