In 2016, Uber made an unexpected move and left Slack for Mattermost. The ridesharing company needed an enterprise-grade collaboration tool which Slack couldn’t provide. Hence, Uber decided to create its messaging solution on Mattermost.  In 2017, both Uber and Mattermost joined hands to implement an upgrade of Mattermost platform, and it eventually met Uber’s need for an uber team communication application.  Uber’s Shift from Slack makes one question its status as ‘the pioneer of collaboration tools’ and also look for leading alternatives like MatterMost.  Facing a similar issue of asynchronous chat management, Akamai – the world’s leading content delivery network service provider – was also looking for a better alternative to HipChat, Slack, and Microsoft teams until they tried Zulip. Akamai’s search for a perfect application for their organization ended with ‘Zulip’ because of its exclusive ‘threading features,’ which was a massive win for a large organization like Akamai. Uber and Akamai’s Shift to Mattermost and Zulip are the testimony to the fact that they both are the next-gen team communication application – yet to be exploited by the masses, but promising enough to make one anticipate of the uber-cool features that will make communication easy and collaboration too much fun!   Disclaimer: We are moving Troop Messenger to self-hosted for larger enterprise and government corporations. Since there are so many self-hosted chats applications out there, we’ve started this to perform an in-depth analysis of our competitors with their pros and cons from a customer’s perspective and tried to come up with a better, cleaner and more user-friendly chat alternative. We have an entire article with the results of competitors’ research, covering our feedback on various alternatives. However, this time we would like to focus on two rivals: the well-known Zulip and Mattermost. Zulip and Mattermost: NextGen Team Chat applications   Zulip Zulip is an emerging leader of business collaboration tools. Known for its killer email threading model, Zulip assures its user to efficiently catch up on the important notifications and conversations while muting the irrelevant ones. Zulip has made a mark among great many collaboration applications and known for providing the advantages of real-time chat. No other application is known for handling synchronous and asynchronous communication as intuitively as Zulip does.    Mattermost  Mattermost, as open-source messaging software, has earned the trust of millions of users. Not only does it allow the users to create an intuitive workspace but also collaborate across teams without worrying about data privacy or security. A great number of high-security enterprises have been working through Mattermost by connecting their team and deploying automation for maximum benefit. Why are we comparing Mattermost with Zulip?  There are plenty of team communication and collaboration apps. And Slack is already ruling the charts. It’s apparent for readers to wonder why we are discussing Mattermost and Zulip when there are bosses like Slack, HipChat, Skype and RocketChat.   Every organisation is different in terms of functionality, collaboration requirements, team engagement. ‘One Size fits all’ is a myth and definitely not applicable to business collaboration requirements.   People today need greater choice, and that is where the one-size-fits-all approach comes to an end.   Slack and other similar tools of the same calibre are indeed great but they lack certain specific features that can be accomplished through employing either Zulip or Mattermost.   Hence, there’s an imminent need to try out different tools, compare their features, understand how they can be utilised to their full potential, and find the one that fits your business requirements to the fullest.  Mattermost Vs.   Zulip: Unbiased Analysis of all features Since these two emerging tools are locking horns to compete and win the tag of ‘Next-Gen Team Collaboration Tools,’ a lot of users fail to decide which one is worth their money and time.   Hence, we decided to ease the problem by conducting an unbiased review of both these tools, reflect on all their pros and cons to give prospective users a reflection on what to expect with Zulip and Mattermost.   Mattermost vs Zulip chat   1. Implementation 2. Messaging and Communication 3. API and Integrations 4. Pricing and Plans 5. Supporting OS and devices 6. Notification 7. Search 8. Security   1. Implementation  Onboarding and implementation of Zulip for enterprise use are simple. It can be done in a few simple steps. The users need either a Debian or Ubuntu system to meet installation requirements.   Zulip Step 1: Zulip users can install the latest version from the website. The pre-release version can also be installed using codes provided in the GitHub repository. Step 2: In order to set up Zulip, a user will need to run the installer and Zulip’s dependencies. There are multiple installer options, using which one can choose whether or not they want to obtain an SSL certificate for the server.  Step 3: After the install, you can either import data from the Slack, HipChat, or similar server or simply follow the prompts to set up a Zulip organisation and an admin account as well.  Step 4: Get the collaboration started through the tutorials provided on setting up outgoing emails, adding team members, maintaining Zulip server, and configuring other third-party applications.   Mattermost For Mattermost Implementation, there are multiple steps to follow-through. The steps are longer as compared to Zulip but easier to follow. Here’s what you need to do for installation: Step 1: Create a System Architecture Document including server, IP addresses, and network diagram.   Step 2: Collect the required documentation and software for proper implementation.   Step 3: Build the deployment environment including staging, development, and staging.   Step 4: Install Mattermost and all it component software including MySQL, Nginx, and PostgreSQL.   Step 5: Test the deployment by creating and automating tests provided.   Step 6: Bulk load data from a JSON file through bulk loading feature. You can import teams, users, channels, posts, and direct messages.   Step 7: Implement a backup feature to protect all your data by storing it in Mattermost database.   Step 8: Enable multi-factor authentication for robust security and data encryption.   Step 9: Train the administrators on managing matter most.   Step 10: Onboard the users.  Our Verdict Zulip Implementation: 4/5  It’s easy, not exhaustive, and very simple. Zulip implementation doesn’t require thorough technical knowledge.   Mattermost Implementation: 5/5   Mattermost sure has an exhaustive protocol for implementation but it’s the encryption and multi-factor authentication guaranteed at the forefront that earns a user’s trust. 2. Messaging and Communication Messaging and calling are the most important features of business collaboration tools, and thus, cannot be neglected.   Zulip   When it comes to messaging, Zulip sure is a surprise. With multiple messaging features, it leads the collaboration in a very intuitive manner. Some of the exciting features of Zulip’s messaging include: Markdown optimized threads for chat Inline image, tweet previews, and videos Quote and Code blocks Customised and automatic linking     Mattermost   Mattermost ensures a modern communication platform for organisations that are privacy-conscious. Its speciality lies in being able to assure a highly secure messaging platform.   Real-Time Messaging and data sharing through the DevOps Lifecycle Discussion, bots, files, and tools together in a shared and central workspace  Have complete control over the data No third-party monitoring of messages sent over Easy-to-deploy solution for managing communication    Our Verdict Zulip Messaging: 5/5   Mattermost Messaging: 4/5    3. API and Integrations Through APIs and Integrations, the teams can use either of these platforms as an all-in-one application to cater to diverse communication and collaboration needs.   Zulip Integrations Zulip supports over a hundred native integrations with third-party applications and simultaneously allows the users to integrate many more services, making the platform an all-round tool:   Integrations: Receive update and alerts from selected services with off-shelf integration for GitHub, Jenkins, Nagios, and many more. Integrations from a great many categories including communication, marketing, HR, monitoring, and productivity tools. API: Zulip ensures RESTful API associated with python binding that makes integration receiving and sending very easy. Zulip’s Zapier Integration: Allows integration of new services without the need to write specific code.     Mattermost Integrations  Mattermost ensures powerful and seamless integrations that accelerate workflows by helping the teams to do more and get things done faster. Some of the popular categories under which Mattermost supports integrations are:   Business Operations: Analytics plugin, Antivirus plugins, Bitbucket, and etc. Deployment and Configuration: Ansible Playbook Installer Communication: Amazon AWS SNS Plugin and BigBlueButton Plugin Design: Watermark Plugin and Draw Plugin File Management: File List, Cloud App, and Gyazo plugin Project Management: BotKube and BitBucket Productivity: Appear.in, Autolink Plugin, and Auto Translation Plugin Security & Compliance: Profanity Filter Plugin    Our Verdict Zulip Integrations: 4.5/5  Mattermost Integrations: 4.5/5    4. Pricing and Plans Both the applications have free plans that interest users to opt for a free trial and analyse how effective each can be for their organization’s communication and virtual collaboration needs.  Zulip has plans to suit the requirement of various teams. Plans made for small teams are cheaper and has limited features, and plans designed to curate the needs of large enterprises meet the full-fledged requirements for virtual collaboration.   Zulip Cloud Pricing   Free Plan: Allows unlimited access to Zulip with a file storage capacity of 5 GB Standard Plan: Priority commercial access to Zulip with a file storage capacity of 10 GB, priced at $6.67 per user per month.     Zulip On-Premise   Community Support: Self-service installation, LDAP directory integration, and all standard features of Zulip. This plan is open source and free. Enterprise Plan: Self-service installation, LDAP directory integration, and all standard features of Zulip with high availability assistance. For an enterprise plan, pricing varies depending on the support required.     Mattermost Mattermost has two plans dedicated to serving both small and large scale companies, and each plan offers state-of-the-art scalability and security standards.   Enterprise E10: E10 package, available at $3.25 per user per month, is ideal for small-scale companies needed data security. Enterprise E20: E20 package, available at $8.50 per user per month, is ideal for high-trust enterprises and organisations from regulated industries.    