10 Best Team Chat Software of 2026

1. 1

   Microsoft Teams

   Microsoft's chat, meetings and calling app, sold alone as Teams Essentials or inside Microsoft 365.

   9.2overall

   Microsoft's chat, meetings and calling app, sold alone as Teams Essentials or inside Microsoft 365.

   Best forsmall and midsize businesses that want chat and meetings in one low-cost plan

   Adoption data

   320 millionMicrosoft said on its fiscal 2024 first quarter earnings call that Teams had more than 320 million monthly active users.

   Microsoft, Microsoft Fiscal Year 2024 First Quarter Earnings Conference Call (2023): “When it comes to Teams, usage continues to grow, with more than 320 million monthly active users making Teams the place to work across chat, collaboration, meetings, and calling.”

   Microsoft Teams combines persistent chat, calling and video meetings, and Microsoft sells it on its own as Teams Essentials for $4.00 per user per month paid yearly. That plan covers chat, calls and video conferencing, file sharing with tasks and polling, meeting recordings with transcripts and English live captions, 10 GB of cloud storage per user and support by phone or web at any hour. Meetings run up to 30 hours with 300 participants. Teams that also need email and Office web apps can step up to Microsoft 365 Business Basic at $7.00 per user per month paid yearly, which raises storage to 1 TB per user. Microsoft reported more than 320 million monthly active Teams users in 2023, the largest figure published by any vendor in this ranking. The trade-offs are the annual commitment behind the verified price and the small storage allowance on Essentials. For most businesses replacing email with chat, it is the lowest-cost route to chat plus meetings from a major vendor.

   Strengths

   • +Teams Essentials costs $4.00 per user per month paid yearly
   • +Largest published user base on this list at 320 million monthly active users
   • +Business plans cover 1 to 300 employees with phone and web support at any time

   Limitations

   • −Teams Essentials includes only 10 GB of storage per user
   • −The verified price requires an annual subscription
   • −Microsoft's latest published Teams user figure dates from 2023

   SummaryMicrosoft Teams is the best choice for most small and midsize businesses because Teams Essentials adds chat, 300-person meetings and recordings for $4.00 per user per month. Teams that rely heavily on third-party apps should compare Slack.

2. 2

   Slack

   Salesforce's channel-based messaging app with workflows, integrations and AI summaries.

   8.7overall

   Salesforce's channel-based messaging app with workflows, integrations and AI summaries.

   Best forteams that run work through integrations and automated workflows

   Adoption data

   200k+Slack reports more than 200,000 paid customers and says 77 of the Fortune 100 use it.

   Slack, About Us | Slack (2026): “200k+ paid customers 77 of the Fortune 100 use Slack”

   Slack organizes work into channels and is the product most other chat apps compare themselves against. Salesforce, which acquired Slack in 2021, lists four tiers. Free costs nothing and includes 90 days of message history, up to 10 app integrations, one-to-one audio and video calls and one-to-one external messages through Slack Connect. Pro at $8.75 per user per month billed monthly removes the history limit and adds unlimited workflow automation and integrations, AI conversation and thread summaries, group meetings and group external messages. Business+ at $18 per user per month adds advanced AI features such as daily recaps and AI search, plus SAML single sign-on and SCIM user management. Enterprise+ is sold by quote. Slack reports more than 200,000 paid customers and says 77 of the Fortune 100 use it. The weak spots are price and the free plan's 90-day cutoff, which pushes growing teams to upgrade.

   Strengths

   • +Permanent free plan for small teams
   • +AI thread summaries included from the Pro plan
   • +More than 200,000 paid customers, including 77 of the Fortune 100

   Limitations

   • −Free plan keeps only 90 days of messages
   • −Pro at $8.75 per user per month costs more than twice Teams Essentials
   • −Single sign-on requires Business+ at $18 per user per month

   SummarySlack is the best choice for teams that automate work in chat because Pro includes unlimited workflows, integrations and AI thread summaries. Cost-sensitive teams will pay less on Teams or Pumble.

3. 3

   Google Chat

   The messaging app built into Google Workspace alongside Gmail, Meet and Drive.

   8.2overall

   The messaging app built into Google Workspace alongside Gmail, Meet and Drive.

   Best forcompanies already running email and documents on Google Workspace

   Adoption data

   10 millionGoogle says it has served more than 10 million businesses with Google Workspace, which includes Chat; it does not publish a separate figure for Chat.

