Looking for Slack alternatives that can address your team’s unique communication needs without breaking the bank?

As remote work continues to redefine the workplace, finding the right collaboration platform is critical. This article explores the top choices, each with its own strengths, to give you the edge in team efficiency and productivity.

What we will discover together:

• Despite its popularity, Slack faces competition from numerous alternatives such as Microsoft Teams and Google Chat, which offer integrations with their respective ecosystems and different pricing models tailored to various business needs and scales.
• Each Slack alternative presents distinct features that could enhance team productivity and communication efficiency, such as integrating project management tools, customization capabilities, data privacy, and reducing the need for context switching between platforms.
• Disco stands out as a Slack alternative with its integration and AI Co-Pilot feature, offering a specialized platform for brand communities and learning businesses.

What is Slack? Benefits and Limitations

Slack is a messaging application designed for business use. It revolutionizes organizational communication methods by facilitating group chats, connectivity, and access to essential information. But why is it considered a solid alternative to other platforms?

Slack’s primary functionalities that contribute to team communication and collaboration comprise:

• Organizing conversations
• Group, private, and public channels
• Screen sharing capabilities
• Quickly finding what you need
• Managing and tracking documents
• Integration and automation

Real-time messaging for instant communication and easy document collaboration with built-in features, end-to-end encryption, and app integrations further add to its versatility.

Doesn't have a Slack group yet? Learn how to create a Slack group with a step-by-step guide!

Slack has transformed team communication by offering a secure collaboration platform that professionals favor over traditional methods such as email and meetings. It breaks down departmental silos, promotes stronger coworking relationships, and empowers teams to produce cohesive work.

Slack’s unlimited user pricing plans adapt to businesses of every scale. Prominent companies that leverage Slack for team communication include Airbnb, Pinterest, Shopify, and other Fortune 100 companies. These companies leverage the platform’s features for smoother team collaboration and communication.

The Limitations of Slack

Despite its popularity, Slack does have its limitations. Here are the negative reviews from real users:

❌ Pricing. One of the key factors that contribute to the higher cost of Slack in comparison to other team communication apps is its Pro plan, which starts at $7.25 per user per month. This exceeds the pricing of competitors such as Microsoft Teams, which offers plans at $4 per user per month.

❌ Limited Storage for Free Plan. The free version of Slack has certain constraints, including a 90-day message history and file view and search limit, a 10,000 message limit, and 5 GB of storage.

❌ Video meetings and audio during calls are often problematic and limited, with users reporting frequent difficulties in using these features effectively.

❌ The learning curve for new users can be steep, with notification management, file organization, and search functionality posing challenges.

❌ Limited as a Chat Tool. For communities and educational organizations, Slack primarily serves as a chat tool, lacking built-in features for curriculum development or membership management. To monetize a community or educational content, additional specialized platforms are necessary to supplement Slack's communication capabilities.

Top 8 Slack Alternatives in 2024

In 2024, the landscape of team collaboration tools has expanded with several noteworthy Slack alternatives, each offering unique features to enhance team productivity.

These platforms range from comprehensive project management suites to secure, open-source messaging apps, catering to various business needs with diverse pricing models.

1. Disco. The Best Slack Alternative for Brand Communities
2. Microsoft Teams. Ideal for Office 365 Users
3. Google Chat. Strong Contender as a Chat Tool for Google Workspace Users
4. Basecamp. Modern Project Management Software
5. MatterMost. Open Source Messaging App
6. Workspace by Meta. Communication and Messaging Tool
7. Discord. Community Platform for GenZ
8. Click Up. Task Management Solution

#1. DISCO - The Best Slack Alternative for Brand Communities

DISCO stands out as an award-winning collaboration platform that has been widely recognized for its innovative approach to community and team engagement. Designed with both teams and learning businesses in mind, Disco is the go-to solution for Slack communities looking to monetize or enhance their offerings.

Whether you're running a brand community, an association, or a learning community, Disco's robust features make it the premier choice for both private and public groups.

Its ability to seamlessly integrate with Slack means that users can enjoy a rich set of tools without having to leave their favorite communication environment. Disco is not just about messaging; it's about creating a thriving ecosystem where communities can grow, monetize, and provide unparalleled value to their members.

The Best Feature: Disco 🔁 Slack Integration + AI Co-Pilot

One of the standout features of Disco is its ability to integrate directly into Slack, allowing teams to leverage the strengths of both platforms in unison. This integration enhances communication channels through its Slack integration by offering comprehensive communication features such as channels, threads, and direct messages within a dedicated discussion hub.