Our Verdict Zulip Pricing: 4.5/5  Mattermost Pricing: 4.5/5    5. Supporting OS and devices   Zulip With Zulip, the users get to seamlessly switch from different devices, operating software, and web-based operation.   Mobile Application: Zulip is available as a mobile application for Android, iOS, and Windows devices. Desktop Application: Zulip is available as a desktop application for android, macOS, Linux, and Windows devices. Browser: Zulip works great in a pinned browser tab and also multi-desktop chat applications like Franz and Rambox.      Mattermost Mattermost is an open-source and self-hosted application that can be accessed on multiple devices.   Mobile Application: Mattermost is available as a mobile application for Android, iOS, and Windows devices. Desktop Application: Mattermost is available as a desktop application for android, macOS, Linux, and Windows devices.    Our Verdict Zulip Supporting: 5/5   Mattermost Supporting: 4/5    6. Notification Notifications are pop-ups that appear and notify a user of any event, mentions, or activities in the application. In both these tools, notifications can be configured as required by the end-user.    Zulip   Zulip is known for it’s highly configurable and easily-ordered notifications. Users can change notifications and push-ups texts as per their preferences, schedules, and office hours. Exciting notification features of Zulip include:   Audible notifications Do Not Disturb mode Stream-Wide announcements Emails for the missed and important messages Alert words @-mentions for specific tasks or users Optional weekly emails Desktop Notifications     Mattermost    Notification Configuring with Mattermost is easy. There are different types of notifications including mobile push notifications, a browser tab notification, email notifications, and muted notifications. When a user joins a team, Mattermost will notify them for the following things:   Direct messages sent to the user Use of any specific keyword or mentions Mention of the user’s name in a channel Notification when using @all and @channel    Our Verdict Zulip Notifications: 4/5  Mattermost Notifications: 3/5    7. Search With search features, application users can find specific texts that match the search terms entered in the search bar of a channel or thread.     Zulip   With Zulip, Search within a synchronous and an asynchronous chat is made simple through the multiple keyboard shortcuts. It assures effective communication through the use of text editor, and promote the use of keyword through keyboard shortcuts. Mastering a few shortcuts can totally change a Zulip user’s experience:   The basics: Commands for sending a reply to a message, new private message, new unread topic. Navigation: Commands for searching messages, previous message, first message, text message, scroll up and search people Narrowing: Commands for narrowing to an unread topic, private messaging, PM conversation, and unread PM conversation. Composing messages: Commands for replying only to the author, new stream message, and quote to the author. Message actions: Commands for editing last message Drafts: Commands for toggling to drafts view Menus: Commands for toggling the shortcuts and gear menu Streams settings: Commands for scrolling through the stream and creating a new stream.     Mattermost    Search features in Mattermost can be used for finding messages and specific replies that match the search terms entered by the users. Exclusive Mattermost search terms are:   Search modifiers like ‘from: username’ to return results from a certain user Search from Archived channels Multiple-word search terms Before and After tags to find messages from a specific date Quotation marks for finding search results for exact terms Exclusion features to exclude certain post from search results. Hashtags for a post containing that hashtag    Our Verdict Zulip Search: 5/5  Mattermost Search: 4.5/5    8. Security   Zulip Zulip’s security system covers all aspects to ensure the information is protected and treated as the highest priority. Some of the security basics include: Zulip clients need TLS encryption and also authentication over HTTPS The on-premise offering of Zulip can be hosted behind a firewall All Zulip authenticated API has a built-in rate that prevents DoS attacks Zulip ensures configurable access control policies Integrated single-sign-on with GitHub, Google, and Active Directory Admins can configure a user’s ability to edit or remove a sent text.     Mattermost  Mattermost is known for its secure, regulated, and encrypted platform. It’s one of the tools security-conscious companies can easily rely on. It’s so secure that a large number of influential countries have been using it for safeguarding their national security. Mattermost Security features include:   Internal data storage on MySQL and PostgreSQL, which means the database a user owns TLS encryption with 2048-bit RSA Multi-factor authentication Single-sign-on Certificate-based authentication without and with SAML Secure installation in the user’s data center with advanced security options The operation behind the firewall No need to share Active Directory over the public network    Our Verdict Zulip Security: 3/5   Mattermost Security: 5/5    Zulip Vs. Mattermost: key takeaways   Zulip Specialty: Extraordinary efficiency at managing both synchronous and asynchronous chat through highly effective email modelling.   Mattermost  Specialty: High-trust messaging tool and most-compelling software for security-conscious companies and developers Over to You Now And if you’re looking for an all-rounder application, try Troop Messenger.   Indeed, both Zulip and Mattermost qualify as great team collaboration tools, but with Troop Messenger, you get the specialty features offered by both these applications, and also the ones that are missing.   With Troop Messenger, you can do a lot more than simple collaboration. For instance, look at these killer features:   Burnout: Chat with your team member's confidentiality within a private chat window. Your chats are not stored anywhere, which allows users to have privacy for a stipulated time period.   Orange Member: Have a hassle-free chat with external members like vendors, customers, who you can add to your Troop Messenger ID, and make them a part of an organization, with features and control access only admin can decide.   Recall Message: Regret sending a message or wanted to send it to someone else? With Troop Messenger, you never have to worry about this, because recall features allow you to delete sent messages.   Forkout: Pick different teammates and groups to share a message in just one go.   Splashboard: A board where you can find all the functional features of Troop Messengers and learn how to use it best.   Troop Messenger surprises its users with great features and enhancements with its every latest version updates. The recent release has come up with interesting feature updates; those including wallpapers, advanced notifications, font-size selections, the complete application help seen and accessed from the app itself, TM Bulletin that sends app news, respond later feature, with few UI changes. Check out the app today to experience the change.   We’ve aligned three leading team chat apps for you, with an unbiased analysis of all features of Zulip and Mattermost, and simultaneously briefing Troop Messenger has it all, alongside the above 5 distinctive features.   Take a close look to understand which one suits them best, and has the potential to do the required job for your office collaboration needs. You are the best judge, after all!   

In 2011, Microsoft acquired Skype for $8.5 billion and turned it into a terrific program for voice and video communication and a winning investment.   In 2018, Slack signed a contract with AWS to spend at least $250 million a year for five years to enrich the Slack platform and take the ‘business collaboration software market’ by storm.   Now, Slack and Skype are locking horns to win the title of ‘best office communication and collaboration tool,’ and their target users are to decide their fate.    A major shift is coming up for businesses that were using collaboration tools like Flock and Microsoft Teams, and whether they're ready or not, Skype will be taking over Microsoft Teams by 2021.   The rivalry for domination is so strong that it took us a long time to analyze all the aspects of these ultimate business collaboration tools. We have made the comparisons and announced our verdict.    It’s time for you to check it out!    With Skype, users can talk, collaborate, and chat   Before virtual collaboration tools came into the picture, Skype was the most popular business collaboration software. Its main function is video calling. For remote business meetings, quick roundups, and any sort of communication with remote clients, Skype was a go-to application. Businesses and employers all over the world were heavily dependent on this tool for instant team communication.    With Slack, there is a guarantee for efficient teamwork, seamless collaboration, and streamlined integration.     In 2013, Slack evolved as a promising business collaboration and communication tool, and within a couple of years, the tool changed the team chat scenario altogether. It was not the first application of its kind because, by the time Slack was launched, HipChat was already competing with Skype. But Slack sure managed to create the buzz by creating a powerful network of people, and in no time, it became the office chat app everyone was talking about. Slack vs Skype   1.  Implementation 2.  Messaging and calls 3.  Integrations and File Sharing 4.  Pricing 5.  Supporting OS and Devices 6.  Notification 7.  Search What’s the Fuss all about: Why we are comparing Slack with Skype? Since both these bosses are ruling the office chat app market and earning reputable reviews, businesses that are new to remote collaboration, often find it difficult to make a choice and pick one out of these two stalwarts.    Finding appropriate internal communication software for your team depends mainly on the type of business, company size, and the collaboration features your team will need.    Through this article, we aim to give readers a clear picture of what to expect from which tool. We plan to do this by sharing a brief analysis of each feature of both Skype for Business and Slack.    This breakdown of how Slack compares to Skype in terms of all important features is the only thing you need to make a final decision with respect to your business collaboration needs.    Let’s get started! 1.  Implementation One common thing with the deployment of both Slack and Skype is that the overall project can be broken down into small and manageable phases, and an easy transition from one stage to another. It is important to remember that both these tools require three basic components for effective deployment: people, process, and technology.  Skype An admin can decide whether they should make the Skype app available to all users.    To control whether or not all company members should get Skype, the admin needs to sign up to Microsoft 365 admin center and choose the software they want to be available for users.   