For greater than 32 million other folks, Slack has develop into the software they open very first thing within the morning to get the workday began. And it’s develop into the chief of the staff collaboration trade, simplifying other folks’s paintings and boosting their productiveness.
However no longer everybody is totally elated with Slack. And should you’re involved via one of the crucial platform’s downsides, like proscribing loose plans, safety considerations, or restricted customization choices, you will have many possible choices.
I’ve used dozens of messaging gear that supply features very similar to Slack and paintings smartly for various kinds of groups. On this roundup, I’ve indexed down the 25 easiest Slack possible choices to make faraway collaboration a breeze.
1. Google Chat
- To be had on: Android, iOS, macOS, Home windows, and internet
- Worth: Loose for Gmail Customers. Beginning at $7.20 a consumer per 30 days for Google Workspace.
Google Chat is a Slack selection constructed into Gmail, and you’ll be able to chat with somebody who additionally has a Gmail account, whether or not that account is paid or loose.
I’ve ceaselessly used Google Chat to proportion venture updates with shoppers, and its neat interface has been beautiful seamless.
Professional tip: You’ll be able to additionally be capable to use Google Meet with Google Chat to host audio and video calls together with your staff. Mixed with Google’s suite of gear, Google Chat is a feature-packed Slack selection for Gmail customers.
2. Chanty
- To be had on: Mac, Home windows, Android, iOS
- Worth: Loose model. Paid plans get started at $3 a consumer per 30 days
Chanty is an easy staff chat software for small and medium-sized groups.
Like Slack, you’ll be able to be in contact in private and non-private channels and thru one-to-one conversations. I really like how Chanty organizes your whole information, hyperlinks, duties, and conversations into folders in a function referred to as Teambook.
Normally, Chanty’s integrated activity supervisor and intuitive interface make the chat software a cast Slack selection for much less tech-savvy customers.
However that mentioned, should you’re a techie and love putting in place computerized workflows like I do, you’ll be able to attach Chanty with many apps via Zapier with out an excessive amount of trouble.
3. Microsoft Groups
- To be had on: iOS, Android, Home windows, macOS, and Internet
- Worth: Loose for as much as 100 video members. Paid plans get started at $4 a consumer per 30 days.
Microsoft Groups is essentially focused against venture corporations. It comes in conjunction with one in all Microsoft Place of work 365 plans.
Alternatively, should you don’t have this type of plans — like me, you’ll be able to get started with the freemium model of the software.
Whilst making an attempt the loose model, I discovered that it contains the entire crucial staff chat options like quick chats, audio/video calls, and integrations. It additionally gives integrations throughout all Place of work 365 merchandise and greater than 250 apps and products and services.
Professional Tip: Microsoft Groups isn’t the very best app to deploy, so make sure that your staff admin is tech-savvy.
4. ClickUp
- To be had on: Android, Laptop, iPhone & iPad, and Internet
- Worth: Loose Eternally plan. Paid plans get started at $7 a member per 30 days
ClickUp is an all-in-one venture control software providing a number of gear and customization options to lend a hand customers collaborate and be in contact. I’ve ceaselessly used ClickUp to collaborate with shoppers and proportion real-time updates with its Chat view.
I in particular like how customers can embed pages and movies, in addition to structure messages, to incorporate code blocks and bulleted lists for a transparent and concise message. ClickUp’s Chat view is tremendous useful to stick arranged and right away chat with somebody.
5. Pumble
- To be had on: iOS, Android, Home windows, macOS, Linux, and Internet
- Worth: Loose with limitless customers. Paid plans get started at $2.49 a month.
Pumble is a trade conversation software with a various set of options comparable to channels, direct messages, threads, voice and video messages, and 1:1 voice and video conferences.
I additionally spotted that Pumble has a at hand visitor get entry to function that permits groups to incorporate 3rd events like contractors, distributors, freelancers, and shoppers of their workspaces.
It gives two further perks that give it an edge over Slack: every consumer at the loose plan has limitless get entry to to message historical past and 10GB of garage in line with workspace and not using a points in time.
6. Rocket.Chat
- To be had on: iOS, Android, Home windows, macOS, Linux, and Internet
- Worth: Loose as much as 1K customers. Paid plans get started at $7 a consumer per 30 days
Rocket.Chat is a loose, open-source Slack selection that allows you to tailor the feel and appear of your staff conversation setup on your personal emblem. One in every of Rocket.Chat’s easiest options is the benefit of migration. All you want to do is export your information from Slack and add them to Rocket.Chat.