Apart from that, you can also use AI copilot within Slack. This integration simplifies community management by allowing teams to access Disco's robust learning and engagement tools without leaving their familiar Slack environment.

The AI copilot assists with automating tasks, managing interactions, and providing timely information, which significantly enhances the efficiency of community operations within Slack.

Customer Reviews: PORCH Community Canada

For instance, PORCH is a vibrant community platform curated specifically for immigrant entrepreneurs and their teams. It exemplifies a customer story that has successfully utilized the Disco platform to foster a safe, engaging, and supportive space for members to connect, share knowledge, and propel each other toward success.

By integrating Disco with Slack, PORCH has been able to maintain the fluidity of its communication while enriching the community experience with Disco's robust feature set, demonstrating the practical benefits of this powerful synergy.

Other Key Features of Disco:

✔️ Custom Onboarding and Content Library

The platform enhances the onboarding experience with custom onboarding and a content library to organize resources efficiently.

Community managers can create a personalized onboarding process that is integrated with both Disco and Slack, ensuring new members feel welcome and have immediate access to essential information.

✔️ Full Control Over Member Management + Discussion Boards

It provides full control over member management, featuring user profiles, a member directory, and groupings. Discussion boards, threads, and messaging within Disco facilitate targeted communication and community building, essential for maintaining an organized and engaged online space. This is how it works:

✔️ Events Series and Advanced Curriculum Builder

With Disco, you can organize events series and use an advanced curriculum builder to add offerings or activities to your workspace community. This feature enables teams to provide structured learning experiences and interactive events that add value to the community's engagement.

✔️ Membership Tiers and Revenue Growth Tools

The platform offers membership tiers and revenue growth tools that empower Slack community managers to scale up and earn from their community. These tools provide flexibility in how communities are monetized, allowing for the creation of exclusive content and experiences for different member levels.

✔️ Comprehensive Analytics and Reports

Disco's comprehensive analytics feature provides engagement reports and scores, member progress reports, and insights. This data is invaluable for measuring the health of the community, understanding member behavior, and making informed decisions to foster growth and engagement.

Want to try out Disco for free? We offer 14-day free trial for first time users! Don't miss this chance to streamline your communication in Slack and in your community platform!

#2. Microsoft Teams - Ideal for Office 365 Users

Microsoft Teams distinguishes itself as a comprehensive collaboration platform with Office 365 integration and a wide range of features.

The integration of Microsoft Teams with Office 365 enables users to engage in various collaborative activities such as viewing and editing documents and participating in instant messaging, voice, and video calls.

Pricing Options for Microsoft Teams:

• Microsoft Teams Essentials plan at $4.00 per user per month
• Microsoft 365 Business Basic plan ranging from $5 to $6 per user per month
• Premium plans start at $4.00/user/month with an annual commitment.

#3. Google Chat - Strong Contender as a Chat Tool for Google Workspace Users

Google Chat emerges as a strong contender to Slack, offering a comprehensive set of features and smooth integration with other Google products, resulting in a user-friendly communication platform.

It facilitates integration with Google Meet for audio and video calls by allowing users to initiate a call directly from a chat, thus optimizing communication within the platform.

The integration of Google Chat into Gmail provides benefits such as:

• Integrated spam protection
• Easy access to chat within Gmail
• Smooth team collaboration
• Integration with other Google Workspace tools
• File sharing and collaboration through its capability to send and share files up to 200 MB directly in chat messages, accessible from a computer, mobile device, or directly from Google Drive.

With its intuitive interface and robust features, Google Chat offers an excellent alternative to Slack, particularly for teams already using other Google Workspace tools. The seamless integration of group chat functionality further enhances team collaboration.

#4. Basecamp - Modern Project Management Software

Basecamp distinguishes itself as a comprehensive project management tool, offering a suite of features that facilitate team collaboration and project tracking. These features include:

• To-do lists that help teams prioritize and manage tasks effectively.
• File storage and access, providing a central repository for all project documents.
• Integrated project management tools that streamline workflow and enhance productivity.
• Chat capabilities that enable real-time communication among team members.

The integration of these tools into a single platform makes Basecamp a robust alternative to Slack, especially for teams that require a balance between communication and project management.

Its user-friendly interface allows for seamless adoption, and the platform's emphasis on project tracking tools, as opposed to merely serving as a communication tool, positions it as a comprehensive solution for teams looking to optimize their project workflows.

Pricing Options for Basecamp:

• Basic plan starts at $15/user per month
• A Pro plan with unlimited users is only $299/month

This provides a structured approach in contrast to Slack’s per-user per-month pricing for its base plan.