Admin can then ask the team members to Install the Skype for Business application on their PCs or their local network. Using the Office Deployment Tool, they can also download Microsoft 365, and Microsoft 365 pro-plus to control certain aspects of implementation like version and language.     Slack  Onboarding with admin and team members on Slack can be done in eight simple steps, including: Build a launch team, where the admin decides the role of each user. For example, the project manager, workspace owner, change team, business owner and etc.  Set up the workplace by changing settings and preferences before the app is launched company-wide. The Slack ‘settings and permission’ page has a full menu of settings that can be used to create a customized Slack desktop for users.  The third step involves creating a channel guide that manages all the channels and ensures everyone stays on the topic.  The next step involves training the users by onboarding them in a small group, explaining all the features, and then gradually expanding the teams or departments.  The final step involves inviting everyone on the board and getting started.   Verdict on Implementation: Slack indeed won us over for a very simplified process of onboarding, which not only helps admins to train the users but also allows flexible addition of entire groups. 2. Messaging and calls   Skype The best thing about Skype is that users can send a text or call a member or colleague at work, directly, with Skype credit. It’s a useful function considering the expensive international and roaming plans for communication with colleagues working remotely.    Skype is known for smart messaging and calling features: One can call mobiles and landlines at great low rates through Skype Credit.  Skype offers local numbers for 26 countries at a flat fee for unlimited incoming calls.  Users can send direct texts anytime and anywhere with Skype. @mentions feature is available to grab a user’s attention  Skype is known for its crystal clear and unmatched audio and video calls. Skype has a background blur feature that blurs a user’s background, leaving them on a focal point during video calls. Skype has a call-forwarding option as well.  Users can enable captions and subtitles during the video or audio conference.   Slack   Slack allows both face-to-face and also face-to-screen communication features. Users can collaborate and communicate from anywhere and get work done faster.    Collaboration over the internet from anywhere.   Screen sharing during video calls and conferences for easy communication of complex ideas. One-to-one messaging  Group Messaging via multiple channels  Slack allows users to create their own channels where they can set reminders, organize tasks, and create to-do lists as well.    Verdict on Messaging and Calls: If your business demands frequent calls to international mobile and landline numbers, Skype has to be the pick here. Slack lacks this feature. Furthermore, the features like background blurring and call forwarding are also missing in Slack.  3. Integrations and File Sharing  Skype Skype allows easy collaboration through documents, photos, and video sharing in different formats.     Using Ctrl+F (on Windows) and Command+F (on Mac) users can search within the conversation. File sharing up to 300 MB Drag and Drop into the conversation window. Skype extension feature for sharing articles, news, and favorite pages with Skype contact. Since Skype comes under Microsoft Office 365 plan, the integration will all MS Office tools are only one click away. It includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook.   Slack Slack is the collaboration master. When a user shares files within a channel, they can add details and captions, and do a lot more than sharing.    Add context and details you don’t get while browsing the folders Photos, Videos, Files, documents, and cloud storage (Google Drive and Dropbox) can be shared anytime, anywhere within desktop apps and mobile. Teams can collaborate on large files and finesse the product with document sharing. File and conversations, in Slack, flow in searchable spaces. Drag and Drop sharing  Safe and secure file storage  The Enterprise plan of Slack allows integration with Salesforce, Zendesk, ADP, G-Drive, and many more tools.   Verdict on Integration and File Sharing: Slack takes the lead here. Features like adding context to files and collaboration on larger files make it a better option for teams that rely heavily on document sharing.  4. Pricing Skype  Skype is a part of the Microsoft Office plan. It is also available as a free communication tool for personal use, but businesses need to purchase the paid plan for remote collaboration and communication needs.    Free trial for 30 days  Office 365 Business Essentials plan starts at $5.00 per user per month Office 365 Business Premium plan starts at $12.50 per user per month Online Plan 2 starts at $5.50 per user per month     Slack Slack has packages for small to medium-sized companies.  It also has a free plan for small teams willing to try Slack for an unlimited period of time.    Free plan available for a team of ten members  For teams willing to make Slack the hub of all communication, the Standard plan starts at $2.67 per user per month (India) For businesses that require SSO and guaranteed uptime, the Plus plan is available at $5 per user per month (India)   Verdict on pricing Slack is indeed cheaper than Skype. It is cost-effective and appeals to small businesses and medium-sized teams.  5. Supporting OS and Devices  Skype Skype is available for both Desktop and Mobile use. Supporting OS and devices of Skype include:   Skype for Mac Skype for Linux  Skype for Windows 10 Skype for Linux RPM Skype for Linux DEB  Skype for Alexa  Skype for Web Skype for Mobile Skype for Tablet Skype for Xbox   Slack Slack is available as a desktop app, mobile app, and web browser application as well.  1. Desktop Apps OS:  Mac OS X  Windows  Linux  2. Mobile App OS: iOS Android  3. Web Browser: Chrome  Firefox  Safari  Microsoft Edge   Verdict on supporting devices and OS: It’s a tie. Skype can be a great pick since it can be accessed from Xbox, Alexa, and Tablets as well. Slack is great too because apart from mobile and desktop apps, it can also be accessed directly from the browser.  6. Notification Notifications keep users informed about events that need their attention. When implementing the tool for team collaboration, notifications are an important feature to consider: Skype   Skype notifications can be managed from the settings tabs. Users can control push notifications as per their preferences. Missed chat or call reminders sent as the Email notification  Do Not Disturb setting for chat and call notifications  Scheduled call notification  In-app sounds can be change  Notifications can be muted for specific chats Poll-Notifications   Slack    Slack notifies users of messages that are directed to them. You get a notification when the user gets a DM, is mentioned by someone in a channel, receives a reminder from the Slack bot, or when someone uses their keywords. Key notification features to consider: Notifications can be configured  Users can change their preference for notification appearance and sound  A badge appears before an unread notification  Notification in the taskbar means a teammate has sent a DM Notifications can be set for DM-specific and group-specific Users who are inactive on Slack receive email notifications     Verdict on Notifications Skype wins over Slack. Both these apps can be customized in terms of notifications and a lot can be managed. A lot of users complain about Slack’s notifications, which sometimes can be overwhelming. Skype’s DND saves a great deal of annoyance.  7. Search Accessing adequate information is key to working faster and smarter and increasing productivity, and hence it is an important feature to consider.  Skype   Search the messages or specific text in windows Using Ctrl+F  Search the messages or specific text in Mac with Command+F  To find a file, just click the gallery in a chat name, and see segregated files, links, videos, and photos in the conversation.    Slack    In Slack, once you can start a search by clicking on the search icon in the top right corner of the chat or bar. Search modifiers can be added for narrowing the search. For example: to search for a specific conversation, use modifiers like channel name in the search bar. Search results can be filtered on the basis of relevancy and dates.    Verdict on Search: Slack takes the lead. Where Skype’s search features are very basic, Slack has an advanced search feature which is a must-have for all business collaboration.  Skype vs Slack: key takeaway As we said before, both these tools are the bosses. Skype shines when it comes to audio and video calls and Office 365 tools, and Slack wins us over with integration options.  Nobody knows your business better than you. So, we are going to let you decide the best, considering the features compared above.  And if the information was mind-boggling, and left you overwhelmed, here’s the condensed verdict as the key takeaway: An ideal Skype Customer could be a company that relies heavily on audio and video-call conferences, where calls need to be made irrespective of internet connectivity. And it’s a perfect pick for businesses that need real-time access and collaboration on Office 365 applications. For businesses that function through Excel, Powerpoint, and Outlook, Skype is a preferred choice.    A typical Slack client could be companies that rely on integrations with third-party tools. Since Slack allows over one thousand integrations, it can be the right choice for businesses needing additional features or functionalities. If your team members need to chat on diverse topics and projects, Slack is the best choice. With Slack’s ability to create multiple channels, the team can collaborate on multiple projects and also access references faster through advanced search filters.    And if you want a tool that offers everything including quality video calls, video conferencing,  file sharing, desktop sharing, work scheduling, and integrations, you should definitely consider Troop Messenger - an indigenous communication app for worldwide use. With Troop Messenger, you get all the contemporary features for addressing your business needs and necessities. Not only can you make unlimited groups, and send one-on-one messages, but also recall the sent messages, use advanced single search filters, retrieve messages across time, make favorite users, and create a splashboard.    This business collaboration software also has features like live location sharing, confidentially chat windows, and data recording features. There are a lot more great things that you can do with Troop Messenger.    At Troop Messenger, we strive to enhance the user experience through our robust R&D.  We invite you to give Troop Messenger a try and see how this new-age ‘slack and Skype alternative’ ends your search for the best team collaboration tool. 

