Best team chat apps 2026
Top picks for team chat apps 2026: Slack (channel-based messaging with deep integrations, free plan; paid from about $7.25 per user per month billed annually), Microsoft Teams (chat plus meetings inside Microsoft 365, free plan; paid from about $4 per user per month for Teams Essentials, deeper features via Microsoft 365), Discord (voice-first communities and informal teams, free; Nitro Basic from about $2.99 per month, full Nitro about $9.99 per month). All 6 tools here are compared on pricing, free plans, features and platforms, verified against vendor sources.
Pricing and features verified against each vendor's published information on 2026-09-03. Sources linked below.
At a glance
| 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 Basic from about $2.99 per month, full Nitro about $9.99 per month | voice-first communities and informal teams | Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux |
| Google Chat | Yes | Free with a Google account; more via Google Workspace | chat tied to Google Workspace | Web, iOS, Android |
| Mattermost | Yes | Free limited self-hosted edition, Cloud free for up to 10 users; paid Professional from about $10 per user per month, Enterprise quote-based | self-hosted, open-source team messaging | Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux |
| Rocket.Chat | Yes | Free Starter edition (self-hosted, up to 50 users); paid cloud-hosted plans from about $4 per user per month, Enterprise quote-based | open-source, customisable team chat | Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux |
The shortlist
1. Slack
Free planFounded 2013
Free plan; paid from about $7.25 per user per month billed annually. Best for channel-based messaging with deep integrations.
- Channels
- Huddles
- Workflow Builder
- App directory
2. Microsoft Teams
Free planFounded 2017
Free plan; paid from about $4 per user per month for Teams Essentials, deeper features via Microsoft 365. Best for chat plus meetings inside Microsoft 365.
- Chat and channels
- Video meetings
- Office file collaboration
- Enterprise controls
3. Discord
Free planFounded 2015
Free; Nitro Basic from about $2.99 per month, full Nitro about $9.99 per month. Best for voice-first communities and informal teams.
- Voice channels
- Servers and roles
- Screen share
- Bots
4. Google Chat
Free planFounded 2017
Free with a Google account; more via Google Workspace. Best for chat tied to Google Workspace.
- Spaces
- Google Drive integration
- Threaded messages
- Bots
5. Mattermost
Free planFounded 2016
Free limited self-hosted edition, Cloud free for up to 10 users; paid Professional from about $10 per user per month, Enterprise quote-based. Best for self-hosted, open-source team messaging.
- Self-hosting
- Channels
- Playbooks
- Compliance controls
6. Rocket.Chat
Free planFounded 2015
Free Starter edition (self-hosted, up to 50 users); paid cloud-hosted plans from about $4 per user per month, Enterprise quote-based. Best for open-source, customisable team chat.
- Self-hosting
- Omnichannel
- Federation
- Custom apps
Head-to-head comparisons
- Slack vs Microsoft Teams
- Slack vs Discord
- Slack vs Google Chat
- Slack vs Mattermost
- Slack vs Rocket.Chat
- Microsoft Teams vs Discord
- Microsoft Teams vs Google Chat
- Microsoft Teams vs Mattermost
- Microsoft Teams vs Rocket.Chat
- Discord vs Google Chat
- Discord vs Mattermost
- Discord vs Rocket.Chat
- Google Chat vs Mattermost
- Google Chat vs Rocket.Chat
- Mattermost vs Rocket.Chat
FAQ
- What are the best free team chat apps?
- Tools with a free plan here include Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord, Google Chat, Mattermost, Rocket.Chat. Compare limits before committing.
- How many team chat apps did this list compare?
- This page compares 6 tools, each linked to its own site.