Software directory
Best Team Chat and Messaging Software: 11 tools compared for 2026
Team chat software gives employees channels, direct messages, threads and file sharing in one searchable place, replacing long email chains. Most products add voice or video calls and integrations with project and business tools. Buyers choose between chat-first tools and suites bundled with email and office apps.
- Tools compared
- 11
- Publish prices
- 8 of 11
- Free plan or trial
- 11 of 11
- Median G2 rating
- 4.4
Team Chat and Messaging Software at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Pricing model | Starting price | G2 rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Zoom Workplace | Teams whose main need is reliable video meetings with chat attached. | per user | $14.16 per user/month billed annually (Pro); $16.99 billed monthly | 4.5 (56,500 reviews) |
 Slack | Teams wanting channel-based chat with a large app ecosystem. | per user | $8.75/user/month monthly, about $7.25/user/month billed annually (Pro) | 4.5 (37,812 reviews) |
 Microsoft Teams | Organizations already on Microsoft 365 and Entra ID. | per user, bundled in Microsoft 365 or standalone | $4.00/user/month paid yearly (Teams Essentials) | 4.4 (19,192 reviews) |
 Connecteam | Frontline and deskless teams needing scheduling, forms and chat in one mobile app. | flat base + per user | Free for up to 10 users; paid from $29/month (Basic, first 30 users) per hub | 4.6 (3,505 reviews) |
 Mattermost | Organizations that must self-host or run air-gapped chat. | per user | Contact sales | 4.3 (368 reviews) |
 Rocket.Chat | Regulated or public-sector organizations that need on-premises, air-gapped or sovereign-cloud chat. | custom | Contact sales | 4.2 (356 reviews) |
 Flock | Small teams (up to about 100 members) wanting low-cost chat with a free tier. | per user | Free (Starter); PRO price not shown on current page | 4.4 (301 reviews) |
 Zoho Cliq | Teams already on Zoho apps (CRM, Projects, Workplace) that want chat inside that suite. | per user | Free; paid Standard plan (USD amount not verified) | 4.4 (261 reviews) |
 Chanty | Small teams wanting cheap per-user chat with tasks. | per user | Free up to 5 members; Business 3 EUR per user/month billed annually (EUR only) | No G2 rating found |
 Google Chat | Teams already on Google Workspace that want chat without a second license. | per user (bundled in Workspace) | $7 per user/month (Workspace Starter, annual commitment billed monthly) | No G2 rating found |
 Twist | Remote or multi-timezone teams that prefer async threads over real-time chat. | per user | Free; Unlimited $6 per user/month (currency unconfirmed) | No G2 rating found |
Prices as published by each vendor on October 24, 2026. "Contact sales" means no public price. G2 ratings read on the same day.
Security and contract checklist for team chat and messaging software
| Tool | SAML SSO | SCIM provisioning | Audit logs | Data residency | Contract | Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slack | Business+ (SAML); Enterprise+ adds multiple SAML configurations. | Business+ and Enterprise+. | Enterprise+ only (per pricing FAQ) | Listed on Business+ and Enterprise+ on pricing page; help center says Enterprise plan required; regions not published. | Monthly billing available on Pro and Business+; Enterprise+ by contract. | 24/7 support; Business+ with 4-hour first response; Enterprise+ 24/7 priority with 4-hour first response. |
| Microsoft Teams | Via Microsoft Entra ID, included with the Microsoft 365 tenant (plan-level detail not verified) | Not published | Not published | Not published | Annual subscription; monthly billing option on Business Basic at higher price. | Not published |
| Connecteam | Enterprise. | Not published | Not published | Not published | Monthly available; 14-day trial. | Enterprise adds a personal success manager. |
| Mattermost | Professional and up (listed under access controls) | Not published | Enterprise (advanced logging, compliance export) | Self-host anywhere; Mattermost Cloud Enterprise single-tenant region options not stated. | Prepaid annual subscription. | Community forums; Professional business hours; Enterprise 24x7 with 4-hour response target. |
| Rocket.Chat | Listed (SAML 2.0, OAuth 2.0, OIDC, LDAP, AD); plan-level entitlement not verifiable, Government plan lists SSO explicitly. | Not published | Government plan lists tamper-evident audit logs; plan-level entitlement for others not verified. | On-premises, private cloud, sovereign cloud (EU) or air-gapped, per plan. | Enterprise licensing and multi-year agreements available; free Starter for pilots. | Standard support included in all plans; mission critical support is a paid add-on. |