Are you curious about the best Skype Business Alternatives?   You can find them here in this blog explaining to you the top 11 video conferencing software that is widely used across the globe with their cons and pricing.   Skype, the most-used app in the world for Video Conferencing! But, there are few whispering ears doing rounds about its security issues. Therefore, users started saying that, “it is neither the best nor the only option to go with.”   Keep reading to know the best Skype alternatives that come under the best video calling software. Check them out.   Technological advancements have the uncanny strength of pushing over top-performing apps down the hill. Innovation brings in better utilities for the benefit of the user community. Skype seems to be weathering that for quite some time before being on the way out, almost.   Not long ago, Skype was the best free choice for video conferencing. New entrants and old-timers too (see the list below) have come up with slicker and swifter features in conjunction with high definition audio/ video quality to upstage the one-time Badshah of chat and communication arena.   Remember this? Microsoft is replacing Skype with its homegrown chat app- Teams soon. Whether users are ready or not, Teams will be taking over Skype for Business. As early as 2022!   This is a big shift for users even as they are unsure of how to navigate the transition. With the workplace ever-evolving, the business collaboration platform environment has been offering diverse solutions to discerning users. Take a look at the various multi-functional chat and communication apps as alternatives for Skype or Teams.   Besides, Check out for the upcoming version release of Troop Messenger to start using the biggest game-changing features, video conferencing and online meetings to see the difference.  Preceding tools are some of the best alternatives to Skype, which you can’t afford to miss.   Alternative apps to skype   1. Troop Messenger 2. Blue Jeans 3. Cisco Webex Teams 4. GoToMeeting 5. Google Hangouts 6. Zoom 7. Face Time 8. Appear.in 9. Viber Troop Messenger Vs Skype  Some times it’s okay to be biased! Allow us, buddies! It is our writings. Let us take you to Troop Messenger, worthiest to be Slack alternative to serve you every team collaboration need. Be it team conversations, voice-video calling, private chat business conversations, vendor-client collaborations, etc., everything you have here.   Team collaboration is now more enthralling with Troop Messenger than with Skype. The authentic business messenger tool has received rave reviews from across different countries of the world for its specially designed enterprise-level communication features. Hence, in the context of Troop Messenger vs Skype for Business, this business chat app is an appropriate tool for business communication. A SaaS-based freemium business model, TM comes in three pricing editions, along with the delivery models of on-premise chat, Chat APIs and Custom Apps. One of the best-ever free Skype alternatives, with more advanced and rare features, TM enables teams to stay connected across mobile, desktop and browser. The users of Troop Messenger say, “its user experience is far more outstanding than many other tools in the market for its seamless UI and easy learning curve.” Stay collaborated everywhere with the features of one-on-one messaging, group conversations, audio calling, video calling, audio messaging, fork out, burnout, live-tracking along with many other chat-supportive features. An exquisite advanced filter group feature allows the user to filter out search results based on images, videos, files, contacts, location, and URLs. So, if you are looking for effective tool Troop Messenger is best alternative to Skype.  The Reviewer’s Column: Troop Messenger has an overall rating of 4.5/5 based on 100+ user reviews. The users of defence organizations say, “Troop Messenger can seamlessly work on networks which provide low internet bandwidths.” “Share ideas to make great product innovations”, is what the users of Troop Messenger say. One of the reviewers, “Troop Messenger is pretty cool to use. Its powerful feature-kitty gets updated with highly functional additions at its every version release. Trust me, give a sure shot to try out the application”. Why Troop Messenger Most economical with an 85% difference in the price of leading brands. No other tool has such exceptionally designed and different feature-stack It is easy, quick and faster Self-messaging HD quality Audio-Video calls Screen Sharing for remote teams It supports fingerprint and passcode security for mobile app login. Collaborate with customers, vendors, and non-employees with the feature, the Orange Member.  Pricing The freemium application offers three pricing variants; free, premium and enterprise. Besides this, it gives a 30-day free enterprise edition free trial for all the registered users. The premium and enterprise come for $12/per user/per year and $60/per user/per year respectively. Though the free plan has all the basic collaboration features, conversion to paid subscription will offer you enhanced user experience. It stands out unique in customizing client-based requirement plans for the solutions of self-hosting, API integration and custom apps.   Blue Jeans vs Skype  Blue Jeans, This intelligent video conferencing Skype alternative tool Blue Jeans allows meetings, rooms, and events for smart working people to effectively organize smart meetings. The uniqueness of Blue Jeans is, it allows users to host and live stream webinars, interactive meetings in order to connect a large number of global audiences. The Blue Jeans Gateway provides access to Microsoft Teams meetings from any other rooms.   The Reviewer’s Column: Blue jeans have an overall rating of 4.5/5 stars with 265 reviews on Capterra. One of the reviewers from the same say, “ The new solution for conference rooms is extremely quick to set up and has cool features. Their events product is great as well.” Why Blue Jeans Easy to use Simply reliable High-quality audio-video Supported by multiple platforms and browsers    Cons Issues with audio: unable to unmute Expensive     Pricing It offers three pricing plans; Me, My Team, and My Company. The first is designed for individuals and small businesses @$12.49/host/month, the second plan My Team is meant for mid-sized businesses and teams @$16. 65/host/month and finally the third has been exclusively designed and optimized for enterprises @Get Quote.   Webex vs Skype Besides Skype for business, if you would want to explore any other collaboration and video conferencing facilities, then you should give a try to Cisco Webex Teams to get connected from anywhere and anytime with it's feature-rich and easy to use team collaboration tools. Whether it could be a short-term project or long-term one, it allows the users to work across the secure virtual workspaces ensuring seamless workflow with great productivity. Teams of users can simultaneously express or add their ideas with the help of an exceptional feature, the Digital Whiteboard. Make your meetings wireless with Webex Device, by simply connecting the app to it. Share conversations, files, and large-size whiteboard drawings while sharing your screen.    The Reviewer’s Column: Cisco Webex Meetings has an overall of 4.5/5 stars on Capterra with 3K+ reviews. The people who shared their view on this platform says, ‘ It is best known for its virtual meetings, where they could conduct all of their professional meetings with high-end cybersecurity. They felt sharing confidential information across Cisco Webex Meetings is safe as it complies to international cybersecurity standards. One of the reviewers says, “Initially, I used the free version for a shorter period and it is inevitable to prevent yourself from purchasing the full version once you realized the beauty of this software.”   Why Cisco Webex High-quality video meetings Enterprise-grade security to protect the user's sensitive information. Interoperability for extending great speed. Enhanced meeting experiences with Webex devices.   Cons Rare connectivity issues are noticed with Webex servers. Slow screen sharing and controlling    Pricing Though the service provider’s official website is silent on the price front, users can try the app for a 14-day free trial, albeit with restricted features. As it is designed for small, medium and large-sized corporations, users need to get a custom quote as per their specific requirement.   GoTo Meeting Vs Skype GoTo Meeting is the fastest and reliable team communication tool, pretty-much popular and known for its one-click business meetings. One of its kind video conferencing Skype alternative which allows to instantly join, host or manage online meetings through your desk or remote locations across the devices of desktop, Mac and mobile. It allows the users to conduct audio-video webinars with intelligent online collaboration features; Commuter Mode, Room Launcher, Voice Commands, and Cloud Recording. The other highlights of the application include; It allows: 250 participants Unlimited Recording Crystal clear audio Screen share and Draw Meeting Transcription    The Reviewer’s Column: GoTo Meeting has an overall rating of 4.5/5 stars on Capterra with 5832 reviews. Users say, “ it is one of the best meeting software with remarkable audio-video quality that provides an easy to set-up “conference room” to invite multiple attendees at once. Besides this, they say, this tool has an excellent Dashboard which is easy to follow and understand.   Why GoTo Meeting Users can perform edits on real-time presentations. Single Sign-on Video to Slides Admin Center for all GoTo products   Cons Loud Echo Users look for push notifications.    Pricing GoTo Meeting has three pricing plans; Starter@ $19/month, Pro @$29/month and Plus@$49/month when billed annually. All three plans allow 10, 150 and 250 participants respectively. Apart from this, users can start using a free 14-day trial with up to 50 attendees in a meeting.   Google Hangouts Vs Skype Skype is believed to be a complete professional online meeting solution that helps teams collaborate. Skype users can further pull-in the tools of Office 365 Suite to make meetings more engaging and productive. Google Hangouts is one of the reputed Skype alternatives which is simple to use and cost-effective unified communications tool that lets Google+ users broadcast video calls live on YouTube with Google Hangouts on Air. One of the notable features of this tool is dedicated to virtual rooms. The threaded conversations exchanged in these rooms enable users to easily track the progress of each task with each virtual room housing up to 8000 members. Google Hangouts can be considered as one of the popular apps similar to Skype since it is deeply integrated with G Suite similar to Skype and Office 365 integration.  The Reviewer’s Column: Google Hangouts has 4.5/5 stars on Capterra with 5K+ reviews. Most of the reviewers say the tool acts as their best option for group calls and online chats. As such they consider this as the best multi-platform Skype-like application, well-designed for corporate environments. One of the verified reviewers says, “If I need to access information that was previously discussed, I can review and search through conversations dating back nearly a decade”.   