Slack is undoubtedly a top choice for remote team communication, but it’s not perfect for budget-conscious teams. The good news is that there are plenty of Slack alternatives that deliver similar features at a fraction of the cost! However, picking a team collaboration platform from the litany can feel like searching for a needle in the haystack.
Thankfully, I tested numerous team communication software and narrowed your options down to seven solutions that excel where Slack fails. The list comprises software with unlimited message history on the free plan and others with built-in video conferencing and screen sharing tools.
Read on to find a cheap Slack alternative that keeps conversations organized and fits your unique style of collaboration.
Key Takeaways: What’s The Best Slack Alternative?
- Chanty is the best free Slack alternative, thanks to its unlimited message history and one-on-one video chat on a free plan. However, Chanty free is available for up to 5 users, and might not be ideal for large teams.
- Chanty paid plans are more affordable than Slack, starting at $3 per user per month for unlimited group video calls and screen sharing. The plans ensure you get more value for money compared to Slack.
- Pumble offers unlimited employees on a free plan, making it ideal for medium teams. Its intuitive design allows distributed teams to collaborate effortlessly without a steep learning curve.
What I Looked For in Slack Alternatives
I picked team communication apps that offer most (if not all) Slack functionalities at an affordable price. If you’re cost-conscious, I packed my list with solutions that offer a generous free plan, like Chanty and Pumble. Additionally, some have no user limits, while others don’t cap the message history.
Experts Pick: Chanty is the Best Slack Alternative
Chanty is, without a doubt, the best Slack alternative for teams that want to streamline team communication without breaking the bank. Compared to Slack, its affordable paid plans deliver unbeatable value. Not to mention that the free plan offers unlimited messaging history, so you never lose track of important conversations.
Its intuitive user interface (UI) flattens the learning curve, boosting employee productivity from day one. With Chanty, your remote teams don’t need extra tools to stay connected, thanks to the built-in audio and video conferencing with screen sharing capability. Start a free Chanty account today to get a first-hand feel for these benefits.
Best 7 Slack Alternatives
In this section, I will dive into the strengths and weaknesses of each Slack alternative to help you make an informed decision. Keep reading for the nitty-gritty details:
1. Chanty — Free Plan With Unlimited Chat History
Pros:
- Affordable pricing model
- Built-in task management
- Simple, intuitive interface
- Built-in audio and video calling
- Screen sharing functionality
Cons:
- Limited integration options
- Video conferencing can be laggy
Chanty stands out because of the unlimited message history and powerful search functionality on the free plan. This makes it an ideal chat tool for teams that rely heavily on historical content to maintain workflow continuity. Employees can retrieve files and messages without a worry that older messages were deleted, which is mainly beneficial if a project spans several months.
Another thing we like about Chanty is its sleek, intuitive user interface (UI). The app keeps things simple and well-organized, so users can communicate without feeling overwhelmed. Additionally, the intuitive design offers a much smoother learning curve than Slack, making Chanty a great option for non-technical teams. Learn more in our full Chanty review.
For teams that want tasks and communication in one place, Chanty ticks the box. With its built-in task management feature, you can manage simple projects without relying on third-party project management solutions like Trello or Asana. My favorite tool is the ability to turn messages into tasks, assign them to employees, and monitor progress on a Kanban-style view.
Other Things We Like About Chanty
- Teambook: A centralized collaboration hub for busy teams. It neatly organizes vital materials, from chats and calls to pinned messages and shared files, so that everything employees need to collaborate effectively is at their fingertips.
- User-friendly audio and video calls: Chanty’s simple, high-quality audio and video calls, enabling teams to connect instantly without intricate setup. The app supports up to 1,000 participants in audio and video calls, making it ideal for large remote teams.
Another Chanty’s benefit over Slack is affordability. Slack’s most affordable plan costs $7.25 per user per month. Chanty costs $3 per user per month, making it ideal for smaller teams, startups, and freelancers with limited budgets. Start a Chanty free trial today, and test its features first-hand: No credit card is required.
2. Pumble — Free Plan with Unlimited Users and Message History
Pros:
- Unlimited message history on free plan
- Unlimited users on free plan
- Built-in collaboration tools
Cons:
- Three integrations on free plan
- No group meeting on free plan
Like Chanty, Pumble offers unlimited chat history on the free plan — Slack only retains messages for 90 days. Unlimited message history is great for teams that need to manage projects spanning months. It helps keep the conversation going and lets employees retrieve important information from past conversations without being forced to upgrade.
Additionally, Pumble allows unlimited users on the free plan, making it ideal for small teams and freelancers with limited budgets. The app is generally easy to use, but the UI looks cluttered and confusing, especially on busy channels. Thankfully, Pumble allows you to remove the elements you don’t need from the sidebar to keep things simple.
On the flip side, Pumble allows up to three integrations on a free plan, which looks dismal compared to Slack’s 10 native integrations. You also get 10GB of file storage space on the free plan, which might not be enough for some teams, especially those that exchange large volumes of files and documents.
