Do I need separate apps for chat and video meetings?

Usually not. Most tools here combine persistent chat with built-in video, so a single platform can cover day-to-day messaging and meetings. Some teams still pair a chat-first tool like Slack with a dedicated meeting tool like Zoom when they run heavy external calls, but for many SMBs one platform is enough.

Should I just use what comes with my office suite?

Often yes. If you already pay for Microsoft 365, Teams is included, and Google Workspace includes Meet. Starting with the bundled option avoids extra per-seat costs and keeps files and calendars connected. Switch to a specialized tool only if you hit real limits in chat organization, integrations, or meeting features.

Are the free plans good enough for a small team?

For very small or early-stage teams, free tiers can work, but read the limits carefully. Common trade-offs include capped message history, reduced storage, shorter meeting lengths, or fewer integrations. Pumble is notable for unlimited chat history on its free plan, while others restrict how far back you can search.

What if we handle sensitive data or need to self-host?

Look at open-source, self-hostable platforms like Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, or Element, which let you keep messages on your own infrastructure and apply your own security controls. Troop Messenger also offers self-hosted deployment. These suit regulated industries or teams with strict data-residency requirements.

How do I pick between two finalists?

Run a short real-world trial with both. Move one active project into each tool for a week or two, invite the people who'll actually use it, and test the parts that matter most, such as search, notifications, mobile apps, and joining a call from an outside device. The tool your team keeps reaching for is usually the right choice.

Best Team Chat & Video Software (2026)

Team chat and video software is where a modern small business actually gets work done: quick questions that would clog an inbox, project channels that keep decisions in one searchable place, and video calls for the conversations that need faces and screens. Most tools blend persistent messaging, huddles or meetings, file sharing, and integrations with the apps you already use, so the goal is fewer scattered emails and less time hunting for context.

An SMB needs this because informal coordination doesn't scale. Once you're past a handful of people, decisions get lost, remote and hybrid teammates fall out of sync, and clients expect faster turnaround. A shared workspace with history, notifications, and calling replaces a tangle of texts, emails, and one-off video links.

To choose well, start with how your team actually communicates. If you meet clients over video all day, prioritize meeting quality and ease of joining. If you live in channels, prioritize search, threading, and integrations. Factor in which office suite you already pay for (Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace often includes a capable option), your budget per seat, and any security or data-residency requirements. Then trial two finalists with a real project before committing the whole team.

Our top Team Chat & Video Meetings picks

Who each pick is actually for

Two facts below, both arithmetic rather than opinion, taken from the review scores in our catalog. Neither is a recommendation, and a high score from a small group of users is a different claim from a high score at scale, so the sample size is shown alongside every figure.

Most reviewed, and highest rated

Slack

4.7 across 24,152 reviews

Slack leads on both counts here, holding the largest sample in the category and the highest score in it, on a base big enough that the number is not going to move. The caveat is what the number measures. Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Zoom mostly arrive bundled with something the company already bought, so a lot of their feedback comes from people who never chose them, and defaults rate worse than decisions. The decision costs $7.25 per user per month, because the free plan hides every message older than 90 days.

None of that decides it for you

Clients should not have to install anything: Whereby - A persistent room link that opens in a browser tab, free for one room and $8.99 per host for three with recording and branding. There is no team chat between meetings, so this sits next to your chat tool rather than replacing it.
Your chat has to answer customers as well as colleagues: Rocket.Chat - Open source with omnichannel built in, so website live chat and internal channels land in the same inbox instead of two subscriptions. Free and self-managed up to 50 users, at the cost of running, updating, and backing it up yourself.
The group is a community, not a payroll: Discord - Always-on voice channels people drop into, free at any size, which is the shape creator communities and volunteer groups actually need. There is no real admin, compliance, or SSO story, so keep anything a company would have to produce in a dispute somewhere else.
You run training sessions and webinars most weeks: Zoho Meeting - Webinars, recordings, and transcripts from $1 per host on the 10-participant tier, against per-host pricing elsewhere that assumes video is your largest software cost. The rate climbs with participant capacity up to 250, so price it at the room size you actually fill rather than the one you hope for.
Chat, tasks, and polls should not be three subscriptions: Flock - To-dos, polls, and video sit inside the messenger at $4.50 a user, so a small team stops paying separately for a task tracker it barely fills. You give up the integration library the incumbents have, and video gets shaky on larger groups.
Messages must be encrypted and stay in your jurisdiction: Element - End-to-end encrypted Matrix, self-hostable and federated across organizations, which is why public sector and defense buyers end up here rather than on a US cloud. Free if you host it and $5 a user if you do not, and self-hosting genuinely needs an operations person.
You want unlimited history without paying per seat for it: Pumble - Unlimited users and unlimited message history on the free plan, which is precisely the feature Slack's free tier withholds. Video conferencing is gated behind the $3.99 Business tier, so budget for that or pair it with a separate meetings tool.

What to look for

Fit with your existing stack: if you already pay for Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, a bundled option may cover most needs at no extra cost.
Chat depth: channels, threaded replies, search across history, and message retention that matches how your team organizes work.
Meeting quality: call reliability, screen sharing, guest access, and how easily outside clients can join without downloads.
Integrations and automation: connections to your CRM, help desk, file storage, and tools like calendars and task managers.
Security and data control: encryption, admin controls, compliance certifications, and self-hosting if you handle sensitive data.
Pricing and free tier: per-seat cost as you grow, plus limits on history, storage, and meeting length on lower plans.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need separate apps for chat and video meetings?: Usually not. Most tools here combine persistent chat with built-in video, so a single platform can cover day-to-day messaging and meetings. Some teams still pair a chat-first tool like Slack with a dedicated meeting tool like Zoom when they run heavy external calls, but for many SMBs one platform is enough.
Should I just use what comes with my office suite?: Often yes. If you already pay for Microsoft 365, Teams is included, and Google Workspace includes Meet. Starting with the bundled option avoids extra per-seat costs and keeps files and calendars connected. Switch to a specialized tool only if you hit real limits in chat organization, integrations, or meeting features.
Are the free plans good enough for a small team?: For very small or early-stage teams, free tiers can work, but read the limits carefully. Common trade-offs include capped message history, reduced storage, shorter meeting lengths, or fewer integrations. Pumble is notable for unlimited chat history on its free plan, while others restrict how far back you can search.
What if we handle sensitive data or need to self-host?: Look at open-source, self-hostable platforms like Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, or Element, which let you keep messages on your own infrastructure and apply your own security controls. Troop Messenger also offers self-hosted deployment. These suit regulated industries or teams with strict data-residency requirements.
How do I pick between two finalists?: Run a short real-world trial with both. Move one active project into each tool for a week or two, invite the people who'll actually use it, and test the parts that matter most, such as search, notifications, mobile apps, and joining a call from an outside device. The tool your team keeps reaching for is usually the right choice.