Why Google Hangout The plug-in has a faster installation process. Embedded security with the support of Valuts allows admins to archive, preserve, search, and export chat-specific data. Smarter chats with bots and third-party integrations. Product of a constantly evolving technology house; hence more likely to stay in contention with frequent upgrades.  Cons Edit/Delete functions are not properly defined on chats. It doesn’t support voice messages.    Pricing Compared to Skype for business pricing Google Hangouts will be more effective since it is a free to use application. It’s a free chat program to connect from any device and have a face-to-face voice and video calls. The users need to buy G Suite’s Basic, Best Value or Enterprise pricing variants if they want to integrate the tools of it for enhanced work experience.   Zoom Vs Skype Zoom is the perfect skype replacement if you are looking for business conference tool. Meet and chat with HD video and audio conferencing are some of the main features of Zoom Meetings. Engage the users of your rooms and workspaces with more engaging video webinars. Zoom is widely used across the industries of Education, Finance, Government, Healthcare, and Business enterprises. It allows a maximum of 1000 video participants with 10,000 viewers in a meeting. The users can host a meeting with Video off, Video on and Screen Share only facilities.  The Reviewer’s Column: Zoom has an overall rating of 4.5/5 stars on Capterra with 3K+ reviews. Zoom has become popular in a short time as it unifies group conversations, online meetings, and video conferencing all together over the cloud to make meetings more collaborative. One of the verified users from Capterra says, “I was impressed with the interface and brought it into my own team. It's allowed us to expand our customer base seamlessly out of town, and drastically cut down on unnecessary travel.”   Why Zoom It supports integrations and bots to enhance the meeting experience. Cross-platform messaging and file sharing Users can explore a wide range of products from Zoom   Cons Needs better-recording facilities Users are looking for better/faster technical support services    Pricing The varied pricing plans of Zoom are; Basic, Pro, Business, and Enterprise. These four plans serve different purposes like the Basic plan is free for conducting personal meetings, Pro@$14.99/month/host is great for small teams, the Business plan@$19.99/month/host is specially designed for small and medium businesses and finally, the Enterprise plan gives all Business features with a minimum of 50 hosts. Business owners need to contact sales for more customization.   Face Time Vs Skype We all know, how Skype was popular for its voice-video calling across the globe, the first of its kind people collaboration application. Later, space was shared by similar players, by Face Time. The signature product from Apple, the Face Time made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac allows you to make easy and high-quality international voice-video calls. It further allows you to initiate an audio call on your Apple watch too. This iOS-based Skype competitor works on both Wifi and mobile networks.  The Reviewer’s Column: Face Time has an overall rating of 5/5 stars in Finances Online. It is easy to understand and simple to use and works on multiple Mac platforms. Reviewers say it is more convenient for personal use rather for official team collaboration.   Why Face Time  The app is in-build with all Apple devices Has group face Time calling from iOS 12.1    Pricing Face Time is not free. The users of Apple devices need to download Face time for $0.99 through Apple iTunes.    Appear.in (Currently Whereby) vs Skype If you are a remote business worker, and looking for an exclusive application that delivers great video meetings, then you must give a try to Appear.in since it is the perfect alternative to Skype. Also, you should know, Appear.in has a new name: Whereby. Only the name has changed, not the easy video meetings. G2 Crowd has ranked it as a #1 easiest to use application. It has meeting rooms for all conversations to happen as it extends flexible meeting tools such as custom backgrounds and logos, one-click meetings and screen sharing. Despite the change in name, users need not worry about their meeting links. They will be automatically updated to whereby.com/your-room.  The Reviewer’s Column: Whereby has an overall rating of 4.5/5 stars on Capterra with 63 reviews. The tool is best known as every business owner’s choice. It’s amazingly simple to organize your video conference meeting using Whereby to let your teams join it. The reviewer's comments on Capterra as, “Love it, simple, efficient, never had an issue with this best alternative to Skype.”   Why Appear.in  Users say, ‘ they never had any call failures with video chat software.” It re-instates YouTube. Never asks to install anything and not required to add any extensions.   Cons Has to face few issues with meeting rooms URLs while planning upgrades/downgrades. Call-Recording is a separate add-on, one needs to purchase it.    Pricing Appear.in or Whereby is a freemium application, where it offers a free plan for personal users, a pro plan at $9.99 per month designed for Freelance professionals, and a Business plan starts from $99.99 per month designed exclusively for small and medium teams.     Viber Vs Skype Israel-based Viber Media (now Rakuten Viber, after being taken over by the Japanese multinational, Rakuten) was one of the first to introduce free instant messaging, voice and video calling in 2010 through Viber Messenger. Viber stands out perfect alternative to Skype for business with its instant voice and video messages. Capture your feelings or expression and send it as a quick-instant video across the platforms of Windows, cross versions of Linux, cross versions of Mac, Android, iPhone, and Ipad. It allows you to engage new users with Viber Communities, which delivers a brand-new group chat experience. As far as the user's data security is concerned, it vouches to provide open and secured conversations with their peers as your chats are protected with end-to-end encryption.    The Reviewer’s Column: Viber has an overall rating of 4.5/5 stars on Capterra with 764 reviews. Now that most of us have moved on to WhatsApp for free international voice and video calling, Viber has lost its sheen as the first choice app for calling loved ones residing abroad or far away lands. The video and sound quality in Viber are comparatively good with other apps. The best part is it corrects the background noise level to provide crystal clear voice calls. No network or application errors arise with Viber. One of the verified reviewers of Capterra says, “Firstly, it is a perfect social app to stay in touch with our families, and secondly, I like are the personalization features. I like picking different backgrounds for different conversations because this helps me to differentiate between chats visually, minimizing any potential mistakes.”   Why Viber It is simple to use and easy to understand. It strengthens your relations across borders. HD quality audio and video calls Supports great chat extensions.   Cons A call blocking feature is not available. Few issues with message notifications still exist.    Pricing Though the app has not made the pricing plans available on its official website, calling abroad is now more convenient with Viber with its low calling rates for any destination of your choice.   There are some more tools that can fit into Skype for business alternatives list such as Join Me, AnyMeeting, Rocket.Chat, which are expected to dominate the market very soon.    In the End Yes, Skype! we have traveled with you for so long now and it became monotonous that's why we started looking for Skype for business alternative. You were powerful and popular for video calling and conferencing, and the fact we loved you for it! But, as freshwater replaces old! our team has decided to try and test these above-listed latest Skype business alternatives and best team chat apps for our internal communication to evaluate the very basics of each one. And, covered every aspect under each tool, including; tool introduction, it's reviews, pros, cons, and pricing. We believe this blog aid you in selecting one of the best tools from the aforementioned alternatives Skype. Let your team enhance their co-working experience with a tool like Troop Messenger. 

“Go paperless”, and “Go digital” are the slogans of today’s digital world, and software for Biometric attendance systems can vouch for it. The archaic method of managing and monitoring attendance with huge stacks of registers for hundreds of employees and generating reports of each employee's attendance will be a nightmare. Courtesy of technological advancement, many software solutions such as Biometric attendance device is in front of us to ease our tasks now. Following the aforementioned slogans, Eliminate the manual methods of attendance management with “paper and ink” and revamp this system to a biometric attendance system with “scanner and biometrics”. Biometrics-iris, face, and fingerprints have become the digital signatures to the attendance of all employees all over the world in the full spectrum of industries irrespective of brands. These systems also can be used in   Schools, Colleges, Educational institutes, Visitor management, Citizen identification   Many designers and developers have already adopted this system and provided various feature-set software applications based on biometrics. Have a look at these top 10 biometric attendance systems and read on to know their features as well. Here we go! 10 Biometric Attendance Systems 1. Time Dynamo 2. mDESK7 3. A-ID Biometric 4. eSSL Biometric attendance system (E9C WIFI) 5. ACTAtek Biometric 6. 4Gid 7. Securetime 8. Qandle   9. Timecheck 10. Bio star 09 1. Time Dynamo Developer: Tvisha Technologies Inc. Specifications: This biometric attendance machine requires iOS 10.3 or later, compatible with iPhone, iPod, iPod touch, iOS, and Android devices. TPOS7 Product 7' TFT LCD, Network 3G Data/ Dual SIM, 7' IPS capacitive touch screen, resolution of 1024*600, Quad-core Processor, the memory of RAM DDR3 2 GB, Built-in Storage 16 GB, Support max.   32G with micro SD card, Rear 5 MP & Front 2 MP camera, Bluetooth/Wi-Fi connectivity, Integrated STQC certified Fingerprint scanner.   