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10 Best Team Chat Apps of 2026

This list is for companies choosing one messaging tool for everyday team communication: channels, direct messages, quick calls and file sharing. We compared documented features and published prices for 10 team chat apps, from Slack, Microsoft Teams and Google Chat to low-cost options like Zoho Cliq, Pumble and Chanty, async Twist, and self-hosted Zulip and Mattermost. Scores weigh features at 40%, ease of use at 30% and value at 30%.

By the Mojolin research desk · Updated November 7, 2026 · 10 tools compared · Prices checked on vendor pages, latest November 7, 2026

Questions or corrections: editorial@mojolin.com

Mojolin is self-funded How we score

Slack is our top pick for day to day team chat, with more than 2,600 apps, shared channels with up to 250 outside organizations and AI recaps. Microsoft Teams is the better buy for Microsoft 365 companies at $4 per user per month for Teams Essentials paid yearly, and Zoho Cliq offers the most for the money with a flat US$18 per month plan for up to 25 users. Google Chat is included with Google Workspace, and Pumble is the strongest free plan.

Top picks

Best overall

Slack

8.7 / 10

Companies that run work in channels, connect many outside apps and talk to partners in shared channels.

Read the review →

Runner-up

Microsoft Teams

8.6 / 10

Companies that already use Microsoft 365, Outlook and SharePoint and want chat in the same account.

Read the review →

Also great

Zoho Cliq

8.5 / 10

Small and midsize companies that want full-featured chat at a low price, especially Zoho users.

Read the review →

Comparison table

#ToolPricingScore
1SlackFree plan with 90 days of message history; Pro and Business+ priced per user (see vendor pricing, USD check pending)8.7
2Microsoft TeamsTeams Essentials $4 per user per month paid yearly; Microsoft 365 Business Basic $7 per user per month paid yearly8.6
3Zoho CliqFree plan; Standard US$18 per month for up to 25 users, or US$16.20 per month billed yearly; Professional US$2 per user per month (10 users minimum)8.5
4Google ChatIncluded with Google Workspace plans; 14-day free trial (see vendor pricing, USD check pending)8.4
5PumbleFree for unlimited users; Pro $2.49 per seat per month billed annually ($2.99 monthly); Business $3.99; Enterprise $6.998.3
6ZulipFree cloud plan; Cloud Standard $6.67 per user per month billed annually ($8 monthly); Cloud Plus $10; self-hosted free or Basic $3.50 per user per month8.2
7ChantyFree for up to 5 team members; Business plan priced per user (see vendor pricing, USD check pending)8.1
8TwistFree plan with 1 month of history; Unlimited US$6 per user per month7.7
9MattermostProfessional, Enterprise and Enterprise Advanced plans; contact sales for pricing7.6
10Troop MessengerPremium $2.50 per user per month billed annually; Enterprise $5 per user per month billed annually; 7-day free trial7.5

Scoring weights

Every tool gets three editorial scores out of 10, from vendor documentation, product pages and the published price. The overall score is the weighted average below, the same method on every list. Full method

Features40%
Ease of use30%
Value30%

The full ranking

  1. Rank 1 · Best overall

    Slack

    Channel-based messaging with huddles, external channels and a directory of more than 2,600 apps.

    slack.com

    8.7

    out of 10

    Best for: Companies that run work in channels, connect many outside apps and talk to partners in shared channels.

    Slack is the reference point for channel-based team chat, and its pricing page shows why it stays on top. The Free plan keeps 90 days of searchable messages, connects up to 10 apps and allows 1:1 huddles and 1:1 messages with people outside the company. Pro removes the history limit, unlocks unlimited app integrations from a directory of more than 2,600 apps, and adds group huddles with screen sharing and shared channels with up to 250 outside organizations. Business+ adds advanced AI, SAML single sign-on with 12 SSO options and SCIM user management, which most IT teams ask for once a company passes a few dozen people.

    AI conversation summaries, AI search and daily recaps appear on the plan cards, with deeper features on higher tiers. The main trade-off is cost: Slack is priced per active user and is usually the most expensive tool here, and the 90-day limit on Free pushes growing teams to pay. Our location returned euro prices, so we list the price as pending.

    Standout feature

    Shared channels with up to 250 outside organizations on paid plans.

