Best Team Chat Apps in 2026
Updated
In short: Zoho Cliq is ranked #1 of 64 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Microsoft Teams and Pumble. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Microsoft Teams. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Microsoft Teams at $0.33/mo.
Team chat apps give coworkers a shared way to keep conversations moving across projects and groups. Compared on channels, guest access, integrations, member limits and message history, the options can differ in how they support collaboration and who can join. Check supported platforms against the devices your team uses, and weigh free plans alongside paid starting prices. Zoho Cliq, Microsoft Teams and Pumble are among the named options to consider. Think about whether your discussions need dedicated channels, outside guests or connected tools, and compare the listed message-history and membership details with the way your team works.
64 team chat apps ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Team chat apps, ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going. 21 of the 25 on this page can be tried for free.
- 1 Zoho CliqFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 2 Microsoft TeamsPaid from $0.33/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 3 PumblePaid from $2.49/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 4 SlackPaid from $8.75/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 5 LarkFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 6 Troop MessengerPaid from $2.50/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 7 Rocket.ChatFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 8 ZulipPaid from $3.50/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 9 DiscordPaid from $2.50/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 10 WirePaid from €7.45/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 11 ChantyPaid from $3/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 12 TwistPaid from $6/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 13 TrillianPaid from $3.99/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 14 LINE WORKSFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 15 Mattermost
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 16 ChatworkFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 17 Flock
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 18 WhallerPaid from €3/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 19 Element
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 20 DingTalkFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 21 JANDIFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 22 Nextcloud TalkPaid from €5.94/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 23 RyverFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 24 TeamwirePaid from €3.45/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 25 Output MessengerPaid from $0.75/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Channels | Guest access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoho Cliq | 9.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | Microsoft Teams | 9.2 | Free plan | $0.33/mo | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | Pumble | 9.2 | Free plan | $2.49/mo | Yes | $2.49/user/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | Slack | 9.0 | Free plan | $8.75/mo | Yes | $7.25/user/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | Lark | 8.9 | Free plan | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 6 | Troop Messenger | 8.9 | Free plan | $2.50/mo | No | $2.50/user/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 7 | Rocket.Chat | 8.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 8 | Zulip | 8.8 | Free plan | $3.50/mo | Yes | $3.50/user/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 9 | Discord | 8.7 | Free plan | $2.50/mo | Yes | $2.99/user/mo | — | — |
| 10 | Wire | 8.7 | Free plan | €7.45/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 11 | Chanty | 8.6 | Free plan | $3/mo | Yes | $3/user/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 12 | Twist | 8.3 | Free plan | $6/mo | Yes | $6/user/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 13 | Trillian | 8.3 | Free plan | $3.99/mo | Yes | $3.99/user/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 14 | LINE WORKS | 8.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 15 | Mattermost | 8.1 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 16 | Chatwork | 8.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 17 | Flock | 8.0 | No | — | Yes | $4.50/user/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 18 | Whaller | 8.0 | Free plan | €3/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 19 | Element | 7.9 | No | — | Yes | — | No | Yes |
| 20 | DingTalk | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 21 | JANDI | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 22 | Nextcloud Talk | 7.8 | No | €5.94/mo | — | — | No | Yes |
| 23 | Ryver | 7.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 24 | Teamwire | 7.6 | No | €3.45/mo | No | — | No | Yes |
| 25 | Output Messenger | 7.6 | Free plan | $0.75/mo | Yes | — | Yes | — |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which team chat app is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
Zoho Cliq is ranked #1 of 64 with a score of 9.5. Microsoft Teams is second and Pumble third.
How many of these have a free plan?
20 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Microsoft Teams has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.33/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.