Description: TimeDynamo is considered the best Biometric attendance system in India. The compact professional real-time attendance management and leave management system empowers businesses with accurate tracking and monitoring of employee attendance with biometric automated solutions. This biometric attendance software, developed by leading software companies, scans each employee through either an iris recognition pattern, face recognition method, or fingerprint time attendance. With the advent of the uniqueness of these biometric patterns, it has become easy to eliminate proxy attendance. Features:  Real-time Attendance tracking, GPS tracking, Absence Management, Payroll generation, Scheduling Management, Notifications, Fingerprint Attendance Machine, and Reports. Accolades: Time Dynamo has been shortlisted by NASSCOM under the top 10 innovative product showcases in the 5th edition of NPC  2. mDESK7 Developer: Mantra Softech India Private Limited Specifications:   1.2 GHz Quad-Core processor, 7 inches or higher; 1024×600 resolution display, 8 GB of internal memory and 2GB of RAM, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity, Single SIM with 4G support, Audio-Microphone, Rear Camera, LED flash.   Description: This time attendance software is used for the registration and authentication of an employee through a fingerprint impression. This Wi-Fi-enabled thumb attendance machine is available at an affordable price. You can use it for Guest Management, Canteen Management, and Citizen Identification for government schemes. The data can be stored within this time attendance machine. Features: A separate port for pen drive connection, FBI PIV fingerprint sensor, 1:1 & 1: N matching, GPS 3. A-ID Biometric Developer: A-ID Systems India Specifications:    Dual CPU (32bit RISC + 400MHz DSP), The memory of 1GB flash and 34MB RAM, Fingerprint capacity of 200000 users(400000 templates), Log capacity of 1,000,000 events, and Biometric identification speed of 3,000 matches in 1 second (max 20,000 templates).   Description: This biometric time attendance system is well-known in the Indian smart card industry. Features: Records real-time entries and updates periodically and stores all the data in the form of cloud storage 4. eSSL Biometric attendance system (E9C WIFI) Developer: ESSL security Specifications:    10000 users, 1,00,000 logs of transaction storage, 500DPI optical sensor, Card storage of 10000.   Description: It is the best and most reliable centralized time and biometric attendance management system. The firmware (Push data technology) is easy to install and use. Used at canteen management, school attendance, gyms and clubs, and production management. Features: Attendance management and Payroll generation 5. ACTAtek Biometric Developer: ACTAtek Specifications:   500 DPI optical scanner, 20000 users and 75000 log events can be allowed.   Description: This advanced biometric device for attendance, equipped with powerful software, enables seamless remote user registration and authentication. It is specifically designed for security and workforce management applications. The biometric attendance system offers a wide range of authentication options, including fingerprint, smart card, ID, barcode, and PIN. With its intuitive multi-lingual interface, users from different backgrounds can easily navigate and operate the system. Notably, this device stands out with its remarkable scanning speed, taking less than a second to complete the authentication process. Organizations seeking a reliable and efficient biometric device for attendance will find this solution indispensable. Features: Attendance management, Payroll generation, leave and clock management 6. 4Gid Developer: 4G Identity Pvt. Ltd.  Specifications:   FBI scanners, Captures wet and dry fingers, Fingerprint live slap scanner.   Description: 4Gid is the largest biometric identification database, which you can use it as a thumb machine for the office. It is a fingerprint machine for attendance with iris authentication systems, which is used for a wide range of applications such as monetary transaction securities, ATMs, e-passports, e-visas, etc. Features: Time and attendance management, Blacklist management 7. Securetime Developer: Securetime Specifications:   Automated tracking with geo-fencing APIs for easy integration, Role-based dashboards,   Description: Securetime is a cloud-based SaaS application that aids in managing ties between employers and employees. It improves employee morale, transparent wage disbursements, and consumes less time to track and produce payrolls. Securtime's customized solution for managing absences and attendance reduces payroll leakages, makes it simple to report absences to payroll, and boosts productivity by controlling leave and overtime schedules. Securetime integrates with all payroll/HRMS and biometric systems without relying on hardware. It can therefore be used as a real-time biometric system. It is a fingerprint attendance system that can be customized to meet your organization's needs. Nevertheless, it aids you in monitoring your on-premise, remote, and on-the-ground personnel in real-time. Features: Integration with HR/ payroll, Workforce tracking, Absence management, and Timesheet management. 8. Qandle   Developer: Qandle Specifications:   Cloud-based APIs Customization   Description: You may reliably record attendance using any method you choose with Qandle on your side, including biometric, RFID, geo-tagged/geo-fenced apps, QR codes, and more. Create your attendance policies and easily keep track of attendance. Your preferred tools are integrated with Qandle, which streamlines the migration. As previously noted, you can use an attendance machine as an employee biometric attendance system to keep tabs on your employees' timetables, absences, and other information. Your data is protected by this secure time attendance system, which complies with bank-grade security (PCI DSS). All sent data is fully encrypted (SHA-2, 2048-bit) during transmission. Features: Visual analytics, Travel & expenses, Task management, Asset management. 9. Timecheck Developer: Timecheck Specifications: It uses various scanners such as Anviz FacePass Pro face recognition devices. Description: It is a web and mobile-enabled time and attendance management system. It is implemented in diverse work cultures. It can be integrated with any biometric systems Features: Accurate time and attendance tracking of various shifts and administrative management, Mobile application, Comp off management, Payroll generation, and Reports. 10. Bio star 09 Developer: Star link Specifications:   Larger graphics LCD, The storage capacity of 9,560 finger templates, 5 lacs recording capacity and TCP/IP & USB port connectivity for data transfer.   Description: This versatile biometric attendance device offers multiple access options, including fingerprint, card, or PIN, allowing convenient authentication for users. With its flexible nature, it can be applied across various industries, making it suitable for a wide range of organizations. Additionally, the device's features are highly customizable, enabling organizations to tailor the system to their specific needs and requirements. Whether it's for enhancing security measures or streamlining workforce management, this biometric attendance device provides a reliable and adaptable solution. Features: Attendance record and manage Conclusion These are the top 10 biometric attendance systems you can adopt in your organization, company, or industry according to your business requirements.

Slack is the boss of team collaboration software.   Don’t we all know that?   But here’s a fact we can’t unknow: Even the best of bosses make mistakes. They have their own set of flaws.    Slack indeed is helpful in several ways. It’s a tool that solves three different issues: team collaboration, communication, and staying up-to-date. Not only did this tool make private and group messaging easy, but also made third-party program integration and file sharing effortless.    Indeed, Slack established itself as a great tool through hundreds of updates. But yet, it falls short of fulfilling all requirements of an enterprise, which makes us seek an alternative.    Thanks to the dozens of team collaboration tools, customers have plenty to choose from. However, these options don’t save us from finding the best among the available ‘slack alternatives’.    While designing Troop Messenger - our comprehensive instant messaging application for businesses small to giant - we compared the features, functionalities, and limitations of each of these alternatives (who are, in fact, our direct competitors).    Apparently, we didn’t make these comparisons without conducting a deep analysis of each tool’s performance, efficiency, and delivery. Our team at Troop Messenger used these applications for a specific length of time to identify the pros and cons of all significant slack alternatives from the end user’s perspective.   After extensive analysis, our team shortlisted these two tools:    Mattermost  Rocket.Chat   These are the apps our team considered top Slack alternatives. Since we didn’t come up with a single name, people who are looking to replace Slack may get confused.    So, we decided to come up with an article comparing the features and functionalities of Mattermost and Rocket.Chat. Our goal was to analyze how they perform against each other and figure out which one stands as a better alternative to Slack.    Disclaimer: We are moving Troop Messenger to self-hosted for larger enterprises and government corporations. Since there are so many self-hosted chat applications out there, we’ve started this to perform an in-depth analysis of our competitors with their pros and cons from a customer’s perspective and tried to come up with a better, cleaner, and more user-friendly chat alternative. We have an entire article with the results of competitors’ research, covering our feedback on various options. However, this time we would like to focus on two rivals: the well-known Mattermost and Rocket.Chat.   Mattermost vs  Rocket.Chat: Who Will Take the Trophy Home?   Mattermost vs Rocket.Chat   1. Deployment Process 2. Onboarding Process 3. Layout and Design 4. Pricing and file sharing Storage 5. Conversation 6. Integrations 7. Search   Both MatterMost and f are open-source team collaboration tools that can be deployed by a user in their private cloud. Both of these provide users with an option to share documents and integrate with other programs. These tools have an option where users can customize their web-based architecture which uses Security Assertion Markup Language and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol for password authentication. These tools are available as mobile phone versions on the Android and iOS systems, and similar to Slack, they offer notification    Okay, Enough about the similarities.     Let’s check out the differences which make Mattermost and Rocket.Chat neck-to-neck competitors to each other.    1. Deployment Process  If you want to have complete access to your data and all archives without spending much, you definitely need to get started with Mattermost or Rocket.Chat. For this article, we compiled information about basic server security guidelines from both these tools’ official documentation and website. Setting up your secure chat server is not difficult. But it’s different for both Mattermost and Rocket.Chat. Let’s see how.   