5 Best Business Chat Apps For Teams

The modern workspace relies on solid communication. Many teams are working remotely or following a hybrid workspace model, which increases the need for consolidated chat tools.

Although modern workplace communication happens through a variety of platforms from email to video conference, the central spot for most teams is a chat tool.

Chat tools help with efficiency, but business chat apps also keep the entire team in the loop and allow everyone to participate. At the same time, it also allows people to ignore messages that aren’t relevant to them. The best example of this is Slack, but there are plenty of alternatives.

Why does your business need a team chat app?

The obvious benefit of having a team chat app is instant communication which allows you to make updates on projects and deadlines from your employees. Although that is a self-explanatory benefit, the advantages of business chat tools are broad.

Effective communication

With team chat tools, you can do synchronous and asynchronous communication, one-way information distribution, individual and group conversations, two-way debates, and audio and video conferencing.

File sharing

Most team chat apps have records of easily searchable previous interactions and any relevant files or data shared in the past. Team members can easily search the chats to get a hold of the file or information.

Enhance collaboration

Most teams are scattered; some work remotely from another city, some work from home, and others work from the office. With chat apps, teams can share files and collaborate in real time without leaving their desks.

Better work organization

Team chat apps allow team members to coordinate in real-time and ensure everyone is on the same page. It also adds transparency and clarity regarding everyone’s work by promoting accountability. Specific chat tools also have the feature of tracking progress on ongoing tasks and quickly resolving any issues.

Better team relationships

Team members can engage on a professional and personal level through chat tools. It’s beneficial for remote teams as they don’t have any other means of interaction.

What makes a great team chat app?

Communication depends on the culture, and every company has a different one- this is why there are so many work chat apps available.

However, a few features are universally necessary, and they are:

1. Filter conversations

Some messages need to be seen by your entire company, while particular messages only need to happen at the team level. A good work chat app needs to have the capability of organizing conversations that enable users to decide what they do and don’t see.

It should also have features or threads that don’t let people talk over each other while also having the ability to tag other team members in essential conversations so they don’t miss it.

2. User-friendly

User interfaces have to be straightforward and avoid unnecessary clutter. Members should be able to navigate through various channels and conversations quickly.

3. Universal search with filtering options

No one has time to have the same conversation multiple times, so universal search is essential. Teams should be able to find past conversations and shared files quickly. Having in-built search filters makes this very easy.

4. Enable integrations

An ideal team communication app should have collaboration-specific features that allow teams to share files without any hassle quickly. Links should have embedded previews and integration with other apps, making the workflow smoother and more accessible.

5. Audio and video chat

Teams do have to interact on calls with each other. The best business chat tools allow teams to call each other and share their screens without leaving the app. Teams should be able to host their quick and weekly meetings here without prior scheduling.

5 best business chat apps for the modern workspace

1. Slack (Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, Mac, Web)

Pros:

• Has every feature your business needs to communicate
• Intuitive and user-friendly design

Cons:

• Expensive and isn’t a part of an existing software bundle

Slack quickly revolutionized the office chat space because people loved using it. It is straightforward with an interactive user interface.

Every Slack account has a general channel for the entire company, but you can create as many channels as you want for specific projects and teams. Users can decide which channels they need to be in to avoid the clutter and confusion of messages from projects unrelated to them.

Even channel messages are further broken down into threads, and users are only notified if they are tagged or have participated in the conversation. Team members can tag people in the threads to avoid missing an important message.

Users can even find shared files or conversations by filtering through the channel, date, user, and more. It further offers collaboration where you can quickly share files by linking to them or dragging and dropping them in the app. You can additionally open links and see videos or photos without leaving the app.

Slack further offers thousands of integrations with third-party apps. Video and audio conversations can be started with a click, and they have a feature called “huddle,” where people can join in for quick calls for more informal discussions.

Slack has various touch points, but it has a clever design, and it rarely feels confusing or overwhelming.

Pricing- Free for unlimited users with 1-on-1 calls and message history for 90 days; paid plans start from $8.75/user/month for unlimited messaging history, screen sharing, and huddles.

2. Google Chat (Android, iOS, Web)

Pros:

• Get a Google ecosystem, as it is tightly integrated with all the apps
• Strong search feature
• Comes with Google Workspace for free

Cons:

• Limited feature set

If your organization uses Google Workspace, then Google Chat is the best option for you. It breaks conversations down into rooms, just like channels in Slack.

