Best Team Chat and Messaging Software for 2026: 11 tools compared for buyers
Choosing a team communication app comes down to where your people already work and how much control the business needs. This page covers the best options for small teams, Microsoft and Google shops, frontline staff, remote teams and regulated organizations, so you can narrow eleven tools to the two or three worth a trial. It is written for team leads, IT managers and buyers who have to justify the choice.
Each tool was compared on fit for a given team, channel and thread features, ease of use, call options and how openly the vendor publishes pricing. The page also lists what each vendor states about security, admin controls and contract terms, which matters once chat holds customer data and internal decisions.
Our shortlist at a glance
- Best for teams working across many apps
SlackSlack is channel-based chat with huddles, Slack Connect and a large app ecosystem, and Business+ adds SAML SSO and SCIM on a self-serve plan.
$8.75/user/month monthly, about $7.25/user/month billed annually (Pro) - Easiest rollout for Microsoft 365 organizations
Microsoft TeamsTeams runs on Entra ID and Microsoft 365, offers private and shared channels, and Teams Essentials covers meetings for up to 300 people from $4.00 per user per month.
$4.00/user/month paid yearly (Teams Essentials) - Best for regulated and public-sector teams
Rocket.ChatRocket.Chat can run on-premises, air-gapped or in a sovereign cloud, and lists SAML, LDAP/AD SSO, audit trails, retention policies and RBAC for organizations that must control data location.
Contact sales - Best fit for teams already on Zoho
Zoho CliqZoho Cliq sits inside the Zoho suite with CRM and Projects, lists SSO on all plans and has a free tier with channels of up to 100 participants.
Free; paid Standard plan (USD amount not confirmed by the vendor) - Best for async, multi-timezone teams
TwistTwist puts every message in a thread inside a topic channel, offers a free plan with free guests, and lists integrations such as GitHub, Asana and Todoist.
Free; Unlimited $6 per user/month (currency unconfirmed) - Best mobile rollout for hourly workers
ConnecteamConnecteam is a mobile-first app that pairs chat with scheduling, a time clock and forms for deskless teams, and it is free for up to 10 users.
Free for up to 10 users; paid from $29/month (Basic, first 30 users) per hub
What is team chat and messaging software?
Team chat software is a shared messaging workspace where employees talk in channels, send direct messages, reply in threads and attach files, with everything stored and searchable in one place. Day to day it replaces long internal email chains: a manager posts an update, a project channel collects questions, and a quick call starts from the same conversation. Most products add voice or video, bots and links to project, CRM and helpdesk tools. Buyers usually choose between chat-first products and suites that bundle chat with email and office apps. Any company with more than a handful of people can use a team communication app.
Team Chat and Messaging Software side by side
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan or trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slack | Best for teams working across many apps. | $8.75/user/month monthly, about $7.25/user/month billed annually (Pro) | Free plan |
| Microsoft Teams | Easiest rollout for Microsoft 365 organizations. | $4.00/user/month paid yearly (Teams Essentials) | Free plan |
| Rocket.Chat | Best for regulated and public-sector teams. | Contact sales | Free plan |
| Zoho Cliq | Best fit for teams already on Zoho. | Free; paid Standard plan (USD amount not confirmed by the vendor) | Free plan |
| Twist | Best for async, multi-timezone teams. | Free; Unlimited $6 per user/month (currency unconfirmed) | Free plan |
| Connecteam | Best mobile rollout for hourly workers. | Free for up to 10 users; paid from $29/month (Basic, first 30 users) per hub | Free plan, Free trial |
 Zoom Workplace | Teams whose main need is reliable video meetings with chat attached. | $14.16 per user/month billed annually (Pro); $16.99 billed monthly | Free plan |
 Mattermost | Organizations that must self-host or run air-gapped chat. | Contact sales | Free plan, Free trial |
 Flock | Small teams (up to about 100 members) wanting low-cost chat with a free tier. | Free (Starter); PRO price not shown on current page | Free plan |
 Chanty | Small teams wanting cheap per-user chat with tasks. | Free up to 5 members; Business 3 EUR per user/month billed annually (EUR only) | Free plan |
 Google Chat | Teams already on Google Workspace that want chat without a second license. | $7 per user/month (Workspace Starter, annual commitment billed monthly) | Free plan, Free trial |
Prices as published by each vendor on October 24, 2026. "Contact sales" means the vendor publishes no price.