Professional tip: I additionally discovered a number of helpful options in this software, like real-time translation, are living chat consumer, and E2E encryption, making it a Slack selection that’s indisputably price a glance.
7. Discord
- To be had on: iOS, Android, Home windows, macOS, Linux, and Internet
- Worth: Loose. Paid plans get started at $9.99 per 30 days.
Whilst Discord has conventionally been a go-to app for players, it will possibly additionally lend a hand groups collaborate successfully—because of its wealthy capability and limitless message historical past.
Once I first began the usage of Discord for paintings, I figured that you should simply put in force the concept that of Slack’s personal and public channels the usage of channel settings. It’s additionally the one app on this checklist that gives push-to-talk options.
Professional tip: Understand that Discord would possibly not have integrations easiest suited to paintings. But when you want a loose house to be in contact by way of textual content, voice, or video, Discord is usually a just right possibility for you.
8. Brosix
- To be had on: Home windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Internet
- Worth: Loose for as much as 3 customers. Paid plans get started at $4 a consumer per 30 days.
Brosix is a user-friendly messaging platform with a safe personal staff community, enabling exact consumer control. I attempted a host of options in its Rapid Messenger, together with end-to-end encryption to make sure information safety, environment friendly peer-to-peer (P2P) dossier switch features, and safe quick messaging.
What’s extra, it gives chat rooms for collaboration, real-time conversation, and give a boost to for each cell and internet packages.
9. Mattermost
- To be had on: iOS, Android, Home windows, macOS, Linux, Internet
- Worth: Loose for as much as 10 customers. Paid plans get started at $10 a consumer per 30 days.
Mattermost is any other fashionable Slack selection. This open-source resolution is absolutely customizable to fulfill your corporate’s wishes. You’ll additionally put in force Mattermost with personal cloud webhosting or a self-managed server.
What inspired me probably the most was once how this resolution is deployed via main organizations like NASA on account of its security measures and uptime.
It’s purpose-built for technical and operational groups with explicit capability for maximizing potency, like identification and get entry to controls, compliance auditing & reporting, and knowledge keep watch over.
Professional tip: Mattermost helps greater than a dozen languages, making it an excellent are compatible for world groups.
10. Flock
- To be had on: iOS, Android, Home windows, macOS, Linux, and Internet
- Worth: Loose for as much as 20 customers. Paid plans get started at $4.50 a consumer per 30 days.
Flock is a place of job chat instrument that says to run quicker than Slack. But even so the entire common conversation options like quick chat, audio, and video calls, I came upon that Flock gives integrated polls, reminders, notes, and to-do snippets.
Flock’s freemium model is proscribed to ten,000 searchable messages. Paid plans release useful options like display screen sharing and limitless message historical past. I feel its interface is way more uncomplicated to navigate than Slack’s.
11. Ryver
- To be had on: iOS, Android, Home windows, macOS, and Internet
- Worth: Beginning at $69 per 30 days for as much as 12 customers.
Ryver is a staff conversation software recognized for its integrated activity supervisor that turns messages into duties, and you’ll be able to set up them with Kanban forums.
Like Slack, Ryver permits you to be in contact via open boards, personal teams, and direct messages. I additionally attempted its function to make voice and video requires as much as 5 customers in line with name. And when you have a Zapier account, you’ll be able to additionally combine Ryver into your favourite apps in a snap.
12. Glip
- To be had on: iOS, Android, Home windows, macOS, and Internet
- Worth: Loose as much as 100 members, Paid plans beginning at $30 a consumer per 30 days.
Glip is a staff collaboration software evolved via RingCentral. Whilst Slack has configurable options, making it a one-size-fits-all staff chat app, Glip has integrated options like duties, calendars, and notes.
You’ll attach Glip to different apps via Zapier or one in all its greater than 20 customized integrations.
I used to be inspired to look how Glip gives a collection of gear for explicit use circumstances, like clever telephone answers. You get a trade SMS platform and a cloud telephone gadget — highest for gross sales groups.
13. Flowdock
- To be had on: iOS, Android, Home windows, macOS, Linux, and Internet
- Worth: Paid plans get started at $3 in line with consumer per 30 days.
