15 Best Slack Alternatives to Use This Year

Posted by The Friday Team

Communication tools have always been part of the workforce, whether employees are in the office or geographically remote.

With many diverse options in the market to choose from, most businesses have opted for Slack, a popular communication and workflow platform.

Slack has reliability, a beautiful interface, lots of integrations—what's not to love? Still, companies look further than Slack to satisfy their need for a true workflow platform.

In this article, we'll review 15 of the best Slack alternatives and cover their features, pros, cons, and pricing to find the perfect match for your team's needs.

Let’s go!

Top 15 Slack Alternatives For 2023

Here’s our list of fifteen Slack alternatives for 2023:

1. ClickUp

ClickUp is the world’s leading project management and communication tool.

From helping you manage your remote team to providing you with task management features, ClickUp is the perfect team collaboration tool.

And if you’re looking for free alternatives to Slack, ClickUp’s definitely the answer.

Key features:

Here are some of ClickUp’s key features:

1. Chat view

Use the Chat view when you need to talk about anything!

It can be about your tasks or even your grocery list.

The Chat view allows you to harness the power of attachments, notifications, unfurled task links, and even embedding.

And don’t worry, Chat view lets you keep track of all your comments and messages, so nothing gets lost.

You can easily access all task mentions, links to external sites, and see who’s been added as a watcher all in Chat view.

Add a Chat view in ClickUp to connect with people in your Workspace

Here’s what you’ll find in Chat view:

All your ClickUp task links
Links to project-relevant external sites
An idea of which team members will get notifications for any updates in the chat
Unfurled task links
Rich text formatting

So, why not just replace those 100 Slack channels with one task management app?

2. Comments

ClickUp has comments for any situation you can think of.

You can edit, assign, and even reply to comments.

Comments are an easy and straightforward way to communicate quickly, and there’s no need to delete comments; you can edit them instead!

Use assigned comments when you have an urgent comment and want to make sure a team member addresses it. The team member will be notified, and the comment will pop up as a task in their task tray. When they’re done, they can even mark it as resolved!

You can even use Threaded Comments to organize your tasks, images, and Doc comments by nesting your replies.

Worried about feeling overwhelmed by long blocks of text?

Don’t be.

When you want to highlight a section of the text, ask a question about a specific section, or you want to keep your conversations organized, quote a comment.

And if you really want to get your point across quickly, use rich text in comments.

You can use bold font or italics to make everything easy to read. This way, expectations are crystal-clear, and tasks are completed as efficiently as possible.

Want to take a break from playing the grammar police?

Add some fun emojis to your text!

3. Docs

It’s super-easy to create Docs, wikis, and knowledge bases in ClickUp.

Use Docs for real-time team collaboration and editing. Your Docs can have an unlimited number of pages. They can be shared with select people and even be indexed by Google to pop up in search results!

This way, you can create and share detailed info without relying on Google Docs.

[Whispers] Unlike Slack.

Docs also have collaboration detection that informs you when someone is viewing or editing the same Doc as you.

4. Slack Integration

Don’t want to break up with Slack? 😢

We have another solution.

You can integrate Slack with ClickUp to do so much more than just chat with team members.

Here are some of the amazing things you can do with this unlimited integration:

Customize Slack notifications
Create ClickUp tasks from your Slack feed
Move Slack comments into your Tasks

When task links are posted in Slack, they’ll have all the detail and context you need to be able to take action.

Here’s what you can change right from your Slack app when you integrate it with ClickUp:

Task statuses
Who the assignee is
Task Priorities
Task due dates
Tags

There are also dropdown actions that let you manage due dates, priorities, and statuses right from your Slack channels.

And ClickUp can instantly send notifications about tasks to any Slack channel of your choice. This includes tasks created, comments added, and even status changes.

Wish you had known about all these wonderful features a long time ago?

But we’re not done.

Here are a few more advantages of using ClickUp:

ClickUp pros

Multiple views to adapt to Agile, Scrum, Kanban, or any project style
Assign tasks to multiple assignees
Powerful Project Templates
Jot down ideas and personal to-do lists using the built-in Notepad
Bring important tasks to your team’s attention with reminders
Integrates with several third-party software like Evernote, Time Doctor, Salesforce, and more

ClickUp cons

Can’t export Dashboards

ClickUp pricing

ClickUp has a powerful free plan for unlimited users with paid versions starting at just $5 per user/month.

ClickUp customer ratings

G2: 4.7/5 (3,700+ reviews)
Capterra: 4.7/5 (2,370+ reviews)

2. Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is an instant messaging app that fosters team collaboration and quick feedback loops. This app is free for Microsoft 365 users.

This chat application is suitable for schools, healthcare workers, and frontline workers.

But is this chat app suitable for you?

