Software directory
8 Microsoft Teams alternatives for 2026
The tools buyers compare with Microsoft Teams, side by side on price, pricing model and what each one is built for.
Why teams look beyond Microsoft Teams
- Performance issues and heavy resource use.
- Complicated interface, slow loading.
- Teams wanting a lightweight tool; reviewers report slow, resource-heavy clients.
- Buyers needing group video calls beyond 20 people from a chat.
From Microsoft Teams's published plan limits and recurring themes in public reviews. See the Microsoft Teams review for sources.
Microsoft Teams vs. its alternatives
| Tool | Pricing model | Starting price | G2 rating | Channels and threading | Security and admin controls | Pricing model and transparency | Target company size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Microsoft Teams Current | per user, bundled in Microsoft 365 or standalone | $4.00/user/month paid yearly (Teams Essentials) | 4.4 (19,192 reviews) | Standard, private and shared channels; up to 1,000 channels per team; teams up to 25,000 members. | Built on Entra ID and Microsoft 365 compliance; certification list not verified. | Per user, bundled with Microsoft 365 or standalone Essentials. | Small businesses (Essentials, Business) to enterprises (E3/E5) |
 Slack | per user | $8.75/user/month monthly, about $7.25/user/month billed annually (Pro) | 4.5 (37,812 reviews) | Channels, threads and huddles; Slack Connect for external 1:1 messaging on Free. | 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. | Per user, monthly or annual; Free forever tier. | Small teams to large enterprises (Enterprise Grid) |
 Zoom Workplace | per user | $14.16 per user/month billed annually (Pro); $16.99 billed monthly | 4.5 (56,500 reviews) | Team Chat with channels and threads (not verified in detail) | Trust center lists SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP Moderate, PCI DSS. | Per user, monthly or annual; free Basic tier. | Small business to enterprise. |
 Google Meet | per user (Workspace edition) | $7 per user/month (Business Starter, annual commitment) | 4.6 (47,643 reviews) | Google lists FedRAMP, HIPAA and ISO/IEC programs for Workspace; client-side encryption and data regions offered; specific SOC reports not verified. | Per user via Google Workspace edition; no standalone paid Meet license. | Starter, Standard and Plus capped at 300 users; Enterprise has no user cap. | |
 Cisco Webex | per user | Free plan; paid tiers not verifiable from vendor (third-party lists Meet about $12 per user/month annual) | No G2 rating found | Per user tiers (Free, Meet, Suite, Enterprise) per third-party sources; unverified. | Enterprise focus. | ||
 Google Chat | per user (bundled in Workspace) | $7 per user/month (Workspace Starter, annual commitment billed monthly) | No G2 rating found | Spaces with threaded replies and direct messages. | Workspace supports SAML and OIDC SSO; Secure LDAP on Plus; DLP and context-aware access on Enterprise. | Bundled per-user Workspace license; no separate Chat price. | Small to enterprise; Starter to Plus limited to 300 users. |
 GoTo Meeting | per organizer | USD 12 per organizer/month billed annually (Professional) | 4.2 (17,000 reviews) | SSO, encrypted sessions, end-to-end encryption, meeting lock; certifications not listed on the page. | Per organizer per month; attendees do not need licenses. | SMB to mid-market. | |
 Connecteam | 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) | Group chats and updates; channels and threads not verified. | SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, CCPA; SSO on Enterprise. | Base fee per hub covering 30 users plus per-extra-user fee. | Small to mid-size deskless businesses; 80,000+ businesses claimed. |
 Dialpad Meetings | per user | $15 user/month (Dialpad Connect Standard) | 4.4 (2,101 reviews) | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001/27017/27018, HIPAA-ready with one-click BAA. | Bundled in Dialpad Connect, per user. |
The alternatives in detail
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)
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.
Google Meet
Video meetings built into Google Workspace, with participant limits and recording set by the Workspace edition.
- Starting price
- $7 per user/month (Business Starter, annual commitment)
- Pricing model
- per user (Workspace edition)
- G2 rating
- 4.6 (47,643 reviews)
- Pricing model
- Per user via Google Workspace edition; no standalone paid Meet license.
- Target company size
- Starter, Standard and Plus capped at 300 users; Enterprise has no user cap.