Other Things We Like About Pumble
- Pumble is lightweight and less resource-intensive: The app is fast and efficient on all devices, including older ones. Additionally, it doesn’t support 4k videos, which can be a blessing in disguise for users on slower networks.
- Import from Slack functionality: The feature allows you to seamlessly import files, messages, and channels from Slack. It simplifies onboarding for teams ditching Slack and minimizes disruption for the team.
Another advantage is that Pumble has a flexible pricing model with cheaper pricing plans. For example, the Pro plan costs $2.49 per user per month, which is nearly $5 dollars cheaper than Slack. Start a 14-day free trial today to get a firsthand feel for Pumble’s premium features, risk-free.
3. ClickUp Chat — Unified Workspace with Chat and Project Management Tools
Pros:
- Free with unlimited chat and calls
- Feature-rich with @mentions, threads, and emoji reactions
- Easy to convert messages and comments into tasks
Cons:
- Can be overwhelming for new users
- Not available worldwide
Forget about the project-based chat feature ClickUp integrates within the tasks: there’s a new player in town — ClickUp Chat. While it’s not yet available worldwide, we’re thrilled to be among the lucky few with early access. What stood out for me during the testing was that it brings a Slack-like chat tool, right inside ClickUp.
ClickUp Chat packs the punch in terms of communication features most teams need. You can create one-on-one and group chats, like you do in Slack. Employee can add emoji reactions, attach files, record and share clips (audio recordings), reply in threads, and @mention to solicit instant response from colleagues.
My favorite features are SyncUP – a lightweight voice and video call tool that worked without any hitch or lag during testing. I was also impressed by the ability to turn messages in ClickUp chat into tasks. You can add task assignee, priority, due date, or any other feature you find in ClickUp.
Other Things We Like About ClickUp Chat
- Assign messages: ClickUp Chat lets you assign messages and comments to specific users. This is a group communication feature as it makes it clear who needs to act on what, enhancing accountability and helping teams track responsibilities.
- Chat notification: Like other communication features, ClickUp Chat notifies you when you have a pending message or comment. Additionally, you can set it to notify you about activity on specific messages or threads. For example, you configure it to notify you when an employee responds to an assigned message.
ClickUp Chat is free for now, making it an ideal Slack alternative for budget-conscious teams. Start your ClickUp Chat account today and enjoy the power of unified communication and task management.
4. Fleep Chat — Seamless Communication Between Chat Messages and Email Threads
Pros:
- Built-in native email integrations
- Excellent interoperability
- Simple and clean UI
- Effective pinboard feature
Cons:
- No free plan
Fleep Chat stands out because of its excellent interoperability. Your account has a unique username and each conversation has an email address. Any message sent to the username or email address shows up in Fleep, meaning all collaborators don’t need a Fleep account. This makes it ideal when working with vendors, clients, or external partners who prefer using email over chat apps.
Another thing I like is Fleep’s seamless communication between chat and email threads. When you enable the feature “let me create email conversation in Fleep” the app lets you send and receive emails directly from Fleep. This feature is mainly helpful when you need to keep external collaborators in the loop without switching between Fleep and regular email apps.
Another notable feature is the pinboard, which consolidates important links, messages, and files from conversations. It puts important information at users’ fingertips so they don’t have to spend hours digging through team chats to find things they need to get work done.
Other Things We Like About Fleep Chat
- Lightweight infrastructure: Fleep Chat is less resource-intensive than Slack. It runs smoothly on any device, delivering a streamlined performance for efficient collaboration without slowing down the team’s workflows.
- Fleep Chat is easy to use: The app packs all the essential chat, audio-video calling, and screen sharing features on an intuitive and no-frills UI that makes it easy to navigate.
Fleep’s major drawback is that it doesn’t offer a free plan — sorry freebie lovers. The minor gripe aside, Fleep’s most affordable plan costs $5.41 per use per month, which is a couple of dollars cheaper than Slack. You can test all the premium features when you start a 14-day free trial today.
5. Flock — Best Slack Alternative with Smart Channels
Pros:
- Affordable pricing
- Built-in productivity tools
- Built-in video conferencing
- Reliable performance without lag
Cons:
- 5GB file storage space on free plan
- No video conferencing on free plan
Flock’s smart channels feature sets it apart from other Slack alternatives. The feature cuts out the hassle of adding new employees to relevant channels manually. It allows you to set auto-join rules so new users are added to channels automatically based on user group membership. This saves you the manual work, freeing you up for other meaningful administrative duties.
The free plan offers unlimited messages, but allows 10,000 searchable messages history. The limit offers better searchability than Slack’s 90-day message history, and is great in companies where short-term conversations dominate. Just bear in mind that the Flock free plan is ideal for teams with up to 20 members and it doesn’t support video conferencing.
Flock also offers team collaboration features such as screen sharing, file sharing, polls, and notes. On paid plans, each team member gets 10GB of file storage space. Teams can also hold group video conferencing, which allows remote employees to engage face-to-face. However, Flock might not be ideal for large teams because video conferencing can have 20 participants.
