Best Team Chat Apps in 2026
Two of these are already in the suite you pay for. The others charge per seat for chat alone.
Microsoft Teams has no standalone price we could verify, and it is already paid for if you run Microsoft 365 Business Basic at $7. Google Chat is the same story on Workspace, from $7 per user. Slack is the one you pay for when chat is the product: Pro is $7.25 per user per month billed annually. Zulip undercuts that at $6.67 on Cloud Standard, or $0 if you self-host. Discord is free for community servers and is not a company chat plan.
Key facts5 tools compared: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, Zulip, Discord
- 5 tools compared: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, Zulip, Discord
- Microsoft Teams (best for: Companies already on Microsoft 365, or anyone who wants a dedicated Microsoft chat seat): Standalone price not verified on Microsoft's pages; included in Microsoft 365 from $7.
- Google Chat (best for: Companies that already live in Gmail and Drive): Included in Workspace from $7/user/mo (Starter, billed yearly); no standalone Chat plan.
- Zulip (best for: Teams that think in topics, or that want to host the server themselves): From $6.67/user/mo (Cloud Standard, billed yearly); free cloud and self-hosted plans.
Most companies are not choosing a chat app. They are deciding whether to pay again for something their office suite already includes. Teams lives inside Microsoft 365. Chat lives inside Google Workspace. Slack sells the same job as a standalone product, and the bill is only chat.
That is the comparison that matters.
Feature lists converged years ago: channels, threads, huddles, search, apps. The difference is whether the seat is incremental or already on an invoice you cannot cancel.
Top Picks
Based on features, real-world fit, and value for money.
The dedicated chat product, priced per seat, with a free plan that expires your archive after 90 days.
From $7.25/user/mo (Pro, billed yearly); free plan ($0, 90 days of history, 10 apps).
Teams that want chat as the system of record, not a side panel in email
Chat, meetings and files in the Microsoft bundle, or a standalone Teams seat whose price we could not verify.
Standalone price not verified on Microsoft's pages; included in Microsoft 365 from $7.
Companies already on Microsoft 365, or anyone who wants a dedicated Microsoft chat seat
Included in Workspace from $7/user/mo (Starter, billed yearly); no standalone Chat plan.
Companies that already live in Gmail and Drive
| Tool | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Slack | From $7.25/user/mo (Pro, billed yearly); free plan ($0, 90 days of history, 10 apps). | Teams that want chat as the system of record, not a side panel in email |
| Microsoft Teams | Standalone price not verified on Microsoft's pages; included in Microsoft 365 from $7. | Companies already on Microsoft 365, or anyone who wants a dedicated Microsoft chat seat |
| Google Chat | Included in Workspace from $7/user/mo (Starter, billed yearly); no standalone Chat plan. | Companies that already live in Gmail and Drive |
| Zulip | From $6.67/user/mo (Cloud Standard, billed yearly); free cloud and self-hosted plans. | Teams that think in topics, or that want to host the server themselves |
| Discord | Free for servers; Nitro is personal, not a team seat. No per-user business plan. | Communities, open-source projects and informal groups, not a company of record |
Pricing read from each vendor's own pricing page, checked Aug 2026. Every vendor here publishes a price.
Slack
The dedicated chat product, priced per seat, with a free plan that expires your archive after 90 days.
- Pricing
- From $7.25/user/mo (Pro, billed yearly); free plan ($0, 90 days of history, 10 apps).
Best for: Teams that want chat as the system of record, not a side panel in email
Pros
- The app directory and workflow tools are still the deepest in the category
- Slack Connect is the least painful way to run a channel with another company
- Search across the paid archive is fast enough that people actually use it
Cons
- You are paying for chat on top of whatever suite you already have
- Free history of 90 days turns the product into a demo the moment a decision is older than that
Microsoft Teams
Chat, meetings and files in the Microsoft bundle, or a standalone Teams seat whose price we could not verify.
- Pricing
- Standalone price not verified on Microsoft's pages; included in Microsoft 365 from $7.
Best for: Companies already on Microsoft 365, or anyone who wants a dedicated Microsoft chat seat
Pros
- Essentials is Microsoft's own dedicated Teams seat, though its price is not verified here
- If you already pay for Microsoft 365, the incremental cost of chat is zero
- Meetings, recording and a SharePoint file layer sit in the same product
Cons
- The interface is a suite, so chat is slower to open than a dedicated app
- Guest and external access is capable and also easy to misconfigure
Google Chat
Chat as a Workspace feature, not a product you buy. There is no Chat-only price.
- Pricing
- Included in Workspace from $7/user/mo (Starter, billed yearly); no standalone Chat plan.
Best for: Companies that already live in Gmail and Drive
Pros
- No second seat: Chat, Gmail, Drive and Meet share one bill
- Spaces sit next to the documents people are already in
- Starter at $7 is cheap if you needed Workspace anyway
Cons
- There is no way to buy Chat without buying Workspace
- It is a weaker dedicated chat client than Slack or Zulip if chat is the whole job
Zulip
Topic-threaded chat, cheaper than Slack on the cloud and free if you run it.
