Best team chat and messaging apps in 2026

Team chat apps replace internal email with channels, threads and direct messages. Look at how well they integrate with the rest of your tools and how much message history the free plan keeps.

  1. slack.com Freemium

    Slack: The leading team chat app with channels, huddles and thousands of integrations

    Key features: Channels and threads, Huddles (audio/video), Slack Connect, Workflow Builder, Thousands of integrations.

    Best for: Most teams that want fast internal communication. Web, Desktop, iOS, Android
  2. microsoft.com Freemium

    Microsoft Teams: Chat, meetings and calls integrated with Microsoft 365

    Key features: Chat and channels, Video meetings, Calling, File collaboration, Copilot.

    Best for: Organisations that use Microsoft 365. Web, Desktop, iOS, Android
  3. workspace.google.com Freemium

    Google Chat: Team messaging built into Gmail and Google Workspace

    Key features: Spaces and direct messages, Gmail integration, File sharing with Drive, Meet integration, Gemini AI.

    Best for: Teams already working in Google Workspace. Web, iOS, Android
  4. discord.com Freemium

    Discord: Voice, video and text chat for communities and groups

    Key features: Servers and channels, Voice channels, Screen sharing, Roles and permissions, Bots.

    Best for: Online communities, gaming groups and creator audiences. Web, Desktop, iOS, Android
  5. mattermost.com Freemium

    Mattermost: Open-source, self-hostable team chat for security-conscious organisations

    Key features: Channels and threads, Self-hosting, Playbooks, Integrations, Compliance features.

    Best for: Engineering, government and regulated teams that need control over data. Web, Desktop, iOS, Android
  6. rocket.chat Freemium

    Rocket.Chat: Open-source communication platform you can host yourself

    Key features: Channels and DMs, Self-hosting, Omnichannel support, Federation, Apps marketplace.

    Best for: Organisations that want a self-hosted Slack alternative. Web, Desktop, iOS, Android