Chat tools can boost Small Business workplace communication and enable real-time collaboration with file-sharing capabilities, audio/video calls and project management.
- Chat technologies may improve workplace cooperation and communication while reducing expensive misunderstandings and errors.
- Apps for chat can decrease the need for meetings, increase staff engagement, and enhance work management.
- Mobile apps that are compatible with many chat solutions are available, enabling professionals to communicate while on the road.
- This post is for professionals and small company owners who want to enhance internal and distant communication.
Effective chat solutions may rapidly become the foundation of your company in the age of remote work by streamlining task management, collaboration, and communication. Additionally, chat platforms aren’t only for conversing; they can also be used for project management, audio and video conferencing, file sharing, and much more.
We’ll highlight 14 chat solutions that companies should think about using since they’ll cut down on pointless meetings, keep remote workers interested, and promote collaboration among both local and distant teams.
Also Read: 12 Unique Business Ideas to Inspire You in 2023
What are the top chat tools for small businesses?
There are a variety of chat applications available, each with advantages and disadvantages. Take your needs and budget into account while selecting the finest tool for your company. Check out these 14 chat tools.
1. Slack
Slack is a powerful, all-encompassing chat application for small organizations. Slack offers individual and group phone calls, as well as video conferencing, in addition to one-on-one and group chat.
Slack facilitates communication more than conventional chat programmes. Users may use hashtags to organize numerous projects, teams, and other things. They can also exchange files by dragging and dropping them into the platform or through secure file-sharing services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and others.
For future reference, all discussions and data are synchronized, stored, and searchable. Even on other people’s displays, you can modify.
Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are just a few of the third-party connectors that Slack offers for sharing and viewing files during calls and discussions.
The paid premium editions of Slack start at $8 per user per month and have an unlimited number of users.
2. Chatwork
A tool for corporate social networking is called Chatwork. Chatwork enables you to communicate with many clients and teams located all over the world in both private and public group conversations. Additionally, it provides contact management software, video chat functionality, and task management software.
A more feature-rich commercial edition of Chatwork costs $20 per 10 users, while the personal version costs $4 per user per month.
3. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a SaaS (software as a service) solution that is integrated with the company’s Office 365 plan. Real-time collaboration is the main focus of the chat-based workplace it generates, which includes chat, meetings, notes, Office, Planner, Power BI, extensions, and applications.
Teams has threaded persistent discussions that may be open or private and has a similar interface to Slack. With Teams, Skype, Microsoft’s video service, is integrated, and you may invite visitors to join conversations.
Teams has a range of price plans, from free to $12.50 per user each month. Teams could be the best option for businesses that focus on Microsoft.
4.CA Flowdock
With the help of the chat and inbox platform Flowdock, teams can cooperate and communicate in one convenient spot. It includes threaded discussions, group chat, and private one-on-one conversations with specific team members. Emails and other messages pertaining to project management, customer service, and other sources are stored and organized in its Team Inbox function.
Through the web, desktop and mobile applications for Windows, macOS, and iOS, anybody can access Flowdock at anytime, anywhere. Every platform and device support push notifications, ensuring that no one misses a crucial chat request, email, or message. Other features include hashtags, conversation histories with searchable transcripts, and @ mentions to draw attention to a specific person.
Flowdock offers a free trial period and bills $3 per user every month.
5. Chanty
The unique selling point of Chanty is the availability of a variety of useful corporate communication tools coupled with an intuitive user interface. This programme offers a top-notch messaging system that makes it simple to categories office conversations according to context. Chanty also has a useful video conference option for team communication while on the road.
Up to 10 users can utilize Chanty’s free tier, while its business plan costs $3 per user each month.
6. Workplace from Meta
Workplace from Meta, formerly known as Facebook Workplace, is a commercial communication platform that makes use of an organization’s intranet to offer chat, video, and group collaboration options. Workplace is simple to use on PCs and mobile devices because of its well-known Facebook interface.
Along with these capabilities, Workplace connects with Google Drive, Office 365, DocuSign, and Azure AD. With add-ons, the base tier is $4 per user each month. Also, a month of free use is available.
7. Amazon Chime
One-to-one phone calling, screen sharing, and access to the chat function with a 30-day message history are all included in Amazon’s free Chime Basic capabilities. Chime also offers a visible list of everyone on the call and automatically dials in all attendees as a meeting begins, removing the need to input meeting IDs and passwords. Everyone can see who is speaking, and you can silence a speaker if there is a lot of background noise on their line.