| Flock | Enterprise only. | Not published | Not published | Hosted on AWS; region options not stated. | PRO cancellable at any time; monthly available. | Not published |
| Zoho Cliq | Listed on all plans including Free (plan-comparison page) | Not published | Enterprise. | Not published | Monthly billing available. | Support plans page exists (zoho.com/cliq/pricing/support-plans.html); details not verified. |
| Chanty | Business and up (SSO); SAML on Enterprise. | Directory Sync on Enterprise. | Agent action audit trail mentioned on homepage; plan not stated. | AWS, region not stated. | 14-day money-back guarantee; monthly billing available. | Not published |
| Google Chat | SAML and OIDC supported; plan eligibility not confirmed. | Not published | Not published | Enterprise data regions listed on the Enterprise plan. | Annual commitment or monthly billing; Starter to Plus max 300 users. | Not published |
| Twist | Not published | Not published | Not published | AWS hosted, region not stated. | Monthly billing available. | Standard on Free, priority on Unlimited. |
Which plan includes SSO, SCIM and audit logs often decides the real price. "Not published" means the vendor's public pages do not say; ask before you sign.
How to compare team chat and messaging software
- Channels and threading. Organized channels and threads keep busy conversations searchable and reduce noise.
- Built-in video and huddles. Native calls remove the need for a separate meeting tool.
- Search and message history limits. Free tiers often cap history, which affects compliance and knowledge retrieval.
- App integrations and bots. Connections to project, CRM and helpdesk tools make chat a work hub.
- Guest and external access. Working with clients and contractors requires safe external channels.
- Security and admin controls. SSO, retention policies and audit logs matter for regulated buyers.
- Mobile app and frontline fit. Hourly and field staff need strong mobile and shift-aware messaging.
- Pricing model and transparency. Per-user pricing, free tier limits and bundling with suites change total cost.
- Target company size. Some tools fit small teams, others are built for enterprise governance.
| Tool | Channels and threading | Built-in video and huddles | Search and message history limits | App integrations and bots | Guest and external access | Security and admin controls | Mobile app and frontline fit | Pricing model and transparency | Target company size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoom Workplace | Team Chat with channels and threads (not verified in detail) | Native Zoom Meetings: 100 to 1,000 participants depending on plan. | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Trust center lists SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP Moderate, PCI DSS. | Not verified | Per user, monthly or annual; free Basic tier. | Small business to enterprise. |
| Slack | Channels, threads and huddles; Slack Connect for external 1:1 messaging on Free. | Free: 1:1 huddles only; Pro and up: group huddles/meetings (limits not published on pricing page) | Free: 90-day visible history and data deleted after 1 year; paid plans longer (retention details not verified) | Free plan limited to 10 apps. | Slack Connect external messaging; Free limited to 1:1. | SOC 2 Type II and SOC 3, ISO 27001/27017/27018/27701/42001, HIPAA configurable, FedRAMP Moderate (Enterprise/Enterprise+), GovSlack FedRAMP High, C5, ENS High. | Frontline teams is an Enterprise+ add-on. | Per user, monthly or annual; Free forever tier. | Small teams to large enterprises (Enterprise Grid) |
| Microsoft Teams | Standard, private and shared channels; up to 1,000 channels per team; teams up to 25,000 members. | Calls from chat up to 20 people; meetings up to 300 people on Essentials and Business plans, up to 1,000 on enterprise plans. | Chat stored in Exchange Online mailboxes; admin search and hold needs Exchange Online mailbox. | Teams apps available on Business and Enterprise plans; Loop integrations. | Shared channels support external participants with Entra work or school accounts only. | Built on Entra ID and Microsoft 365 compliance; certification list not verified. | Not verified | Per user, bundled with Microsoft 365 or standalone Essentials. | Small businesses (Essentials, Business) to enterprises (E3/E5) |
| Connecteam | Group chats and updates; channels and threads not verified. | Not verified | Not verified | Integrations page exists; specific names not extracted. | Not verified | SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, CCPA; SSO on Enterprise. | Mobile-first app (App Store 4.8, 70,000+ reviews per vendor); shifts, time clock, forms; read receipts for managers. | Base fee per hub covering 30 users plus per-extra-user fee. | Small to mid-size deskless businesses; 80,000+ businesses claimed. |