I. Setting up Mattermost  It took us about two hours to get everything done. Here’s a short summary of what we did to set up Mattermost: Setup Host Instance Creating a Database Server  Signing up at the Server URL The deployment process is simple. It might look daunting at first, but it becomes easy once you know what you are doing. You’ve to begin the host setup process, then configure your plan, set up the root password, and boot it. For the Database server setup, you need to create a database, name it according to the document/guideline, then set the login credentials. Once you’re done setting database server, open the registration link provided in the guideline to create an admin account.   II. Setting up Rocket.Chat Compared to MatterMost, Rocket.Chat’s deployment is simpler. It can be hosted on Rocket.Chat’s cloud or on your own server.  Here’s a short summary of what you need to do to set up Rocket.Chat for your team:   Install the .deb file your the Rocket.Chat official website Creating a Server URL Sign up for your team    I am not going into details because I don’t want to bore you with a step of instructions that is already available online. So, go, and check the tutorials. It's a great tool for companies willing to privately host their chat service or evolve their chat platforms.    Verdict on Deployment: Take a bow,  Rocket.Chat   If we speak only in terms of setup, I’ll have to give it to Rocket.Chat. Unlike in MatterMost, here you don’t have to set up web and database servers separately, which saves time and effort. And who doesn’t loves that?   2. Onboarding Process  With Mattermost and Rocket.Chat, it’s easier to board new users. These open-source slack alternatives allow easy boarding. Let’s check out who’s offering what.   I. Mattermost Onboarding If you choose MatterMost, onboarding is not something your team will need to worry about. The tool also has multiple tutorials that guide new users on how to use the tool to the full extent. Optional Tutorials make onboarding very easy. The app has an in-app support option which further accelerates the easy adoption of its functionalities. There are updated troubleshooting guides, administration guides, and upgrade guides, which make onboarding simpler. Enhanced Search tool offers easy filtering of in-context material about onboarding. Users can connect with community applications to interact with other users and learn about the application.   II. Rocket.Chat Onboarding With Rocket.Chat, and you get one week to familiarise yourself with the various applications and services. Here’s what this tool offer for easy onboarding. Each user receives a @rocket.chat email address within the first week. For the first seven days, all members receive invitations to the team meetings, where they get to know everything about the application’s features. You can schedule a one-to-one call with different people in your team and talk to them individually to get to know them. To get on the board properly, Rocket.Chat also offers users an option to add themselves to the team page.  Verdict on onboarding: Here’s your trophy,  Mattermost We are gonna give this one to Mattermost for their short, straightforward, and to-the-point tutorials, guides, and community applications.    3. Layout and Design  Talk about the Slack interface, and you’ll know why a lot of people find it overloaded. It has too many options, features, controls, icons, and information. That’s where we feel the need for something that is not as complex. I. Mattermost's Design   The user interface is neatly designed and is highly self-explorable check the interface in the screenshot. You’ll know what we are talking about. The UI is not clobbered. It’s simple with the amount of information you need to know.   II. Rocket.Chat’s Design   Rocket.Chat has a decent UI. It’s not clobbered. The navigation from one page to another is seamless, and there is no problem with UI as such. The dark mode and black mode themes do not disrupt the app’s performance.   Verdict on onboarding: It’s a tie. In terms of Layout and Design, both these tools are top-notch. We used these applications in trial mode and didn’t notice any issues with the UI. 4. Pricing and file sharing Storage  When speaking about these paid collaboration tools, pricing, and storage are the two determining factors. Both MatterMost and Rocket.Chat offers a 30-day free trial, but there’s a lot more you need to know to decide which one’s better for your team.   I. MatterMost MatterMost offers two Enterprise Editions using which you can avail a secured, scalable, and self-hosted team collaboration platform.   Enterprise E10 It’s for Small Businesses that need access to basic communication features and a user limit of up to 500 users $3.25 per user, per month  Enterprise E20 It’s for businesses needing access to unlimited features  $8.50 per user, per month    II. Rocket.Chat At Rocket.Chat, they’ve two categories namely Self-Managed and Cloud. If you are choosing to have your team on Rocket.Chat’s Cloud, you can choose among the Bronze, Silver, and Gold plans. And if you choose to manage it on your server, you can choose between the pro and enterprise plans.   i. Self-Managed Pro Plan It’s for Small Businesses willing to set up team communication with limited features  $3 per user, per month  $30 per user, per annum Enterprise Plan It’s for businesses needing advanced management and unlimited features  Tiered Pricing    Ii. Cloud Bronze Plan It’s for Small Businesses that need access to basic communication features and a storage limit of up to 1 TB  $2 per user, per month  $20 per user, per annum Silver Plan It’s for businesses needing access to advanced features and a storage limit of up to 5 TB  $4 per user, per month  $40 per user, per annum Gold Plan  It’s for businesses needing access to unlimited features  and storage limit of up to 20 TB  Tiered Pricing   Verdict on Pricing: Here’s your trophy,  Rocket.Chat   5. Conversation  I. MatterMost This fastest-growing messaging platform is super cool and super secure. Here are all the communication features that make Mattermost an excellent choice:   Organized conversations in channels Audio and video conferencing One on One texting and group messaging Fully searchable message thread Screen Sharing during video calls Screen Sharing Multi-language Link, image, and file sharing Markdown Formatting Do not disturb mode Keyword alerts Custom notifications on email, mobile, and desktop Favorite Channels Emoji rich formatting   II. Rocket.Chat As an open-source team communication tool, Rocket.Chat completely replaces email and texting. Team members can add relevant participants by mentioning @username. And @all to send announcements and notifications to all the team members. Here are all the communication features that make Rocket.Chat great.   Free audio and video conferencing Screen Sharing during video calls E23 encryption of chats Public and Private texting LDAP Group Sync Live Chat Users can add real-time chat widgets from their team chat Real-time translation The interface has more than 50 languages Verdict on Conversation: Here’s your trophy,  Mattermost   Will it take a genius to figure out who’s the winner here? I bet, not. Mattermost Clear outdoes Rocket.Chat with seamless communication and customized notification features.   6. Integrations  Both these applications are designed to support integrations seamlessly, which makes them a great cheaper alternative to Slack. Let’s see how Mattermost and Rocket.Chat are different in terms of features: I. Mattermost Mattermost stands as one of the great tools to promote third-party app integrations. These integrations will help your team to work better and faster. Some of the features that make Mattermost better than most of team collaboration tools are: Plugins and extensions Bots OAuth 2.0 applications Set Incoming and outgoing webhooks DevOps integration Custom slash commands Developer toolkit Robust API library   II. Rocket.Chat This open-source team communication tool opens a universe of possibilities through multiple integrations. You can add incoming and outgoing Webhook integrations to this tool and customize your platform by adding features and choosing your own integrations, themes, and plugins. It allows: Integration with popular applications like Pidgin and Drupal Personalized UI through any built-in-style REST API LiveChat API Real-time API Migration from other team chat tools using Rocket.Chat data importers Atlassian, Webhooks, Chatbots, Extensions   Verdict on onboarding: It’s a tie, you guys. In terms of integration, both these applications are great. They allow feature extension with many applications, which enhances functionalities.   7. Search  For office chat, search features make a great deal. You never know which file or a specific text you need for reference, or for forwarding to your co-workers. At times like these, the search features come to the rescue. I. Mattermost Mattermost offers enhanced search features on both the desktop and mobile versions, which will help your team get more in less time. Let’s see some of the search features Mattermost has to offer: Search date filters Search by keyword Search by quotations marks - to search for phrases Search by from - to find the post from specific users Search by in - to find the post in specific channels   II. Rocket.Chat With Rocket.Chat, you can search for messages in the channels with specific keywords. It supports basic search commands like Gmail. Some of the search commands at Rocket.Chat is: from: me searches for messages only sent by the user. has: URL returns messages with a link from: user. name searches messages sent by a specific user. has: star returns messages starred by the user. is: pinned returns messages pinned in a channel. Verdict on Search Features: Here’s your trophy,  Rocket.Chat   Rocket.Chat outdoes Rocket.Chat with enhanced search features. Apart from the above-listed commands, there are over 10 more commands you can learn to narrow your message search when you are using Rocket.Chat.   Takeaways Okay, let’s cut the homework short for you all. As you all know both these tools are open-source team chats available for companies to deploy in their own cloud environment. If you are a company wanting to avail feature-competent solution, but not willing to pay-per-user fees, Rocket.Chat should be the answer. Most of the features that the Mattermost paid edition is offering are already available in the free Rocket.Chat version. But, here’s a thing, Mattermost wins over Rocket.Chat in terms of product performance. If you are a large enterprise with an extensive list of users, Mattermost is a good choice, but it can get expensive because of the per-user plan. And Hey, if you are still not sure which application to pick out of these two geniuses, give Troop Messenger a try! It’s the cheapest, simple, has performance effects, and designed with exclusive features to meet all your office communication and collaboration needs. With Troop Messenger not only do we guarantee a secured chat server, but also features like unlimited message history, high-quality audio and video calls, text search, unlimited groups, splashboard, live location tracking, sharing, storage, and data recording. Learn what benefits your business can get from Troop Messenger by scheduling a demo call with our team.