Other Things We Like About Flock
- Built-in productivity tools: Flock offers productivity tools like shared to-do lists, polls, and reminders to help teams stay organized and achieve goals faster.
- Google Drive integration: Flock also integrates seamlessly with Google Drive, allowing teams to access, share, and collaborate on files directly within the app.
Flock costs $4.50 per user per month, which is nearly $3 cheaper than Slack. For the pricing, you get unlimited searchable messages, video conferencing, screen sharing, and other premium features. Start a 30-day free trial to test all these features risk-free: no credit card is required.
6. Google Chat — Best Slack Alternative For Google Workspace Users
Pros:
- Seamless integration with Google Workspace
- Affordable for Google Workspace users
- Threads in rooms and spaces
- Excellent integration with Gmail
Cons:
- No true free tier
- Limited message formatting options
- Limited customization options
Google Chat shines because of its excellent integration with Google Workspace to enhance team collaboration. It ensures you have an array of collaboration tools, from Gmail and Drive to Meet and Groups working in sync. For example, when employees share files in Google Chat, they are automatically saved to Google Drive, simplifying file management.
The app also offers a simple yet powerful interface with less clutter, which minimizes distractions and makes it easier for employees to focus. It’s also designed with teams of all sizes in mind. You can set up one-on-one messaging, channels, group chats, or announcement spaces with up to 50, 000 members.
Moreover, Google Chat allows employees to reply to messages and create threads in spaces. With threads, replies nest under the original message to keep related information organized without cluttering the space. As a result, discussions are more organized and easier to track. Employees joining the discussion later can easily follow the context.
Other Things We Like About Google Chat
- Cost-saving Slack alternative: Google Chat is a budget-friendly chat tool for teams that already use Google Workspace. It comes bundled into the Google Service at no extra cost, unlike Slack, which often requires a separate subscription.
- Smart search: Another thing I like is smart search functionality, which makes it easy to find files, messages, and conversations.
While Google Chat offers an impressive suite of communication and collaboration features, it doesn’t provide a true free tier. Since it’s bundled into Google Workspace, it’s less accessible for freelancers, small teams, and startups. Start a 14-day free Google Workspace trial to take Chat for a test before committing.
7. Zulip — Best Open-Source Slack Alternative
Pros:
- Topic-based Threading
- 10,000 message history on Free plan
- Open source and customizability
Cons:
- No built-in video call features
What makes Zulip unique is topic-based threading, which keeps discussions organized and easy to follow. You can create the standard chat channels (streams) and add topic-based threads within each. Messages are assigned to specific topics, allowing multiple conversations to happen simultaneously within the same stream. Notifications are topic-based, which makes it easy to track relevant discussions.
In addition, Zulip is the open-source communication platform ideal for organizations that prioritize data control. The vendor allows you to self-host and modify the software to suit your specific needs. Self-hosting Zulip helps you maintain complete control over your data, which is great from a security and compliance standpoint.
Unfortunately, Zulip lacks built-in voice and video call features. By default, Zulip uses Jitsi Meet to facilitate calls, but you can change your call provider to either Zoom or BigBlueButton. Using a third-party integration instead of native video calls means Zulip doesn’t have important tools like screen sharing. This makes it less useful for teams that use virtual meetings a lot.
Other Things We Like About Zulip
- Free self-host option: The self-hosted option is free for up to ten users, making it ideal for small technical teams that want to retain and access all past conversations. The cloud-based version — for non-technical teams — also has a free version with 10,000 messages of search history.
- Advanced search and filtering: Zulip offers powerful search and filtering functionality to help users quickly find topics and messages, even in large channels.
Zulip’s pricing model has two tiers: Cloud and Self-Hosted tiers. Each tier has a free plan – the cloud free plan has usage limits, but the self-hosted free plan is uncapped. Choose a preferred tier and start a Zulip free plan to get a firsthand feel for the features.
Find the Perfect Slack Alternative: Maximize Collaboration, Minimize Costs
I analyzed the top seven Slack alternatives; and as you can see, each solution has its pros and cons. However, you can only pick one app for your team, and I hope the information in this article has helped you make an informed decision. If you need an app that solves Slack’s shortcomings, I recommend getting started with Chanty.
Chanty is a great Slack alternative for many reasons. It is easy to use, cheap, and has special features like Teambook, that are helpful for small teams and freelancers. However, if you need a free communication app for a team with more than five members, pick Pumble. This app allows you to add unlimited team members and have unlimited message history on the free plan.
FAQs: Best Slack Alternative
The best Slack alternative is Chanty, offering unlimited message history even on its free plan. Its affordable pricing makes it ideal for teams seeking powerful features without high costs
Yes, Slack still offers a free plan, but it comes with limitations. The most notable is the 90-day message history cap, which restricts access to older conversations.
Pumble is better than Slack for budget-conscious teams, offering unlimited message history and essential features entirely free. While it lacks some advanced tools, its simplicity and affordability make it an excellent choice.
