Whether you’re working or just chatting at home, using instant messaging or chat has become the go-to way for people to talk every day. Chat is fast, easy to use, mobile friendly, lets you share all sorts of stuff, and you don’t need to be a tech expert to use it.
Making sure people in your workplace can talk quickly and effectively is essential for any business’s success down the road. Getting a Team chat app will make it way better for everyone to talk inside the company, get things done smoother, help people work efficiently, and make them feel more involved.
In the Team Chat Apps blog, we’ve done some research and compiled a list of the top 5 Team Chat Apps that bring a drastic change in today’s market to achieve better workplace productivity.
So without further ado, let’s jump in!
Top 5 Team Chat Apps for your business
The best workplace Team chat apps let you make lots of different conversation groups and keep all your messages stored and also help to achieve remote collaboration. They also give you plenty of space to save files and help you stay organized with tasks. They even come with tools to talk through audio and video calls and work together smoothly with other business apps.
And the good news is, many of them have free plans that never expire, so even small businesses can go for it.
After looking at many of these team chat options, we’ve picked out the best ones to help you choose the right app for your business needs. And they are:
1. Slack
Slack is a business messaging app that helps people connect with the information they need. It brings everyone together as a team and changes how organizations communicate.
Features of Slack
- Message Threads: When you want to talk about a specific message in a chat and have a focused conversation, you can reply directly to that message. This makes discussions organized, and you can easily go back later to see what was said.
- Automated Workflows: You can make things easier by automating tasks that you do often, like saying hi to a new teammate or quickly sharing updates. This way, Slack handles the simple stuff and you have more time for important tasks.
- Slack Atlas: This helps your team know each other better by creating detailed profiles. Along with names and jobs, you can add other info like pronouns, who their manager is, where they are, when they started, and when they work.
Overall, these features help Slack stand out and make it really useful for teams.
2. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams stands out as the top choice for businesses seeking a team chat app with robust video conferencing capabilities alongside instant messaging. It supports meetings with up to 300 participants and a duration of 30 hours. During these meetings, team members can utilize features like screen sharing, annotations, and together mode for more engaging collaboration.
When it comes to brainstorming, Microsoft Teams lets you split a large group into smaller teams and assign them to breakout rooms, with a maximum of 50 rooms. To enhance meeting efficiency, recording, and transcription features are available. Microsoft Teams works across Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS.
While it excels in chats and video meetings, Microsoft Teams doesn’t offer unlimited channels like Slack. The maximum number of channels is 200, encompassing both created and subsequently deleted groups.
Microsoft teams features
- Slash commands: You can perform specific tasks efficiently on Teams by using slash commands. You can use commands like “/chat” and “/call” to initiate a conversation with colleagues quickly. You can use commands such as “/unread” and “/saved” for reading posts.
- Pop-out chat: You can be able to launch one-on-one or group chat in a separate window. Use this feature when you’re in the middle of a phone call or a meeting to get better visibility of your chat messages.
- Translate: You can be able to translate messages written in a foreign language by clicking the three-dot icon, and choose Translate. Microsoft Teams automatically translates the message into the language you set.
3. Google Chat
Google Chat, once known as Google Hangouts Chat, categorizes conversations into rooms similar to Slack channels. Chats are organized into threads in order to maintain order. Your company can create as many rooms as desired, and users can smoothly join and exit rooms.
Google chat features
- Screen sharing
- Messaging, voice, and video calls
- Virtual rooms
4. Skype
Skype stands out as one of the widely used and simplest communication tools, uniting individuals globally. It offers video meetings, voice calls, and instant messaging. Moreover, you can utilize Skype to send sizable files of up to 300 MB.
Users can send and get instant messages for free, but there’s a charge for calling landline numbers. The tools are good for sharing news with coworkers because they let you share files and chat in groups. Besides chatting, you can have video meetings with up to 100 people.
- Emojis, GIFs, and stickers: You can add fun animated images to your messages, making chats more enjoyable and bringing your team closer.
- Quote message: Repeat an earlier message to give context to your colleagues. Use this when talking about projects and tasks.
- File sharing: You can be able to share files like documents, photos, and videos up to 300MB. Just drag and drop the files into the chat.
5. Rocket.chat
Rocket.Chat is the top choice for companies who want a chat app customized to their needs. It’s an open-source platform that lets you build your own chat app or enhance Rocket.Chat’s features. You can even personalize its look. They offer options to change colors and layout, making it unique for your business.
Additionally, Rocket.Chat functions on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS devices. However, it’s important to be aware that the subscription plans from this provider only offer community assistance and web portal support.