You can further break down conversations in threads which helps to keep things organized. A company can add as many rooms as they want, and users can quickly join or leave them.

The best feature of chat is its quick integration with the complete Google ecosystem. You can simply paste a Google Doc link, and the permissions are automatically updated based on the members in the room.

You can quickly schedule meetings by tagging a co-worker and pasting a Google Meet link, specifying the time. Your Google calendar will automatically schedule it for that time.

Considering this is a Google product, search is a strong point. There is a wide range of options to filter out conversations, and results are shown in real time as you type.

You might take 2–3 days to get used to the interface of Google Chat, but it is an excellent option if you are already paying for Google Workspace- as chat is free.

Pricing- Included in all Google Workspace basic and advanced plans. Basic plan starts from $7.20/user/month.

3. Microsoft Teams (Windows, Web, Mac, iOS, Android)

Pros:

• Robust integration with the Microsoft ecosystem
• Best audio and video quality for any messaging tool
• Included in Microsoft 365

Cons:

• Need a dedicated IT team to setup
• Not user-friendly

Microsoft Teams is simply an organizational chart turning into a chat app. Also, each Microsoft app is connected to a single organization known as org, representing your entire company.

The chat app is segregated based on the teams inside a company, and every team is further broken down into channels. Users can be invited into one or more teams based on their departments and roles.

The conversations are broken down into threads, breaking the business instant messaging even further. It is one of the business chat apps that provides the highest number of layers, and while it might sound confusing, the result is tidy.

It has extensive collaborative features with robust integration of the Microsoft Office suite on documents, meeting links, and notes. The messaging tool focuses on video and audio calls, allowing users to schedule meetings, complete an agenda or hop on quick calls.

Pricing- Included with Microsoft 365 Business basic and advanced plans. Basic plans start from $6/user/month.

4. Flock (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS)

Pros:

• Enhanced video conferencing features
• Integrated with an extensive number of third-party apps
• Collaborative in-built app features like reminders, to-do lists, and notes

Cons:

• Confusing and busy interface

This is one chat tool that bridges the gap between the straightforward Slack and the utterly confusing Microsoft Teams.

You can create channels in the app and break them into threads to avoid chaos and clutter. Flock also offers enhanced video conferences by allowing users to share screens from any device.

Aside from all the standard messaging features, it has in-built collaborative tools like task lists, reminders, and notes that can be shared with team members. You can even integrate third-party apps for a seamless workflow.

Flock is a budget-friendly alternative to the popular chat tool Slack and Microsoft Teams as it offers more focused features than Slack without the complexity of Teams.

Pricing- It has a free plan for a team of 20 members with messaging features and 1–1 video calls. Pro plans start from $6/user/month.

5. Discord (Web, Mac, Linux, Windows, iOS, Android)

Pros:

• You can chat in real-time via text, voice, and video

Cons:

• No business features
• Third-party integrations through bots only

Discord is not your typical messaging app. It was initially built for gamers but is currently used by online communities. It doesn’t have a lot of business-specific features or the capability of integrations. Although, it works for one key reason- on audio chat.

Even Discord offers various text channels that are broken into conversational threads. The differentiator here is the voice channels where you can get on a phone call with your team members.

You can keep your mic off, then jump in at any moment by pushing the key. It was designed keeping the gamers in mind, where they can leave Discord running in the background to play cooperative games.

The same idea is handy for remote teams collaborating on a Google doc. They also have an option of video chats for face-to-face collaboration, but their audio chat is a game changer for remote teams.

Also, Discord is free and offers the best audio quality. There are a few paid features, but they are irrelevant to a business. If you like to talk out loud and get things done, this app is for you.

Pricing- Free for basic features. Paid plans start from $9.99/month.

Which workplace app should you use?

Business chat apps are not only relevant for remote teams. They are synonymous with modern offices as they make collaboration easier across departments for in-office teams as well.

Choose a tool that matches your organization’s requirements. For example, a large organization broken down into teams should opt for Microsoft Teams, whereas a company powered by Google Workspace should go for Google Chat.

Avoid choosing a clunky tool because your organization’s productivity can take a hit because of the tool Remember, communication is the core of any business, and the right tool can enhance and strengthen it.