    Use cases

    • Product and engineering teams

      Route Jira, GitHub and alert notifications into channels

      Outcome: Updates arrive where the team already talks

    • Agencies

      Run one shared channel per client with Slack Connect

      Outcome: Less email back and forth with clients

    • Managers

      Use AI recaps to catch up after time off

      Outcome: Faster catch-up on busy channels

    Key features

    • Free plan: 90 days of searchable messages, up to 10 apps and 1:1 huddles
    • Pro: unlimited message history, unlimited apps and group huddles with screen sharing
    • Slack Connect channels with up to 250 outside organizations on paid plans
    • AI conversation summaries, AI search and daily recaps
    • SAML single sign-on with 12 SSO options and SCIM provisioning on Business+

    Pros

    • Over 2,600 apps in the Slack App Directory, including Salesforce, Jira and Google Drive
    • Shared channels make work with agencies, clients and vendors simple
    • AI summaries are listed on every plan, from Free up

    Cons

    • Free plan hides messages older than 90 days
    • Free plan connects only 10 apps
    • USD prices did not load from our location, so check the pricing page
  2. Rank 2 · Runner-up

    Microsoft Teams

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

    microsoft.com

    8.6

    out of 10

    Best for: Companies that already use Microsoft 365, Outlook and SharePoint and want chat in the same account.

    Microsoft Teams is the default team chat app for companies already paying for Microsoft 365, and it is also sold on its own. Teams Essentials costs $4 per user per month paid yearly and covers chat, calls and video meetings for up to 300 people, with file sharing, tasks and polling, 10 GB of cloud storage per user, meeting recordings with transcripts and live captions in English, and encryption for meetings, chats, calls and files. Microsoft 365 Business Basic, at $7 per user per month paid yearly, adds business email and SharePoint team sites.

    Microsoft describes newer chat features such as threads, multiple emoji reactions and emoji-triggered workflows, plus Copilot and agents that turn conversations and meetings into notes and tasks. The trade-offs are annual billing on the listed prices and an interface that carries a lot of meeting, calling and app features, which can feel heavy for a small team that only wants to chat. Teams (free) exists, but Microsoft positions it for personal use.

    Standout feature

    Chat, calls and meetings for up to 300 people for $4 per user per month paid yearly.

    Use cases

    • Microsoft 365 companies

      Chat next to Outlook, OneDrive and SharePoint files

      Outcome: One login and one bill for chat and documents

    • Small businesses

      Run chat and client meetings on Teams Essentials

      Outcome: Chat and video for $4 per user

    • Operations teams

      Use polls and tasks inside group chats

      Outcome: Decisions and follow-ups stay in the thread

    Key features

    • Chat, calls and video meetings in one app
    • File sharing, tasks and polling inside conversations
    • Meeting recordings with transcripts and live captions in English
    • 10 GB of cloud storage per user on Teams Essentials
    • Copilot and agents that turn conversations into notes and tasks on Microsoft 365 plans

    Pros

    • Lowest per user price among the big suites at $4 per month paid yearly
    • Teams Essentials covers up to 300 people
    • Microsoft 365 plans bundle Outlook, OneDrive and SharePoint with Teams

    Cons

    • Listed prices are for annual subscriptions
    • Teams (free) is aimed at personal use, not companies
    • Busy interface with many features beyond chat to learn
  3. Rank 3 · Also great

    Zoho Cliq

    Zoho's team chat with channels, meetings, task management and a flat-priced plan for small teams.

    zoho.com

    8.5

    out of 10

    Best for: Small and midsize companies that want full-featured chat at a low price, especially Zoho users.

    Zoho Cliq is the strongest low-cost alternative to Slack on this list. The free edition already includes messaging and channels, file storage, meetings with screen share, remote check-in tools and chat export, with search limited to 10,000 messages and groups to 100 people. Standard costs US$18 per month for up to 25 users, or US$16.20 per month billed yearly, which is a flat fee rather than a per seat price, and it adds external shared channels, call recording, a custom domain and basic usage reports.

    Professional, at US$2 per user per month with a 10 user minimum, adds team management, task management, roles and permissions, live events and on-demand chat summaries, plus 100 GB of storage per user. Enterprise adds audit history, eDiscovery and data loss prevention. A Flexi Subscription lets companies mix tiers across users. The limits are the 10 user minimum on higher plans and a smaller integration catalog than Slack outside the Zoho suite.

    Standout feature

    A flat Standard plan at US$18 per month for up to 25 users.

