8 Best Team Chat Apps for Work in 2025

Communication matters. It significantly shapes how we live, work, and connect with others. Almost every part of life depends on it. When communication breaks down, things fall apart: plans get canceled, goals get missed, and people end up frustrated. We all know how it can be. And in the workplace, it’s no different.

The market knows this, and that’s why it’s full of team chat and communication tools, each promising to boost collaboration. Still, most teams get confused when picking the right tool for their workflows. 

This guide features a curated list of communication tools to choose from and briefly covers the key points: the criteria to consider when selecting a team chat app, standout features each tool offers, what best suits your team’s needs, and more.

TL;DR: Team Chat App Shortlist

• Slack for complex project hierarchies and structures
• Orchestra for messaging with built-in calls, tasks & docs
• Zoom Team Chat for Zoom-centered workflows
• Google Chat for Google-centered workflows
• Discord for voice-first and community-style communication
• Chanty for team chat with task tracking 
• Mattermost for self-hosted collaboration with that old-school SaaS vibe 
• Microsoft Teams for Microsoft-centered workflows

How to Select the Team Chat App 

We’ve already mentioned that there are lots of team chat apps on the market. Yet, teams often struggle to identify ‘the one’. Here are several things to consider to make the right decision:

#1 Team needs come first

Why are you on the hunt for a new tool? Is there a feature missing in your current app that you wish you could integrate with something else? Or maybe your team communication is off, and you’re looking for better team chat alternatives? Answering these questions will help you figure out what you need in a new tool.

#2 Focus on the features

What features does your team really need in a communication tool to work at its best? Customizable chats, built-in meetings, unlimited storage space, or shared whiteboards – set priorities. Nice-to-haves come second.

#3 Check integrations

Most communication tools aren’t built to replace everything at once, and that’s okay. If you’re already using CRMs to stay in touch with clients or project boards to manage tasks, make sure the new app can plug into those tools easily. 

#4 Test with a team

Don’t just test a new tool solo, bring your team in. Use free trials or freemiums to see how it fits into your actual workflow. Get feedback, spot friction points, and see if it really solves the problems you’re trying to fix. And don’t skip the review sites – places like Capterra, G2, or Trustpilot can offer real-world insight you might not think to ask about.

#5 Think long-term

It’s easy to focus on the short-term win, but ask yourself: Will this tool still work when the team doubles? What kind of admin controls and user permissions does it offer? Is support actually helpful when something breaks? Choose an app that can grow with you, not just one that’s fine for now.

8 Best Team Chat Apps for Work in 2025 

There are plenty of apps for work communication, but here’s a selection of the best ones. Remember what you’re looking for so you won’t be misled or thrown off track. The choice is yours.

Slack

A pioneer in the world of SaaS communication tools that connects teams and integrates with apps for work collaboration.

📍Key Communication Features

• Slack Connect. Shared channels to message and stay aligned with people outside your team, like clients, contractors, or partners, directly in Slack without switching apps.
• Threads. The message flows in channels. They’re meant to keep discussions clear and on track.
• Huddles. Audio or video chats you can start in any channel or DM.
• Canvas. A collaborative space for your conversations, meeting notes, or project info that stays connected to your discussions.
• Lists. A task-tracking tool where the team can create to-dos, assign tasks, set priorities, and keep progress visible.
• Workflow Builder. A no-code tool for custom workflows like onboarding, approvals, or reminders.

💸 Pricing

• Freemium. Try out the tool, but all the essential features are quite limited.
• Pro – $8 per user/month. Unlimited message history, app integrations, meetings, workflows, lists, and docs. Only 1 workspace is available. 24/7 support, but with a line order.
• Business+ – $14 per user/month. The same unlimited features plus user provisioning and deprovisioning, SAML-based single sign-on, and data exports for all messages. 24/7 support with a 4-hour first response time.
• Enterprise Grid – Custom price. All the unlimited features. 24/7 priority support with a 4-hour first response time.

👾 Best for Teams

Slack is a go-to for large teams and enterprises, though it might feel messy and hard to navigate for startups, small, and mid-sized teams. Those teams are often settling for alternatives that are more budget-friendly and simple.

Orchestra

An all-in-one workspace that brings communication and management as intended – together. Orchestra’s interface is chat-centric, so every project and task has a separate chat to keep your team’s communication on point from the very start.

