Whether they’re creating project-specific channels or responding to someone’s comment with the perfect GIF, people can’t get enough of Slack.
Slack helps keep company and team communication in one central location, with plenty of software integrations for tasks like file sharing and project management as well as useful apps for reminders, polls, and other items.
It’s convenient and easy to use, making it a clear favorite across remote teams. But maybe it’s not for you, so let’s explore some other popular collaboration tools to see if there’s a better fit.
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Slack alternatives
Despite its prestige, Slack won’t always be the best option for your requirements.
Perhaps you want something with more industry-focused capabilities. Maybe you need software with a different user interface. Maybe you’re just a rebel. Only you can say.
Regardless of your motives, there are numerous Slack alternatives from which to choose. Let’s run through the cream of the crop.
1. Jabber
Jabber offers instant messaging, voice and video messaging, screen sharing, and conferencing. Other users appear in a throwback instant message-style feed, with each user profile displaying a status that indicates their availability.
As a Cisco product, Jabber is best used in concert with a Cisco VoIP system. Once these systems are integrated, users can call their colleagues from their desktops and transfer the call to a mobile device at will.
Jabber also integrates with Microsoft products like Sharepoint and Outlook, which means users can make calls from directly within these applications. Jabber’s video conferencing functionality is also quite powerful, but the interface has more of an enterprise feel than something like Slack.
2. Bitrix24
Like most software verticals, the team collaboration and messaging application market houses both best-of-breed and all-in-one solutions. Bitrix24 is firmly on the all-in-one side of the spectrum—perhaps more than any other product on this list.
Bitrix24 includes the requisite messaging and communication tools you’d expect from collaboration software, but it also comes equipped with a fully functional CRM, a document directory, and task management features. It can even help you manage your HR department (at the highest tier).
If this sounds overwhelming, that’s because it is—or at least, it can be. The biggest complaint about this software is its library-like navigation. Still, if you need a team collaboration platform that truly does it all, Bitrix24 is worth a look.
3. Mattermost
If you’re looking for something that can be tailored specifically for your team, Mattermost is an open-source solution. So you have a tremendous amount of power to customize it as you see fit—so long as your organization has development talent.
Mattermost also includes threaded comments like Slack, and other features include searchable hashtags, markdown formatting for editing the appearance of text, and multi-language support.
This software does have one caveat: it was developed for private hosting. If you work in an industry that needs more security than public cloud deployments can offer (e.g. government, healthcare), that could be a huge positive.
4. Samepage
Samepage is a rare of example of product with a name that describes exactly what it does without sounding like an infomercial. This software literally uses pages as a collaboration device.
Yes, the platform has instant messaging for one-to-one conversations, group chats, and video calls, but the real action happens on the pages. Every time you have a project, meeting, or other collaboration-worthy event, you build a page. You then add files, comments, to-do lists, comments, graphs, and all kinds of content to the page and invite the necessary people to join your page.
It’s a simple yet effective method for centralizing all the resources people need to get work done. It’s an expanded version of the “channels” feature you’ll find in Slack, though in some ways it feels more focused.
5. eXo Platform
Similar to Britrix24, eXo Platform is a comprehensive collaboration solution that includes messaging functionality, but it’s built to do much more. The start page has an activity stream that aggregates information from inside and outside the platform and lets users comment on different types of activity.
If you need to manage documents for your team or create a knowledge base, eXo Platform has you covered. This software can create wikis and full-blown forums, so everyone has a centralized repository of documents and answers to FAQs.
Choose the right alternative to Slack
Slack’s reputation is well earned and backed by record-breaking adoption metrics. But the market isn’t lacking for Slack alternatives, and many of these replacements are powerful systems with lots of features and integrations.
If Slack isn’t your thing, one of the five products listed above should fit the bill. You can also peruse our favorite team collaboration software for other types of communication solutions.
1 Wrike
Tackle complex projects with Wrike’s award-winning project management software. Break projects into simple steps, assign tasks to team members, and visualize progress with Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and calendars. Manage resource allocation and forecasting with software that’s easy to launch. Automation and AI features strip away time-consuming admin tasks so you can do the best work of your life. Streamline your practices, align your team, and ensure you hit deadlines and stay on budget.
2 ClickUp
ClickUp is one of the highest-rated project management tools today. Use Docs, Reminders, Goals, Calendars, Chat, scheduling, assigned comments, custom views, & more with this all-in-one project management tool.
Used by 800,000+ teams in companies like Airbnb, Google, and Uber, it brings all of your projects into a single app! Built for teams of all sizes and industries, Our fully customizable & proprietary features make it a must-have for anyone wanting to keep project management in one place.
3 monday.com
monday.com Work OS is the project management software that helps you and your team plan, execute, and track projects and workflows in one collaborative space. Manage everything from simple to complex projects more efficiently with the help of visual boards, 200+ ready-made templates, clever no-code automations, and easy integrations. In addition, custom dashboards simplify reporting, so you can evaluate your progress and make data-driven decisions.