    Use cases

    • Teams under 25 people

      Move from a free tool to Standard for a flat monthly fee

      Outcome: Predictable cost as the team grows

    • Zoho One customers

      Manage tasks from Zoho Projects inside Cliq

      Outcome: Fewer tabs during the workday

    • Client services firms

      Use external channels with customers

      Outcome: Client conversations stay out of email

    Key features

    • Free edition with messaging, channels, file storage and meetings with screen share
    • Standard adds external shared channels, call recording and custom domain
    • Professional adds team management, task management, roles and on-demand chat summaries
    • Unlimited searchable messages on paid plans (10,000 on Free)
    • 100 GB of file storage per organization, rising to 100 GB per user on Professional

    Pros

    • Flat US$18 per month Standard plan covers up to 25 users
    • Professional at US$2 per user per month is among the cheapest per seat
    • Flexi Subscription lets you mix license tiers by user

    Cons

    • Professional and Enterprise need at least 10 users
    • Free plan search stops at 10,000 messages
    • Third-party app catalog is smaller than Slack's
  4. Rank 4

    Google Chat

    Messaging and spaces built into Google Workspace, with Gemini summaries and translation.

    workspace.google.com

    8.4

    out of 10

    Best for: Companies on Google Workspace that want chat next to Gmail, Calendar, Drive and Meet at no extra cost.

    Google Chat makes the most sense for companies that already run on Google Workspace, because Google says Chat is included with Workspace at no additional cost and it works with Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Meet and Groups. Spaces act as persistent team rooms and support up to 500,000 members, huddles start quick calls, and Gemini in Chat can catch you up on a conversation, share action items and translate in real time. Google lists integrations with tools such as Asana, Datadog, GitHub, HubSpot, Jira, PagerDuty, Salesforce and ServiceNow, and companies can build their own Chat apps with Chat APIs, Apps Script or no-code AppSheet.

    Google also offers migration of existing data from Slack or Teams. The downsides are that business use requires a Workspace plan, some listed features are limited to Business and Enterprise editions, and the third-party ecosystem is smaller than Slack's. Workspace prices loaded in Polish zloty from our location, so we list the price as pending.

    Standout feature

    Included with Google Workspace at no additional cost.

    Use cases

    • Workspace companies

      Replace a separate chat subscription with Google Chat

      Outcome: One fewer tool to pay for

    • Global teams

      Translate messages with Gemini in Chat

      Outcome: Colleagues read each other in their own language

    • IT teams

      Build approval bots with Apps Script

      Outcome: Routine requests handled in chat

    Key features

    • Spaces that support up to 500,000 members
    • Huddles for quick real-time calls
    • Gemini in Chat to find, summarize and translate conversations
    • Integrations with Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Meet and Groups
    • Migration tools for Slack or Teams data

    Pros

    • Chat is included with Workspace at no additional cost
    • Apps for Asana, Jira, Salesforce, ServiceNow and more
    • Custom Chat apps can be built with Chat APIs, Apps Script or AppSheet

    Cons

    • Requires a Google Workspace subscription for business use
    • Some features are only on Business and Enterprise plans
    • USD prices did not load from our location, so check the pricing page
  5. Rank 5

    Pumble

    Low-cost team chat from the makers of Clockify, with unlimited history and users on the free plan.

    pumble.com

    8.3

    out of 10

    Best for: Budget-conscious teams that want unlimited message history without paying for every seat.

    Pumble is the best free team chat option for companies that do not want old messages to disappear. The free plan covers an unlimited number of users with unlimited message history and channels, 1:1 voice and video meetings, voice and video messages, a Slack importer and 10 GB of storage per workspace, though it connects only 3 apps beyond the native Clockify and Plaky integrations. Pro costs $2.49 per seat per month billed annually, or $2.99 billed monthly, and adds group meetings, screen sharing with annotations, customizable sidebar sections, workspace analytics, 10 GB of storage per seat and up to 10 apps.

    Business, at $3.99 per seat billed annually, adds permissions, guest access and unlimited integrations, and Enterprise at $6.99 adds single sign-on. A bundle with Clockify and other CAKE.com apps is also sold. The trade-offs are a small integration catalog and SSO only at the top tier, so larger companies with strict identity rules will pay more than the headline price.

    Standout feature

    Unlimited users and unlimited message history on the free plan.