The 11 team chat and messaging software tools in detail
Best for teams working across many apps
Slack
Channel-based team chat with huddles and Slack Connect, sold per user in Free, Pro, Business+ and Enterprise+ plans.
Teams that live across many SaaS apps and want strong third-party connections should trial this first. Free works for evaluation only, as it shows 90 days of history and allows ten apps. Business+ is the plan to price if your security team insists on SAML SSO and SCIM.
- Best for
- Teams wanting channel-based chat with a large app ecosystem.
- Company size
- Small teams to large enterprises (Enterprise Grid)
Key features
- Channels and threading
- Channels, threads and huddles; Slack Connect for external 1:1 messaging on Free.
- Built-in video and huddles
- Free: 1:1 huddles only; Pro and up: group huddles/meetings (limits not published on pricing page)
- Search and message history limits
- Free: 90-day visible history and data deleted after 1 year; paid plans longer (retention details not confirmed by the vendor)
- App integrations and bots
- Free plan limited to 10 apps.
Pros
- Very easy to use (G2 ease of use about 9.1)
- Strong app and integration ecosystem.
Cons
- Notification overload and channel sprawl.
- Limited message history on free plan.
Pricing: $8.75/user/month monthly, about $7.25/user/month billed annually (Pro) · Free plan
Easiest rollout for Microsoft 365 organizations
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft's chat, meetings and calling app, sold standalone as Teams Essentials or bundled in Microsoft 365 plans.
IT admins in Microsoft 365 shops get Entra ID sign-in and Exchange-based chat storage without a separate vendor review. Small firms can buy Teams Essentials at $4.00 per user monthly, billed yearly. Run a pilot on typical laptops, as reviewers report slow, heavy clients.
- Best for
- Organizations already on Microsoft 365 and Entra ID.
- Company size
- Small businesses (Essentials, Business) to enterprises (E3/E5)
Key features
- Channels and threading
- Standard, private and shared channels; up to 1,000 channels per team; teams up to 25,000 members.
- Built-in video and huddles
- Calls from chat up to 20 people; meetings up to 300 people on Essentials and Business plans, up to 1,000 on enterprise plans.
- Search and message history limits
- Chat stored in Exchange Online mailboxes; admin search and hold needs Exchange Online mailbox.
- App integrations and bots
- Teams apps available on Business and Enterprise plans; Loop integrations.
Pros
- Easy to use, strong file sharing and communication features.
- Tight fit with Microsoft 365.
Cons
- Performance issues and heavy resource use.
- Complicated interface, slow loading.
Pricing: $4.00/user/month paid yearly (Teams Essentials) · Free plan
Best for regulated and public-sector teams
Rocket.Chat
Self-hostable, open source team chat platform aimed at government, defense and regulated organizations that need to control where data lives.
Rocket.Chat is an open source, self-hostable chat platform aimed at government, defense and regulated organizations. It stands out for deployment control, federation with Matrix or XMPP, several SSO options and audit trails, though reviewers note that setup can be complex.
- Best for
- Regulated or public-sector organizations that need on-premises, air-gapped or sovereign-cloud chat.
- Company size
- Mid-size to enterprise, government, defense and critical infrastructure.
Key features
- Channels and threading
- Channels, teams, discussions, direct messages and threaded replies.
- Built-in video and huddles
- Voice, video and screen sharing listed as core features.
- App integrations and bots
- Custom apps, workflows, REST APIs, SDKs, and an app marketplace (labeled new)
- Guest and external access
- Not documented on the homepage; partner collaboration is done via federation with Matrix and XMPP.
Pros
- Flexible and controllable, with strong data control and privacy options.
- Reviewers generally find it easy to use and feature-rich.
Cons
- UI feels less polished than mainstream chat tools.
- Setup and customization can be complex.
Pricing: Contact sales · Free plan
Best fit for teams already on Zoho
Zoho Cliq
Team chat from Zoho with channels, calls and bots, with a free tier and per-user paid plans.
