Choosing the right communication app for your business comes with a lot to consider, especially when balancing your team’s needs with your budget.
If you’re exploring affordable options and have come across Flock and Pumble, this guide will help settle the dilemma of which of the two is a better fit for your team.
I tested both apps head-to-head, examined their differences, and discovered which one is truly built to scale with your business for free.
Read on to find out.
Table of Contents
Pumble vs Flock: Main features comparison
Both Pumble and Flock aim to keep teams connected, organized, and productive.
At first glance, they might seem similar, but once you take a closer look at what their free plans offer, the differences become clear.
Pumble’s free plan gives you:
- Unlimited users,
- Channels, and
- Message history.
This means your team can grow without worrying about hitting caps.
In comparison, Flock’s free plan is much more restrictive. It lets you host only:
- 20 users,
- 10 public channels, and
- 10,000 searchable messages.
For small teams, these limits might not seem too bad at first, but they can quickly force you into a paid upgrade as your team expands.
When you dig deeper, 3 key differences stand out:
- Price: While both tools are marketed as affordable, Pumble is nearly half the price of Flock when billed annually. Pumble’s PRO plan is $2.49 per user per month, whereas Flock’s is $4.50 per user per month.
- Free plan limits: Flock’s free plan simply isn’t built for scaling. With limits on users, channels, and searchable messages, it’s easy to outgrow. Pumble, on the other hand, doesn’t impose these restrictions, making it a smarter long-term choice for growing teams.
- Storage: On the free plan, Pumble provides 10 GB per workspace — double what Flock offers (5 GB). And as you upgrade, Pumble continues to scale storage more generously, while Flock caps its ENTERPRISE plan at 20 GB per user.
Here’s a more detailed overview of how their main features compare side by side.
| Features | Pumble | Flock |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | – FREE (unlimited users) – PRO: $2.49 per seat per month, billed annually – BUSINESS: $3.99 per seat per month, billed annually – ENTERPRISE: $6.99 per seat per month, billed annually | – STARTER: Free (up to 20 users) – PRO: $4.50 per seat per month, billed annually (up to 100 users) – ENTERPRISE: quote upon request (for organizations with 100+ users) |
| Interface | – Clean – Intuitive – Easy to navigate – Customizable sidebar and themes | – Cluttered – Hard to navigate – Limited customization options |
| Communication | – Direct messages – Channels – Threads – Video & voice calls – Screen sharing – Video & voice messages – Guest access | – Direct messages – Channels – Video & voice calls – Screen sharing – Voice messages (on mobile) – Guest users |
| Notifications | – DND and pause notification – Muting channels/DMs – Custom notification schedules – Reminders | – DND and pause notification – Muting channels/DMs – Limited notification customization options – Reminders |
| Search | Advanced; you can narrow down your search using several filters | Advanced; you can narrow down your search using several filters |
| File sharing and storage | – File uploads on all plans: up to 512 MB on web & 256 MB on mobile – 10 GB per workspace in the FREE plan – 10 GB per user in PRO – 20 GB per user in BUSINESS – 100 GB per user in ENTERPRISE | – File uploads up to 100 MB in all plans – 5 GB total per team in the free STARTER plan – 10 GB per team member in PRO – 20 GB per team member in ENTERPRISE |
| Integrations | – Core apps like Gmail, GitHub, Google Calendar, Zapier – Clockify and Plaky | 60+ integrations |
| Support | – 24/7 100% human support (email, chat & phone), even on the free plan – Dedicated success representative for paid plans | – Self-service resources in STARTER – 24/7 priority support in PRO – 24/7 dedicated support in ENTERPRISE |
| Security | Advanced | Advanced |
Now let’s break down each feature so you can decide which option works best for your team.
Pumble vs Flock: Pumble offers a free plan that grows with your team
When comparing Pumble and Flock, the biggest difference I noticed right away was their free plans. Only one of them is truly built to grow with your business — and it’s not Flock.
Pumble offers a generous free plan that lets your team work, expand, and stay connected without limits:
- Unlimited users and channels — Invite as many teammates as you want and create as many spaces for discussion as you need.
- Unlimited message history — Never lose access to past conversations, decisions, or files.
- 10 GB of storage per workspace — Share files, documents, and images freely without running out of space too quickly.
- Threaded conversations — Keep discussions organized and avoid cluttering the main feed.
- 1-on-1 video and voice calls — Hop on a quick call without needing a separate app.
- Video and voice messages — Leave updates and explanations when text communication just doesn’t cut it.