Flowdock is any other Slack selection that organizes dialog via threads.
All threads are color-coded so you’ll be able to simply navigate between subjects and arrange your staff’s conversation. I discovered their interface to be extra cluttered than Slack, however the approach to color-code threads is beneficial in sorting conversations.
Flowdock additionally options open, invite-only, and one-to-one chats. That is nice for webhosting various kinds of conferences, like day-to-day stand-ups, weekly syncs, or per thirty days opinions. What’s extra, you’ll be able to attach Flowdock to greater than 100 of your favourite apps.
14. Fleep
- To be had On: Home windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, and iOS
- Worth: Loose as much as 10GB of dossier garage. Paid plans get started at €5 in line with consumer per 30 days billed yearly.
Fleep is designed across the thought of “conversations” the place customers can take part in a dialogue on a particular matter.
To make those conversations extra actionable, Fleep gives a function referred to as “Activity” for assigning and coordinating paintings. Mix this with the “Pinboard” function to let customers pin crucial messages, main points, or bulletins to the aspect for simple get entry to.
Whilst 1:1 conversations are limitless around the board, I experimented with the freemium model. It gives restricted garage capability and will solely give a boost to 3 workforce conversations. For limitless workforce conversations, you’ll be able to wish to replace the Marketing strategy.
15. Twist
- To be had on: MacOS, Home windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Internet
- Worth: Loose. Paid plans get started at $6 in line with consumer per 30 days.
Twist is a perfect conversation instrument for asynchronous groups.
Its type strikes clear of real-time conversations into “deeper, structured conversation” by way of their “Threads” function. As an alternative of a bunch chat, customers will have to designate a particular ”thread” for conversations associated with a subject matter.
One-on-one and small workforce chat may be to be had for conversations that do not require threads.
After signing up for the freemium model, I discovered that you just get a one-month restrict on seek historical past and 5GB most dossier garage — very similar to Slack’s loose model.
16. HighSide
- To be had On: Home windows, MacOS, Ubuntu, iPhone, Android
- Worth: Paid plans get started at $12 a consumer per 30 days.
HighSide is a brilliant selection for staff conversation for organizations with complicated safety wishes. This software gives end-to-end encryption, authentication, and safe cloud garage.
Its infrastructure may even assist you to be certain compliance with HIPAA, GDPR, and extra. I additionally discovered a Microsoft Groups extension to lend a hand in operating securely throughout apps.
Professional tip: But even so securing your communications, this software gives all crucial features to paintings together with your staff, like file-sharing, audio + video messaging, information analytics, and compliance legislation.
17. Troop Messenger
- To be had On: Home windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS
- Worth: Paid plans get started at $2.5 in line with consumer per 30 days.
Some other nice Slack selection is Troop Messenger, which has chat, audio and video calling, and screen-sharing features.
However this app takes a lead over Slack with two distinctive options: audio messaging and faraway desktop keep watch over, which permits your staff to revel in quite a lot of use circumstances inside one resolution.
I additionally discovered some attention-grabbing options within the top rate model, like “Burnout.” It lets in customers to collaborate confidentially for a specified period of time earlier than the historical past is got rid of.
Some other one is “Reply Later” that will help you prioritize your conversation with out forgetting anything else.
18. Twine
- To be had on: Home windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS
- Worth: No longer to be had.
Twine is a personal messaging app with a core focal point on safety. I discovered this to be the most productive Slack selection in case your number one worry is information privateness and safe communications.
This app is according to the arena’s first open protocol designed for end-to-end encrypted conversation. It additionally encrypts cross-platform messages throughout iOS, Mac, Android, and PC.
Professional tip: This is a perfect resolution for firms working within the public sector and enterprises. You’ll have higher choices to give protection to all data, no longer simply the confidential bits.
19. Cisco Webex Groups
- To be had on: Home windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
- Worth: Loose. Paid plans get started at $7 a license per 30 days.
Webex Groups is an enterprise-focused software for staff collaboration and video conferencing. Whilst Slack is extra suited to small-mid-sized groups and startups, Webex caters to the wishes of world groups dispensed throughout areas.
This Slack selection integrates with OneDrive and SharePoint to make file-sharing more uncomplicated. In reality, you’ll be able to additionally get apparatus just like the Cisco Webex Board to host board conferences and video calls.