    Use cases

    • Startups

      Run all team chat on the free plan

      Outcome: Full message history at no cost

    • Clockify users

      Connect time tracking to team chat

      Outcome: Time and conversations in one suite

    • Slack Free teams

      Import Slack messages into Pumble

      Outcome: Keep history when leaving Slack

    Key features

    • Free plan with unlimited users, unlimited message history and unlimited channels
    • 1:1 voice and video meetings free; group meetings and screen sharing on Pro
    • Voice and video messages
    • Import from Slack
    • 10 GB storage per seat on Pro

    Pros

    • Unlimited message history on the free plan
    • Pro costs $2.49 per seat per month billed annually
    • Native integrations with Clockify and Plaky

    Cons

    • Free plan connects only 3 apps and Pro only 10
    • Single sign-on starts on the Enterprise plan
    • Smaller app ecosystem than Slack or Teams
  6. Rank 6

    Zulip

    Open source team chat that organizes every conversation by topic, available in the cloud or self-hosted.

    zulip.com

    8.2

    out of 10

    Best for: Remote and technical teams that want threaded, topic-based chat and the option to self-host.

    Zulip takes a different approach to team chat: you start a conversation by giving it a brief topic, and replies stay inside that topic, so a busy channel reads like a set of threads rather than one stream. The free cloud plan keeps 10,000 messages of search history, 5 GB of total storage, hundreds of integrations, advanced roles and guest accounts. Cloud Standard costs $6.67 per user per month billed annually, or $8 monthly, and adds unlimited search history, 5 GB per user, retention policies and custom branding. Cloud Plus, at $10 per user per month billed annually with a 10 user minimum, adds SAML SSO and SCIM.

    Zulip is fully open source. The free self-hosted edition includes every feature but limits mobile notifications to 10 users for most organizations, while self-hosted Basic at $3.50 per user per month removes that limit. Zulip sponsors over 1,500 organizations with free Standard plans. The main trade-off is the learning curve of topics for people used to Slack.

    Standout feature

    Topic-based threading on every message, in fully open source software.

    Use cases

    • Remote engineering teams

      Discuss each issue in its own topic

      Outcome: People in other time zones catch up quickly

    • Open source projects

      Apply for a sponsored Standard plan

      Outcome: Full history at no cost

    • Regulated companies

      Self-host Zulip on their own servers

      Outcome: Messages stay on company infrastructure

    Key features

    • Every message belongs to a topic, so replies stay in context
    • Free cloud plan with 10,000 messages of search history and 5 GB of storage
    • Standard adds unlimited search history and 5 GB of storage per user
    • Plus adds SAML single sign-on and SCIM user sync (10 users minimum)
    • 100% open source software for self-hosting

    Pros

    • Same open source software in the cloud and self-hosted
    • Free self-hosted edition includes all features
    • Free Standard plan for open source projects, research and many non-profits

    Cons

    • Topic-based threads take some getting used to
    • Free cloud plan limits search to 10,000 messages
    • Self-hosted free edition sends mobile notifications for only 10 users at other organizations
  7. Rank 7

    Chanty

    Simple team chat with built-in task boards, calls and unlimited searchable history.

    chanty.com

    8.1

    out of 10

    Best for: Small teams that want chat and light task management in one inexpensive app.

    Chanty is a straightforward team chat app that adds task management without a separate tool. The free plan covers up to 5 team members with unlimited public and private chats, announcement channels, voice messages, scheduled and disappearing messages, unlimited searchable history, unlimited one-on-one calls, 20 GB of storage per team and up to 10 integrations. Any message can be converted into a task.

    The Business plan adds unlimited group chats and channels, group audio and video calls with screen sharing, to-do lists and task boards, an employee directory, calendar events, polls and forms, 20 GB of storage per user, customizable roles and retention policies, SSO with 2FA, HIPAA compliance with a BAA and a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Each member gets 3 free guest seats. Enterprise adds SAML, SCIM, white labeling and US, EU or APAC data residency. The free plan is too small for most companies, and Chanty showed only euro prices from our location, so we list the price as pending.

    Standout feature

    Messages convert into tasks on built-in task boards.

    Use cases

    • Small agencies

      Turn client requests in chat into tasks

      Outcome: Fewer requests lost in the scroll

    • Healthcare practices

      Use Business with a signed BAA

      Outcome: Team chat that meets HIPAA requirements

    • Nonprofits

      Apply for the 50% nonprofit discount

      Outcome: Lower cost for paid features

    Key features

    • Unlimited searchable history on the free plan
    • Built-in task management with to-do lists and task boards
    • Unlimited group audio and video calls and screen sharing on Business
    • Announcement channels, scheduled and disappearing messages
    • SSO, 2FA, IP allowlist and HIPAA compliance with BAA on Business

    Pros

    • Convert any message into a task
    • Business includes 3 free guest seats per member
    • 50% discount for nonprofits and education

    Cons

    • Free plan is limited to 5 team members and 10 integrations
    • SCIM and directory sync require Enterprise
    • USD prices did not load from our location, so check the pricing page
  8. Rank 8

    Twist

    Thread-first, asynchronous team communication app from Doist, the makers of Todoist.

    twist.com

    7.7

    out of 10

    Best for: Remote teams across time zones that prefer threaded, async discussion over constant real-time chat.

