Slack Alternatives

Best for: Project-centered collaboration with built-in communication.

Basecamp is a project management and team coordination tool rather than a direct chat-only Slack clone. It brings message boards, to-dos, schedules, files, docs, group chat, and automatic check-ins into project spaces. It may fit teams that want calmer, project-centered communication instead of fast-moving channels.

Pricing: Free, Plus, and Pro Unlimited plans are listed; verify current project and user limits.

Best for: Microsoft 365-centered chat, meetings, calls, and collaboration.

Microsoft Teams combines chat, channels, meetings, calls, file sharing, calendars, tasks, and Microsoft 365 collaboration. It is one of the most practical Slack alternatives for organizations already using Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive, Office apps, Entra ID, or enterprise Microsoft administration.

Pricing: Teams is available through free and Microsoft 365 plans; check regional licensing and plan rules.

Best for: Legacy Google messaging; replaced by Google Chat.

Google Hangouts should be treated as a discontinued legacy item, not an active Slack replacement. Google moved users toward Google Chat for messaging and Google Meet for meetings. For a current Google-based workplace option, list Google Chat instead and keep Hangouts only as historical context.

Pricing: Hangouts is discontinued; use Google Chat or Google Meet pricing and availability instead.

Best for: Community servers with text, voice, video, and roles.

Discord is built around servers, text channels, voice channels, video, screen sharing, roles, bots, and community moderation. It can be a Slack comparison for creators, gaming groups, open communities, clubs, and informal teams, but businesses should examine compliance, retention, ownership, and admin controls before switching.

Pricing: Core use is free; Nitro and server-related paid features vary by region and plan.

Best for: End-to-end encrypted team messaging and calls.

Wire is a secure messaging and collaboration platform focused on end-to-end encrypted messaging, calls, conferencing, file sharing, and organization-level communication. It is more privacy- and security-oriented than Slack, but teams should verify admin features, integrations, hosting options, and migration fit.

Pricing: Wire offers organizational plans and app access; verify current pricing with Wire directly.

Best for: Business messaging, video meetings, and phone in one app.

Glip is now best handled as part of RingCentral’s communication product history. The current RingCentral app combines team messaging, video meetings, and business phone features. It may fit organizations that want messaging tied to calls and meetings, but it is not a simple Slack clone.

Pricing: RingCentral has free and paid communication products; verify which plan includes messaging needs.

Best for: Matrix-based encrypted messaging and collaboration.

Riot.im was renamed Element. Element is a Matrix-based secure messaging and collaboration app with end-to-end encrypted chats, calls, rooms, and self-hosting options through the Matrix ecosystem. It is relevant for teams that value open protocols, federation, and data control more than Slack-style app-marketplace depth.

Pricing: Element app access and Matrix hosting options vary; verify cloud, self-hosted, and enterprise pricing.

Best for: Self-managed or hosted secure team communication.

Rocket.Chat is a secure communication platform with messaging, rooms, voice and video options, apps, AI-related features, and self-managed or hosted deployment paths. It is a Slack alternative for organizations that need more control over infrastructure, regulated communication, or private deployment.

Pricing: Starter and paid plans have limits; verify current self-managed and cloud plan details.

Best for: Discontinued Atlassian team chat product.

HipChat is discontinued and should not be shown as an active Slack alternative. Atlassian announced that Hipchat Cloud, Hipchat Server, Hipchat Data Center, and Stride would be discontinued, with migration paths toward Slack. Keep this item only as legacy history.

Pricing: No current HipChat pricing path; users should compare active products instead.

Best for: Self-hosted team collaboration for technical and regulated teams.

Mattermost is a self-hosted, open-core collaboration platform with team messaging, workflow automation, calls, screen sharing, integrations, and developer-friendly operations features. It is a serious Slack alternative for technical, regulated, or infrastructure-conscious organizations that want more control over deployment.

Pricing: Team Edition is free; enterprise features and support require paid editions.

Best for: Topic-threaded team chat for async collaboration.

Zulip is an open-source team chat tool built around streams and topic-based threading, making long-running discussions easier to follow than a single fast channel feed. It is a strong option for distributed teams, schools, research groups, open-source projects, and async-heavy organizations.

Pricing: Zulip offers cloud and self-hosted plans; verify push notification and support rules.

Best for: Open decentralized communication protocol and ecosystem.

Matrix.org is an open standard and ecosystem for decentralized real-time communication rather than a single Slack-style product. It supports interoperable clients, homeservers, bridges, rooms, messaging, and VoIP use cases. For most end users, Element is the clearer app-level recommendation.