📍Key Communication Features

• Task-focused Chats. Every task or project starts with a dedicated chat, keeping communication on point. Create private or public chats for personal, team, project, or task communication, plus channels for alerts.
• Chat Folders. A cleaner alternative to threads. With folders like favorites, unread, personal, or task-related, shape chat views however you like.
• Built-in Calls. Voice and video calls are already integrated into task-related chats. Recordings are stored within the same chat.
• Built-in Tasks. Projects and tasks can be created directly from chats. Add assignees, deadlines, and structure with hierarchies, lists, and boards — all in one workspace.
• Tasks from Messages. Turn messages into tasks in one click and link them to relevant projects instantly.
• Media & Files. Easy access to docs, media, and files in every chat.
• Teams & Free Guests. Build your team structure with customizable roles and permissions. No limits on external guests.

💸 Pricing

• 7-Day Free Trial. Sign up for free and explore all the unlimited workspace features before making any financial commitment. Orchestra’s team is available 24/7 during your trial, and you can even request free data migration from your previous communication tools.
• Early Bird Pricing – $7 per user/month. For this price, you get full access to all features – chats, calls, tasks, projects, docs, and storage – for the entire duration of your paid period. You’ll only be charged for each team member you add to the workspace, external members can be added for free. A budget-friendly option for small teams and startups.

👾 Best for Teams

Orchestra works best for small and mid-sized modern product, marketing teams, and fast-moving startups. The app is simple yet packed with everything teams need to keep work flowing – easy to use and stylish to work with.

Zoom Team Chat

Formerly a video conferencing app, Zoom has expanded its product lineup and become Zoom Workplace, with Zoom Team Chat as one of its main products. 

📍Key Communication Features

• Team Chat. A Slack-like interface built inside the Zoom ecosystem. Includes threads, as well as direct and group messaging.
• Meetings. Instant voice and video calls. Create breakout rooms for focused discussions or make async video updates when live meetings aren’t necessary.
• Huddles. Similar to meetings, but more informal and spontaneous.
• Phone. A cloud-based phone service to make and receive calls directly in Zoom, similar to how we used Skype before.
• Calendar. A classic calendar view for scheduling meetings.
• AI Agents. AI-powered chatbots that handle customer inquiries and route issues to the right team.

💸 Pricing

• Freemium. A free plan with limited features like meetings up to 40 minutes, 100 participants per meeting, Team Chat, Clips, Docs with sharing up to 10 documents, and more. It’s enough to try out the space and decide if you want to make it your main tool.
• Pro Plan – $15 per user/month. Includes everything in the freemium plan but with higher limits, plus live chat support.
• Business Plan – $21 per user/month. Allows up to 300 participants per meeting; otherwise, it’s pretty much unlimited.
• Enterprise – Custom. 

👾 Best for Teams

Zoom Team Chat is a collaboration hub that integrates seamlessly into the Zoom platform, so it’s ideal for teams that are used to the Zoom platform.

Google Chat

Built for teams integrated into the Google Workspace ecosystem, Google Chat allows users to communicate in direct messages or group spaces while collaborating on familiar tools like Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

📍Key Communication Features

• Messages & Group Chats. Direct or public chats for discussions. 
• Spaces. Threaded conversations, file sharing, and task assignments within each Space.
• Google Workspace Integrations. Additional services like Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, and Calendar to collaborate and share work without leaving the chat.
• AI Replies. AI-suggested messages to automate tasks and responses.

💸 Pricing

• 14-Day Free Trial. Basic messaging and collaboration features available with a personal Gmail account.
• Business Starter – $6 per user/month. Includes core tools like Google Chat, Meet, Gmail, and 30GB of cloud storage per user.
• Business Standard – $12 per user/month. Everything in Business Starter, plus 2TB of cloud storage per user and additional features for Google Meet, such as meeting recording.
• Business Plus – $18 per user/month. Includes all Business Standard features, plus 5TB of storage, advanced security (like Google Vault), and enhanced Meet features.

👾 Best for Teams

Google Chat is best for teams already using Google Workspace. Teams that focus on document-based collaboration can also consider this tool.

Discord

Originally made for the gamedev community and its streaming, Discord has now become a common voice- and video-based collaboration tool among tech teams.