The more expensive Pro plan from Chime provides some extremely useful user management options for businesses. Pro includes screen-sharing capabilities, personalized meeting URLs, and the ability to arrange and host meetings for up to 250 participants in addition to all the features of the Basic package. Additionally, users can lock and record meetings. Pro has a maximum monthly fee of $15 per user and costs $3 per user per day.
8. Twist
The well-known to-do list programme Todoist has a conversation feature called Twist. All discussions and communications on the app are threaded, setting it apart from other chat applications. There are specific group rooms, but to remark you must either create a new topic or reply to an already existing one.
You can see a month’s worth of comments and messages with Twist’s free tier, while the Limitless tier ($6 per user per month) allows you unlimited access, members, integrations, and visitors.
9. Flock
Flock is a chat programme with channels. For simple organizing and uncomplicated project planning, you may divide interactions into several channels. Flock is a wonderful option for companies looking to improve communication with employees while maintaining employee openness.
For teams of up to 20 people, Flock is free. A Pro edition with greater features costs $4.50 per user per month.
10. Discord
Free voice chat software for companies is called Discord. Workers may use Discord to converse verbally in chat rooms, forums, and threads rather than via typing. You can easily communicate with your team thanks to its always-on voice channels. Standard chat windows are available for fundamental conversation.
11. Webex by Cisco
Cisco’s complete chat solution for small organizations is called Webex (formerly known as Webex Teams). It offers a chat feature, meeting software, a collaborative whiteboard tool, and a planned calendar app. The whiteboard programme is great for collaborative creative work, and the chat app can employ graphics dynamically.
Depending on a business’s demands, Webex cost ranges from free to $25 per user each month.
12. Zoho Cliq
Similar functionality is offered by Zoho Cliq, although it has a distinct user interface. With Zoho Cliq, you are not constrained to just one conversation at a time but may open and view several windows and rooms at once. This may enable more efficient communication between several teams.
Limited functionality is available in the free version of Zoho Cliq, while unlimited features are available at $2.70 per user per month for a maximum of 500 users.
13. Ryver
Ryver combines task management with simple conversation features. Ryver enables limitless conversation searching so you may easily review previous messages rather than losing ideas to chat channels. The business claims that by serving as a substitute for both Slack and Trello, it is “two applications in one.”
Pricing for Ryver begins at $69 per month for 12 users.
14. Mattermost
You might want to take Mattermost into consideration if you’re in charge of a larger or technology-focused organization. This chat programme may also be deployed on your own servers and is completely configurable to your business’s requirements. You may choose between sections to suit your needs, but it includes basic communication and chat tools.
Both the free and professional tiers of Mattermost cost $10 per user each month.
How do chat applications work?
Using chat applications, employees may interact with one another, exchange insightful ideas, solve business issues, and better prepare for the future of their firm. They frequently provide chat capabilities, video conferencing services, task management tools, and other tools for managing communication and productivity.
Why are chat apps beneficial?
Chat applications are more effective than email for communication. Real-time communication between several employees makes for effective information exchange.
The following are some additional benefits of chat tools:
Fewer needless meetings:
Unneeded meetings are a productivity killer at the office. By giving users a handy method to get updates, a chat app can cut down on pointless get-togethers.
Mobile access:
Mobile applications for many chat platforms enable users to access the platform from their cellphones. With the help of this function, staff members may keep current when travelling.
Speedy communication:
While promoting shorter messages, chat applications feature useful alerting systems. It is possible to communicate with your coworkers quickly and simply.
Employee engagement:
Office emails can convey crucial corporate updates, but they can often be monotonous and difficult to read. Chat app message is brief, allowing for simpler, quicker communication that keeps workers focused.
Better task management:
Employees may create to-do lists and monitor the status of their most recent projects using a variety of chat applications. The capacity to regulate one’s workload facilitates goal-setting.
Clear communication is key
Minor misconceptions sometimes lead to more serious issues inside a firm. Even while they can provide clarification, phone conversations and emails sometimes take too much time for brief updates.
You have a platform for quick yet informed conversation with chat applications. By doing so, you maintain everyone’s interest in the business and communication with the whole team.