- 24/7 human support — Get real help whenever you need it, at no extra cost.
In my opinion, Pumble’s free plan is an ideal choice for startups or smaller teams that aren’t ready to invest in their communication app just yet. It provides everything you need to collaborate effectively and stay productive without holding you back.
Scale your team without limits — try Pumble
Alternatively, Flock’s free plan imposes strict limits that keep it from being a long-term solution. It includes:
- Up to 20 users,
- 10 public channels,
- No private channels,
- No audio conferencing (outside India),
- 5 GB of storage per team,
- 1-on-1 video calls, and
- 10,000 searchable messages.
As your team grows, Flock’s free plan forces you to upgrade to a paid tier sooner than you’d like — making it less of a free plan, and more of a stepping stone to a subscription.
💡 PUMBLE PRO TIP
Are you looking for a free and reliable communication app that doesn’t impose tricky limits? There’s only one option that truly fits the bill:
Pumble vs Flock: Pumble’s paid plans deliver more for less
Once your team expands and needs more premium features, control, and support, it’s time to move on to a paid plan.
Let’s look at what both Pumble and Flock offer in terms of benefits, variety, and value for your money.
Even at first glance, Pumble’s paid plans stand out for their flexibility and affordable pricing.
What I like most about Pumble’s pricing structure is its variety.
It starts off with the PRO plan, which already feels complete on its own, but it also offers two additional plans that provide more administrative control and security — all at reasonable prices.
This gives organizations the ability to choose the plan that best fits their workflow and needs.
Here’s a closer look at some of the features different Pumble paid plans offer.
| Plan | Price (per user per month, billed annually) | Key features |
|---|---|---|
| PRO | $2.49 | – 10 GB of storage per user – Priority support – Group video call (up to 50 members) – Screen sharing |
| BUSINESS | $3.99 | – 20 GB of storage per user – Advanced permissions – Google SSO – Data export – Guest access – Meeting recordings – User groups |
| ENTERPRISE | $6.99 | – 100 GB of storage per user – Dedicated CSM – SAML SSO – Audit logs – Custom SLA |
With Flock’s pricing, on the other hand, there’s not much to choose from.
The PRO plan comes with practical upgrades, but its price tag doesn’t justify them — especially since you get the same features (and more) at a lower cost with Pumble.
Looking at Flock’s paid plans, I find it hard to see a perk that would persuade me to pay more.
Here’s what they include.
| Plan | Price (per user per month, billed annually) | Key features |
|---|---|---|
| PRO | $4.50 | – 10 GB of storage per user – Priority support – Guest users – Group video calls (up to 20 members) – Screen sharing |
| ENTERPRISE | Quote upon request | – 20 GB per team member – Dedicated support – SSO – Custom fields & user groups – Smart channels |
When I compared the value of both apps side by side, here’s what I found.
Upgrading from free to paid in either app can be a worthwhile investment if your team needs it. But for $4.50 per user per month, billed annually, with limitations like a maximum of 100 members and group calls capped at 20 participants in Flock, I’d rather pay $2.49 for Pumble.
With Pumble, you skip the limits and enjoy a better user experience. Not to mention, Flock requires you to upgrade to a paid plan just to access all of your messages and unlock unlimited channels — while Pumble gives you unlimited members and unlimited history even on the free plan.
Overall, Pumble’s pricing offers better scalability and value, while Flock’s plans feel restrictive and overpriced in comparison.
Get more, spend less — choose Pumble
Pumble vs Flock: Pumble’s interface is more intuitive and easier to navigate
The design and UI is another area where the two apps differ significantly.
When it comes to the apps I use daily, I prefer a clean layout where most (if not all) tools are in one place, easy to access, and simple to navigate.
Flock, unfortunately, doesn’t quite hit the mark.
I found its interface to be cluttered, with chats placed on the left sidebar while things like the directory, files, and favorites are tucked away in the app launcher on the right.
Additionally, sidebar customization is not available and the app only offers a light and dark theme.
The only adjustable display option is chat density, which does little to simplify navigation.
While testing Flock, I found myself exploring more than I expected and even had to read up on where some features were located. If your team were to adopt Flock as their main communication tool, some onboarding would definitely be required.
Pumble, in contrast, offers a clean, intuitive interface, where everything you need is a click away.
The sidebar has all of your channels, direct messages, mentions, drafts, files, and people in one view.
You can also customize it to fit your workflow — for example, grouping channels by project or hiding sections you don’t use often. I find this especially helpful for keeping my workspace organized.