   Google, Google Workspace enables the future of AI-powered work for every business (2025): “We've empowered more than 10 million businesses of all sizes”

   Google Chat is the messaging layer of Google Workspace, so it comes with the same account a company uses for Gmail, Calendar, Meet and Drive. Google does not sell it as a separate business product, so the price is the Workspace plan. On the Flexible Plan, Google's US rates are $8.40 per user per month for Business Starter, $16.80 for Business Standard and $26.40 for Business Plus, billed monthly for the number of user accounts that month. That makes Chat effectively free for companies already on Workspace and comparatively expensive for anyone buying it only for messaging. Google says it has served more than 10 million businesses with Workspace but publishes no separate Chat user count, so its adoption score reflects the suite rather than the app. For a Workspace company, adding Slack or Teams on top usually duplicates spending; for a Microsoft shop, Google Chat is rarely the right choice.

   Strengths

   • +No extra cost for teams already paying for Google Workspace
   • +Flexible Plan lets you change user counts month to month
   • +Google reports more than 10 million businesses on Workspace

   Limitations

   • −Not sold as a standalone business chat product
   • −Business Starter at $8.40 costs more than Teams Essentials
   • −Google publishes no Chat-specific user figure

   SummaryGoogle Chat is the best choice for Google Workspace customers because it is included in every Workspace plan from $8.40 per user per month. Companies not using Workspace get more chat for less elsewhere.

4. 4

   Zoho Cliq

   Zoho's team chat app with flat-rate and per-user plans and links to the Zoho suite.

   8.1overall

   Zoho's team chat app with flat-rate and per-user plans and links to the Zoho suite.

   Best forZoho users and small teams that want a flat monthly price

   Adoption data

   500,000Zoho says Zoho Cliq serves almost 500,000 users worldwide.

   Zoho, Team chat & communication software for businesses - Zoho Cliq (2026): “Zoho Cliq supports teams of all sizes, empowering almost 500,000 users globally”

   Zoho Cliq is Zoho's chat app and has one of the most unusual price structures here. Standard is a flat $16.20 per month billed annually for up to 25 users ($18 billed monthly), which works out well under a dollar per person for a full 25-person team. Professional costs $1.80 per user per month billed annually but requires at least 10 users, and adds team management, task management, roles and permissions. The free edition allows unlimited one-to-one and group chats but caps searchable messages at 10,000 and group size at 100; paid plans lift search to unlimited and groups to 500 participants. Standard also adds external channels, call recording and a custom domain. Zoho says Cliq serves almost 500,000 users. It suits companies already using Zoho CRM or Zoho Mail and small teams that want a predictable flat bill, while companies standardized on Microsoft or Google will get more from their bundled chat.

   Strengths

   • +Standard is a flat $16.20 per month for up to 25 users billed annually
   • +Professional costs $1.80 per user per month billed annually
   • +Almost 500,000 users, according to Zoho

   Limitations

   • −Free edition caps search at 10,000 messages
   • −Professional and Enterprise require at least 10 users
   • −Free edition limits groups to 100 participants

   SummaryZoho Cliq is the best choice for small teams that want a flat bill because Standard covers up to 25 users for $16.20 per month billed annually. Teams outside the Zoho suite lose some of its advantage.

5. 5

   Zoom Chat

   The chat app included in Zoom Workplace, linked to Zoom meetings, phone and docs.

   7.9overall

   The chat app included in Zoom Workplace, linked to Zoom meetings, phone and docs.

   Best forcompanies that already standardize on Zoom for meetings

   Adoption data

   1.5BZoom says 1.5 billion messages are sent each month using Zoom Chat.

   Zoom, Zoom Chat (2026): “1.5B messages are sent a month using Zoom Chat”

   Zoom Chat is the messaging part of Zoom Workplace, and Zoom positions it as the place where work continues between meetings. Every meeting gets its own chat channel automatically, so links, recordings and follow-ups stay in one thread before, during and after the call, and one-to-one conversations keep chat, phone and meeting history together. AI features summarize chat threads with action items for each reader, and AI agents can schedule meetings or automate replies, though some of these are marked as coming soon. Shared Spaces group several channels for large projects that include external partners. Instant messaging is part of the free Workplace Basic plan, and paid Workplace Pro adds 10 GB of cloud storage per user and unlimited meeting summaries. Zoom says 1.5 billion messages a month are sent through Zoom Chat. Its pricing page showed Polish zloty from our location, so the US price is pending and its value score is conservative.