Zoho Cliq is Zoho's team chat with channels, calls and bots, offered with a free tier and per-user paid plans. It stands out for fitting naturally into Zoho CRM and Projects, with meetings of up to 1,000 active participants on higher plans.
- Best for
- Teams already on Zoho apps (CRM, Projects, Workplace) that want chat inside that suite.
- Company size
- Small teams to enterprises (Enterprise tier has 10-user minimum)
Key features
- Channels and threading
- Channels up to 100 participants and group chats up to 100 participants on Free.
- Built-in video and huddles
- 1:1 audio/video calls; meetings up to 100 participants (Free, Standard) or 1,000 active participants plus 10,000 viewers (Professional, Enterprise); 60-minute cap on Free.
- Search and message history limits
- 10,000 searchable messages on Free; unlimited on Standard and above.
- App integrations and bots
- Extensions and bots; Free is limited to 10 extensions and 100 bots per company.
Pros
- Easy to use with a clean interface.
- Strong fit when the rest of the stack is Zoho.
Pricing: Free; paid Standard plan (USD amount not confirmed by the vendor) · Free plan
Best for async, multi-timezone teams
Twist
Async-first team messaging app from Doist where every conversation lives in a thread inside a channel.
A fit for distributed groups who would rather read a considered reply tomorrow than answer a ping now. Each message sits in a thread under a topic channel. During a trial, test the one-month history cap on Free and confirm you can live without built-in video.
- Best for
- Remote or multi-timezone teams that prefer async threads over real-time chat.
- Company size
- Small teams; enterprise pricing for over 200 employees.
Key features
- Channels and threading
- Channels organized by topic, every message in a thread.
- Search and message history limits
- Free: 1 month of history; Unlimited: full history.
- App integrations and bots
- Google Drive, GitHub, Zoom, Todoist, Zapier, Asana, Calendly listed; Free capped at 5 integrations.
- Guest and external access
- Free: guests free but see only last month; Unlimited: single-channel guests free, multi-channel guests billed as members.
Pros
- Clean, customizable interface.
- Threads keep topics organized for async work.
Pricing: Free; Unlimited $6 per user/month (currency unconfirmed) · Free plan
Best mobile rollout for hourly workers
Connecteam
Employee management app for deskless teams where chat sits alongside scheduling, time tracking, tasks and HR hubs.
Shortlist this one if most of your staff are hourly and never sit at a desk. Chat is just one part of a mobile app that also handles shifts, a time clock and forms. Check the per-hub pricing past 30 users, since G2 reviewers say costs climb with headcount.
- Best for
- Frontline and deskless teams needing scheduling, forms and chat in one mobile app.
- Company size
- Small to mid-size deskless businesses; 80,000+ businesses claimed.
Key features
- Channels and threading
- Group chats and updates; channels and threads not confirmed by the vendor.
- App integrations and bots
- Integrations page exists; specific names not extracted.
- Security and admin controls
- SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, CCPA; SSO on Enterprise.
- Mobile app and frontline fit
- Mobile-first app (App Store 4.8, 70,000+ reviews per vendor); shifts, time clock, forms; read receipts for managers.
Pros
- Easy to use.
- Central place for communication and scheduling.
Cons
- Cost can climb as team size grows (G2 summary)
Pricing: Free for up to 10 users; paid from $29/month (Basic, first 30 users) per hub · Free plan, Free trial
Zoom Workplace
Video meetings platform that bundles team chat, whiteboard and AI note-taking into per-user Pro and Business plans.
Pick this when meetings are the daily core and chat is a bonus on the same seat. Plans differ mainly by meeting size, from 100 to 1,000 attendees. Admins can point security reviewers to the trust center, but test how channels and threads feel before dropping a chat-first tool.
- Best for
- Teams whose main need is reliable video meetings with chat attached.
- Company size
- Small business to enterprise.
Key features
- Channels and threading
- Team Chat with channels and threads (not confirmed by the vendor in detail)
- Built-in video and huddles
- Native Zoom Meetings: 100 to 1,000 participants depending on plan.
- Security and admin controls
- Trust center lists SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP Moderate, PCI DSS.
Pros
- Good video quality and easy screen sharing.
- Simple scheduling and joining.