On top of that, Pumble gives you more options for personalizing its appearance. You can choose between light and dark themes and pick from 10 different color combinations.
Overall, I much prefer Pumble’s interface over Flock’s. Its sleek look, thoughtful layout, and easy navigation make it simple to stay productive.
Personalize your workspace with Pumble
Pumble vs Flock: Both apps offer versatile communication options
Although similar in their purpose and target audience, Pumble and Flock have some notable differences when it comes to the communication features they offer.
Let’s take a look at what each app includes for text and video/voice communication.
Text communication
Both Pumble and Flock support direct messaging, file sharing, mentions and reactions, but there are a few areas where Flock falls short.
For starters, Flock’s free plan limits you to:
- 10 public channels,
- No private channels, and
- 10,000 searchable messages.
By contrast, Pumble doesn’t put a limit on any of those elements.
Flock also lacks Pumble’s useful threaded conversations, which help discussions stay organized and easy to follow. While Flock allows replies, they appear in the main chat, which can quickly create clutter rather than prevent it.
Additionally, Pumble lets you schedule messages to be sent whenever you like. I find this especially convenient for teams working across time zones or relying on asynchronous communication.
Flock does include some built-in productivity features:
- To-Dos — Lets you create simple task lists directly in the app.
- Notes — A place to jot down ideas or reference information.
- Reminders — A bit different to Pumble’s message-based reminders, Flock lets you set custom reminders for yourself or other team members.
In my opinion, these features are handy but fairly basic. Most of them could easily be handled using Pumble’s personal DM.
The shared to-dos stand out as slightly more interesting, but I personally wouldn’t want them cluttering my communication app — I prefer using a designated tool for all task management.
While Flock advertises these tools as built for business productivity, they can’t be relied on as a complete solution. A more robust alternative is integrating Pumble with Plaky, a project management app built by the same company, so you can manage tasks while getting updates directly in Pumble.
Because of its limits and lack of key features, I’d say Flock has to sit this round out and let Pumble take the lead.
Video/voice communication
Both Pumble and Flock support video and voice communication, making it possible to connect instantly and collaborate in real time.
Starting with the free plans, Pumble offers both 1-on-1 video and voice calls, while Flock only supports 1-on-1 video calls, limiting audio conferencing (outside India) to its paid plans.
Even on paid plans, Flock caps video and voice call participants at 20, whereas Pumble allows up to 100 members on calls.
Flock also limits audio messages to its mobile app, which can be convenient for on-the-go updates but restrictive for desktop users.
Additionally, Flock doesn’t offer video messages, meaning you’d need to start a live call anytime you want to explain something visually or demonstrate a concept.
When testing video calls, I noticed that Pumble includes several features that improve the call experience:
- In-call messaging — Allows participants to share links, notes, or questions without interrupting the speaker.
- Noise cancellation — Reduces background noise for clearer audio during calls.
- Blurred background — Keeps the focus on participants while hiding distractions.
- Raising your hand — Lets participants signal that they want to speak without interruption.
- Reactions — Quick emoji responses to give feedback or show agreement without speaking.
Another thing I experienced while using Flock is that when a call ends or is missed, the call notification in the channel or DM doesn’t change. This can be confusing for team members who check the app later, as they might think the call is still active. A simple improvement would be to change the link button color or wording to indicate clearly whether a call is ongoing or has ended.
A video call feature that Pumble and Flock share is meeting recordings — the ability to record meetings for future reference. Flock includes this feature only in its ENTERPRISE plan, while Pumble offers it starting with its BUSINESS plan.
Pumble vs Flock: Pumble offers more customizable notification options
Next on our list of feature comparisons are notification preferences — essential for minimizing distractions and staying productive during the workday.
Both apps include a Do Not Disturb feature, but Pumble’s is more customizable. You have more choices when selecting how long to pause notifications and even set a custom schedule.
When it comes to muting channels and DMs, Flock requires you to type the /mute command to fully silence a channel. I discovered this while exploring the app, and it wasn’t as straightforward as I expected. In contrast, muting in Pumble takes just a couple of clicks.
Flock also limits notification options to adjusting sounds and whether or not you get notified for calls or coworker activity.
Pumble takes it a few steps further, letting you choose what you want to be notified about, set sounds, and create a custom schedule for each day of the week.
Setting a notification schedule in Pumble
These extra options make a big difference for me in drowning out unnecessary pings and focusing on deep work.
Manage notifications your way with Pumble
Pumble vs Flock: Both apps offer solid search options
The search function in my team communication app is one I rely on most. That’s why I need it to have advanced filters, making it easy to find anything in my team’s knowledge base.