Let’s take a look:

MS Teams key features

Use the scheduling feature and calendars to stay ahead of your projects
Create a channel with many team members or opt to chat with private chats
Use the video conferencing feature to host voice and video calls with team members
Screen sharing and file sharing

MS Teams pros

Integrates perfectly with the rest of the Microsoft 365 suite
Available on web, desktop, and mobile apps (iPhone & Android)
Guest access lets you collaborate with clients and add temporary team members to a Microsoft Team
The instant messaging feature helps teams avoid long email chains

MS Teams cons

Many other Microsoft tools offer similar functionalities like Skype and Yammer
Limited to 200 public channels and 30 private channels
Once you add someone to a Microsoft Team, they automatically have full access to everything

MS Teams pricing

This team collaboration tool has a free plan, and its paid plan starts at $5/user per month.

MS teams customer ratings

G2: 4.3/5 (11,540+ reviews)
Capterra: 4.4/5 (7,000+ reviews)

3. Rocket Chat

Rocket Chat is an open source team chat app.

The chat app lets you create chat rooms and host online meetings with screen sharing, which they claim reduces at least 30% of time spent on time-wasters like social media.

But is this open source messaging app a time-waster itself?

Let’s find out:

Rocket Chat key features

@mentions for individuals and announcements
Video conferencing features, including voice and video calls with screen sharing
Direct messages between multiple users
Engagement dashboard to see how users are responding to the team messaging app

Rocket Chat pros

The chat app is secure, and it adds an extra verification step when completing certain actions
Translate your messages through Microsoft Translate to bridge communication gaps
Sort conversations by last activity or alphabetical order
Available on mobile, web, and desktop

Rocket Chat cons

Interface design is not as user-friendly when compared to other Slack alternatives
Mobile apps aren’t as functional as other competitor mobile apps
Video calling feature sometimes fails to notify users that there’s an incoming call
Since it’s an open source tool, so it has some bugs

Rocket Chat pricing

This messaging app has a free plan, and paid plans start from $3/user per month annually.

Rocket Chat customer ratings

G2: 3.9/5 (100+ reviews)
Capterra: N/A

4. Google Chat

Google Chat (previously called Hangouts Chat) is a team chat app that integrates seamlessly with project management tools like Salesforce and Jira.

But how well will this messaging app integrate with your company?

Let’s take a look:

Google Chat key features

There are audio and video calls available through built-in integration with Google Meet
Use Google’s powerful search to look up room members, past conversations, and shared files
Meet bot integrates directly with Google Calendar to schedule meetings for you

Google Chat pros

Easy to integrate with other Google Apps like Google Docs and Google Sheets
Have one-on-ones with team members or invite them to a group chat
Opt to keep unlimited message history for users in your organization as an admin
Available on iOS, Android, macOS, and Web

Google Chat cons

No free plan unless you have a corporate G-Suite account
Team chat app doesn’t have public channels like Slack
Can’t see if the other party has received and read your message
No online status customization such as no ‘busy’ or ‘away’ options

Google Chat pricing

This messaging tool offers no free plan, but the paid plan starts at $4.80/user per month.

Google Chat customer ratings

G2: 4.3/5 (800+ reviews)
Capterra: 4.6/5 (1,340+ reviews)

5. Workplace by Facebook

Workplace from Facebook is a team communications app developed by well...Facebook.

The chat app has over five million paying subscribers.

But will you want to join the five million after we check out the features in this messaging app?

Let’s check it out:

Workplace by Facebook key features

Create different groups for each team or project, and start file sharing
Decide how private you want each group chat to be and who's allowed to post
Create live chats, captions, and translations to engage people wherever they are, and get real-time feedback through comments, polls or Q&As

Workplace by Facebook pros

Use Facebook’s well-known interface to create groups and host live chats with your whole team
Employees are always kept up to date with their personalized news feed
Suitable chat tool for knowledge management as the knowledge library helps you create, store and share static content like HR policies

Workplace by Facebook cons

Doesn’t let you keep track of tasks assigned to different team members
The admin controls don't allow full access; things like removing an employee can’t be done within the tool; you have to go through customer support

Workplace by Facebook pricing

This messaging app has a free plan, and the paid plan starts at $4/user per month.

Workplace by Facebook customer ratings

G2: 4/5 (1,500+ reviews)
Capterra: 4.4/5 (1,000+ reviews)

6. Chanty

Chanty connects chats, files, tasks, and links to bring more context to discussions under Teambook—a single hub. This task-management approach allows teams to create tasks from messages or assign messages to members with an unlimited chat history.

