The 5 best Slack alternatives
Short answer
The best Slack alternatives are Loom, Zoom, Notion. Loom is our top pick — it scores 9/10 and is best for Async-first consultants and agencies. The right choice depends on your budget, team size, and which features matter most.
Why look for a Slack alternative?
Slack scores 8.8/10 in our review and works well for many teams — but it is not the right fit for everyone. The most common reasons readers look elsewhere:
- ✗Free plan caps message history at 90 days
- ✗Can become noisy and distracting without discipline
- ✗Paid plan pricing adds up quickly per seat
Slack alternatives, ranked
Loom
Top pickAsync video messaging for teams and clients
Loom lets you record and share screen + camera videos instantly. Hugely popular for async client communication, design feedback, project walkthroughs, and sales outreach. Saves hours of meetings every week.
Strengths
- ✓Eliminates unnecessary meetings
- ✓Dead simple to use
- ✓Viewer engagement analytics
Best for
- →Async-first consultants and agencies
- →Client communication and feedback
Zoom
Video conferencing that just works
Zoom is the dominant video conferencing platform for business. Nearly universal adoption means clients and prospects always have it installed. The free tier is generous but limits meetings to 40 minutes. Zoom also offers webinars, phone, and team chat.
Strengths
- ✓Universal adoption — clients always have it
- ✓Reliable video quality
- ✓Generous free tier for 1:1 calls
Best for
- →Client calls and discovery meetings
- →Team meetings and webinars
Notion
The connected workspace for notes, docs, and projects
Notion is a flexible workspace combining notes, docs, wikis, databases, and project management. Extremely popular with consultants and small teams as a client-facing wiki, internal knowledge base, and lightweight project tracker. Steep learning curve but limitless flexibility.
Strengths
- ✓Extremely versatile — replaces many single-purpose tools
- ✓Great for client-facing deliverable docs
- ✓Strong free tier
Best for
- →Consultants building client deliverables and SOPs
- →Solo operators centralizing their work
- →Knowledge-heavy businesses
Microsoft Teams
Chat, video, and collaboration for Microsoft 365 organizations
Microsoft Teams is the collaboration hub bundled with Microsoft 365 — combining persistent chat channels, video meetings, file storage via SharePoint, and integration with Word, Excel, and Outlook. For organizations already paying for Microsoft 365, Teams is included at no extra cost. It competes directly with Slack on messaging and Zoom on video. Teams is particularly strong in organizations with heavy Office document collaboration needs and in regulated industries where Microsoft's compliance certifications matter.
Strengths
- ✓Included with Microsoft 365 — no extra cost for existing subscribers
- ✓Deep Office integration — co-author Word and Excel docs in-meeting
- ✓Strong compliance and security certifications for regulated industries
Best for
- →Organizations already paying for Microsoft 365 who want communication included
- →Enterprises in regulated industries requiring Microsoft's compliance certifications
Whereby
Browser-based video meetings — no downloads, ever
Whereby is a video conferencing tool with a key differentiator: participants never download anything. Each room is a permanent URL — you share the link and anyone can join directly in their browser. For consultants who want to reduce friction in client meetings, this is significant. The free plan includes 1 permanent meeting room for unlimited 1:1 calls. Whereby also offers embedded video rooms, allowing you to host meetings directly inside your own product or website.
Strengths
- ✓No download required for any participant — join in any browser
- ✓Permanent room URL — share it once and it works every time
- ✓Embeddable into your own website or product
Best for
- →Consultants who want zero friction for client calls — no installs, no scheduling tools needed
- →Developers embedding video rooms inside their own product
Slack vs. the alternatives
Slack alternatives — FAQ
What is the best Slack alternative?
Loom is our top-rated Slack alternative, scoring 9/10. It is best for Async-first consultants and agencies.
Is there a free Slack alternative?
Yes — Loom, Zoom, Notion, Microsoft Teams, Whereby offer a free plan you can use to evaluate the tool before paying.