Communication · alternatives
Alternatives to Google Chat
22 communication tools sit alongside Google Chat in this directory. Below is what separates each from Google Chat on the figures we hold, price, model, tier count and rating, and a direct comparison for every one.
- Alternatives listed
- 22
- With a free tier
- 19
- Cheaper to start
- -
- Google Chat starts at
- On request
Why people look past Google Chat
Only what the record supports. Each point below is a figure on the Google Chat entry measured against the tools listed beside it.
There is no free tier
The record for Google Chat carries no free tier, so evaluating it means paying first. 19 of the 22 alternatives below can be used without paying.
What each alternative does differently
Ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry. Differences are drawn from price, pricing model, tier count and rating, the fields the category listing carries. For a feature-level difference, follow the head-to-head link on each card: those pages read both full records.
Video conferencing that's easy, reliable, and secure
- Can be used without paying; Google Chat cannot.
- Publishes an entry price of $14.99/month, where Google Chat does not.
Meet, chat, call, and collaborate in just one place
- Can be used without paying; Google Chat cannot.
- Publishes an entry price of $4/month, where Google Chat does not.
Record instantly, share anywhere
- Can be used without paying; Google Chat cannot.
- Publishes an entry price of $18/month, where Google Chat does not.
- Sold on a freemium model rather than subscription.
Connected cloud communications
- Can be used without paying; Google Chat cannot.
- Publishes an entry price of $39/month, where Google Chat does not.
Messaging app that dominates Japan, Taiwan and Thailand, now run by LY Corporation under joint SoftBank and Naver ownership
- Can be used without paying; Google Chat cannot.
- Sold on a Free to download, paid stickers and business messaging tiers model rather than subscription.
Chinese super-app combining messaging, payments, mini programs and identity, effectively required infrastructure in mainland China
- Can be used without paying; Google Chat cannot.
- Sold on a Free to download, transaction fees on payments model rather than subscription.
Every Google Chat alternative at a glance
A dash means the catalogue entry carries no figure, not that the answer is nothing.
| Tool | Entry price | Model | Tiers | Head to head |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Chat (this page) | On request | Subscription | - | |
| ZoomVideo conferencing that's easy, reliable, and secure | Free, then $14.99/month | Subscription | 4 | vs Google Chat |
| Microsoft TeamsMeet, chat, call, and collaborate in just one place | Free, then $4/month | Subscription | 4 | vs Google Chat |
| LoomRecord instantly, share anywhere | Free, then $18/month | Freemium | 3 | vs Google Chat |
| RingCentral VideoConnected cloud communications | Free, then $39/month | Subscription | 4 | vs Google Chat |
| Line | Free | Free to download, paid stickers and business messaging tiers | 1 | vs Google Chat |
| Free | Free to download, transaction fees on payments | 1 | vs Google Chat | |
| Messenger | Free | Free, funded by Meta's advertising business | 1 | vs Google Chat |
| Viber | Free | Free to download, paid business messaging and out calls to landlines and mobiles | 1 | vs Google Chat |
| KakaoTalk | Free | Free to download, paid emoticons, gifting and business messaging | 1 | vs Google Chat |
| Sessions | Free | Per user per month | 4 | vs Google Chat |
| Naver Works | Free, then 3000/month | Per user per month | 4 | vs Google Chat |
| Kakao Work | Free, then 2400/month | Per user per month | 4 | vs Google Chat |
| Novu | Free, then $30/month | Freemium | 3 | vs Google Chat |
| Courier | Free | Usage-based | 3 | vs Google Chat |
| Textline | Free | Freemium | 3 | vs Google Chat |
| Telegram | Free, then $4.99/month | Freemium | 2 | vs Google Chat |
| Twist | Free, then $6/month | Freemium | 2 | vs Google Chat |
| Vowel | Free, then $16.49/month | Subscription | 3 | vs Google Chat |
| Disciple | £599/month | Per month, flat fee with no transaction charge | 3 | vs Google Chat |
| Gupshup | $0.001/message | Per message sent | 1 | vs Google Chat |
| Mattermost | On request | Quote | - | vs Google Chat |
| LINE WORKS | Free, then 450/month | Per user per month | 3 | vs Google Chat |
Ratings are aggregated from third-party sources and imported with each catalogue entry; Softwr hosts no reviews of these products. How each figure is used is set out on the Google Chat badges page.
Cheaper ways to solve the same problem
Free to start (19)
These publish a tier that costs nothing, so they can be evaluated before any money changes hands.
- Zoom , Free, then $14.99/month
- Microsoft Teams , Free, then $4/month
- Loom , Free, then $18/month
- RingCentral Video , Free, then $39/month
- Line , Free
- WeChat , Free
- Messenger , Free
- Viber , Free
What you would be giving up
Google Chat is most often brought in for reducing email overload in healthcare operations for clinical decisions, summarizing regulatory news rapidly for compliance teams, consolidating messaging platforms to reduce software licensing costs, coordinating distributed global teams across time zones rapidly, collecting project references and decision history in searchable channels. Anything replacing it has to cover the ones you actually depend on, and a cheaper tool that misses one of them is not cheaper.
Two things this page cannot settle. It compares on price, model, tier count and rating, because those are the fields the category listing carries, feature-level differences need both full records, which is what the head-to-head pages load. And the ratings are third-party aggregates imported with each entry rather than reviews written here, so a 0.2 difference between two tools is noise rather than a finding.
If Google Chat is broadly right and the question is cost, the Google Chat pricing breakdown covers every tier and what each one adds. If you want the whole field rather than a shortlist, the Communication category lists everything the directory holds, and best communication tools ranks them.
Google Chat runs on not recorded. Platform coverage is not carried on the category listing for the alternatives, so it is one more thing to check on each head-to-head page rather than here.
Questions about Google Chat alternatives
- What are the main alternatives to Google Chat?
- 22 other communication tools are listed in this directory, led by Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Loom, RingCentral Video. They are ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry, not by any Softwr ranking.
- What is the best free alternative to Google Chat?
- 19 of the alternatives listed here can be used without paying: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Loom, RingCentral Video, Line.
- Why do people look for an alternative to Google Chat?
- On the figures on record, one thing stands out: there is no free tier. Each is set out with the numbers behind it above.
- What would I give up by switching from Google Chat?
- Google Chat is most often brought in for reducing email overload in healthcare operations for clinical decisions, summarizing regulatory news rapidly for compliance teams, consolidating messaging platforms to reduce software licensing costs, coordinating distributed global teams across time zones rapidly, collecting project references and decision history in searchable channels. Anything you replace it with has to cover the ones you actually rely on, the side-by-side comparisons linked from each alternative below put the two feature records against each other.
- Is there an open-source alternative to Google Chat?
- None of the communication tools listed here are recorded as open source. That is what the licence field on each entry says, and the field is not always filled in, so it is worth checking directly for any tool you are serious about.
- How were these Google Chat alternatives chosen?
- They are the tools filed in the same category, Communication, ordered by the aggregated rating on each entry. There is no editorial shortlist, and nothing on this page is paid: no sponsored placement runs on alternatives pages and the order cannot be bought. Softwr has not used these products.
- Where can I compare Google Chat against one of these directly?
- Every alternative below has a side-by-side page against Google Chat covering price, platforms, features and what each one is used for. Those pages read the full record for both products rather than the summary shown here.
- Does this list cover every communication tool?
- No. It covers what this directory holds in the Communication category, 22 tools beside Google Chat. The category page lists the rest of the catalogue as it grows.