#5. MatterMost - Open Source Messaging App

MatterMost, a secure, open-source messaging platform, is specifically designed for developer-centric teams. It commits to establishing a secure collaboration environment and upholds privacy by implementing TLS encryption using AES-256 with 2048-bit RSA between client applications and the server.

Self-hosting allows organizations to utilize MatterMost to manage their data and infrastructure, catering to the demand for customized collaboration solutions and reinforcing privacy measures.

MatterMost stands out as an open-source messaging platform offering real-time messaging, file sharing, and a plethora of integrations, including webhooks, slash commands, and bots.

It boasts a customizable interface that supports developers with features like linkification and code blocks. Additionally, MatterMost offers LDAP integration and a mobile interface designed for user-friendliness.

Pricing Options for Mattermost:

• For small teams seeking secure collaboration, the free plan offers workplace messaging with file sharing, group calls with screen sharing, workflow automation, and support for custom integrations.
• The professional plan, at $10 per user per month billed annually, adds features such as Single Sign-On, advanced access controls, guest accounts, and business hours support.
• For enterprises requiring high-scale deployment and advanced compliance, a custom quote can be requested, which includes features like AD/LDAP group sync, compliance export, granular data retention policies, and 24x7 support with a 4-hour response SLA.

#6. Workspace by Meta - Communication and Messaging Tool

Designed for companies seeking efficient team communication and messaging tools, Workspace by Meta serves as a social network solution, which can be accessed through a mobile app. It provides communication and messaging tools including Groups, Chat, and the capability to establish a knowledge base for each group.

Workspace by Meta offers distinctive features such as:

• Task assignment
• Tagging colleagues
• Sharing feedback
• Encryption
• Real-time editing
• Offline access
• Multi-language support

These features make it a viable alternative to Slack, especially for companies looking for a social network solution for team collaboration.

The platform’s integration with other Facebook services makes it easy for teams to collaborate and communicate in real-time, making it a solid Slack alternative.

Pricing Options for Workspace by Meta:

Workspace by Meta offers a straightforward pricing plan designed to fit the needs of various organizations.

• The Core Plan is priced at $4 per person per month, providing essential communication and messaging tools for effective team collaboration.
• For additional administrative features and support, users can opt for the Enhanced Admin and Support add-on, which costs an additional $2 per person per month.

#7. Discord - Community Platform for GenZ

Although Discord is more focused on community features like text, voice, and video channels, it is not as tailored to business users as Slack. However, it offers several features that make it a suitable substitute for Slack in a business environment:

• Cost-effectiveness
• Video chat and voice chat capabilities
• File sharing functionality
• Pricing model that emphasizes community engagement

Discord, originally a gamer's haven, has successfully infiltrated the business realm as a cost-effective communication platform. It offers text, voice, and video channels, along with chat rooms and utility bots, perfect for building community and collaboration.

Although it might lack Slack's vast array of business integrations, Discord shines for budget-conscious businesses or those looking to cultivate a community-centric culture, providing a suite of features conducive to fostering team interaction and engagement.

#8. Click Up - Task Management Solution

Click Up offers a comprehensive project management solution, which includes dashboards for progress visualization, real-time collaboration through chat, customization capabilities, team collaboration and communication, real-time reporting, and time tracking among its main features.

Click Up’s task management encompasses the creation of a task database, classification of tasks using Item Types, visualization and arrangement of tasks based on status or priority, collaborative work on tasks, and extensive customization through custom fields and statuses.

Click Up’s unique combination of project management and communication tools makes it a solid alternative to Slack, particularly for teams that need to balance communication with comprehensive task and project management.

Pricing Options for Click Up:

• For individuals and small teams, there is a Free Forever plan which includes basic features such as 100MB of storage, unlimited tasks and members, and essential collaboration tools like real-time chat and Kanban boards.
• For growing teams, the Unlimited plan at $7 per member per month offers significant upgrades including unlimited storage, integrations, and advanced project management features.
• Mid-sized teams can opt for the Business plan at $12 per member per month, which adds even more sophisticated tools and security options.
• Large enterprises can contact sales for a customized Enterprise plan that provides the most comprehensive set of features tailored to their extensive needs.

Start with Disco's 14-day free trial to build your community and workspace environment outside Slack.

In conclusion, several robust and effective alternatives to Slack can enhance team communication and collaboration. The best alternative for your team will depend on your specific needs and workflows.

Embark on the journey to cultivate your community and workspace environment beyond the confines of Slack by leveraging Disco's dynamic platform. Kickstart this adventure with a 14-day free trial and immerse yourself in the platform's capabilities through an interactive product tour that offers a glimpse into the future of collaboration.