Chanty key features

Teambook for quick access to message history and finding team members
Three levels of notifications: All new messages; One to one messages; No notifications
Kanban boards for tracking team workflow

Chanty pros

Dev-friendly formatting to share clean lines of code
Pin any message and choose a time to get back to it
Create specific conversations for departments or projects to deliver quick solutions

Chanty cons

Free version doesn't include group calling or video features
Teams might not like the task-management approach if they simply need discussions
Conversations clutter as more team members join

Chanty pricing

Chanty has a free plan, and its paid plan starts at $3/user per month.

Chanty customer ratings

G2: 4.6/5 (30+ reviews)
Capterra: 4.9/5 (20+ reviews)

7. Twist

Twist organizes discussions into threads to stay on topic, and contextually so important conversations are never lost.

Twist key features

Up to 500 members on the free plan
Active and Done views in the Inbox to process what's outstanding or done

Twist pros

Under a free plan, guests are at no extra cost
Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, and the web
Customize notification preferences by sending alerts to desktop, email or mobile

Twist cons

Under a free plan, viewing or searching for thread comments and messages older than one month isn't available
Lacks audio and video calls
Limited to five integrations in the free plan

Twist pricing

Twist has a free plan, and its paid plans start at $5/user per month.

Twist customer ratings

G2: 4/5 (10+ reviews)
Capterra: 4.3/5 (20+ reviews)

8. Ring Central MVP

Ring Central is a phone, video, and message solution for business communications. The platform's communication tools combined with multiple price plans accommodate the needs and budgets of different businesses.

If you're a Ring Central user and need a project management solution, try the ClickUp platform with the Ring Central integration.

Ring Central key features

Send texts from your RingCentral number to coworkers and customers without giving personal numbers
Create a Team Huddle meeting room for members to come in and out at any time

Ring Central pros

Search by keyword and filter by mentions
Create teams around projects, specific topics, and departments
Guest users added to teams and chats are frees

Ring Central cons

Integrations available in Standard Plan and higher
Upgrading to another service plan is necessary for conferencing features
Essentials Plan does not offer 24/7 customer support

Ring Central pricing

Ring Central paid plans start at $29.99/user per month.

Ring Central customer ratings

G2: 3.9/5 (590+ reviews)
Capterra: N/A

9. Ryver

Ryver integrates communication tools and task management in one app to streamline team collaboration.

Ryver key features

Custom conversation channels for forums, teams, and people
Flat-rate pricing includes unlimited data, guests, and more
Convert conversations into tasks

Ryver pros

Unlimited calls with up to five users per call
Privacy Shield certified
Trello board migration capability

Ryver cons

No free plan
No keyword notifications
Unlimited search available in paid plans starting at $80/user/year

Ryver pricing

Ryver paid plans start at $49/ month for up to 12 users.

Ryver customer ratings

G2: 4.4/5 (140+ reviews)
Capterra: 4.4/5 (30+ reviews)

10. Zulip

Zulip offers threaded topics within a stream (similar to Slack channels) to organize conversations for catching up on important conversations while ignoring irrelevant ones.

Zulip key features

Slack, Glitter, Rocket, and Mattermost workspace import to Zulip
Custom profile options for directory information
Two-way integrations with Matrix and IRC

Zulip pros

Apps for web, desktop, and mobile
Keyword notifications
Create and join video calls with one click

Zulip cons

Up to 5GB file storage
Onboarding learning curve compared to Slack
No end-to-end encryption

Zulip pricing

This team collaboration tool has a free plan, and its paid plan starts at $6.67/user per month.

Zulip customer ratings

G2: 4.3/5 (10+ reviews)
Capterra: 5/5 (5 reviews)

11. Discord

Discord is an online platform for gamers organized into topic-based channels to collaborate without overcrowding a group chat.

Discord key features

Voice channels to replace calling
Live streaming in high definition
Free, public, or private servers

Discord pros

100MB upload size for high-quality file sharing
Most features are free to use
System set up is similar to Slack

Discord cons

High-quality video and audio require an extra cost
Features and interface are optimized for gamers
Features aren’t reliable on the mobile app compared to the desktop version

Discord pricing

Discord has a free plan, and its paid plan starts at $9.99/user per month.

Discord customer ratings

G2: N/A
Capterra: N/A

12. Bitrix24

Bitrix is a popular CRM solution that combines contact management and collaboration to manage business clients and leads.

Bitrix24 key features

Online time block to start, pause, and finish the working day
Private and group chats
Unique private links for non-Bitrix users

Bitrix24 pros

Add and edit tasks during a video call without pausing
Custom backgrounds and blur effect
Slow internet detection to maintain high-quality video calls

Bitrix24 cons

Up to 24 participants for HD video calls
Restricted reporting
Limited features in free and basic plans

Bitrix24 pricing

Bitrix24 has a free plan, and its paid plan starts at $49/user per month.

