Best Google Chat alternatives (2026)
Looking for an alternative to Google Chat? Here are 5 other team chat apps compared on the same criteria.
Pricing and features verified against each vendor's published information on 2026-07-17. Sources linked below.
| Tool | Free plan | Pricing from | Best for | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slack | Yes | Free plan; paid from about $7.25 per user per month billed annually | channel-based messaging with deep integrations | Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux |
| Microsoft Teams | Yes | Free plan; paid from about $4 per user per month for Teams Essentials, deeper features via Microsoft 365 | chat plus meetings inside Microsoft 365 | Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows |
| Discord | Yes | Free; Nitro from about $9.99 per month | voice-first communities and informal teams | Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux |
| Mattermost | Yes | Free limited self-hosted edition; paid Enterprise plans are quote-based per user | self-hosted, open-source team messaging | Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux |
| Rocket.Chat | Yes | Free Starter edition; paid Enterprise plans are quote-based | open-source, customisable team chat | Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux |