Whether you’re running a small business or a large enterprise, facilitating effective communication is probably at the top of your priority list.
A great instant messaging app for business can simplify this process and improve your team communication and productivity.
But how do you pick the right one?
To make the selection easier, I’ve tested 8 different instant messaging apps to find the best ones — so you’ll surely find the right fit for your business on my list.
Now, let’s get into it!
Table of Contents
Best instant messaging apps for business in 2024: A quick overview
Before we get into the details of our instant messaging app review, let’s get a quick overview of the standout features and pricing of each app on the list.
| Instant messaging app | Best for | Standout feature | Pricing (per user per month) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pumble | Teams that need an affordable but powerful communication tool | Unlimited message history | Free; Paid plans start at $2.49 |
| Google Chat | Teams using Google Workspace | Generous cloud storage | Free; Paid plans start at $6 |
| Mattermost | Teams looking for open-source collaboration | Robust security | Free; Paid plans start at $10 |
| Slack | Teams that require extensive integrations | Powerful integrations | Free; Paid plans start at $8.75 |
| Microsoft Teams | Enterprises needing robust collaboration functionality | Integration with Microsoft 365 | Free; Paid plans start at $4 |
| Chanty | Teams focused on task management | Teambook with conversations, tasks, and members | Free; Paid plans start at $3 |
| Rocket.Chat | Teams that require high data protection | Self-managed | Free; Paid plans start at $4 |
| Twist | Teams looking for simple and organized communication | Threads | Free; Paid plans start at $6 |
Pumble — Best for all-around communication and collaboration
Pumble is an all-in-one communication and collaboration tool offering fast and easy instant messaging, file sharing, and video conferencing.
Its extensive free plan makes Pumble stand out as an app for anyone looking for a powerful and reliable tool to reach their teammates and clients and collaborate over messages and calls.
As part of a remote team, my teammates and I rely on Pumble to carry out our entire internal and external communication and collaboration, and we’ve never had any issues whatsoever.
With Pumble, you can:
- Меssage your teammates and clients using DMs, private and public channels, and threads,
- Categorize your discussions in channels,
- Connect and collaborate from anywhere and across multiple devices,
- Share files with your team,
- Present your ideas and discuss them through video calls and screen sharing, and
- Collaborate with guests and invite them to conversations you deem relevant.
Pros:
- No limit on message history or user count — which is great if you don’t want to worry about getting your important messages and files deleted each quarter or so.
- User-friendly interface for easy onboarding.
- Top-notch support and safety — making sure you and your data are always in great hands.
Cons:
- Lacks read receipts for messages.
What’s new: Pumble recently added GIFs, letting users search through an extensive library of animated GIFs and add a touch of humor or liveliness to their messages.
Available for: Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS
Pricing: Free plan available; Paid plans start at $2.49 per user per month
Google Chat — Best for Google Workspace users
As a long-time member of the Google Workspace arsenal of tools, Google Chat needs no particular introduction.
With its signature simple interface and a decent volume of features, Google Chat can cater to most teams’ communication needs.
That is if the teams in question already use Google Workspace suite.
Otherwise, you might experience some surprising downsides, like the one I encountered myself when I couldn’t find any contacts who use the app regularly. So, be sure to assess how many of your regular collaborators and clients actually use Google Chat before moving your entire business communication there.
Google Chat features:
- Spaces — to categorize your conversations by topics or teams,
- File sharing — to provide context and streamline knowledge sharing, and
- Threads — to expand on the side topic without disturbing the main line of conversation.
Pros:
- Google Workspace integration and frictionless collaboration with Google apps.
- Accessible on any device.
- Generous free storage capacity of 15 GB per user.
Cons:
- Relatively small user base,
- Limited customization,
- Doesn’t support voice messages or audio file sharing.
What’s new: Google Chat recently added the option to link text in your messages, improving your conversations’ readability.
Available for: Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS
Pricing: Free plan available; Paid plans start at $6 per user per month
Mattermost — Best for open-source collaboration
Mattermost in an open-source collaboration platform that supports:
- Messaging,
- File sharing, and
- Guest access.
As an instant messaging app, Mattermost offers an elaborate structure for communication and collaboration. Whether you’re an individual user or run a team, you can find plenty of native features and integrations in the app, helping you get the most out of your internal and external communication.
However, it seems that the volume of features inevitably equals clutter on the user interface side — at least this was the case with Mattermost. The app does let you organize your conversations in channels, playbooks, and boards, yet it still manages to feel overwhelmingly busy.
Pros:
- Advanced search capabilities,
- Open-source customization,
- Robust security.
Cons:
- Requires technical knowledge to set everything up.
- Limits free messaging history to only 10,000 last messages in your workspace.
- Limited integrations in the free version.
What’s new: Mattermost recently extended its Microsoft Teams and M365 platform to add advanced customization for specialized technical and operational teams.
Available for: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS
Pricing: Free plan available; Paid plans start at $10 per user per month
Slack — Best for extensive integrations
Slack is a popular instant messaging app offering:
- Direct messaging,
- Channels, and
- Calls.
Setting up and customizing Slack to suit your needs is pretty straightforward — at least in my case with the free app version. You don’t need any technical knowledge to create a workspace and invite your team to collaborate in channels.
With over 2,500 third-party apps in its directory, Slack mostly targets teams needing extensive integrations to get their job done. Still, if you’re not picky with the tools you use daily, it can get too busy on the interface front and become counterproductive pretty quickly.