| Mattermost | Channel-centric with threads. | Calls built in; Entry (free) edition limited to 40-minute calls. | Entry edition 10,000 channel messages; unlimited searchable history on Professional. | Not verified | Guest accounts on Professional with custom user groups. | SSO (SAML) from Professional; AD/LDAP sync; advanced logging, audit logs with export and compliance export on Enterprise. | Native iOS and Android apps; Enterprise MDM/EMM support; Entry push notifications capped at 10,000 per month. | Prepaid annual seat licenses; extra seats bought quarterly true-forward; each server needs its own license. | Professional up to 250 users; Enterprise scales to tens of thousands. |
| Rocket.Chat | Channels, teams, discussions, direct messages and threaded replies. | Voice, video and screen sharing listed as core features. | Not verified | Custom apps, workflows, REST APIs, SDKs, and an app marketplace (labeled new) | Not documented on the homepage; partner collaboration is done via federation with Matrix and XMPP. | SAML 2.0, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, LDAP/AD SSO; audit trails; retention policies; RBAC/ABAC. | Mobile and desktop apps available; frontline features not documented. | Custom quote per tier; free self-managed Starter. | Mid-size to enterprise, government, defense and critical infrastructure. |
| Flock | 10 public channels on Starter, unlimited on PRO and Enterprise. | Starter 1:1 only; PRO group calls up to 20 participants; Enterprise limit not stated. | 10,000 searchable messages on Starter; unlimited on PRO and Enterprise. | Not verified | PRO and Enterprise guests free for 90 days from invitation, then billed at member rate. | SSO Enterprise only; hosted on AWS; TLS 1.2. | Not verified | Free tier, per-user PRO, quote-based Enterprise with member-count bands. | Starter 1 to 20, PRO 20 to 100, Enterprise 100+ members. |
| Zoho Cliq | Channels up to 100 participants and group chats up to 100 participants on Free. | 1:1 audio/video calls; meetings up to 100 participants (Free, Standard) or 1,000 active participants plus 10,000 viewers (Professional, Enterprise); 60-minute cap on Free. | 10,000 searchable messages on Free; unlimited on Standard and above. | Extensions and bots; Free is limited to 10 extensions and 100 bots per company. | Guest chat on Professional and Enterprise, not on Free or Standard. | SSO listed on all plans; audit logs on Enterprise only; retention and eDiscovery policies; encryption at rest and in transit. | Not verified | Free tier plus per-user paid plans; annual billing saves 10%. | Small teams to enterprises (Enterprise tier has 10-user minimum) |
| Chanty | Group chats, channels, direct messages; threads not verified. | Free: unlimited 1:1 audio/video; Business: unlimited group calls. | Free plan lists unlimited searchable history. | Free up to 10; Business unlimited; MCP-connected partner apps. | Free: 1 guest; Business: 3 free guest seats per paid member. | Business: SSO, 2FA; Enterprise: SAML and directory sync, custom retention; 120+ admin permission settings on homepage. | Apps for iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, web; targets frontline industries on homepage. | Per user, flat tiers. | Small businesses. |
| Google Chat | Spaces with threaded replies and direct messages. | Google Meet built in; participant cap depends on Workspace plan (100 Starter to 1,000 Enterprise) | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Workspace supports SAML and OIDC SSO; Secure LDAP on Plus; DLP and context-aware access on Enterprise. | Not verified | Bundled per-user Workspace license; no separate Chat price. | Small to enterprise; Starter to Plus limited to 300 users. |
| Twist | Channels organized by topic, every message in a thread. | Not verified | Free: 1 month of history; Unlimited: full history. | Google Drive, GitHub, Zoom, Todoist, Zapier, Asana, Calendly listed; Free capped at 5 integrations. | Free: guests free but see only last month; Unlimited: single-channel guests free, multi-channel guests billed as members. | Security page lists Google OAuth and email login, AWS hosting; no SSO, SOC 2 or audit logs mentioned. | Mobile apps exist; no frontline or shift features. | Per user, free tier plus one paid plan. | Small teams; enterprise pricing for over 200 employees. |
The 11 tools in detail
Zoom Workplace
Video meetings platform that bundles team chat, whiteboard and AI note-taking into per-user Pro and Business plans.