   Strengths

   • +Chat comes with Zoom Workplace, so Zoom customers pay nothing extra
   • +Meeting chats continue before, during and after calls
   • +Zoom reports 1.5 billion chat messages a month

   Limitations

   • −Paid Zoom Workplace prices did not show in US dollars from our location
   • −Not sold as a standalone chat product
   • −Some AI features on the product page are marked as coming soon

   SummaryZoom Chat is the best choice for Zoom-first companies because chat is included in Zoom Workplace and every meeting gets its own channel. Teams not paying for Zoom have little reason to choose it.

6. 6

   Pumble

   A low-cost team messenger from CAKE.com with unlimited users and history on its free plan.

   7.4overall

   A low-cost team messenger from CAKE.com with unlimited users and history on its free plan.

   Best forbudget-conscious teams that want full message history for free

   Pumble is CAKE.com's team messenger and the cheapest paid option among the apps we compared. Its free plan has no cap on users or chat history, which removes the 90-day cutoff that pushes many Slack Free teams to pay. Pro costs $2.49 per seat per month billed annually or $2.99 billed monthly and adds group meetings. Business at $3.99 per seat billed annually adds permission controls, and Enterprise at $6.99 per seat adds the top tier of administration. A seat is counted for every active user or invited member, including owners, admins and multi-channel guests, while deactivated members do not use a seat. Pumble integrates natively with Clockify and Plaky, also made by CAKE.com, and those integrations do not count against plan limits. The vendor lists 24/7 human support and a 99.99% service uptime level. It publishes no user count, so its adoption score is low, and its third-party integration catalog is smaller than Slack's.

   Strengths

   • +Lowest verified paid price on this list at $2.49 per seat per month
   • +Free plan has no user or history limits
   • +Vendor lists a 99.99% service uptime level

   Limitations

   • −Group meetings require a paid plan
   • −Integration catalog is smaller than Slack's
   • −No published user count, so adoption is scored conservatively

   SummaryPumble is the best choice for budget-conscious teams because its free plan keeps unlimited history for unlimited users and Pro costs $2.49 per seat per month. Teams that depend on many third-party apps should check its integrations first.

7. 7

   Rocket.Chat

   An open-source communications platform built for on-premises, sovereign cloud and air-gapped deployment.

   7.4overall

   An open-source communications platform built for on-premises, sovereign cloud and air-gapped deployment.

   Best forgovernment, defense and regulated organizations that must self-host

   Adoption data

   12 millionRocket.Chat says more than 12 million people in over 150 countries use its platform.

   Rocket.Chat, About us | Rocket Chat (2026): “More than 12 million people in over 150 countries use Rocket.Chat.”

   Rocket.Chat is an open-source platform for organizations where data sovereignty matters more than convenience. It supports on-premises, sovereign cloud and fully air-gapped deployments, and the vendor says it runs in classified and restricted networks used by defense and government agencies. Messaging, voice, video and files share one workspace, and native Matrix and XMPP federation lets separate organizations talk across systems. The platform is open source under the MIT license, and every deployment starts on the Starter edition, which is free for up to 50 users. Customers named by the vendor include the U.S. Navy, eu-LISA, NATO CCDCOE and the Government of British Columbia, and Rocket.Chat says more than 12 million people in over 150 countries use it. Enterprise plans for commercial, government and defense buyers are quoted by sales, so no price is listed here. For an ordinary office, the hosting work outweighs the benefit; for a regulated agency, it is one of the few serious options.

   Strengths

   • +Runs in classified and restricted networks, according to the vendor
   • +Free Starter edition for up to 50 users on your own infrastructure
   • +More than 12 million users in over 150 countries

   Limitations

   • −Enterprise plans are priced through sales only
   • −You run and maintain the servers yourself on self-hosted plans
   • −Plans are organized for commercial, government and defense buyers rather than small teams

   SummaryRocket.Chat is the best choice for regulated and public sector organizations because it runs on-premises or fully air-gapped and is free for up to 50 users on Starter. Teams without in-house IT should pick a hosted app.

8. 8

   Zulip

   An open-source chat app that organizes every conversation by topic, available as cloud or self-hosted.

   7.2overall

   An open-source chat app that organizes every conversation by topic, available as cloud or self-hosted.

