The 6 Best Microsoft Teams Alternatives In 2024

The 6 best Microsoft Teams alternatives in 2024

Jonathan Davies

15 mins read

Table of Contents

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The previous year has been the year of working from home – the year in which collaboration platforms were on a super high. Companies by and large had to find ways of establishing a workflow that functions from home and anywhere else in the world, as working together from one office was impossible. The demand for digital workplace tools has increased and the usage of collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams has spiked over the past year. In April 2021, 145 million people used Microsoft Teams every day as their collaboration tool. To put the 145 million figure into context, Microsoft Teams had roughly 32 million daily active users at the start of the pandemic. What makes Microsoft Teams so popular?

In this article, we want to dive into everything you need to know about Microsoft Teams and present the 6 best Microsoft Teams alternatives. Are you ready? Then let's go.

How does an intranet work?

What is Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams, in short MS Teams, is the name of a collaboration and communication tool from the Microsoft company. It is deeply integrated into Microsoft products such as Microsoft 365 or Office 365 and offers a platform for digital communication and collaboration in the company. It’s an alternative to solutions such as the web-based instant messaging tool from the US company Slack Technologies, but offers a wider range of functions in terms of collaboration and other applications. Microsoft Teams had an enormous boost during 2020 when the pandemic led to many people working from home.

Is Microsoft Teams free to use?

Yes and no. You can use Microsoft Teams for free if you have a smaller company or a smaller team. Even without having an account of Office 365, Microsoft Teams still gives you an entire range of tools and applications in the free version. Once you sign up for the Office 365 E3 version, you’ll be able to use the full version of Microsoft Teams with all its benefits, such as unlimited cloud storage, online events with up to 10,000 participants, and the support of up to 500,000 users.

Microsoft Teams: Pros and cons

Before having a look at Microsoft Teams alternatives, let's quickly have a look at what Microsoft Teams actually offers. Below you'll find a list of the major Microsoft advantages and disadvantages.

Microsoft Teams pros:

No additional costs for users of Microsoft 365
Various integrations possible
Useful chat additions such as Trello, Google Drive, and Dropbox
Useful file search, backup, and collaboration on projects

Microsoft Teams cons:

Still too many (confusing) similar tools available
Everyone can create teams and, thus, uses a lot of storage space
Limited number of channels
Lack of notifications when teams have identical names
No unified search for all Microsoft 365 products

Microsoft Teams alternatives

Google Workspace

Google Workspace, formerly known as G Suite, consists of an extensive collection of various applications and services which can be used for any cloud-based work. Google Workspace accounts is an intelligent and, above all, efficient all-in-one solution as it combines a whole range of needed applications. The most famous of those are Gmail, Google Meet, Google Chat, and the appointment management application Google Calendar. Also included in Google Workspace is the cloud-sharing platform Google Drive, in which companies can save, organize and collaboratively work on shared files and Google Docs, which is commonly used to create documents, share them, and work on them together – no matter where teammates are based.

Apart from that, Google Workspace also offers a range of unknown tools such as Google Forms to organize forms and surveys, Google Keep for collaborative notes, Google Sites to easily install websites, and Google Currents, a social networking and engagement tool for companies.

Google Workspace offers various plans that can be used by individuals, small companies, and large enterprises. So everyone can basically choose whatever suits them best. With Google Workspace companies can not only organize their documents and meetings as it has a calendar integration, but entire teams can have virtual meetings and chats and call each other.

Pros of Google Workspace

Third-party integrations
Subscription-based plans for individual use
Google offers trainings to use their Workspace
An average of 15 GB data storage is given for free
Cloud-sharing of documents, slides, etc. is possible
Communication tool is included
Professional email is possible
Can be used offline

Cons of Google Workspace

Does not function as an intranet
When files are imported from external apps (i.e. Microsoft 360), formatting issues can occur
Google Meet is not the best tool for online meetings

Slack

Slack is one of the biggest winners of the pandemic, as the instant-messaging tool has been implemented in a large number of companies all around the world. Slack was launched way before Covid-19, in Vancouver, Canada, in 2009. Today, Slack calls San Francisco its home.

Slack brings all of your team's communication and collaboration together in a single place so you can get work done more effectively, whether you're part of a large company or a small business. Also, with Slack, it’s easy to check off your to-do list and move your projects forward by connecting the right people, conversations, tools, and information you need. Slack is available on any device, so you can access your team and your work anytime you're at your desk or on the go.

The collaboration and communication software Slack is super easy to use. Once signed up, you can join various workspaces and communicate with co-workers either with direct messages, or within channels or groups. It’s also easy to share documents within Slack, even though the tool does not offer a way of actually working in the document without integrating a third-party application such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or GitHub.

Pros of Slack

Has both a free and paid version
Communication via Slack can be organized in easy-to-use channels
Audio and video calls are also available
Numerous third-party apps can be integrated
Offers a search tool
5 GB of free storage

Cons of Slack

Not a tool for collaboration
Doesn't provide static information

Zoom

Zoom is a video conferencing and instant messaging tool that has been developed by Zoom Video Communications in 2011. Today, it’s the 5th most downloaded app in the world and counted about 477 million downloads in 2020.

Zoom can be used as a completely free version, but also offers a paid plan. Within the free version, you can organize meetings with up to 100 participants and calls of up to 40 minutes. Once you signed up for the paid version, you can invite up to 1,000 participants to meetings that can last up to 30 hours.

Pros of Zoom

Easy to use and offers one of the best user experiences
Individuals can join meetings easily by following a link – without being Zoom users
Meetings can be planned in Zoom
Screen-sharing is also available
During calls and courses, groups can be divided into different rooms, which is great for group work
Recording is easily possible
Whiteboard integration
Google Calendar support

Cons of Zoom

Subscriptions can easily cost thousands of dollars per month
Lack of comment control

WebEx

Cisco Webex is a provider of video conferencing, IP telephony, instant messaging, file transfer, and screen sharing. According to Cisco, about 3 billion meeting minutes are being realized using Webex per month by 52 million users. This makes Webex count as one of the most successful video conferencing tools in the world.

Pros of WebEx

Can be easily integrated into a hybrid cloud with unified communications applications
Flexible payment plans for companies 100+ WebEx users
WebEx meetings is the collaboration suite of Cisco with chat and whiteboard function as well as screen- and file-sharing
AI offers smooth use

Cons of WebEx

Limited customer support on the free and starter plans
Premium-priced except for stripped-down free meeting service

Wire

Wire is an instant-messaging tool for smartphones and tablets as well as for Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. Individual users can use Wire completely free of charge, whereas companies can choose between various subscription plans that start at a fee of €6 per month.

Pros of Wire

Standard end-to-end encryption for chats, group chats, video and audio telephony
Desktop version
Usable without phone number

Cons of Wire

Local backup not encrypted (Android only)
Video calls only run flawlessly in the paid version

Spike

Spike functions like WhatsApp but on an email basis. The major advantage of Spike is that internal communication is used to boost productivity and costly silos are being avoided.

Pros of Spike

Higher collaboration thanks to group chats based on emails
All-in-one solution for email, notes, and to-dos

Cons of Spike

Doesn't work as an intranet

Frequently asked questions about Microsoft Teams

Is Microsoft Teams worth it?
What is close to Microsoft Teams?
Is Google an alternative to Microsoft Teams?

How do you choose the best Microsoft Teams alternative?

Cooperative and collaborative work can be a true challenge, especially when teams are working from all around the world. When looking for the right tool for your projects or your company, it’s important that you think about what you need.

Would you like to learn more about intranet software?