- Starting price
- $14.16 per user/month billed annually (Pro); $16.99 billed monthly
- Pricing model
- per user
- G2 rating
- 4.5 (56,500 reviews)
- Channels and threading
- Team Chat with channels and threads (not verified in detail)
- Built-in video and huddles
- Native Zoom Meetings: 100 to 1,000 participants depending on plan.
- Security and admin controls
- Trust center lists SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP Moderate, PCI DSS.
- Pricing model and transparency
- Per user, monthly or annual; free Basic tier.
Choose it if
- Teams whose main need is reliable video meetings with chat attached.
- Companies that want recording and AI summaries on every paid seat.
Skip it if
- Teams that want a chat-first workspace with a large app ecosystem.
- Free-tier users needing meetings longer than 40 minutes.
Worth knowing
- Free Basic caps meetings at 40 minutes; paid plans allow 30 hours.
- Cloud recording is only 10 GB per license on Pro and Business.
- Webinars and Large Meetings (1,000 participants) are separate paid add-ons.
Slack
Channel-based team chat with huddles and Slack Connect, sold per user in Free, Pro, Business+ and Enterprise+ plans.
- Starting price
- $8.75/user/month monthly, about $7.25/user/month billed annually (Pro)
- Pricing model
- per user
- G2 rating
- 4.5 (37,812 reviews)
- Channels and threading
- Channels, threads and huddles; Slack Connect for external 1:1 messaging on Free.
- Built-in video and huddles
- Free: 1:1 huddles only; Pro and up: group huddles/meetings (limits not published on pricing page)
- Search and message history limits
- Free: 90-day visible history and data deleted after 1 year; paid plans longer (retention details not verified)
- App integrations and bots
- Free plan limited to 10 apps.
Choose it if
- Teams wanting channel-based chat with a large app ecosystem.
- Companies already on Salesforce.
- Organizations needing SAML SSO plus SCIM on a self-serve plan (Business+)
Skip it if
- Teams that need long free message history (Free keeps 90 days)
- Buyers wanting group video on the free plan (1:1 huddles only)
Worth knowing
- Pricing page shows EUR to German visitors; USD monthly prices are $8.75 (Pro) and $18 (Business+)
- SAML SSO and SCIM start at Business+; audit logs are Enterprise+ only per FAQ.
- A help article footnote says SSO/SCIM are available on Free and Pro only for customers who connected a Salesforce org (single source, not verified)
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft's chat, meetings and calling app, sold standalone as Teams Essentials or bundled in Microsoft 365 plans.
- Starting price
- $4.00/user/month paid yearly (Teams Essentials)
- Pricing model
- per user, bundled in Microsoft 365 or standalone
- G2 rating
- 4.4 (19,192 reviews)
- Channels and threading
- Standard, private and shared channels; up to 1,000 channels per team; teams up to 25,000 members.
- Built-in video and huddles
- Calls from chat up to 20 people; meetings up to 300 people on Essentials and Business plans, up to 1,000 on enterprise plans.
- Search and message history limits
- Chat stored in Exchange Online mailboxes; admin search and hold needs Exchange Online mailbox.
- App integrations and bots
- Teams apps available on Business and Enterprise plans; Loop integrations.
Choose it if
- Organizations already on Microsoft 365 and Entra ID.
- Small businesses wanting meetings for up to 300 people at about $4/user/month.
Skip it if
- Teams wanting a lightweight tool; reviewers report slow, resource-heavy clients.
- Buyers needing group video calls beyond 20 people from a chat.
Worth knowing
- Teams Essentials ($4/user/month) is cheaper than Business Basic ($7) but does not include the rest of Microsoft 365 apps.
- Meeting cap is 300 people on Essentials and Business plans, 1,000 on enterprise plans.
- Teams live events retired June 30, 2026; events scheduled earlier run until Feb 28, 2027.
Connecteam
Employee management app for deskless teams where chat sits alongside scheduling, time tracking, tasks and HR hubs.
- Starting price
- Free for up to 10 users; paid from $29/month (Basic, first 30 users) per hub
- Pricing model
- flat base + per user
- G2 rating
- 4.6 (3,505 reviews)
- Channels and threading
- Group chats and updates; channels and threads not verified.
- App integrations and bots
- Integrations page exists; specific names not extracted.
- Security and admin controls
- SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, CCPA; SSO on Enterprise.
- Mobile app and frontline fit
- Mobile-first app (App Store 4.8, 70,000+ reviews per vendor); shifts, time clock, forms; read receipts for managers.
Choose it if
- Frontline and deskless teams needing scheduling, forms and chat in one mobile app.
- Businesses with under 10 employees (free plan)
Skip it if
- Teams that want a Slack-style chat tool only.
- Larger teams sensitive to per-user cost growth (G2 summary flags this)
Worth knowing
- Base price covers the first 30 users per hub; hubs are bought separately.
- Free plan limited to 10 users but includes all hubs.
- SSO is Enterprise-only.
Mattermost
Self-hostable team chat and collaboration platform sold in Professional, Enterprise and Enterprise Advanced editions, aimed at security-sensitive organizations.
- Starting price
- Contact sales
- Pricing model
- per user
- G2 rating
- 4.3 (368 reviews)
- Channels and threading
- Channel-centric with threads.
- Built-in video and huddles
- Calls built in; Entry (free) edition limited to 40-minute calls.
- Search and message history limits
- Entry edition 10,000 channel messages; unlimited searchable history on Professional.
- Guest and external access
- Guest accounts on Professional with custom user groups.
Choose it if
- Organizations that must self-host or run air-gapped chat.
- Technical and DevOps teams wanting data under their own control.
Skip it if
- Buyers wanting a public price list or self-serve checkout.
- Small teams wanting a polished hosted free tier (free edition caps history at 10,000 messages)
Worth knowing
- Licenses are prepaid annual seats and every server (including staging) needs its own license key.
- Seats above purchase are added quarterly, prorated to annual cost.
- Support tiers: Professional business hours next-business-day, Enterprise 24x7 with 4-hour target, Premier is a paid add-on.
Rocket.Chat
Self-hostable, open source team chat platform aimed at government, defense and regulated organizations that need to control where data lives.
- Starting price
- Contact sales
- Pricing model
- custom
- G2 rating
- 4.2 (356 reviews)
- Channels and threading
- Channels, teams, discussions, direct messages and threaded replies.
- Built-in video and huddles
- Voice, video and screen sharing listed as core features.
- App integrations and bots
- Custom apps, workflows, REST APIs, SDKs, and an app marketplace (labeled new)
- Guest and external access
- Not documented on the homepage; partner collaboration is done via federation with Matrix and XMPP.
Choose it if
- Regulated or public-sector organizations that need on-premises, air-gapped or sovereign-cloud chat.
- Teams that want federation with Matrix or XMPP instead of a closed network.
- Technical teams that can start on the free self-managed Starter workspace.
Skip it if
- Small teams that want a published per-user price and quick self-serve checkout.
- Buyers who want a polished consumer-style chat UI, since reviewers cite UI and setup complexity.
Worth knowing
- Free self-managed Starter workspace; paid tiers (Commercial, Government, Defense) have no public prices.
- Deployment choices include on-premises, private cloud, EU sovereign cloud and air-gapped.
- Native server-to-server federation with Matrix and XMPP without a bridge.
Flock
Team messenger with channels, video and apps aimed at small and mid-size teams, with a free Starter plan.
- Starting price
- Free (Starter); PRO price not shown on current page
- Pricing model
- per user
- G2 rating
- 4.4 (301 reviews)
- Channels and threading
- 10 public channels on Starter, unlimited on PRO and Enterprise.
