If you’re looking for a way to improve team communication and stop spending so much time in your inbox, you’ve probably considered using Slack. But Slack isn’t going to be the right choice for every business, so if you’re on the fence about using it, here are the five best alternatives to consider.
[Read more: 8 Collaborative Business Tools to Improve Your Team’s Productivity]
Flock
Flock is a one-stop shop for team communication and collaboration, and it claims to work faster than Slack. It’s similar to Slack in that you can create different channels for the various projects you have going on.
Within each channel, users can have group conversations and message each other privately. You can even turn messages into tasks, give them due dates and assign them to different users.
You can also share documents and files, and every user receives up to 10 GB of file storage. Plus, the channels are easily searchable, so you can always go back and find the information you need.
Flock offers video calls and screen sharing directly within the app, and the software integrates seamlessly with over 50 of your favorite productivity tools, including Asana, Google Drive and Todoist.
Microsoft Teams
If you regularly use Microsoft products, then you’ll definitely want to check out Microsoft Teams. The company offers a free plan for up to 300 users, and it includes everything you need for team communication.
The software includes unlimited chat, as well as free audio and video calls. Plus, team members can collaborate on and edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents in real time.
File and document sharing is available with the free plan, and every user receives 2 GB of free storage. And the software integrates with over 250 apps and services.
Enterprise companies will likely need to upgrade to one of the paid versions, but the freemium works well for small and medium-sized businesses.
Flock is a one-stop shop for team communication and collaboration, and it claims to work faster than Slack.
Google Chat
If you already love and regularly use G Suite, then you’ll probably enjoy Google Chat as well. The platform supports up to 28 different languages, so it’s perfect for global teams.
With Google Chat, you can set up virtual rooms for the various projects you’re working on. Each room can hold up to 8,000 members, and within the rooms, you can create threaded conversations that help everyone stay productive and on task.
Google Chat makes it easy to track the status of various tasks and assignments. And one of the things that set Google Chat apart is that it incorporates AI and machine learning to anticipate what different users are looking for when they log in.
Unfortunately, Google Chat does not offer a free version, but it is less expensive than Slack. You can get started by purchasing a corporate G Suite account.
Chanty
Chanty helps teams collaborate, communicate and stay organized in the midst of ongoing work projects. It’s free for up to 10 members; beyond that, it’s $3 per user per month.
One of the best things about Chanty is that it’s intuitive and straightforward to use. The app offers group and private messaging capabilities, and you can tag other team members if you need an immediate response.
Users can share documents and files, including YouTube videos and social media posts. And best of all, the app organizes and files all of your messages, tasks, files and links into folders that it calls Teambook.
If your team is currently using Slack or Flock and you decide to switch to Chanty, you can import all of your team data and messaging history.
[Read more: 6 Ways to Keep Your Team Productive While Working From Home]
Ryver
Ryver is a combination of Trello and Slack, and it provides team communication and task management all in one easy-to-use app. You can utilize group chats, private messaging and voice and video calls for up to 400 people.
Ryver is a great option for teams that want to stay organized and collaborate outside of their email inbox. It’s accessible across all of your devices and comes with unlimited users, tasks and file storage.
The app doesn’t come with a free plan, but you can test it out for 14 days to see if you like it. The robust features and focus on productivity make it a great option for businesses of all sizes.
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