- Pricing
- From $6.67/user/mo (Cloud Standard, billed yearly); free cloud and self-hosted plans.
Best for: Teams that think in topics, or that want to host the server themselves
Pros
- Topics inside channels keep a busy workspace readable, which Slack channels often are not
- Self-hosted Free is a complete product, not a teaser
- Cloud Standard at $6.67 undercuts Slack Pro
Cons
- Fewer people already know it, so onboarding is a conversation
- The Cloud Free search cap of 10,000 messages is a real ceiling, just a different one from Slack's 90 days
Discord
The free community server that companies keep borrowing, and then outgrow the moment they need an admin audit.
- Pricing
- Free for servers; Nitro is personal, not a team seat. No per-user business plan.
Best for: Communities, open-source projects and informal groups, not a company of record
Pros
- No per-seat bill, which is why communities actually use it
- Voice channels are still the most casual way to sit together online
- Bots and roles are flexible enough for a large volunteer group
Cons
- It is not built as employer chat: retention, eDiscovery and offboarding are afterthoughts
- There is no company plan to buy, so you cannot put it on a procurement sheet
What it is
A team chat app is the persistent text layer of work: channels, direct messages, files, search, and a growing pile of bots. Voice and video sit on top. The category now splits into three shapes. Suite chat is bundled with email and files.
Dedicated chat is a product you buy for itself. Open-source chat is software you host, with a commercial cloud as an option.
Pricing follows the shape. Suite vendors hide chat in a per-user bundle.
Dedicated vendors charge per seat and gate history. Open-source vendors charge only if you want them to run it.
Why it matters
Message history is where the real cost sits, and it is the number Slack puts in the smallest type. The Free plan keeps 90 days. After that, the conversation that explained a decision is gone unless someone exported it.
Teams Essentials and Workspace do not run that clock the same way, because chat is not the thing they are selling.
The second cost is double-paying. A company on Microsoft 365 that also buys Slack Pro is paying twice for channels. That can be the right call. It is rarely the accidental one people think they made.
Key features to look for
Pricing
Slack, Microsoft, Google and Zulip publish list prices, checked on 26 August 2026. Slack Enterprise+ is contact sales, and Discord publishes no per-user business plan.
We could not verify a Teams Essentials price on Microsoft's pages, so no dedicated Teams seat is priced here. Google Chat has no plan of its own: it rides on Workspace from $7, the same entry as Microsoft 365 Business Basic.
Dedicated prices jump at Slack Business+, $15 billed annually or $18 monthly, and Teams Premium is a $10 add-on. Zulip Cloud Standard is $6.67 billed annually ($8 monthly), and self-hosting is $0.
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Slack Free | $0 | 90 days of history and 10 apps |
| Slack Pro | $7.25/user/mo annually ($8.75 monthly) | First paid tier above the 90-day cap |
| Slack Business+ | $15/user/mo annually ($18 monthly) | Where the per-seat bill jumps |
| Slack Enterprise+ | Contact sales | Top tier, no published list price |
| Microsoft Teams Essentials | Not verified on Microsoft's pages | No price we could confirm |
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | $7/user/mo | Teams included with the suite |
| Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot | $23.50/user/mo | Suite plan that includes Copilot |
| Microsoft Teams Premium | $10/user/mo billed annually | Paid add-on on top of Teams |
| Google Workspace Starter | $7/user/mo billed annually | Includes Chat, no Chat-only plan |
| Google Workspace Standard | $14/user/mo billed annually | Mid Workspace tier, Chat included |
| Google Workspace Plus | $22/user/mo billed annually | History and eDiscovery get serious |
| Zulip Cloud Free | $0 | 10,000 messages of search, 5 GB files |
| Zulip Cloud Standard | $6.67/user/mo annually ($8 monthly) | Entry paid cloud plan |
| Zulip Cloud Plus | $10/user/mo annually ($12 monthly) | Requires a 10-user minimum |
| Zulip Self-hosted Free | $0 | Full product on your own server |
| Zulip Self-hosted Basic | $3.50/user/mo | Paid self-hosted plan |
| Zulip Self-hosted Business | $6.67/user/mo billed annually | Self-hosted plan, 25-user minimum |
| Discord | Free for servers | Nitro is personal, not a team seat |
The bottom line
If you already pay for Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, start there. Teams Essentials is the fallback if you want Microsoft chat without the rest of Office, though its price is not verified here.
Pay for Slack when chat is the system of record and the suite client is the thing people avoid; Pro at $7.25 per user per month is the real product, not the 90-day Free plan.
Zulip is the better dedicated buy when you want topics and a lower seat price, or when you want to host it.
Discord is for communities. It is not a replacement for any of the others the day you have employees, customers or a lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
Is Slack worth it if we already have Microsoft Teams?
How much does a team chat app cost per user?
What is the best free team chat app?
Can we self-host Slack or Teams?
Some offers on this page may be paid placements or contain affiliate links.
Get the Techpresso brief
Free daily newsletter, read in 5 minutes.
Subscribe free