- Built-in video and huddles
- Starter 1:1 only; PRO group calls up to 20 participants; Enterprise limit not stated.
- Search and message history limits
- 10,000 searchable messages on Starter; unlimited on PRO and Enterprise.
- Guest and external access
- PRO and Enterprise guests free for 90 days from invitation, then billed at member rate.
Choose it if
- Small teams (up to about 100 members) wanting low-cost chat with a free tier.
- Teams that want unlimited search history without a large per-seat price.
Skip it if
- Buyers needing SSO below the Enterprise plan.
- Teams needing large group video calls (PRO group calls cap at 20)
Worth knowing
- Plans are gated by team size band (1-20, 20-100, 100+), which can force a plan change as you grow.
- Guests are free only for 90 days, then count as paid members.
- SSO is Enterprise only, which means a 100+ member quote.
Zoho Cliq
Team chat from Zoho with channels, calls and bots, with a free tier and per-user paid plans.
- Starting price
- Free; paid Standard plan (USD amount not verified)
- Pricing model
- per user
- G2 rating
- 4.4 (261 reviews)
- Channels and threading
- Channels up to 100 participants and group chats up to 100 participants on Free.
- Built-in video and huddles
- 1:1 audio/video calls; meetings up to 100 participants (Free, Standard) or 1,000 active participants plus 10,000 viewers (Professional, Enterprise); 60-minute cap on Free.
- Search and message history limits
- 10,000 searchable messages on Free; unlimited on Standard and above.
- App integrations and bots
- Extensions and bots; Free is limited to 10 extensions and 100 bots per company.
Choose it if
- Teams already on Zoho apps (CRM, Projects, Workplace) that want chat inside that suite.
- Small teams that want a free tier with 100-person channels and group chats.
Skip it if
- Buyers who need audit logs below the Enterprise plan.
- Teams that need a verified public USD price list before talking to Zoho.
Worth knowing
- Audit logs are Enterprise only; guest chat starts at Professional.
- Professional and Enterprise need at least 10 users, Standard has no minimum.
- Storage is 100 GB per company on Free and Standard but 100 GB per user on Professional and Enterprise.
Chanty
Low-cost team chat with channels, tasks and Kanban, now marketed as a workspace for staff and AI agents.
- Starting price
- Free up to 5 members; Business 3 EUR per user/month billed annually (EUR only)
- Pricing model
- per user
- G2 rating
- No G2 rating found
- Channels and threading
- Group chats, channels, direct messages; threads not verified.
- Built-in video and huddles
- Free: unlimited 1:1 audio/video; Business: unlimited group calls.
- Search and message history limits
- Free plan lists unlimited searchable history.
- App integrations and bots
- Free up to 10; Business unlimited; MCP-connected partner apps.
Choose it if
- Small teams wanting cheap per-user chat with tasks.
- Teams wanting AI agents mentionable inside chat.
Skip it if
- Buyers who need verified SOC 2/ISO and SAML below Enterprise.
- Large orgs needing deep admin and residency options (region unspecified)
Worth knowing
- SSO sits on the 3 EUR Business plan, unusually low for SSO.
- Business includes 3 free guest seats per paid member.
- Homepage claims SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, HIPAA, but the security page lists none: verify in a trust document before relying on it.
Google Chat
Google's team chat with spaces and threads, included in every paid Google Workspace plan alongside Gmail, Drive and Meet.
- Starting price
- $7 per user/month (Workspace Starter, annual commitment billed monthly)
- Pricing model
- per user (bundled in Workspace)
- G2 rating
- No G2 rating found
- Channels and threading
- Spaces with threaded replies and direct messages.
- Built-in video and huddles
- Google Meet built in; participant cap depends on Workspace plan (100 Starter to 1,000 Enterprise)
- Security and admin controls
- Workspace supports SAML and OIDC SSO; Secure LDAP on Plus; DLP and context-aware access on Enterprise.
- Pricing model and transparency
- Bundled per-user Workspace license; no separate Chat price.
Choose it if
- Teams already on Google Workspace that want chat without a second license.
- Small companies under 300 users that want one bundled bill.
Skip it if
- Teams on Microsoft 365 that would run two suites.