Cons
- Feature set seen as limited versus suites.
- Connectivity issues and meeting fatigue.
Pricing: $14.16 per user/month billed annually (Pro); $16.99 billed monthly · Free plan
Mattermost
Self-hostable team chat and collaboration platform sold in Professional, Enterprise and Enterprise Advanced editions, aimed at security-sensitive organizations.
Aimed at buyers who must keep chat on their own servers or inside an air-gapped network. Editions run from Professional upward, with SAML SSO starting at Professional and audit log export on Enterprise. Expect a sales conversation for pricing, and note each server needs its own license.
- Best for
- Organizations that must self-host or run air-gapped chat.
- Company size
- Professional up to 250 users; Enterprise scales to tens of thousands.
Key features
- Channels and threading
- Channel-centric with threads.
- Built-in video and huddles
- Calls built in; Entry (free) edition limited to 40-minute calls.
- Search and message history limits
- Entry edition 10,000 channel messages; unlimited searchable history on Professional.
- Guest and external access
- Guest accounts on Professional with custom user groups.
Pros
- Strong security and data ownership.
- User-friendly interface and integrations.
Cons
- Interface not intuitive to some users.
Pricing: Contact sales · Free plan, Free trial
Flock
Team messenger with channels, video and apps aimed at small and mid-size teams, with a free Starter plan.
Best looked at by companies of roughly 20 to 100 people that want a cheap messenger with a free entry tier. Starter stops at 10 public channels and 10,000 searchable messages. Group calls on PRO top out at 20 people, and SSO needs Enterprise.
- Best for
- Small teams (up to about 100 members) wanting low-cost chat with a free tier.
- Company size
- Starter 1 to 20, PRO 20 to 100, Enterprise 100+ members.
Key features
- Channels and threading
- 10 public channels on Starter, unlimited on PRO and Enterprise.
- Built-in video and huddles
- Starter 1:1 only; PRO group calls up to 20 participants; Enterprise limit not stated.
- Search and message history limits
- 10,000 searchable messages on Starter; unlimited on PRO and Enterprise.
- Guest and external access
- PRO and Enterprise guests free for 90 days from invitation, then billed at member rate.
Pros
- Easy to use.
- Channels and direct messages keep conversations organized.
Cons
- Fewer advanced features than larger rivals.
- Mobile apps seen as needing improvement.
Pricing: Free (Starter); PRO price not shown on current page · Free plan
Chanty
Low-cost team chat with channels, tasks and Kanban, now marketed as a workspace for staff and AI agents.
Small teams on a tight budget can start free with up to five members, then move to a flat per-user Business tier. Tasks and Kanban boards sit beside the chat, and AI agents can be mentioned in a conversation. Ask about SAML, which only arrives at Enterprise.
- Best for
- Small teams wanting cheap per-user chat with tasks.
- Company size
- Small businesses.
Key features
- Channels and threading
- Group chats, channels, direct messages; threads not confirmed by the vendor.
- Built-in video and huddles
- Free: unlimited 1:1 audio/video; Business: unlimited group calls.
- Search and message history limits
- Free plan lists unlimited searchable history.
- App integrations and bots
- Free up to 10; Business unlimited; MCP-connected partner apps.
Pros
- Easy to use and good support (Capterra sub-scores 4.8)
- Low price for the feature set.
Pricing: Free up to 5 members; Business 3 EUR per user/month billed annually (EUR only) · Free plan
Google Chat
Google's team chat with spaces and threads, included in every paid Google Workspace plan alongside Gmail, Drive and Meet.
For companies that already pay for Google Workspace, this arrives with the license and needs no extra procurement step. Spaces, threads and Meet cover everyday needs. Test it against your workflow requirements, because reviewers describe the feature depth as thin next to dedicated chat products.
- Best for
- Teams already on Google Workspace that want chat without a second license.
- Company size
- Small to enterprise; Starter to Plus limited to 300 users.
Key features
- Channels and threading
- Spaces with threaded replies and direct messages.
- Built-in video and huddles
- Google Meet built in; participant cap depends on Workspace plan (100 Starter to 1,000 Enterprise)
- Security and admin controls
- Workspace supports SAML and OIDC SSO; Secure LDAP on Plus; DLP and context-aware access on Enterprise.
Pros
- Simple and easy to use.
- Tight fit with the rest of Google Workspace.
Cons
- Limited feature depth compared with chat-first tools.
- File-sharing size limits and occasional slowness reported.
Pricing: $7 per user/month (Workspace Starter, annual commitment billed monthly) · Free plan, Free trial
What to look for in team chat and messaging software
Start with the work your team does, not the feature list. Decide whether chat should be the center of the workspace or an add-on to an email and office suite, then check the nine areas below: conversation structure, calls, history, integrations, external access, admin controls, mobile use, cost model and company size fit. Ask each vendor to confirm the limits that apply to the exact plan you would buy, because free and entry tiers differ a lot from paid ones.
Channels and threading
Channels group conversations by topic or project, and threads keep side discussions out of the main flow. Strong tools make it simple to find the right channel, follow a reply chain and mute what is not relevant. Weak ones turn busy channels into a stream nobody can scan, so test a realistic channel during the trial.
- Slack: Channels, threads and huddles; Slack Connect for external 1:1 messaging on Free.
- Microsoft Teams: Standard, private and shared channels; up to 1,000 channels per team; teams up to 25,000 members.
- Rocket.Chat: Channels, teams, discussions, direct messages and threaded replies.
- Zoho Cliq: Channels up to 100 participants and group chats up to 100 participants on Free.
- Twist: Channels organized by topic, every message in a thread.
Built-in video and huddles
Built-in calls and huddles let a discussion move from text to voice or video without opening another meeting tool. The difference is in group limits: some free plans allow only one-to-one calls, while others cap group calls or call length. Check the participant limit and recording options for the plan you would actually buy.
- Slack: Free: 1:1 huddles only; Pro and up: group huddles/meetings (limits not published on pricing page)
- Microsoft Teams: Calls from chat up to 20 people; meetings up to 300 people on Essentials and Business plans, up to 1,000 on enterprise plans.
- Rocket.Chat: Voice, video and screen sharing listed as core features.
- Zoho Cliq: 1:1 audio/video calls; meetings up to 100 participants (Free, Standard) or 1,000 active participants plus 10,000 viewers (Professional, Enterprise); 60-minute cap on Free.
- Zoom Workplace: Native Zoom Meetings: 100 to 1,000 participants depending on plan.
Search and message history limits
Search is what turns chat into a knowledge base, so history limits matter. Some free plans show only 90 days or a fixed number of messages, which can hide decisions made months ago. Strong tools keep full searchable history on the paid plan, and you should confirm how long data is retained and who can export it.
- Slack: Free: 90-day visible history and data deleted after 1 year; paid plans longer (retention details not confirmed by the vendor)
- Microsoft Teams: Chat stored in Exchange Online mailboxes; admin search and hold needs Exchange Online mailbox.
- Zoho Cliq: 10,000 searchable messages on Free; unlimited on Standard and above.
- Twist: Free: 1 month of history; Unlimited: full history.
- Mattermost: Entry edition 10,000 channel messages; unlimited searchable history on Professional.
App integrations and bots
Integrations connect chat to project, CRM, helpdesk and file tools so alerts and approvals appear where people already talk. Look at the apps your team uses today rather than the total count in a marketplace. Free plans often cap the number of apps or bots, so check that limit before you plan workflows around them.
- Slack: Free plan limited to 10 apps.
- Microsoft Teams: Teams apps available on Business and Enterprise plans; Loop integrations.
- Rocket.Chat: Custom apps, workflows, REST APIs, SDKs, and an app marketplace (labeled new)
- Zoho Cliq: Extensions and bots; Free is limited to 10 extensions and 100 bots per company.
- Twist: Google Drive, GitHub, Zoom, Todoist, Zapier, Asana, Calendly listed; Free capped at 5 integrations.
Guest and external access
Guest access lets clients, contractors and partners join selected channels without a full account. Strong tools let admins control which channels a guest sees and how guests are billed. Some vendors charge guests as members after a period, and others limit external messaging to one-to-one chats, so read the guest terms closely.
- Slack: Slack Connect external messaging; Free limited to 1:1.