20. Zoho Cliq
- To be had on: Home windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android
- Worth: Loose. Paid plans beginning at $8 for as much as 25 customers a month.
Zoho Cliq is any other one of the most many gear via Zoho. This real-time messaging instrument is a more practical, extra built-in selection to Slack. Whilst its interface is beautiful very similar to Slack, it leaps forward in the real capability.
The software integrates smartly with different Zoho apps — CRM, HRM, monetary control, and extra. So, you’ll be able to just about keep watch over your whole trade operations from one position.
Professional tip: Cliq’s model 5.0 has enterprise-grade safety choices with extra staff collaboration features for video + audio conferences. It additionally contains AI-powered automation to reasonable all channels concurrently.
21. Place of job via Meta
- To be had on: Home windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
- Worth: No longer to be had.
A Slack selection via Meta, the social media large? I had the similar doubts as you after I came upon this software.
However on giving it an ordeal run, I noticed that is an ideal staff collaboration platform with the interface of a social media app — amusing.
Right through my trial, I discovered that Place of job is filled with options related for faraway/dispensed groups, like a data library, workforce chats, analytics, and integrations. It additionally has cool features you gained’t to find on Slack, like a are living video broadcast (no longer a gathering) to make corporate bulletins.
I additionally assume the Information Feed, identical to a Fb or Instagram feed, is highest for sharing newest updates and wins around the board.
22. Hive
- To be had on: Home windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
- Worth: Loose. Paid plans get started at $12 a consumer per 30 days.
Hive is a venture control platform with complicated features for groups to paintings in combination. I signed up for this app to look the way it fares towards Slack and came upon it’s an all-in-one platform for staff collaboration.
From time monitoring to computerized workflows and analytics, Hive gives the whole lot you want to be triumphant with a big staff.
I in particular favored the power to customise venture perspectives and arrange automation laws for issues to transport temporarily, even in my absence. Its built-in chat function is solely as just right as (if no longer higher than) Slack.
23. Basecamp
- To be had on: Home windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
- Worth: Paid plans beginning at $4.50 a consumer per 30 days.
Basecamp is any other platform I’ve used as a Slack selection whilst operating with a consumer. Whilst the software is purpose-built for venture control, it additionally gives staff collaboration features very similar to Slack.
Basecamp reduces useless notifications and noise you notice on Slack. As an alternative, it permits you to create extra targeted discussions with Message Forums. You’ll stay the entire conversations and updates about a subject matter on a unmarried web page.
Professional tip: I feel this app does a significantly better task at organizing details about tasks than Slack, serving to to keep away from any wisdom loss or repeated effort.
24. Connecteam
- To be had on: Home windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
- Worth: Loose. Paid plans get started at $29 a month for as much as 30 customers.
Connecteam is a great Slack selection for non-desk staff. Its intuitive cell app permits groups to connect to all staff in genuine time with chat, bulletins, surveys, occasions, and a data base — speak about all-in-one!
I additionally discovered Connecteam a extra flexible selection to Slack because it contains 3 primary hubs: Operations, Communications, and HR/L&D. So, groups can flexibly run their whole trade from a unmarried app or use it solely for staff collaboration.
25. SmartSuite
- To be had on: Home windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
- Worth: Loose, Paid plans beginning at $10 a consumer per 30 days.
Like any different gear on this checklist, I additionally began a loose trial of SmartSuite. It is a flexible resolution that mixes the whole lot groups wish to collaborate successfully — spreadsheets, venture dashboards, dossier sharing, calendars, and extra.
Professional tip: What amazed me probably the most is how SmartSuite isn’t only a staff conversation and venture control software.
It consolidates real-time information for more than a few purposes like advertising and marketing, gross sales, HR, and trade operations. You’ll additionally arrange customized workflows to make a choice the metrics that topic probably the most to you and the way they must be visualized.
Take Keep watch over Over Your Paintings with Slack Possible choices
Regardless of its recognition for staff collaboration, Slack has its flaws. It may be pricey for greater groups and no longer customizable for smaller groups. There’s additionally a good bit of a finding out curve to undertake its interface and lots of options absolutely.
I’ve individually attempted and reviewed those gear to make the verdict more uncomplicated for you. If you happen to’re in search of one thing extra seamless, take a look at this type of Slack possible choices that can give you the results you want and your staff.
Editor’s notice: This submit was once at first revealed in September 2018 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