Bitrix24 customer ratings

G2: 4.1/5 (400+ reviews)
Capterra: 4/5 (480+ reviews)

13. Cisco Webex Teams

Cisco Webex Teams bring together messaging, file sharing, and other tools to collaborate with anyone inside or outside the organization, all within the same space.

Cisco Webex Teams key features

Recordings and transcripts automatically store alongside chats
Access to third-party integrations for task management

Cisco Webex Teams pros

Edit OneDrive and SharePoint Online files within a chat space
Always-on messaging in group or individual chats
Various basic and paid plan options to select from

Cisco Webex Teams cons

Transition to the cloud-based platform from legacy WebEx platforms is difficult
2GB per file share
Pricing plans are not convenient for smaller businesses

Cisco Webex Teams pricing

Cisco Webex Teams has a free plan, and its paid plan starts at $15/user per month.

Cisco Webex Teams customer ratings

G2: 4.2/5 (13,660+ reviews)
Capterra: 4.4/5 (5,350+ reviews)

14. Pumble

Pumble is a free business messaging software that connects real-time business chats, file sharing, and other useful features to create an all-in-one collaboration hub. This business communication approach allows teams to seamlessly collaborate across the organization and with external partners.

Pumble key features

Unlimited users and message history in the free plan
Self-hosted option for maximum data control and security
Multi-channel guests for working with people outside the organization
Available for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and Web

Pumble pros

10GB of file storage per workspace in the free plan
Fully searchable history that lets you easily access relevant information across all exchanged files or messages
Workspace administration for complete role and access management

Pumble cons

Currently lacks third-party app integrations
No custom sound notifications

Pumble pricing

Pumble offers a free plan with unlimited message history. Its paid plans start at $1.99/user per month.

Pumble customer ratings

G2: 4.4/5 (5 reviews)
Capterra: 4.6/5 (80 reviews)

15. Troop Messenger

Troop Messenger is a business chat app, made for teams of all sizes and industries for effective team communication and collaboration. This Slack alternative has a simple UI and helps you receive all work updates over its mobile, desktop, and web apps.

Troop Messenger key features

Unlimited voice-video conferencing with guest user facility
SaaS, on-premise, Chat APIs, and other delivery models
AES-256 military-grade encryption facility

Troop Messenger pros

Cost-effective with 100+ features
Unlimited search history at no extra cost
Advanced in-app file management facility and more.

Troop Messenger cons

Should have a free plan with basic features
No screen annotation in desktop app
Need message edit for a premium plan

Troop Messenger pricing

Troop Messenger provides an Enterprise free trial, and its paid plans are premium at $2.50, Enterprise at $5, Superior at $9 (coming soon).

Troop Messenger customer ratings

G2: 4.7/5 (65+ reviews)
Capterra: 4.8/5 (10+ reviews)

What Is Slack?

Let’s not forget that ‘Slack’ is pretty much the opposite of work.

However, despite this, Slack is an instant messaging and team collaboration app technically made for work. Slack also integrates with many other apps to boost its usability.

It’s a good alternative to emails because teams can send quick messages, have a video chat, and share tasks all in the app.

The app also simplifies people’s work and boosts team productivity by providing your employees with a more personalized space for team communication.

Why Do You Need a Slack Alternative?

You now know what the best alternatives to Slack are.

But in case you’re still on the fence about migrating to a new app, here are four reasons why you need alternatives to Slack:

A. The endless messages

Slack is a communication tool with a lot of group chats, which means that it’s easy for information to get lost.

Also, teams might fall into the trap of discussing multiple topics in one channel, which is even more confusing.

Imagine discussing your favorite movies in the same channel as an important project. Team members would have to read between the lines, literally.

B. The lack of visibility

Slack is kind of like your pet.

It needs all the love and attention it can get. Not sure what we mean?

If you don’t devote all your attention to the app, then it’s highly unlikely that you’ll see all the messages that have been sent.

We’re serious.

Even a 20-minute break could lead to major abandonment issues for the communication app, and you’ll have to deal with tons of unattended messages.

C. The minimal transparency

Everyone who uses Slack knows that people can miss a message they send.

So what do they do?

They start using direct messages to get their point across.

If your team members start sticking to direct messages and not public channels, conversations, and knowledge get siloed.

And as a result of minimal transparency, teams get divided and form their little cliques.

D. The price

Slack costs $8 per user, which isn’t exactly ideal for a small team or startup with limited resources.

And remember, you’re paying $8 per month for a communication app that doesn’t do much more than messaging!

Save on Communication Costs With ClickUp

We don't think businesses of any size should have to change their workflows or pay fees for a project management software that might be the wrong fit. With ClickUp's Chat view, Docs, and comment features, you can get started today and create quality connections with people inside and outside your business.

Whether you want to use the Slack integration in the ClickUp platform or replace Slack completely—ClickUp has you covered!