The app also has some serious limitations — the restrictive message history in the free plan, in particular, which is a personal deal breaker.
Pros:
- Extensive app directory with integrations covering a wide range of needs,
- Customizable notifications for more control of your workspace and your time,
- Guest access for external collaboration.
Cons:
- Pricey, especially for mid-sized to large companies,
- Restrictive free plan with only the last 90 days of message and file history.
What’s new: Slack recently rolled out Slack AI, designed to improve search performance and summarize daily conversations.
Available for: Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS
Pricing: Free plan available; Paid plans start at $8.75 per user per month
💡 Pumble Pro Tip
To learn about a free Slack alternative, check out our comparison:
Microsoft Teams — Best for Microsoft 365 users
Microsoft Teams is a well-known instant messaging app and collaboration platform integrated into Microsoft 365.
A robust communication and collaboration platform, Microsoft Teams features:
- Messaging,
- Video conferencing, and
- File sharing.
The app’s deep integration with Microsoft 365 makes Teams the obvious choice for companies using Microsoft suite.
While the app offers great collaboration functionality, it might not be your best choice for instant messaging alone. It can get glitchy at times and the interface may seem pretty cluttered — something you’ll find unnecessarily complicated, especially if you’re not a Microsoft user like myself.
Pros:
- Tight integration with Microsoft 365 offers seamless integration with Office apps such as Word, Excel, and SharePoint.
- Comprehensive collaboration tools facilitate all-in-one communication and collaboration.
- Free plan available covers basic features.
Cons:
- Busy user interface,
- All paid plans require an annual subscription.
What’s new: Microsoft Teams has recently added the option to request to join a shared channel, letting users get better access to all relevant conversations.
Available for: Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS
Pricing: Free plan available; Paid plans start at $4 per user per month
💡 Pumble Pro Tip
If you’re looking for a more straightforward instant messaging solution with more flexibility and lower cost, check out our free alternative comparison:
Chanty — Best for teams that need advanced task management
Chanty is an instant messaging app focused on task management and team communication.
From the moment you sign up, you’ll notice that the app design is set to help organize your messages, files, tasks, and links in one place. This is something that I found particularly convenient when testing out the free version of the app.
On the other hand, it seems Chanty still has some work to do on the file sharing and calls front — the loading speed, in particular, could be improved.
In addition to messaging and file sharing, Chanty also supports:
- Video and voice calls,
- Screen sharing, and
- Guest access.
Pros:
- Simple and easy to use — no learning curve even for the non-tech-savvy team members,
- No message history limit — keeping all your conversations and files on record,
- Task management — letting you plan, track, and collaborate on tasks.
Cons:
- Limited free plan (workspace restricted to 5 members, no data import, and no video messages),
- App loading speed.
What’s new: Chanty recently added the option to assign tasks to multiple members, improving how teams collaborate.
Available for: Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS
Pricing: Free plan available; Paid plans start at $3 per user per month
Rocket.Chat — Best for teams that follow high data protection standards
Rocket.Chat is a team instant messaging app designed to let businesses have more control over how their sensitive data is managed.
The app comes as self-managed only, letting you have full ownership over your data. This feature alone lets you know that Rocket.Chat is primarily aimed at organizations handling confidential client information.
Compared to other apps on this list, unfortunately, Rocket.Chat takes the longest to set up with ostensibly more and complex steps than any other apps on the list.
When it comes to its feature list, Rocket.Chat covers all the basics of instant messaging, including:
- Private and public channels,
- Messaging people outside the app, and
- Video calls.
Pros:
- Strong data protection, keeping your conversations safe and secure,
- Omnichannel service, helping your customer support efforts,
- Unlimited push notifications, enhancing instant communication.
Cons:
- Limited free users,
- Complex setup process,
- Unreliable mobile app notifications.
What’s new: Rocket.Chat recently added mentions in end-to-end encrypted rooms, ensuring more safety without compromising teamwork and collaboration.
Available for: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS
Pricing: Free plan available; Paid plans start at $4 per user per month
Twist — Best for organizations that want simple and organized team communication
Twist — an instant messaging app at its core — provides businesses with:
- Messaging,
- Channels,
- Threads, and
- Third-party integrations.
Built with asynchronous communication in mind, Twist is an app for teams that prioritize a structured and distraction-free environment for team collaboration.
The app’s main feature — threads — takes some getting used to, but as soon as you learn the ropes of this functionality, you start to see the advantage of adding more clarity to your business communication.
Pros:
- Threads — for organized communication,
- Guest access — for external collaboration,
- Public-by-default channels — for radical transparency.
Cons:
- Lacks video and voice call features,
- Limited message history in the free plan.
Available for: Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS
Pricing: Free plan available; Paid plans start at $6 per user per month
Free instant messaging app
Try Pumble, a secure, reliable and easy-to-use communication tool.
Find the right instant messaging app for your business
Your business success has everything to do with how you communicate as a team and externally.
And, the tools you choose to facilitate communication largely determine the outcome of your efforts.
Specialized instant messaging apps can make your business communication easier and more efficient.
So, be sure to take your time to explore the different options we listed above and determine which communication solution best fits your team’s needs.
Ready to explore how Pumble can level up your business communication and productivity? Try it for free today!
And, if you want to take your productivity to the next level, check out CAKE.com’s Productivity Bundle!