- Microsoft Teams: Shared channels support external participants with Entra work or school accounts only.
- Rocket.Chat: Not documented on the homepage; partner collaboration is done via federation with Matrix and XMPP.
- Zoho Cliq: Guest chat on Professional and Enterprise, not on Free or Standard.
- Twist: Free: guests free but see only last month; Unlimited: single-channel guests free, multi-channel guests billed as members.
Security and admin controls
Security and admin controls decide whether chat is acceptable for regulated or customer-facing work. Look for SSO, two-factor authentication, role-based permissions, retention policies, audit logs and published certifications such as SOC 2 or ISO 27001. Note which of these sit only on the Enterprise tier, and ask for the vendor's security documentation.
- Slack: SOC 2 Type II and SOC 3, ISO 27001/27017/27018/27701/42001, HIPAA configurable, FedRAMP Moderate (Enterprise/Enterprise+), GovSlack FedRAMP High, C5, ENS High.
- Microsoft Teams: Built on Entra ID and Microsoft 365 compliance; certification list not confirmed by the vendor.
- Rocket.Chat: SAML 2.0, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, LDAP/AD SSO; audit trails; retention policies; RBAC/ABAC.
- Zoho Cliq: SSO listed on all plans; audit logs on Enterprise only; retention and eDiscovery policies; encryption at rest and in transit.
- Twist: Security page lists Google OAuth and email login, AWS hosting; no SSO, SOC 2 or audit logs mentioned.
Mobile app and frontline fit
Frontline and hourly staff usually work from phones, so the mobile app has to be as capable as the desktop one. Useful extras include shift scheduling, a time clock, forms and read receipts. Chat-first tools often treat frontline features as an add-on or leave them out, so test sign-in and notifications on a typical staff device.
- Slack: Frontline teams is an Enterprise+ add-on.
- Rocket.Chat: Mobile and desktop apps available; frontline features not documented.
- Twist: Mobile apps exist; no frontline or shift features.
- Connecteam: Mobile-first app (App Store 4.8, 70,000+ reviews per vendor); shifts, time clock, forms; read receipts for managers.
- Mattermost: Native iOS and Android apps; Enterprise MDM/EMM support; Entry push notifications capped at 10,000 per month.
Pricing model and transparency
Team chat is usually priced per user per month, with a free tier and one or more paid plans. Some vendors bundle chat into a suite license, charge a base fee per hub, or sell prepaid annual seats with quotes only. Count every user, including guests and part-time staff, and compare the price at your real headcount.
- Slack: Per user, monthly or annual; Free forever tier.
- Microsoft Teams: Per user, bundled with Microsoft 365 or standalone Essentials.
- Rocket.Chat: Custom quote per tier; free self-managed Starter.
- Zoho Cliq: Free tier plus per-user paid plans; annual billing saves 10%.
- Twist: Per user, free tier plus one paid plan.
Target company size
Tools are built with a certain team size in mind. Lightweight apps suit groups of a few dozen people, suite products stretch from small offices to large enterprises, and self-hosted platforms target organizations with their own IT staff. Pick a vendor whose plans and support match your size today and where you expect to be in two years.
- Slack: Small teams to large enterprises (Enterprise Grid)
- Microsoft Teams: Small businesses (Essentials, Business) to enterprises (E3/E5)
- Rocket.Chat: Mid-size to enterprise, government, defense and critical infrastructure.
- Zoho Cliq: Small teams to enterprises (Enterprise tier has 10-user minimum)
- Twist: Small teams; enterprise pricing for over 200 employees.
Buying team chat and messaging software: security, admin and vendor checks
Once a tool fits the team, the purchase depends on what the vendor commits to in writing: single sign-on, user provisioning, audit logs, where data lives and the contract. The checks below use each vendor's public pages, so a blank means "ask", not "no".
- Try before you buy
- 11 of 11
- Publish SAML SSO
- 5 of 11
- Publish SCIM provisioning
- 1 of 11
- Publish a DPA
- 3 of 11
0 free trials, 11 free plans
ask the rest in writing
Slack
Slack, Connecteam and Google Chat
Must-haves and what each vendor publishes
A blank is not a no, but it is work for your security review. Slack publishes the most (4 of 5); Microsoft Teams, Twist and Zoom Workplace publish none of these controls, so every question goes to their sales team. Tick what your team requires; vendors that drop out show why, and the budget check prices the plan that actually includes single sign-on when you require it.
All 11 vendors shown. Tick a must-have to filter. ● published with the plan, ◐ mentioned without plan or details, ○ not on the vendor's public pages.
| Vendor | SAML SSO | SCIM | Audit logs | Data residency | DPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slack4 of 5 published | ● PublishedBusiness+ | ● PublishedBusiness+ | ● PublishedEnterprise+ | ○ Not published | ● Published |
| Connecteam2 of 5 published | ● PublishedEnterprise | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ● Published |
| Google Chat2 of 5 published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ● PublishedEnterprise data regions listed on the Enterprise plan | ● Published |
| Rocket.Chat2 of 5 published | ● PublishedListed (SAML 2.0, OAuth 2.0, OIDC, LDAP, AD); plan-level… | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ● PublishedOn-premises, private cloud, sovereign cloud (EU) or… | ○ Not published |
| Chanty1 of 5 published | ● PublishedBusiness and up (SSO); SAML on Enterprise | ◐ Mentioned | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published |
| Flock1 of 5 published | ● PublishedEnterprise | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published |
| Mattermost0 of 5 published | ◐ MentionedProfessional and up (listed under access controls) | ○ Not published | ◐ Mentioned | ○ Not published | ○ Not published |
| Zoho Cliq0 of 5 published | ◐ MentionedListed on all plans including Free (plan-comparison page) | ○ Not published | ◐ Mentioned | ○ Not published | ○ Not published |
| Microsoft Teams0 of 5 published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published |
| Twist0 of 5 published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published |
| Zoom Workplace0 of 5 published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published |
How to evaluate team chat tools
Trial each shortlisted tool with a real team for at least two weeks, not just an admin clicking around. The criteria below list what to test and what to ask, from threading and search to guest access, admin controls and mobile use. Pay particular attention to the settings your security and compliance teams will want, and record which of them are only available on higher plans. Compare the results side by side before you decide.
Channels and threading
Set up a real project channel and run a week of work in it. Check whether threads keep side conversations organized, how mentions and notifications behave and how easily people find the right channel. Ask about limits on channels and members. Poor conversation structure is the main reason chat tools get abandoned.
Built-in video and huddles
Run a team call with the number of participants you expect. Check call size limits, recording, screen sharing and whether guests can join. Several tools cap group calls on certain plans, so test on the plan you intend to buy. Ask whether you still need a separate meeting tool.
Search and message history limits
Search for a decision made a month ago and for a file shared in a thread. Ask about history limits on each plan, because free tiers often cap them, and what happens to older messages. Confirm whether search covers files and channels you are not in. For compliance, ask how long messages are retained and how they can be exported.
App integrations and bots
List the five tools your team uses and test each connection, including your project tracker, CRM and help desk. Check whether the integration is native, from a marketplace or built through an API, and whether it costs extra. Ask about workflow automation and bot support. Confirm who maintains the integration when an API changes.
Guest and external access
Invite a client or contractor in the trial and check what they can see. Ask whether guests can be limited to specific channels, how guests are billed and whether you can set an expiry. Ask how external sharing with other organizations works. Safe external access is often what separates a workable tool from a risky one.
Security and admin controls
Ask for a plan-by-plan list of SSO, SCIM, audit logs, retention policies, data export and legal hold. Request the security documentation, certifications and data processing agreement. Confirm hosting region and encryption, and where self-hosting or on-premises is an option. Some features are only on upper tiers, so verify what applies to the plan you are buying.
Mobile app and frontline fit
Test the mobile app with a few frontline or field employees, including on a poor connection. Check shift-aware messaging, push notifications, onboarding without a company email and whether they can be reached on personal devices. Ask what the mobile admin controls look like. A tool that works at a desk may fail on the shop floor.
Pricing model and transparency
Ask for a quote at your headcount, including guests, with the history, video and security features you need. Clarify how users are counted and what happens when you add or remove people mid-term. Request the renewal terms and any cap on increases. If chat comes bundled with a suite you already license, confirm what is included.
