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The Best Team Chat Apps

Five messaging platforms compared on channels, calls and integrations, ease of use, and price, with a clear note on the kind of team each one fits.

Last updated Jul 3, 2026

The best team chat app usually comes down to which ecosystem you already live in and how much control you need over your data. We compared five popular platforms, from the integration-rich default to a self-hostable open-source option, so you can match one to your team's size, budget, and existing tools.

  1. 1

    Slack

    Our pick

    The channel-based chat app with the deepest integration ecosystem.

    8.4
    / 10

    Pros

    • + Excellent channel and threading model that keeps conversations organised
    • + Thousands of integrations plus built-in Workflow Builder automation
    • + Polished, reliable apps with huddles and clips for quick sync

    Cons

    • − The free plan now limits message history to the most recent 90 days
    • − Per-active-user pricing gets expensive for larger organisations
    • − Notification overload is easy without disciplined channel hygiene
    From $8.75 /month
    Visit Slack
  2. 2

    Microsoft Teams

    Best value

    Chat, meetings, and Office rolled into one, unbeatable if you're on Microsoft 365.

    8.2
    / 10

    Pros

    • + Included with many Microsoft 365 plans, making it very cost-effective
    • + Strong video meetings and tight integration with Word, Excel, and SharePoint
    • + Enterprise-grade security, compliance, and admin controls

    Cons

    • − The interface is busier and less intuitive than dedicated chat apps
    • − Channel and threading model feels clunkier than Slack's
    • − Best value only really materialises inside the Microsoft ecosystem
    From $4.00 /month
    Visit Microsoft Teams
  3. 3

    Discord

    Best free

    A free, voice-first community platform that some teams repurpose for work.

    7.9
    / 10

    Pros

    • + Genuinely free with unlimited message history and persistent voice channels
    • + Excellent low-latency voice and screen sharing for casual sync
    • + Roles, permissions, and bots allow flexible community setups

    Cons

    • − Built for communities, not businesses, so it lacks compliance and admin tooling
    • − No native integrations with common work apps out of the box
    • − Its gaming-community reputation can feel unprofessional for client work
    Visit Discord
  4. 4

    Google Chat

    The tidy chat option baked into Google Workspace, if you already live in Gmail.

    7.4
    / 10

    Pros

    • + Built into Google Workspace and Gmail, so it's already there for those teams
    • + Spaces with shared tasks and tight Drive and Meet integration
    • + Clean, uncluttered interface that's easy to adopt

    Cons

    • − Weaker third-party integration ecosystem than Slack
    • − Spaces and threading feel less refined than dedicated chat apps
    • − Value is really only there if you're already paying for Google Workspace
    From $6.00 /month
    Visit Google Chat
  5. 5

    Mattermost

    Best for teams

    An open-source, self-hostable Slack alternative for teams that need control.

    7.2
    / 10

    Pros

    • + Open-source and self-hostable for full data ownership and compliance control
    • + Slack-like channels with a genuinely usable free self-managed tier
    • + Strong developer tooling and integrations for engineering teams

    Cons

    • − Self-hosting requires infrastructure and ongoing maintenance effort
    • − Interface and mobile polish trail the big commercial players
    • − Cloud and enterprise features shift the cost equation for smaller teams
    Visit Mattermost

Side-by-side

The Best Team Chat Apps — score by criterion for each product.
Product Messaging & Channels Calls & Integrations Ease of Use Value & Pricing Overall
Slack 9.0 9.0 8.5 6.5 8.4
Microsoft Teams 8.0 9.0 7.0 9.0 8.2
Discord 7.5 7.5 7.5 9.5 7.9
Google Chat 7.0 7.5 7.5 8.0 7.4
Mattermost 7.5 7.0 6.0 8.5 7.2
How we scored this

We scored each platform on four weighted criteria: Messaging & Channels (weight 3), Calls & Integrations (weight 2), Ease of Use (weight 2), and Value & Pricing (weight 1.5). Scores reflect our editorial assessment of each tool's public pricing and feature set; rankings are independent of any affiliate payout, and sponsored placements are always labelled separately.