Google Chat Alternatives for 2025

As Google officially phased out Hangouts and shifted users to Google Chat, many teams and individuals found themselves reassessing their communication needs. While Google Chat offers a seamless experience inside Gmail and Google Workspace, it’s not always enough.

In 2025, communication apps are expected to do much more than messaging – teams now want built-in project management, better async support, and more integration flexibility. Some find Google Chat alternatives better suited to these workflows.

Luckily, alternatives to Google Chat are out there. Lots of them. This guide explores seven of the top-rated options.

TL;DR: Google Chat Alternatives Shortlist

• Slack for complex project hierarchies and structures
• Orchestra for messaging with built-in calls, tasks & docs
• Zoom Team Chat for Zoom-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
• Rocket.Chat for customizable communication with federation options 
• Microsoft Teams for Microsoft-centered workflows

Why Teams Are Seeking Google Chat Alternatives

Yes, Google Chat offers integration with Gmail, Docs, and the broader Google Workspace ecosystem, which simplifies workspaces for those who use them daily. Others, though, may find Google Chat’s structure too limited for deep management, async communication, or external collaboration.

When users start looking for a Google Chat alternative, it’s usually for one of the following reasons:

If you happen to be facing one of these problems and are considering trying something else, here’s the good news: there are great Google Chat alternatives.

Slack vs. Google Chat

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

📍Key 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.
• Workflow Builder. A no-code tool for custom workflows like onboarding, approvals, or reminders.
• 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.

🔎 Compared to Google Chat

• Pros: Stronger project organization. Wider third-party app ecosystem. Deeper workflow automation capabilities.
• Cons: Can become expensive at scale compared to simpler chat alternatives like Google Chat.

👾 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 vs. Google Chat

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 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.

🔎 Compared to Google Chat

• Pros: Built-in chats & task management.  Simple async video updates. Unlimited meetings, guests, data. Fine UX/UI.
• Cons: Smaller ecosystem of third-party integrations compared to Google Workspace-focused apps.

👾 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 vs. Google 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 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.

🔎 Compared to Google Chat

• Pros: Industry-leading voice & video quality. Feature-rich meetings with breakout rooms and webinars. Supports large group meetings.
• Cons: Limited team chat and collaboration features outside meetings. Free plan limits meetings to 40 minutes.

👾 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.

Discord vs. Google Chat

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 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).

🔎 Compared to Google Chat

• Pros: Always-on voice channels for seamless, spontaneous conversations. Free with unlimited messaging, voice, and video calls. Strong community features and easy to use.
• Cons: Not designed for formal business workflows. Limited integration with professional productivity tools.

👾 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 vs. Google Chat

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

📍Key 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.

🔎 Compared to Google Chat

• Pros: Lightweight and great for smaller teams. Built-in task management. Affordable pricing.
• Cons: Limited integrations compared to Google Chat. Less suitable for large teams. Basic features for collaboration.

👾 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 vs. Google Chat

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

📍Key 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.

🔎 Compared to Google Chat

• Pros: Open-source with full self-hosting options. Highly customizable with plugins and integrations.
• Cons: Requires technical setup and maintenance. UI can feel less polished. Steeper learning curve for non-tech users.

👾 Best for Teams

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

Rocket Chat vs. Google Chat

An open-source team collaboration platform built for secure messaging.

📍Key Features

• Omnichannel Space. Manage customer and team communication across email, live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, and other platforms in one unified interface.
• Self-Hosting & On-Prem Deployment. Complete control over data by hosting on your own infrastructure or choosing a cloud deployment.
• Customization. Access to source code allows deep UI/UX customization, along with a plugin system and REST APIs for custom integrations.
• Federation. Communicate across different Rocket.Chat instances, similar to email or Matrix, with secure federation protocols.

🔎 Compared to Google Chat

• Pros: Open-source with full data ownership. Highly customizable via APIs, plugins, and integrations. 
• Cons: Requires technical expertise for setup and maintenance. Less polished UI. No collaboration via docs.

👾 Best for Teams

Rocket.Chat is ideal for highly regulated industries (like healthcare, finance, or government), developer communities, or any organization that prioritizes data privacy and control.

Microsoft Teams vs. Google Chat

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

📍Key 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.

🔎 Compared to Google Chat

• Pros: Full Office integration, stronger meeting and task management features, advanced enterprise-grade security.
• Cons: Heavier user interface; can feel more complex compared to simple chat apps like Google Chat.

👾 Best for Teams

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

Google Chat Alternatives: The Table View

We’ve explored some of the best alternatives to Google Chat and Hangouts available in 2025 — from secure self-hosted platforms to lightweight messaging tools designed for modern teams. To help you decide, here’s a simple table comparing key features and pricing for each platform: