Slack is an instant messenger mainly used for communication within work groups. By linking various services like Google Drive or Dropbox to the messenger service, collaborative document editing is made possible. This is attractive for large companies as well as small work groups. If you are not so enthusiastic about Slack and looking for an alternative, read on. We are introducing a few other messengers for team work.
1. Mattermost
Mattermost is an open-source tool with its own cloud. You need to deploy this tool on your company’s server. This way, all employees can use it with the free team edition. If you prioritize high security, you can also subscribe to the professional version for around €10 per user per month. It comes with all features and security measures such as encrypted push notifications or multi-factor authentication. You can also use Mattermost on mobile devices as it is available for both Android and iOS. Additionally, you have the option to import channels and accounts from Slack to Mattermost, making the transition easier. Thanks to its open-source code, you can customize the messenger to fit your company’s needs. Still not convinced by Mattermost? We have more alternatives for you.
2. Discord
Discord is primarily a communication tool for gamers. However, that doesn’t mean it is unsuitable for work groups. It offers everything a growing team needs, and it’s completely free. You can create channels, make audio and video calls, and use the app on your iPhone or Android smartphone. Furthermore, there is no message limit – unlike Slack, which has a limit of 10,000. And if you want, you can even have your messages read to you by Discord. But perhaps the best part is that you can invite anyone, anywhere, anytime to your server. This allows you to communicate with your team even from home. However, while you can share files with a size of up to 1 gigabyte on Slack, the maximum limit on Discord is only 25 megabytes. That is a significant difference. However, if your focus is on text, audio, or video communication with your team, Discord is definitely worth a try.
3. RocketChat
RocketChat is described by its developer as a tool for “communities and companies who want to privately host their own messaging service or for developers excited about building and evolving their own chat platforms.” You can easily get started with RocketChat by importing your Slack history and files. However, if your team consists of more than 200 people, you will need to switch to the enterprise version. The pricing depends on the size of your team. This tool is also open-source, allowing you to customize and personalize it to fit your specific needs. RocketChat also has a handy feature that lets you share your screen and allows others to see what you see. RocketChat is definitely worth a look.
4. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a cloud-based software for teamwork that is part of the Microsoft 365 and Office 365 suite of applications. Core features of Microsoft Teams include business messaging, calls, video conferences, and file sharing. An advantage is the extensive list of integration of Microsoft Teams with other Microsoft business applications, including Exchange, PowerPoint, and SharePoint. Microsoft has offered users a free version of Teams for almost as long as the platform has existed. However, it recently updated its pricing structure and the names of its plans.
The free plan for Microsoft Teams, originally known as “Microsoft Teams Free Classic,” was discontinued in April 2023, with users being encouraged to switch to a paid plan such as Microsoft Teams Essentials for €3.70 per user per month. Since then, a new free version has been offered, providing you with a slimmed-down version of the Teams experience. With the new free plan, you can still host meetings and chats, but you do not have access to many of the advanced features offered to premium users, such as Teams Copilot AI. The new free plan is designed for personal use and includes unlimited group meetings with a time limit of 60 minutes per meeting and a maximum of 100 participants per meeting and chat.
5. Chanty
The user interface of Chanty is simple and clean. Chanty aims to stay simple while providing powerful features that a team needs for efficient work. It has a built-in task manager that allows you to turn any message into a task and notifies you once it is completed. There is no message limit, and you can even search all messages by keyword to easily find them again. Chanty encrypts all messages and data you share. However, in the free version, only a maximum of ten people can participate. For additional participants, you will need to use the pro version for approximately €3 per user per month.