Pricing: Matrix itself is an open standard; hosting, clients, bridges, and support may have separate costs.

Best for: Encrypted chat, identity proofs, teams, and file sharing.

Keybase is an encrypted chat, identity, teams, and file-sharing product built around public-key cryptography. It is a niche Slack comparison for secure small-group communication and identity proofs, but it lacks the broader workplace administration, meeting, and integration ecosystem most Slack teams expect.

Pricing: Keybase is free to use; verify current maintenance status before relying on it for teams.

Best for: Legacy developer community chat, now Matrix-native.

Gitter was a developer community chat product, but it has moved into the Matrix ecosystem. It should be framed as a legacy developer-chat brand with Matrix-native access rather than a fresh Slack replacement. Developer communities should compare Element, Matrix rooms, Discord, or Zulip depending on moderation and archive needs.

Pricing: Current standalone pricing is unclear; verify Matrix/Element access and community migration details.

Best for: Unclear legacy team communication item.

TribeScale could not be confidently verified as a current Slack-style team messaging product from official sources. The item should be manually reviewed before publication. If the original communication app is no longer available, remove it or replace it with an active, verifiable team chat tool.

Pricing: Official pricing and current availability could not be confidently verified.

Best for: Google Workspace team messaging and spaces.

Google Chat is Google’s current team messaging product inside Google Workspace, with direct messages, spaces, file sharing, tasks, apps, webhooks, and tight integration with Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Meet, and Docs. It is a natural Slack alternative for organizations already standardized on Google Workspace.

Pricing: Included with Google Workspace for business; personal availability and plan features may differ.

Best for: Async threaded communication for remote teams.

Twist is an async team communication app from Doist that organizes conversations into threads instead of pushing every discussion into real-time channels. It is a good Slack alternative for remote teams that want fewer interruptions, clearer long-running discussions, and a communication style closer to forums plus email.

Pricing: Free and paid plans are available; verify message history and storage limits.

Best for: Slack-like team messaging with unlimited free history.

Pumble is a business team messaging app with channels, direct messages, threads, file sharing, video meetings, and unlimited message history on its free plan. It is relevant for small teams and cost-conscious organizations that want a Slack-like chat structure with simpler pricing expectations.

Pricing: Free and paid upgrades are listed; verify storage, meeting, guest, and admin limits.

Best for: Team chat with calls and built-in task management.

Chanty is a team communication and collaboration tool with team chat, unlimited message history, tasks, audio and video calls, voice messages, and apps. It is relevant for small and midsize teams that want a lighter Slack-style workspace with built-in task handling.

Pricing: Free and Business plans are published; check current member, storage, and call limits.

Best for: Zoho-based business chat, meetings, and automation.

Zoho Cliq is a team communication platform with chats, channels, meetings, broadcasts, bots, commands, integrations, and automation. It is a strong Slack alternative for organizations already using Zoho CRM, Zoho Workplace, Zoho Desk, or other Zoho business applications.

Pricing: Free, Standard, and Professional options are listed; verify regional pricing and limits.

Best for: Team chat connected to tasks, docs, and projects.

ClickUp Chat brings team messaging into ClickUp’s broader work management platform, with conversations connected to tasks, docs, and projects. It is worth considering when the real goal is to reduce app switching between chat and project execution rather than replace Slack with another standalone messenger.

Pricing: Chat is part of ClickUp plans; AI and advanced workspace features may have separate limits.

Best for: Team messenger with calls, files, tasks, and integrations.

Flock is a team messenger and collaboration platform with channels, direct messages, video calls, file sharing, to-dos, reminders, notes, integrations, and developer APIs. It can suit small and midsize teams that want a familiar Slack-like layout with built-in lightweight productivity tools.

Pricing: Free and paid plans are available; verify current message, channel, and admin limits.

Best for: Business chat with controlled communication features.

Troop Messenger is a business chat and collaboration product with messaging, groups, file sharing, calls, screen sharing, and deployment options aimed at organizations that want controlled internal communication. It should be reviewed carefully for plan fit, hosting needs, and security requirements.

Pricing: Paid plans and demos are available; verify cloud, enterprise, and deployment pricing.

Best for: Enterprise messaging, meetings, calling, and collaboration.

Cisco Webex App combines messaging, meetings, calling, whiteboarding, webinars, and enterprise collaboration controls. It is most relevant for organizations that need Slack-like messaging as part of a wider video, phone, and enterprise communications stack rather than a lightweight chat-only tool.

Pricing: Free and paid Webex plans exist; verify meetings, calling, messaging, and enterprise limits.