   Best fordistributed teams that work asynchronously across time zones

   Zulip takes a different approach to threading: every message in a channel belongs to a named topic, so readers can follow one conversation at a time instead of scrolling a single stream. That design suits teams spread across time zones that catch up asynchronously. Zulip Cloud Free includes 10,000 messages of search history and 5 GB of storage, and Zulip says many organizations qualify for a free Standard plan. Cloud Standard costs $6.67 per user per month billed annually or $8 monthly and adds unlimited search history, 5 GB of storage per user and retention policies; Cloud Plus at $10 adds SAML single sign-on and requires 10 users. Self-hosted Zulip is 100% open source and free, with mobile notifications for up to 10 users at most workplaces, and Business support costs $6.67 per user per month billed annually with a 25-user minimum. Export and import tools let you move between cloud and your own servers. Zulip publishes no user count, which keeps its adoption score low.

   Strengths

   • +Self-hosted Zulip is 100% open source and free
   • +Many organizations qualify for a free Standard plan
   • +Can move between cloud and self-hosting without losing data

   Limitations

   • −Cloud Free caps search history at 10,000 messages
   • −Cloud Plus needs at least 10 users and self-hosted Business at least 25
   • −No published user count, so adoption is scored conservatively

   SummaryZulip is the best choice for distributed teams because topic-based threads keep each conversation separate and the self-hosted edition is free. Teams that prefer Slack-style channels may find the model takes time to learn.

9. 9

   Mattermost

   A self-hosted collaboration platform for engineering, security and operations teams in regulated sectors.

   6.8overall

   A self-hosted collaboration platform for engineering, security and operations teams in regulated sectors.

   Best forsecurity and operations teams that need chat on their own infrastructure

   Mattermost targets engineering, security and operations teams that need collaboration on their own infrastructure with their own identity provider and their own language model. Professional, for teams and departments of up to 250 users, is self-hosted and includes SSO through SAML, OIDC or OAuth with MFA and AD/LDAP sync, bring-your-own multi-LLM support with no data sent externally, read-only and locked channel controls, Jira, GitHub and GitLab integrations, self-hosted group audio calls and screen sharing, guest accounts and 20 languages, with next-business-day support. Enterprise adds playbooks with automated triggers, sovereign AI agents, calls with live transcription and federated channels for regulated enterprises and critical infrastructure. The vendor says deployments can serve 200,000+ concurrent users with high-availability clustering. Both plans are sold through sales with no list price, so the price is pending and value is scored low. Mattermost publishes no total user count. For incident response and DevSecOps teams it is a strong fit; for general office chat it is more than most teams need.

   Strengths

   • +Built to run on your own infrastructure and identity stack
   • +Self-hosted group calls and screen sharing on Professional
   • +Vendor documents clustering for 200,000+ concurrent users

   Limitations

   • −Both paid plans are priced through sales only
   • −Professional is limited to 250 users
   • −No published user count, so adoption is scored conservatively

   SummaryMattermost is the best choice for security and DevSecOps teams because it is self-hosted and connects to Jira, GitHub and GitLab with your own SSO and LLM. Teams without IT staff to run servers should choose a hosted app.

10. 10

    Flock

    A team messenger with channels, video calls, notes, to-dos and reminders.

    6.5overall

    A team messenger with channels, video calls, notes, to-dos and reminders.

    Best forteams of 20 to 100 that want chat with simple task tools

    Flock is a team messenger that pairs channels and direct messages with lightweight productivity tools such as shared notes, to-dos and reminders. The Starter plan is free for teams of 1 to 20 members and includes unlimited one-to-one and group messages, but caps search at 10,000 messages, allows 10 public channels and 5 GB of storage per team, and limits video to one-to-one calls. Pro, aimed at teams of 20 to 100, costs $4.50 per user per month billed annually and adds unlimited searchable messages, unlimited public and private channels, 10 GB of storage per team member, multiple admins, group video calls, screen sharing and 24/7 priority support. A 30-day Pro trial needs no credit card. Enterprise, for 100+ members, is quoted and adds organizational mapping and custom onboarding. Flock publishes no user count, and its Pro price is close to Teams Essentials, which includes larger meetings, so it ranks last here despite a reasonable feature set.

    Strengths

    • +30-day free trial of Pro with no credit card required
    • +Pro includes group video calls and screen sharing at $4.50
    • +Built-in to-dos and reminders

    Limitations

    • −Starter caps search at 10,000 messages and 10 public channels
    • −Starter has a single team admin and one-to-one video only
    • −No published user count, so adoption is scored conservatively

    SummaryFlock is a reasonable choice for teams of 20 to 100 that want chat with built-in to-dos because Pro adds group video and unlimited search for $4.50 per user per month. Teams Essentials offers more for a similar price.

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