Microsoft Teams alternatives: what to use when your assistants need more than chat

Five Teams alternatives, starting with ours: what each is best for, its price as listed, and the catch. Plus when Teams is still the right call.

Where Teams falls short for a team with remote assistants

Teams is a good meeting and chat app, and it comes inside Microsoft 365 Business plans. For an owner with one or two remote assistants, the gap is everything around the chat: the jobs your assistant repeats each week, the logins they use, and a report of what got done.

What to look for in a Teams alternative when you work with assistants

Full message history, so last month's instructions are still there
Calls with screen sharing, for walking your assistant through a task
A price the vendor publishes on its own website
A place for the work around the chat: routines, logins and the daily report

Five Teams alternatives side by side

Checked against each tool's own website on 7 October 2026. Prices are in US dollars, as each vendor lists them.

Crewhall: A business with one or more Catalyst assistants that wants their routines, logins and daily report next to the chat. / Not sold on its own. It comes with a Catalyst assistant placement.
Slack: Teams that want their chat connected to the rest of their tools. / Free plan; Pro US$7.25 per user a month billed yearly (US$8.75 monthly); Business+ US$15 (US$18 monthly).
Google Chat: Businesses already on Gmail and Google Drive. / Included with Google Workspace, from US$7 per user a month on Business Starter with a one-year commitment.
Zoom Workplace: Teams that already meet on Zoom and want chat in the same app. / Free Basic plan; Pro US$14.16 per user a month billed yearly; Business US$18.33.
Pumble: Small teams that want chat with full history at a low price. / Free for unlimited users; Pro US$2.49 per seat a month billed yearly (US$2.99 monthly); Business US$3.99.

1. Crewhall: Control who sees what, and see what got done

Our app, built for clients who work with Catalyst assistants: chat and calls with screen sharing, routines your assistant runs as steps, a shared login vault, end-of-day reports with hours, and SOPs, in one place.

Disclosure: Crewhall is ours. It's made by Catalyst, who publish this page.
Best for: A business with one or more Catalyst assistants that wants their routines, logins and daily report next to the chat.
Price: Not sold on its own. It comes with a Catalyst assistant placement.
Watch out: It runs in the browser on your computer or phone. There's no app-store app yet.
See Crewhall

2. Slack

Team chat with channels, threads, huddles and over 2,600 apps in its directory.

Best for: Teams that want their chat connected to the rest of their tools.
Price: Free plan; Pro US$7.25 per user a month billed yearly (US$8.75 monthly); Business+ US$15 (US$18 monthly).
Watch out: The free plan keeps 90 days of messages and allows one-to-one calls only.

3. Google Chat

Chat and spaces inside Gmail, part of Google Workspace with Meet, Drive and Calendar.

Best for: Businesses already on Gmail and Google Drive.
Price: Included with Google Workspace, from US$7 per user a month on Business Starter with a one-year commitment.
Watch out: It comes as part of a Workspace plan, so you pay for Gmail, Meet and storage too.

4. Zoom Workplace

Zoom's own suite: meetings, team chat, mail and calendar, with a free Basic plan.

Best for: Teams that already meet on Zoom and want chat in the same app.
Price: Free Basic plan; Pro US$14.16 per user a month billed yearly; Business US$18.33.
Watch out: Meetings on the free plan stop at 40 minutes.

5. Pumble

Slack-style team chat from CAKE.com, the makers of Clockify.

Best for: Small teams that want chat with full history at a low price.
Price: Free for unlimited users; Pro US$2.49 per seat a month billed yearly (US$2.99 monthly); Business US$3.99.
Watch out: Group calls and screen sharing start on Pro. The free plan has one-to-one calls only.

When to stay on Microsoft Teams

Stay on Teams if your business runs on Outlook, Word and Excel, or you host long meetings with clients. Teams Essentials is US$4 per user a month billed yearly, and Teams comes inside Microsoft 365 Business Basic at US$7, with a business email address.

Sources

Microsoft Teams: microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/compare-microsoft-teams-business-options, /essentials and /free, read 7 October 2026
Slack: slack.com/pricing, read 7 October 2026
Google Chat: workspace.google.com/products/chat and workspace.google.com/pricing, read 7 October 2026
Zoom Workplace: zoom.us/pricing, read 7 October 2026
Pumble: pumble.com/pricing, read 7 October 2026
Crewhall: the app itself, checked 7 October 2026

Frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to Microsoft Teams?

There isn't one best pick. Slack has over 2,600 apps, Google Chat comes with Workspace, Zoom Workplace is built around meetings and Pumble has the lowest listed price here. With remote assistants, also check where their routines and logins will live.

Is there a free alternative to Microsoft Teams?

Yes. Slack, Zoom Workplace and Pumble all have free plans. Slack Free keeps 90 days of messages, Zoom's free meetings stop at 40 minutes, and Pumble Free has full history with one-to-one calls.

Which Microsoft Teams alternative is best for small businesses?

It depends on what you already pay for. If you're on Google Workspace, Google Chat is already included. Pumble has the lowest listed price here, at US$2.49 per seat a month billed yearly.

Can I use Teams without Microsoft 365?

Yes. Teams Essentials is Teams on its own, at US$4 per user a month billed yearly, with meetings of up to 300 people.

Is Crewhall free?

Catalyst clients get it with their assistant placement. It isn't sold on its own, so there's no plan to buy.