Both Pumble and Flock offer solid search filters, letting you filter by different parameters such as:
- Who sent the message,
- Where it was sent, and
- A date range for when it was sent.
Pumble, once again, goes further with additional customization, letting you also filter by:
- Messages only in your channels,
- Excluding automated messages, and
- Messages containing a file, reaction, and/or link.
Additionally, Flock limits searchable messages to 10,000 on its free plan, while Pumble offers unlimited message history across all plans.
Pumble vs Flock: Pumble offers more storage and better file sharing
When it comes to storage and file sharing, the difference between Pumble and Flock comes down to the numbers.
Pumble provides:
- FREE plan: 10 GB per workspace,
- PRO plan: 10 GB per seat,
- BUSINESS plan: 20 GB per seat, and
- ENTERPRISE plan: 100 GB per seat.
Flock’s storage limits are:
- STARTER (free) plan: 5 GB per team,
- PRO plan: 10 GB per team member, and
- ENTERPRISE plan: 20 GB per team member.
Pumble allows file uploads up to 512 MB in both free and paid plans.
Flock, on the other hand, caps file uploads at 100 MB, regardless of which plan you’re on.
This round is a no-brainer — Pumble clearly comes out ahead with its more generous limits.
Get more storage & share more with Pumble
Pumble vs Flock: Flock has more integrations but Pumble lets you build your own
Integrations are an important part of any communication app, allowing you to connect your tools, automate workflows, and improve collaboration.
Flock offers a higher number of integrations, around 60, giving teams a wide variety of options. This can be useful if your team already relies on many external tools.
Pumble keeps its focus on high-impact integrations, which are most useful for productive teamwork, and its catalogue is always growing.
You can also use CAKE.com’s Marketplace to build and publish custom add-ons, tailored to your workflow.
Pumble is developed by CAKE.com, the same company behind Clockify (a time tracking app) and Plaky (project management software). All 3 apps are made to work together, so you can handle communication, tasks, and time effortlessly.
The best part? With the CAKE.com Bundle, you get the ENTERPRISE plans of all 3 apps for one affordable price — giving your team a complete productivity toolkit without breaking the budget.
Pumble vs Flock: Pumble has 24/7 human support, even on the free plan
When using any kind of app, if you’re not sure about a feature or run into an issue, it’s important to get answers quickly so you can move on with your work.
If you’re anything like me, you prefer to skip the guesswork and get a clear answer — preferably from a human.
In Flock’s free plan, support is limited to:
- Browsing the Help Center,
- Submitting a request form, or
- Using the live chat.
They do improve this with priority support in the PRO plan and dedicated support in the ENTERPRISE plan, but it all comes with a price.
Pumble, however, makes human support a priority from the start.
Aside from its extensive Help page, you get 24/7 access to real people through email, chat, or phone on all plans.
For larger teams there’s also a dedicated support representative, available from:
- 200+ seats in the PRO plan,
- 120+ seats in the BUSINESS plan, and
- 70+ seats in the ENTERPRISE plan.
These perks make it easier to use the app with confidence, knowing support is always there when you need it.
Reliable human support around the clock
Pumble vs Flock: Both apps have high security standards
Lastly, we have another crucial component when determining which app is the right fit for your business: security.
Using a secure messaging app ensures your company data, conversations, and files remain protected.
Although both tools provide advanced data encryption and security, Pumble stands out with a few more certifications under its belt.
Flock’s security policy includes:
- Admin controls,
- Google oAuth Sign-On,
- SOC 2 Compliance, and
- TLS 1.2 Data Encryption.
Pumble is certified for ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and SOC 2.
It also includes enhanced security features such as:
- Multi-factor authentication,
- Data encryption,
- Granular admin roles and permissions,
- Sign sign-on (SSO), and
- Custom data retention settings.
While your data would be safe with either app, Pumble goes the extra mile to give teams more control and peace of mind.
Pumble is the best choice for growing teams
No matter the current size of your business, every team aims to grow and expand.
That’s why it’s important to choose a communication tool that scales with you, not one that holds you back.
While both Pumble and Flock offer solid features, only Pumble provides free and paid plans generous enough to support a growing team at a reasonable price.
Combine that with its robust communication options, strong storage and file management, and 24/7 human support, and you have a full-features collaboration platform that keeps your team efficient and connected.
For teams that want to stay productive without limits, Pumble comes out on top.
Choose the app that grows with your team.