    Twist is built for teams that want fewer pings and more written, threaded discussion. Doist pitches it as communication for deep work and async teams: conversations live in threads that stay on topic, and people can answer when they are ready rather than within minutes. The free plan shows up to one month of comments and messages, allows up to 5 integrations and 5 GB of storage, and supports up to 500 internal members and 500 external guests. Older messages are not deleted; they become visible again if you upgrade.

    The Unlimited plan, at US$6 per user per month on the pricing page, opens the full history and removes limits on integrations, file storage, members and guests, with priority support. Single-channel guests are free, while multi-channel guests are billed like members. The trade-off is that Twist is a poor fit for teams that run on quick back-and-forth chat, and its pricing page does not list video calls, so most teams pair it with a separate meeting tool.

    Standout feature

    Thread-first design aimed at async work.

    Use cases

    • Distributed teams

      Post weekly updates as threads

      Outcome: Updates are read in every time zone

    • Product teams

      Hold design discussions in long-form threads

      Outcome: Decisions are easy to find later

    • Consultancies

      Invite clients as free single-channel guests

      Outcome: No extra seats for client access

    Key features

    • Threads keep discussions on topic and in context
    • Free plan with 1 month of comments and messages, 5 integrations and 5 GB of storage
    • Unlimited plan with full history, unlimited integrations and unlimited storage
    • Up to 500 members and 500 guests on Free; unlimited on Unlimited
    • Single-channel guests are free on the Unlimited plan

    Pros

    • Built for async work, with less pressure to reply instantly
    • Simple pricing with one paid plan
    • Data is never deleted when you downgrade

    Cons

    • Free plan only shows the last month of messages
    • Not designed for fast real-time chat
    • No built-in video meetings listed on the pricing page
  9. Rank 9

    Mattermost

    Self-hosted collaboration platform for technical and regulated organizations that need control of their data.

    mattermost.com

    7.6

    out of 10

    Best for: Engineering, security and government teams that must run chat on their own infrastructure.

    Mattermost is aimed at organizations that cannot put team chat in someone else's cloud. Every plan is self-hosted on your own infrastructure, including air-gapped and government cloud networks. Professional, for up to 250 users, includes channels, threads and file sharing across web, desktop and mobile, SSO with SAML, OIDC and OAuth plus MFA and AD/LDAP sync, a bring-your-own LLM option with no data sent externally, Jira, GitHub and GitLab integrations, self-hosted group calls with screen sharing, guest accounts and 20 languages.

    Enterprise adds playbooks with automated triggers, AI agents, calls with live transcription, federation with Teams and Matrix, data retention, legal hold and compliance export, and a high availability cluster up to 50,000 concurrent users, with 24x7 support. Message priority and persistent notifications help with incident response. The downsides for a typical office are real: there are no public prices, every plan starts with a sales call, and someone has to run the servers.

    Standout feature

    Fully self-hosted, including air-gapped deployments.

    Use cases

    • Security operations centers

      Run incident channels on an out-of-band system

      Outcome: Communication continues when primary systems fail

    • DevSecOps teams

      Pipe GitHub and GitLab events into channels

      Outcome: Builds and reviews tracked in chat

    • Government agencies

      Deploy chat in an air-gapped network

      Outcome: No data leaves the network

    Key features

    • Self-hosted in your data center, private cloud or air-gapped network
    • SSO with SAML, OIDC and OAuth plus AD/LDAP sync on Professional
    • Bring-your-own LLM with no data sent externally
    • Jira, GitHub and GitLab integrations and self-hosted group calls
    • Enterprise scales to 50,000 concurrent users with compliance export and legal hold

    Pros

    • Full ownership of data and infrastructure
    • Threaded discussions, message priority and persistent notifications
    • Available in 20 languages

    Cons

    • Prices are not published; every plan goes through sales
    • Professional is capped at 250 users
    • Needs your own servers and admin time to run
  10. Rank 10

    Troop Messenger

    Encrypted business messenger with chat, calls and file sharing, sold as SaaS or on-premise.

    troopmessenger.com

    7.5

    out of 10

    Best for: Small companies that want low-cost, secure chat with calling and optional self-hosting later.