Target company size
Ask for reference customers of your size and industry and for the largest deployment the vendor supports. Check user caps on plans and whether governance features scale with you. Think about the migration path if you outgrow the tool, since moving chat history is difficult. Choose a tool that fits your next two years, including who will administer it.
Questions to ask team chat vendors
A chat demo looks good for every vendor, so use the sales call to pull out the details that matter after rollout. Send the same questions to each shortlisted vendor and get the answers in writing. Compare what each can show you in a trial with what they only describe. These questions cover the points that most often decide the choice.
Which plan includes SSO, SCIM and audit logs?
These controls are often limited to upper tiers or enterprise contracts. Get a plan-by-plan list so your security team knows the real cost of compliance.
How long is message history kept, and can we export it?
Free and entry plans often cap searchable history. Ask about retention settings, legal hold and export formats, because these affect both compliance and your exit.
How do guests and external users work?
Ask how guests are invited, what they can see, how they are billed and whether you can limit them to specific channels. This is where data leaks tend to happen.
Where is our data hosted, and can we self-host?
Ask about hosting regions, encryption and data processing agreements. If you need on-premises or air-gapped deployment, confirm which products and plans support it.
What integrations are native and what do they cost?
Ask about each tool you depend on and whether the integration needs a paid plan or app. Also ask how bots and workflows are limited.
What are the contract, renewal and exit terms?
Ask about billing options, minimums, auto-renewal, price increase caps and how you leave. Moving conversation history is hard, so understand the exit path before you sign.
How to run the decision
Run the decision as a short project with a named owner. Write down your requirements for security, guests, history and mobile use, shortlist three tools and trial each with a real team for two weeks. Send every vendor the same written questions, involve IT and compliance before signing, and choose the tool that passes the trial and the review, not the one with the best demo.
Our recommendation
Pick the tool that matches the place your team already works, then confirm it covers guests, mobile use and the admin controls you need. Suites win when email and meetings already share one license, and chat-first or self-hosted tools win when conversation structure or data control comes first. Shortlist two or three tools, run a two-week pilot with real channels, and record the plan limits you rely on before you sign.
Team Chat and Messaging Software: frequently asked questions
What is team chat software?
Team chat software is a messaging workspace with channels, direct messages, threads and file sharing, all searchable in one place. It replaces long internal email chains and usually adds voice or video calls and integrations with project and business tools. Companies of any size use it to keep daily communication in one system.
What is the best team communication app for a small business?
It depends on your existing tools. Small teams already on Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 can use Google Chat or Microsoft Teams without a second license, while Slack, Chanty, Flock and Twist suit teams that want a separate chat-first app. Compare plan limits for history, guests and calls before you decide.
What are free alternatives to Slack?
Several tools offer a free plan: Chanty for up to 5 members, Connecteam for up to 10 users, Flock Starter, Zoho Cliq and Twist. Self-hosting teams can start on the free Rocket.Chat Starter workspace or the Mattermost free edition. Free plans cap things like history, integrations and group calls.
What features should team chat software have?
Look for channels and threads, direct and group messages, file sharing, searchable history, voice or video calls and integrations with the tools you already use. Add guest access if you work with clients, and SSO, retention policies and audit logs if you handle regulated or sensitive data.
Is team chat software secure enough for business use?
It can be, but security varies by vendor and by plan. Check for SSO, two-factor authentication, retention controls, audit logs and published certifications. Several tools reserve SSO or audit logs for Enterprise tiers, so ask what is included in the plan you would buy and request the vendor's security documentation.
Which team chat and messaging software include SSO below the enterprise plan?
Microsoft Teams (Via Microsoft Entra ID, included with the Microsoft 365 tenant (plan-level detail not confirmed by the vendor)); Rocket.Chat (Listed (SAML 2.0, OAuth 2.0, OIDC, LDAP, AD); plan-level entitlement not verifiable, Government plan lists SSO explicitly); Zoho Cliq (Listed on all plans including Free (plan-comparison page)); Mattermost (Professional and up (listed under access controls)); Google Chat (SAML and OIDC supported; plan eligibility not confirmed). The other tools either reserve SAML SSO for their top tier or do not say on their public pages.