- Participant and meeting length limits
- 100 (Starter), 150 (Standard), 500 (Plus), 1,000 (Enterprise); meetings up to 24 hours.
- Security and compliance
- Google lists FedRAMP, HIPAA and ISO/IEC programs for Workspace; client-side encryption and data regions offered; specific SOC reports not verified.
Choose it if
- Teams already on Google Workspace that want meetings tied to Calendar and Gmail.
- Small teams that can live with 100 to 150 attendees per meeting.
Skip it if
- Buyers who do not want to buy a full Workspace suite just for video.
- Teams that need recording on the cheapest plan (not supported on Starter)
Worth knowing
- G2 4.6 (47,643) is for Google Workspace as a whole, not Meet alone; Capterra 4.5 (12,079) is for Meet.
- Recording to Drive is not available on Business Starter, the cheapest plan.
- Meeting length is 24 hours on all paid plans, but the participant cap rises only with the pricier edition (100 to 1,000).
Cisco Webex
Cisco's meetings, calling and events suite aimed at enterprise and hybrid-office rollouts.
- Starting price
- Free plan; paid tiers not verifiable from vendor (third-party lists Meet about $12 per user/month annual)
- Pricing model
- per user
- G2 rating
- No G2 rating found
- Pricing model
- Per user tiers (Free, Meet, Suite, Enterprise) per third-party sources; unverified.
- Target company size
- Enterprise focus.
- Participant and meeting length limits
- Free about 100; paid Meet about 200 per third-party sources; unverified.
Choose it if
- Enterprises that want meetings plus calling and room hardware from one vendor.
Skip it if
- Small teams wanting a transparent price list (figures vary by source)
Worth knowing
- Third-party sources disagree on paid prices (USD 12 vs 14.50 for Meet, 22.50 vs 25 for Suite), so request a quote before budgeting.
- G2 search surfaced only the separate Webex Support listing (about 4.2 to 4.3), not the Meetings product.
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.
GoTo Meeting
Per-organizer meeting tool with 150 to 250 attendee plans and SSO on every plan.
- Starting price
- USD 12 per organizer/month billed annually (Professional)
- Pricing model
- per organizer
- G2 rating
- 4.2 (17,000 reviews)
- Pricing model
- Per organizer per month; attendees do not need licenses.
- Target company size
- SMB to mid-market.
- Participant and meeting length limits
- 150 (Professional), 250 (Business), Enterprise up to 250 per vendor page.
- Security and compliance
- SSO, encrypted sessions, end-to-end encryption, meeting lock; certifications not listed on the page.
Choose it if
- Small and mid-size businesses that want per-organizer pricing instead of per-attendee.
- Teams needing 250 attendees without separate webinar licensing.
Skip it if
- Buyers needing more than 250 attendees on standard plans (a review site says Enterprise supports 3,000, unverified)
Worth knowing
- Recording and transcription look gated to Business (USD 16 to 19), not the entry plan.
- SSO appears on all plans, unusual at this price point (inferred from checkmarks).
- Pricing is per organizer, so only hosts need seats.
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.
Dialpad Meetings
Meetings module of Dialpad's AI communications platform, bundled with calling and messaging.
- Starting price
- $15 user/month (Dialpad Connect Standard)
- Pricing model
- per user
- G2 rating
- 4.4 (2,101 reviews)
- Pricing model
- Bundled in Dialpad Connect, per user.
- Participant and meeting length limits
- Large Meetings add-on raises limit to 1,500; base limit not stated.
- Security and compliance
- SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001/27017/27018, HIPAA-ready with one-click BAA.
- Recording and AI transcription
- Live AI transcription included; recordings and chat transcripts accessible.
Choose it if
- Teams already buying Dialpad for calling that want meetings in the same app.
- Regulated buyers needing SOC 2, ISO and a one-click BAA.
Skip it if
- Teams wanting a standalone meetings-only price.
- Buyers requiring EU data storage (stored in US per trust page)
Worth knowing
- Permanent data (recordings, transcripts) is stored in the US on Google Cloud; EU storage not stated.
- SAML and SCIM supported (Okta, Azure, Google Workspace, OneLogin named)
- Public DPA and BAA can be signed with one click.
When to stay with Microsoft Teams
- Organizations already on Microsoft 365 and Entra ID.
- Small businesses wanting meetings for up to 300 people at about $4/user/month.