Softwr

Communication & Collaboration · head to head

Flock vs Namely

Flock logo

Flock

Communication & Collaboration

Organized team communication platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Namely logo

Namely

Payroll & Benefits

The HR platform that employees love

From
$18/employee/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Flock has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Flock the Starter plan only makes the most recent 10,000 messages searchable and caps public channels at 10; Namely limited customization for complex HR processes: workflows and customization options are limited compared to enterprise solutions
  • They diverge on capability: Flock covers Team chat, Namely covers HR Management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Flock and Namely actually diverge.

Attributes where Flock and Namely differ
AttributeFlockNamely
Starting priceFree$18/employee/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Macos, Ios, AndroidWeb
CategoryCommunication & CollaborationPayroll & Benefits
Founded20142012

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Flock

  • Team chat
  • Channels
  • Threads
  • File sharing
  • Polls
  • Integrations
  • Mobile apps
  • Zapier

Only in Namely

  • HR Management
  • Payroll
  • Benefits Administration
  • Time Off Management
  • Performance Management
  • Onboarding
  • Google Workspace
  • Microsoft 365

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Flock

  • Team messaging with channels, direct messages and file sharingnot Namely
  • Running polls, to-dos and reminders inside a chat workspacenot Namely
  • Video conferencing and screen sharing for small teamsnot Namely

Namely

No use cases recorded yet. See the Namely review.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Flock

  • The Starter plan only makes the most recent 10,000 messages searchable and caps public channels at 10
  • Starter storage is 5 GB for the entire team, against 10 GB per member on Pro and 20 GB per member on Enterprise
  • Starter allows a single team admin and a single approved domain
  • Group video calls and screen sharing require the Pro plan; Starter is limited to 1-1 video calls
  • Group video calls are capped at 20 participants even on Enterprise
  • Single Sign-On and Active Directory sync are Enterprise only
  • Enterprise is quote only, with no published rate, and is positioned for organisations with 100 or more members
  • Unlimited auto-join and announcement channels require Enterprise; Starter and Pro get one of each

Namely

  • Limited customization for complex HR processes: workflows and customization options are limited compared to enterprise solutions
  • Payroll limitations: better served for less complex organizations and struggles with complex time-and-attendance or multi-FEIN scenarios
  • Missing ATS and surveys: lacks built-in applicant tracking system and pulse survey capabilities
  • Slow support response times: pod-based support model has led to slow response times for customers
  • Designed for specific market segment: best fit is mid-sized companies with 50-350 employees

Pricing, plan by plan

Flock

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited chats
    • Channels
    • File sharing
  • Pro$5/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Advanced search
    • API access

Namely

$18/employee/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Namely review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Flock if

  • You need team chat.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
  • You also want channels.
Flock review

Choose Namely if

  • You need hr management.
  • You also want payroll.
Namely review

Questions people ask

Is Flock or Namely better?
Neither clearly leads. Flock starts at Free and Namely at $18/employee/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Flock or Namely?
Flock has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Flock and $18/employee/month for Namely.
Does Flock or Namely run on more platforms?
Flock runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android. Namely runs on Web.
Can I use Flock for free?
Yes. Flock has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Namely starts at $18/employee/month.
What is Flock best used for?
Flock is most often used for team messaging with channels, direct messages and file sharing, running polls, to-dos and reminders inside a chat workspace, video conferencing and screen sharing for small teams. Of those, team messaging with channels, direct messages and file sharing and running polls, to-dos and reminders inside a chat workspace are not what Namely is typically brought in for.
What can Flock do that Namely cannot?
Flock covers Team chat, Channels, Threads, File sharing. Namely covers HR Management, Payroll, Benefits Administration, Time Off Management. Both handle Slack, Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Namely: Does Namely support global payroll?

Namely primarily focuses on mid-sized US-based companies with 50-350 employees. While it can handle complex payroll scenarios, it is better served for less complex organizations and does not have extensive global payroll capabilities compared to enterprise platforms.

Source
Namely: What is included in Namely's Premium pricing?

Premium plans cost $18-24 per employee per month plus implementation fees of 10-25% of annual software costs. Plans include payroll, HR, benefits administration, time management, and talent management features.

Source
Namely: Does Namely include performance management features?

Yes, Namely offers customizable performance review modules enabling dynamic, ongoing feedback rather than traditional annual-only reviews. This is one of Namely's standout features.

Source
Namely: How long does Namely implementation typically take?

Namely is designed for mid-sized companies and implementation timelines vary based on complexity. The platform includes implementation fees of 10-25% of annual software costs in addition to monthly per-employee pricing.

Source
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Related pages

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