Alternatives to Slack

The best Slack alternatives in 2026

Slack is priced per person, and most teams pay for a project tool beside it. Some want chat that is cheaper, some want it next to the work. Here are the tools teams move to, and what each is good at.

We make Tuff, so it comes first. The others are here on their merits, and some do things Tuff does not.

At a glance.

ToolFor 10 peopleGood for
Tuff$25 a month on Team, for the whole workspaceTeams whose talk is mostly about the work, and who pay for a project tool beside Slack. A channel’s history imports from a Slack export.
Microsoft TeamsPer person on its own or inside a Microsoft 365 planCompanies already on Microsoft 365 and Office.
Google ChatPer person inside a Google Workspace planTeams that already live in Gmail and Google Docs.
Zulip$80 a month on Cloud Standard, or $66.70 billed yearly — read on zulip.com/plans on 29 October 2026Teams that write more than they call, and may want to host it themselves.
DiscordFree for servers, chat and voiceCommunities, and small teams that talk by voice.
Basecamp$79 a month on Pro, which runs up to 8 projectsTeams that want a calm, settled tool, and to let clients in.

Prices for ten people a month, from each tool’s own pricing page, read on 26 October 2026 unless it says otherwise. Microsoft and Google sell chat inside their suites, priced per person; their pages showed us euros and promotions, so no figure is printed here. Tuff’s are per workspace, in US dollars, plus tax where it applies. All of Tuff’s plans

Each one.

  1. 1.Tuff

    Projects that hold their tasks, chat, docs and announcements together, with AI agents that work in them through MCP.

    Good for
    Teams whose talk is mostly about the work, and who pay for a project tool beside Slack. A channel’s history imports from a Slack export.
    Falls short
    No calls, timelines or automations yet, and AI agents only on the paid plans.
    For 10 people
    $25 a month on Team, for the whole workspace
    Start for free

  2. 2.Microsoft Teams

    Chat, meetings and calls, as part of Microsoft 365.

    Good for
    Companies already on Microsoft 365 and Office.
    Falls short
    Heavier than Slack, and at its best inside Microsoft’s own suite.
    For 10 people
    Per person on its own or inside a Microsoft 365 plan

  3. 3.Google Chat

    Chat and spaces inside Gmail and Google Workspace, with Meet for calls.

    Good for
    Teams that already live in Gmail and Google Docs.
    Falls short
    Simpler than Slack, and made for teams already on Google Workspace.
    For 10 people
    Per person inside a Google Workspace plan

  4. 4.Zulip

    Open-source chat where every conversation has a topic, so threads stay apart.

    Good for
    Teams that write more than they call, and may want to host it themselves.
    Falls short
    The topics take getting used to, and there are fewer integrations than Slack’s.
    For 10 people
    $80 a month on Cloud Standard, or $66.70 billed yearly — read on zulip.com/plans on 29 October 2026

  5. 5.Discord

    Voice channels, chat and communities.

    Good for
    Communities, and small teams that talk by voice.
    Falls short
    Made for communities rather than companies: no tasks or documents.
    For 10 people
    Free for servers, chat and voice

  6. 6.Basecamp

    Projects with to-dos, a message board, Campfire chat and a schedule, at a flat price.

    Good for
    Teams that want a calm, settled tool, and to let clients in.
    Falls short
    The smaller plans cap how many projects you can run.
    For 10 people
    $79 a month on Pro, which runs up to 8 projects
    Tuff vs Basecamp

Moving from Slack?

Bring a channel’s history across from a Slack export. How to import

Start for freeFree for two people. No card needed.