📍Key Communication Features

• Chat Channels. A space for messaging with threaded replies like on Slack.
• Voice Channels. Built-in audio rooms where users can drop in and out freely.
• Video Calls & Streaming. One-on-one or group video calls with built-in screen sharing for live demos, presentations, or collaborative work.
• Custom Roles & Permissions. Fine-tuned control over who can post, moderate, or manage different parts of a server.
• Bots & Integrations. Automation tools, moderation bots, and third-party integrations (like GitHub, Trello, YouTube, and more).

💸 Pricing

• Freemium. Offers voice, video, and text communication with unlimited message history and support for up to 25,000 members per server.
• Discord Nitro – $10 per user/month. Includes enhanced features like server boosts, custom emojis, higher quality video, and more.
• Discord Nitro Classic – $5 per user/month. Provides perks like custom emojis and increased upload limits without the server boosts.

👾 Best for Teams

Discord remains a top choice for gamedev communities, as well as creative and remote teams that prefer spontaneous, informal messaging and calls over structured project management.

Chanty

A team chat app that combines messaging, task management, and project planning into one tool.

📍Key Communication Features

• Teambook. A central hub where you can find all your messages, tasks, files, and pinned content organized in one place. Threads are also available.
• Chanty Extras. Add-ons like dark mode, a built-in media player, and content previews to improve your work experience.
• Calls. Voice or video calls within the workspace when typing isn’t an option.
• Task Management. A range of tools to work with tasks and manage progress right in the chat.
• Team Space. A shared environment where your whole team can collaborate through chats and tasks.

💸 Pricing

• Freemium. Up to 5 team members max. 1 guest user and 1 multi-conversation guest. Unlimited public and private conversations, searchable history, one-on-one audio and video calls, voice messages, tasks, limited integrations, and file storage.
• Business – $4 per user/month. Everything in the Free plan, plus unlimited integrations, video calls, 20GB file storage per member, up to 3 guest users per member for free, $4 per multi-conversation guest, and more.
• Enterprise – Custom. Everything in the Business plan, plus advanced features like dashboards and reporting.

👾 Best for Teams

Chanty is a budget-friendly option for small to mid-sized teams seeking a communication tool with built-in basic project and task management.

Mattermost

An open-source team collaboration tool, often viewed as a more utilitarian alternative to Slack, offering similar features along with secure messaging.

📍Key Communication Features

• Channels. Public or private spaces based on topics, teams, or projects for team communication.
• Threads. The Slack feature to follow specific conversations.
• Customizable Notifications. Tailored notifications to stay updated on important conversations.
• Dev-Centric Integrations. External apps like GitHub, JIRA, Google Drive, and more are connected to your workspace.

💸 Pricing

• Freemium. Limited channel-based collaboration. Community Q&A for Mattermost Free is available on peer-to-peer forums. Up to 50 users.
• Professional Plan – $10 per user/month. Everything in Free, plus advanced access controls & automation, multi-team collaboration, AI platform capabilities, and professional support. Up to 500 users.
• Enterprise – Custom. Everything in Professional, plus AI-accelerated collaboration, enterprise support, and more. For 500+ users.

👾 Best for Teams

Mattermost is best suited for teams looking for a direct Slack alternative or those needing a self-hosted solution.

Microsoft Teams

A collaboration platform seamlessly integrated with Microsoft 365, designed for teams working within the Microsoft ecosystem.

📍Key Communication Features

• Chats. Direct messages with one or more colleagues.
• Channels. You can create them based on any topic. Channels are where all the conversations, files, wikis, and planners are.
• Teams. A space with a list of all the teams you're a part of. They are made up of channels.
• Calls. A cloud-based phone service for calls.
• Meetings. Instant voice and video meetings, just like everywhere else.
• File Collaboration. You can collaborate on Microsoft Docs simultaneously.

💸 Pricing

• Freemium. Free version with limited features like unlimited chat, video calling for up to 100 participants, and 5GB of file storage per user.
• Business Basic – $5 per user/month. Includes everything in the free plan, plus web and mobile versions of Office apps and 1TB of OneDrive storage.
• Business Standard – $13 per user/month. Includes full desktop Office apps, email hosting, and additional collaboration tools.
• Enterprise Plan – Custom. More advanced security, compliance, and support features.

👾 Best for Teams

Teams that are already using Microsoft 365 and need integration with Office apps will find this option perfect.

Team Chat Apps: A Side-by-Side Comparison

To keep things simple, just focus on the features and the price, this should make the research easier: