Microsoft Teams
Interpreter inside the Teams meeting workflow
Compare
Microsoft Teams vs TolkTime
Compare Microsoft Teams Interpreter with TolkTime Call mode for external voice-to-voice translated calls.
Sources: Microsoft Teams Interpreter support, Microsoft 365 Business Standard pricing, Microsoft 365 Copilot pricing (last checked: 2026-07-02)
TolkTime
Translated Call mode with one browser invite link
Quick verdict
Use Microsoft Teams Interpreter when both sides already use Teams
Microsoft Teams Interpreter is a good fit when both sides are already licensed Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot users, and the meeting needs the broader Teams collaboration environment.
Use TolkTime when the guest should only click a link
TolkTime is built for small external translated calls where the host sends one link and the guest joins without an app, account, payment, subscription, or setup.
Numbers-first comparison
Both tools provide a voice-to-voice experience for live conversations. The practical difference is the workflow, especially when the guest is outside your organization.
| Category | Microsoft Teams Interpreter | TolkTime Call mode |
|---|---|---|
| User-facing translation type | Voice-to-voice (slower, creates voice from translated text) | Voice-to-voice (faster, preserves tone and emotions) |
| Translation output | Translated voice | Translated voice + captions |
| How translation works | Speech > Text > Translated text > Generated voice | Speech > Translated voice |
| Supported languages | 10 languages | 66 languages |
| External guest with no subscription can receive translated voice | No | Yes |
| Anonymous guest can use translation | No | Yes |
| Guest account required for translation | Yes, verified Microsoft 365 account required | No |
| Guest license required for translation | Yes, valid Microsoft 365 Copilot license required | No |
| Host can pay for the guest | No simple host-pays-for-guest workflow | Yes |
| Max participants | Up to 1,000 with Interpreter enabled | Up to 6 |
| Best for | Licensed Microsoft Teams meetings | Small external translated calls |
| Pricing model | Microsoft 365 subscription with Copilot access | Pay per translated call |
| Market availability | Copilot products are unavailable in some markets | All markets |
| Included translation usage | 20 interpretation hours per person per month with Microsoft 365 Copilot | Pay as you go |
User-facing translation type
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- Voice-to-voice (slower, creates voice from translated text)
- TolkTime Call mode
- Voice-to-voice (faster, preserves tone and emotions)
Translation output
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- Translated voice
- TolkTime Call mode
- Translated voice + captions
How translation works
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- Speech > Text > Translated text > Generated voice
- TolkTime Call mode
- Speech > Translated voice
Supported languages
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- 10 languages
- TolkTime Call mode
- 66 languages
External guest with no subscription can receive translated voice
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- No
- TolkTime Call mode
- Yes
Anonymous guest can use translation
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- No
- TolkTime Call mode
- Yes
Guest account required for translation
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- Yes, verified Microsoft 365 account required
- TolkTime Call mode
- No
Guest license required for translation
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- Yes, valid Microsoft 365 Copilot license required
- TolkTime Call mode
- No
Host can pay for the guest
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- No simple host-pays-for-guest workflow
- TolkTime Call mode
- Yes
Max participants
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- Up to 1,000 with Interpreter enabled
- TolkTime Call mode
- Up to 6
Best for
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- Licensed Microsoft Teams meetings
- TolkTime Call mode
- Small external translated calls
Pricing model
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- Microsoft 365 subscription with Copilot access
- TolkTime Call mode
- Pay per translated call
Market availability
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- Copilot products are unavailable in some markets
- TolkTime Call mode
- All markets
Included translation usage
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- 20 interpretation hours per person per month with Microsoft 365 Copilot
- TolkTime Call mode
- Pay as you go
Pricing per 1-to-1 call-hour
This table compares the pricing approach first, then shows what the monthly Microsoft license basis means at different usage levels.
| Scenario | Microsoft Teams Interpreter | TolkTime Call mode |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing approach | Subscription-based: each participant needs qualifying Microsoft 365 Copilot access for a translated voice conversation. | Usage-based: the host pays $7.50 per hour for each participant. |
| 1 host + 1 guest, both licensed | 2 x $28.20 = $56.40/month before any interpretation-hour usage math. | $15.00 only when the translated Call actually runs. |
| If both use all 20 included interpretation hours | $56.40 / 20 = $2.82 per 1-to-1 call-hour. | $15.00 per 1-to-1 call-hour. |
| If they use only 5 interpretation hours/month | $56.40 / 5 = $11.28 per 1-to-1 call-hour. | $15.00 per 1-to-1 call-hour. |
| If they use only 1 interpretation hour/month | $56.40 / 1 = $56.40 per 1-to-1 call-hour. | $15.00 per 1-to-1 call-hour. |
Pricing approach
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- Subscription-based: each participant needs qualifying Microsoft 365 Copilot access for a translated voice conversation.
- TolkTime Call mode
- Usage-based: the host pays $7.50 per hour for each participant.
1 host + 1 guest, both licensed
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- 2 x $28.20 = $56.40/month before any interpretation-hour usage math.
- TolkTime Call mode
- $15.00 only when the translated Call actually runs.
If both use all 20 included interpretation hours
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- $56.40 / 20 = $2.82 per 1-to-1 call-hour.
- TolkTime Call mode
- $15.00 per 1-to-1 call-hour.
If they use only 5 interpretation hours/month
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- $56.40 / 5 = $11.28 per 1-to-1 call-hour.
- TolkTime Call mode
- $15.00 per 1-to-1 call-hour.
If they use only 1 interpretation hour/month
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- $56.40 / 1 = $56.40 per 1-to-1 call-hour.
- TolkTime Call mode
- $15.00 per 1-to-1 call-hour.
What happens when the external guest has no subscription?
| Category | Microsoft Teams Interpreter | TolkTime Call mode |
|---|---|---|
| Can the guest join the call? | They may be able to join the Teams meeting, depending on meeting settings | Yes |
| Can the guest receive translated voice without an account? | No | Yes |
| Can the guest receive translated voice without a Copilot license? | No | Yes |
| Can the guest use translation anonymously? | No | Yes |
| Can the host pay so the guest gets translation? | No simple equivalent | Yes |
| Does the guest only need to click a link? | No, not for Interpreter access | Yes |
Can the guest join the call?
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- They may be able to join the Teams meeting, depending on meeting settings
- TolkTime Call mode
- Yes
Can the guest receive translated voice without an account?
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- No
- TolkTime Call mode
- Yes
Can the guest receive translated voice without a Copilot license?
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- No
- TolkTime Call mode
- Yes
Can the guest use translation anonymously?
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- No
- TolkTime Call mode
- Yes
Can the host pay so the guest gets translation?
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- No simple equivalent
- TolkTime Call mode
- Yes
Does the guest only need to click a link?
- Microsoft Teams Interpreter
- No, not for Interpreter access
- TolkTime Call mode
- Yes
TolkTime is built around one invite link
The host chooses languages, starts a Call, sends one invite link, and the guest joins from the browser.
Host selects languages.
Host starts a Call.
Host sends one invite link.
Guest joins from the browser.
Each side speaks their own language and hears translated voice.
Supported languages
Microsoft Teams Interpreter supports 10 languages
Microsoft Teams Interpreter is narrower and is intended for licensed Teams and Copilot meeting workflows.
- English
- Spanish
- Portuguese
- Japanese
- Simplified Chinese / Mandarin
- Italian
- German
- French
- Korean
- Taiwanese
TolkTime Call mode supports 66 languages
TolkTime is designed for lightweight translated calls across the full language list available in the app.
- Afrikaans
- Albanian
- Arabic
- Armenian
- Azerbaijani
- Bangla
- Basque
- Belarusian
- Bosnian
- Bulgarian
- Catalan
- Chinese
- Croatian
- Czech
- Danish
- Dutch
- English
- Estonian
- Filipino
- Finnish
- French
- Galician
- German
- Greek
- Gujarati
- Haitian Creole
- Hebrew
- Hindi
- Hungarian
- Icelandic
- Indonesian
- Irish
- Italian
- Japanese
- Kannada
- Kazakh
- Korean
- Latvian
- Lithuanian
- Macedonian
- Malay
- Maltese
- Marathi
- Norwegian
- Persian
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Punjabi
- Romanian
- Russian
- Serbian
- Slovak
- Slovenian
- Spanish
- Swahili
- Swedish
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Thai
- Turkish
- Ukrainian
- Urdu
- Uzbek
- Vietnamese
- Welsh
- Yiddish
When Microsoft Teams is a better fit
- The organization already uses Teams.
- All participants who need interpretation already have verified Microsoft 365 accounts.
- All participants who need interpretation have valid Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses.
- The meeting needs the broader Teams chat, calendar, file, and collaboration workflow.
- The meeting should include more than 6 people.
Where TolkTime is stronger
- The host organizes and pays for the translated call.
- Guests should only click a link, with no setup, subscription, account, app install, or payment.
- You need one of the 56 extra languages TolkTime supports beyond Microsoft Teams Interpreter.
- Translation speed matters for a natural live conversation.
- Preserving tone and emotion matters.
- Calls are occasional, so pay-as-you-go is better than a recurring subscription.
- You are in a market where Microsoft 365 Copilot is not available.
Send a translated call link
Start a TolkTime Call, choose languages, and invite your guest with one link.