Best Slack alternatives in 2026

Slack is the default team chat, but its free-tier limits and per-seat cost push teams to look elsewhere. Here are the best Slack alternatives in 2026.

1
Microsoft Teams
Best for: Microsoft 365 users
Bundled with Microsoft 365 — chat, meetings, and files at effectively no extra cost.
4.3Free – $4/user/moVisit
2
Discord
Best for: Communities
Free, excellent voice, and ideal for communities and informal teams.
4.6Free – $9.99/moVisit
3
Mattermost
Best for: Self-hosting
Open-source and self-hostable for security-conscious organizations.
4.3Free – $10/user/moVisit
4
Google Workspace
Best for: Google teams
Google Chat is included with Workspace alongside Gmail, Docs, and Meet.
4.7From $7/user/moVisit

Still considering Slack itself? Read our Slack review →