    Troop Messenger is a low-cost business messenger that leans on security and deployment choice. Premium costs $2.50 per user per month billed annually and includes one-to-one messaging, unlimited group chats, audio and video calling, audio messages, message delete and recall, attachment previews, live location tracking and 150 GB of storage. Enterprise, at $5 per user per month billed annually, adds group audio and video calls, remote screen sharing, message editing and flagging, code snippets, read receipts, mentions and 1 TB of storage.

    A Superior tier at $9 with remote desktop control, SAML and message archiving is listed as coming soon. Troop Messenger runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and the web, and companies can move to their own servers with the Troop-GRIT on-premise edition. The weak points are the lack of a free plan, basic features such as mentions held back to Enterprise, and a much smaller integration story than the leaders.

    Standout feature

    SaaS or on-premise deployment from the same vendor.

    Use cases

    • Field teams

      Share live locations in group chats

      Outcome: Dispatchers see where staff are

    • Small firms

      Get chat and calls for $2.50 per user

      Outcome: Low monthly cost

    • Growing organizations

      Move from SaaS to on-premise with Troop-GRIT

      Outcome: Data control without switching apps

    Key features

    • One-to-one messaging, unlimited group chats and audio and video calling
    • Delete and recall messages, attachment preview and live location tracking
    • Enterprise adds group calls, remote screen sharing, read receipts and mentions
    • 150 GB storage on Premium and 1 TB on Enterprise
    • Apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and web

    Pros

    • Premium costs $2.50 per user per month billed annually
    • Self-hosting available through Troop-GRIT
    • Large storage allowances

    Cons

    • No permanent free plan, only a 7-day trial
    • Read receipts and mentions require Enterprise
    • SAML and message archiving are on the Superior plan, listed as coming soon

Buying guide

How to choose

Check what your suite already includes

Google Chat is included with Google Workspace and Teams comes with most Microsoft 365 business plans. If your company already pays for one of them, try its chat app before buying another seat-based tool.

Read the message history limit on free plans

Free plans differ most on history. Slack Free keeps 90 days, Twist one month and Zoho Cliq 10,000 searchable messages, while Pumble and Chanty keep unlimited history. Chanty's free plan stops at 5 team members.

Count integrations you need on day one

Slack lists over 2,600 apps, while Pumble's free plan connects 3 apps and Pro 10. List the tools that must post into chat, such as your help desk, code host or CRM, and check each vendor's directory.

Plan for guests and outside partners

Slack Connect works with up to 250 organizations per channel on paid plans, Zoho Cliq Standard adds external channels, and Twist and Chanty include free guest seats. Agencies and consultancies should price guests before they compare per user costs.

Decide whether you must self-host

Zulip and Mattermost can run on your own servers, and Troop Messenger offers an on-premise edition. Most companies are better served by a hosted app, but regulated teams may need self-hosting for data control.

Frequently asked questions

+What is the best team chat app for companies?

Slack is our top pick for companies that run work in channels and rely on integrations, with more than 2,600 apps and shared channels for outside partners. Microsoft Teams and Google Chat are better defaults if your company already pays for Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace.

+What is the cheapest team chat app?

Pumble is free for unlimited users with unlimited message history, and its Pro plan costs $2.49 per seat per month billed annually. Troop Messenger Premium costs $2.50 per user per month billed annually, and Zoho Cliq Standard costs US$18 per month for up to 25 users.

+Is Slack or Microsoft Teams better for team chat?

Slack has the larger app directory and easier shared channels with other companies. Teams is cheaper at $4 per user per month for Teams Essentials paid yearly and fits companies that already use Outlook, OneDrive and SharePoint.

+Which team chat apps keep unlimited message history for free?

Pumble and Chanty both list unlimited message history on their free plans, though Chanty's free plan is limited to 5 team members. Slack Free keeps 90 days and Twist Free shows one month.

+Can I self-host a team chat app?

Yes. Zulip is 100% open source and its self-hosted edition is free with all features, Mattermost is self-hosted on every plan, and Troop Messenger sells an on-premise edition called Troop-GRIT.

About this list

Updated November 7, 2026 by the Mojolin research desk. Mojolin is self-funded

Questions or corrections: editorial@mojolin.com

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