- Buyers who want a deep app marketplace and advanced workflow tooling comparable to Slack.
Worth knowing
- Chat is not sold separately: you pay for a Workspace seat starting at the Starter plan.
- Starter, Standard and Plus can be bought for at most 300 users; above that you need Enterprise.
- Annual commitment saves 16% per Google's pricing page, but billing is still monthly.
Twist
Async-first team messaging app from Doist where every conversation lives in a thread inside a channel.
- Starting price
- Free; Unlimited $6 per user/month (currency unconfirmed)
- Pricing model
- per user
- G2 rating
- No G2 rating found
- Channels and threading
- Channels organized by topic, every message in a thread.
- Search and message history limits
- Free: 1 month of history; Unlimited: full history.
- App integrations and bots
- Google Drive, GitHub, Zoom, Todoist, Zapier, Asana, Calendly listed; Free capped at 5 integrations.
- Guest and external access
- Free: guests free but see only last month; Unlimited: single-channel guests free, multi-channel guests billed as members.
Choose it if
- Remote or multi-timezone teams that prefer async threads over real-time chat.
- Small teams wanting a free plan with free guests.
Skip it if
- Teams needing built-in video calls or huddles (not mentioned on the site)
- Regulated buyers needing SSO/SAML or published SOC 2 (not listed on its security page)
Worth knowing
- Free plan hides messages older than one month rather than deleting them; they return on upgrade.
- Multi-channel guests on Unlimited are billed like paid members while single-channel guests are free.
- Security page names no SOC 2, ISO, SSO or audit logs; hosting is AWS with no region stated.
Frequently asked questions
What is team chat and messaging software?
Team chat software gives employees channels, direct messages, threads and file sharing in one searchable place, replacing long email chains. Most products add voice or video calls and integrations with project and business tools. Buyers choose between chat-first tools and suites bundled with email and office apps.
Which team chat and messaging software publish their pricing?
8 of the 11 tools we compared publish prices: Zoom Workplace ($14.16 per user/month billed annually (Pro); $16.99 billed monthly); Slack ($8.75/user/month monthly, about $7.25/user/month billed annually (Pro)); Microsoft Teams ($4.00/user/month paid yearly (Teams Essentials)); Connecteam (Free for up to 10 users; paid from $29/month (Basic, first 30 users) per hub); Zoho Cliq (Free; paid Standard plan (USD amount not verified)); Chanty (Free up to 5 members; Business 3 EUR per user/month billed annually (EUR only)); Google Chat ($7 per user/month (Workspace Starter, annual commitment billed monthly)); Twist (Free; Unlimited $6 per user/month (currency unconfirmed)). The others quote on request, so ask for a written quote that names the seat or spend basis, the term and the renewal uplift.
Which team chat and messaging software have a free plan or free trial?
Zoom Workplace (free plan), Slack (free plan), Microsoft Teams (free plan), Connecteam (free plan, free trial), Mattermost (free plan, free trial), Rocket.Chat (free plan), Flock (free plan), Zoho Cliq (free plan), Chanty (free plan), Google Chat (free plan, free trial) and Twist (free plan), according to the vendors' sites on October 24, 2026.
Which team chat and messaging software include SSO below the enterprise plan?
Microsoft Teams (Via Microsoft Entra ID, included with the Microsoft 365 tenant (plan-level detail not verified)); Mattermost (Professional and up (listed under access controls)); Rocket.Chat (Listed (SAML 2.0, OAuth 2.0, OIDC, LDAP, AD); plan-level entitlement not verifiable, Government plan lists SSO explicitly); Zoho Cliq (Listed on all plans including Free (plan-comparison page)); Google Chat (SAML and OIDC supported; plan eligibility not confirmed). The other tools either reserve SAML SSO for their enterprise tier or do not say on their public pages.
Which team chat and messaging software are rated highest on G2?
Among tools with at least 20 G2 reviews: Connecteam 4.6 from 3505 reviews, Zoom Workplace 4.5 from 56500 reviews, Slack 4.5 from 37812 reviews. Ratings were read on October 24, 2026; small review counts move quickly, so read recent reviews from companies your size.