If you require phone and email support, you’ll need to opt for separate support packages. In contrast, Microsoft Teams’ paid plans include 24/7 phone and web support.
Rocket.chat features
- Message Review: You can check conversations to make sure confidential details stay private. Rocket.Chat lets authorized users search and review messages by channel, direct messages, and users whenever needed.
- Activity Overview: You will get useful insights about your team’s special collaboration habits. In the Messages section, you’ll find an engagement matrix for the most active channels during a certain time.
- External Participants: Allow outside partners to join your workspace as guests. A guest user can message others, initiate discussions, and join invited channels.
| App | Unique Strength | Key Feature | Pricing |
| Slack | Focus on workplace chat | Comprehensive features, sleek design | Free for unlimited users, paid plans start from $8.75 per user/month |
| Microsoft Teams | Ideal for large organizations | Deep Microsoft integration, superior audio, and video quality | Pricing plans from $6 per user/month(Included with Microsoft 365) |
| Google Chat | Tailored for Google Workspace users | Seamless Google product integration, powerful search | Pricing plans start from $7.2 per user/month(Included with Google Workspace) |
| Skype | Video and audio chat | Reliable always-on audio, free with optional paid features | Free for basic features |
| Rocket.chat | Self-hosted secure messaging | Full encryption, customizable on own server | Free for personal use or self-hosted, paid plans start from $5 per user/month |
Also Read : How to prepare for MS-700: Managing Microsoft Teams?
What are the things to be considered when selecting Team Chat Apps?
Here’s a comprehensive list of essential aspects to be considered when choosing the best business Team chat apps for your organization. These factors are indeed crucial for enhancing communication, collaboration, and overall efficiency within a company.
Here’s a breakdown of each point:
- Ease of Use: A user-friendly interface is essential for rapid adoption and smooth interaction. An app that is intuitive and requires minimal training will enable all employees, regardless of their technical proficiency, to effectively utilize the tool.
- Multiple Types of Communication: A well-rounded chat app that supports various communication modes can accommodate different communication needs. Instant messaging is great for quick interactions, employee alerts can ensure important announcements are not missed, video conferencing facilitates face-to-face discussions, and other communication modes add flexibility.
- Administrative Features: Administrative controls are crucial for managing the chat app efficiently. Managers should have the ability to oversee teams, regulate access, and maintain data security. This includes user permissions, access levels, and data encryption to protect sensitive information.
- Grouping Capabilities: Group organization enhances collaboration by enabling specific conversations based on projects, departments, or topics. This prevents clutter and ensures that conversations are relevant to the involved parties.
- Workflow Integrations: Integrations with other essential tools used in the workplace streamline tasks and centralize communication. Integration with payroll systems, file storage platforms, content management tools, and project management software ensures that all work-related activities can be coordinated within the team chat apps.
Pros and Cons of Team Chat Apps
Here’s a complete list of the pros and cons of team chat apps:
| Application | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Slack |
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| Microsoft Teams |
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| Google Chat |
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| Skype |
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| Rocket.chat |
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After evaluating various options, Slack stood out as the supreme choice to attain efficient workplace productivity. As per the business requirements, you can select Team Chat apps that fit you.
FAQs
What are the benefits of a chat room in a business?
People working on projects together can use a chat room to talk and plan without leaving their desks or going to different places. Sometimes, it’s easier for employees to share ideas in chat than in person, making chat brainstorming a useful way to work as a team.
What is meant by Team chat apps in Teams?
Teams have a tool for sending quick messages instantly. It lets you chat with text, use emojis, share funny GIFs, write in different styles, and even talk about files together.
Do Microsoft Teams work as a chat app?
Microsoft Teams, which is Microsoft’s main chat application, provides options for quick messaging, group conversations, and video calls.
Is Team Chat Apps available for free?
Yes. The free version of Teams offers unlimited chat messages and searches. It also includes online meetings and audio/video calls for both individuals and groups, with each meeting or call lasting up to 60 minutes.
Conclusion
Hope Team chat apps article provides an in-depth exploration of the top applications, delving into their standout features, advantages, and drawbacks. It also offers valuable insights into the key factors to be considered during the selection process when opting for team chat applications.
Moreover, the conveniently organized tabulated data furnishes a rapid and insightful overview of these team chat solutions in terms of pricing and unique features. You can also have a look at the Pros and Cons of using Team chat apps which would give a better idea.
If you want to know more about the Microsoft Teams application, taking the MS-700 certification is highly recommended.
If you have any queries on this blog post, feel free to comment!
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