WhatsApp!   The most popular and highly used personal communication platform unlike any other applications with Image Source   1bn daily active users, 1.5bn monthly active users, and 60bn message exchanges per day. Across the globe have taken a back seat serving enterprise-level communication.   Despite being simple to understand, easy to use, fun-loving, and free, the security issues that have plagued WhatsApp have made it less favored in professional workspaces. Users are now questioning the safety of the platform, including its business-oriented version. If you're wondering 'Is WhatsApp Business safe?', it's important to note that while WhatsApp has made efforts to address privacy concerns and updated its policies, some doubts persist. It's advisable to carefully evaluate the security measures and consider alternative platforms for secure communication in professional settings.   Many small retailers of FMCG and consumer durables think WhatsApp Communication is their best channel to be in touch with customers for promoting the products, taking orders, answering customer queries, etc., to increase their product sales. They find WhatsApp's ease of use and wide user adoption as beneficial factors in reaching their target audience and building customer relationships. However, it is important for businesses to be aware of WhatsApp's policies and terms of service to ensure compliance and avoid any potential issues related to unauthorized usage or policy violations.   But how safe are your business data and its processes, considering WhatsApp security issues?    The Potential Risks of using WhatsApp for business include; Security issues, Compliance, Workflows mismanagement, Tracking, Data Administration, and finally the business productivity?   Though the enterprise version of the same, WhatsApp for business communication is doing rounds since 2017. Why the end-users are limited only to personal communication? What potential risks of using WhatsApp for business are involved in using the personal messenger application WhatApp, for business communication? Take a closer look at the insights below:   10+ Reasons Why You Shouldn't Use WhatsApp   1. GDPR compliance 2. Limited Admin Controls 3. Restricted members in groups 4. Unauthorized Communications 5. A mix of personal and business conversations 6. Restricted File Sharing Limits 7. Loss of Official Data 8. No third-party app integrations 9. Decreased Productivity 10.  Policy Violation 11. Data Ownership 12. Advanced Search Features 1. GDPR compliance Whatsapp uses user information (subject to the choices they make) to operate, provide, improve, understand, customize, and support. Refer here for more info.   According to the latest regulations, business firms are required to comply with their home country's data protection laws to ensure the security of their business partners' and customers' data. However, this has led to a significant conflict when it comes to using WhatsApp for business purposes. This is because WhatsApp accesses your address book and metadata to facilitate message exchanges with your contact list. It is important to note that data security is of utmost importance in certain sectors such as government organizations, industries, large enterprises, and business sectors that handle sensitive and confidential information.   If you are considering using WhatsApp for business use, it is crucial to carefully evaluate the platform's data handling practices and how they align with your specific industry's data protection requirements. Alternative communication tools that offer enhanced security measures and compliance with data protection laws may be more suitable for businesses operating in these sensitive sectors.   Check out here for what you can get with the Troop Messenger GDPR Compliance. 2. Limited Admin Controls WhatsApp has few admin control features that only control Groups. Being a personal messenger, it does not support an extensive range of corporate admin control features to limit user access to the organization’s data. Corporate business collaboration applications like Troop Messenger, have well-defined admin-level privileges to monitor and track employees' access controls.   The moment you start using WhatsApp for official communication routines, then there is a possible risk of misusing your sensitive data when employees leave the company. To avoid such scenarios, use business collaboration applications to strictly restrict the terminated users to have access to the organization's data. We can’t find this advantage in WhatsApp. How unique the admin controls of Troop Messenger are? The admin dashboard is distinctively designed from other chat applications. The simple and clean dashboard is made up of full-level admin controls, for efficaciously implementing them over the users of the application. Right from adding employees with their corporate details, setting limitations on feature access controls, and eventually deactivating the terminated employees of the organization to restrict them from having access to the organization’s data. 3. Restricted members in groups  Maybe the limit of creating 256 groups in WhatsApp per user is Welcome for gathering family and friends. But, how this number can be considered sufficient enough for an organization where it has an unlimited number of teams and departments? A product development team, an agile team of dedicated professionals, a sales team, a team of board members, etc., might have a different work orientation defined for each group.   Switch to the credible office chat application within no time, and create unlimited groups to experience uninterrupted group conversations. How different are Troop Messenger-Group Conversations?  They are a way different from other business chat applications. The biggest advantage of Troop Messenger Groups is, the admin of the group can add unlimited group members, unlike Whatsapp. Orange Members can also be a part of group conversations but with the limitations set by the admin of the application. He/she can allow Orange Members to chat with only members of the organization or groups that they decide. 4. Unauthorized Communications As there is no defined set of admin controls to regulate the users in WhatsApp for business use, there is a potential risk of personal and unauthorized communications taking place within the app. Since you cannot monitor communications happening across the application, anyone can create unauthorized groups and communicate privately. In a case where a non-employee has to communicate with in-house employees, corporate applications can restrict them to use only certain features to stay connected with people the admin decides. How simplified is Troop Messenger authorized communications? Everything and Anything that happens across Troop Messenger is authorized. But how?   Here are the simple answers; only admin can add users to the application( no other user has the control to add or invite others into the application); the admin can impose the enriched permission settings on each user to control them in using the features. these authorized users create groups with unlimited members in it; Once when an employee is terminated, thereby his/her access to the application is completely taken away by the admin.   Hence, all forms of conversations, including direct messages, group conversations, file sharing, screen sharing, etcetera. All happens within authorized users. 5. A mix of personal and business conversations The moment we think of WhatsApp, we feel it has been made to personalize communications. With a strong conviction, one can say it has completely replaced SMS with its ease of use and with the concept of a single conversation window for multiple message sharing. Usually, we receive messages as diverse packets through SMS, but here in WhatsApp, the conversation history is available within a single window. A mix of personal and business conversations strictly should not take place within a single interface, as it creates confusion and a lack of motivation for work.   WhatsApp for business communication may not be suitable for big companies since it doesn’t offer as many features as an office chat app does. But few small businesses are using WhatsApp business communication to their advantage.   One must essentially feel professional while exchanging office information, and it happens only with professional business messenger applications. A wholesome bunch of collaboration features such as screen sharing, advanced search controls, guest-collaboration features, dashboard, analytics, user permission, and settings, etc., have been specially designed in the office chat app to make office work productive. Why Troop Messenger stands best for Business? As a team, we strongly believe that in any case, the personal messengers don’t fit the bill for office work routines. The transactions that take place in the business world are a way different from those of personal interactions. To fill the need gap of corporate message-exchanging, it underwent a good number of iterations to bring the best business value to its users from thoughtfully designed features. Explore the tool to understand how you can benefit from using it. 6. Restricted File Sharing Limits  Though the maximum file sharing limit of WhatsApp is 100MB, so WhatsApp communication doesn’t work well for corporate data transactions, as the file sizes they share such as text files, images, videos, wireframe designs, etc., might exceed the 100MB limit.To have a seamless file-sharing experience, opt for the best business collaboration application in a town like Troop Messenger which offers limitless file-sharing options to its users. Does Troop Messenger allow unlimited file sharing? Yes, it says that “Eventually files are the ones where we store our work and share them across our teams. So, choose the best communication application that supports high file size limits like Troop Messenger. 7. Loss of Official Data When you use WhatsApp for office work, and in case, if your mobile device is lost or stolen, then assume all official data along with the device has also been lost. This kind of issue arises because WhatsApp does not provide a security layer to prevent data loss or theft. But, whereas the applications that are specially designed for corporate communications, ensure data backup in their servers for future retrieval. As there is no data access control defined on the user accounts of WhatsApp, confidential enterprise data may be accessed by others in case of mobile theft. How robust is Troop Messenger’s data backup? Worried about the official data that’s been lost from your personal messenger? Yes, it often happens with Whatsapp! But not in the case of Troop Messenger, as data backup takes place by default. You need not set any preferences to happen so. Contrary to this, WhatsApp asks you to manually set the preferences to back up your chat conversations daily, weekly, and monthly. 8. No third-party app integrations Unlike the core business collaboration applications like Slack, Flock, Microsoft Teams, Ryver, etc., WhatsApp doesn’t support any third-party app integrations. Usually, I don’t see any need for integrations when we use them for personal communications. But, the scenario completely differs from corporate work routines. For instance, integrating a full-scale project management application like Asana into your office collaboration tool allows you to divide your project flows into tasks and, besides you can allocate tasks to cross-functional teams for the quick completion of the projects. What Add-Ons does Troop Messenger Support? Troop Messenger supports a good number of in-house built add-ons for increasing users' work productivity. Applications such as Click2Magic, To-Do targets, Audio-Video Conferencing, TM Monitor etcetera can be successfully integrated for enhanced user experience. 9. Decreased Productivity  As WhatsApp is not made for end-to-end office work routines, adopting it at your workplace may damage your productivity. The essence of professionalism is never noticed in the mindsets of employees, as the interface reminds them of personal messaging. Many large enterprises across the globe don’t prefer to use a personal messenger to perform office work. Instead, they can rely on commercial applications that were uniquely built to run effective work schedules. Does Troop Messenger increase your work productivity? Of course Yes. It’s been precisely made to ease work communications. The rich-feature stack allows you to talk about work, share files, exchange live conversations, track your tasks, preview files, get project updates from individuals and groups, share your screen to discuss work, live track your remote work teams etcetera make efficient productive outcomes. 10. Policy Violation  Last, but the most important aspect besides all the above is a policy violation. WhatsApp clearly states in its policy terms that it has to be strictly used for personal messaging only. Being an enterprise, if you breach their policy and encourage your employees to use it for office purposes, you have to be ready to pay a hefty fine as per the civil laws stated in the terms and conditions policy. Furthermore, it's important to consider the security implications when using WhatsApp for business purposes. While WhatsApp offers end-to-end encryption for messages, there have been concerns raised about potential vulnerabilities in the app's security. Therefore, it is crucial to assess whether WhatsApp is secure enough for business communications and whether alternative secure messaging platforms may be more suitable for enterprise use. 11. Data Ownership Do you want to be the data owner of your organization’s data or not? The choice is yours!   Unauthorized, unorganized, non-channelized message exchanges happen across WhatsApp! It is a tough task to keep track of chat conversations of all employees, as you don’t have the right to check their personal messenger applications to figure out any unauthorized information transfer between them and their peers. Hold your data in your hands with Troop Messenger Be the admin of Troop Messenger and become the data owner with full-level control over all your corporate employee chat conversations. In a case where an employee is terminated, left the company, or suspended, or when their phone is being lost or escaped from the Organization, etc, Troop Messenger securely holds your data in its cloud or local servers. Being an admin, you can immediately deactivate the employee access with the application. 12. Advanced Search Features  How can you filter out text files, images, videos, audio messages, and more, when you don’t have an itemized search functionality as in WhatsApp?! We know that contacts and text can be filtered out effectively in WhatsApp. But, I don’t see any need for extensive search filters for personal messaging. But, yes they do bring and make a noticeable change for corporate business chat applications. You hardly see any such applications' search functionality missed in them. How about them in Troop Messenger? There are a distinct variety of search filters present in Troop Messenger. To name them, the list goes like this; Global Search, Date-Time filters, Advanced filter group, Unread message filters, favorite users filter, smiley search filters, and message-text filters.   The functionalities of a well-designed search are defined below:    users, orange members, and deactivated/terminated employees, with Global Search. data by applying a date-time range. images, videos, files, contacts, URLs, and Locations using the advanced filter group. unread messages. favorite users. text from chat conversations.   I understand that you may have concerns about the safety of WhatsApp, including WhatsApp Business. While I cannot provide a definitive answer to the question 'Is WhatsApp Business safe?', it is worth noting that WhatsApp recently updated its privacy policy, explicitly stating that it will not utilize users' data for their own benefit. However, they do mention that they will collect data from select businesses. Therefore, this information may help address your query regarding the safety of WhatsApp Business.   Choose a tool for business messaging that has good search functionality. Conclusion In a nutshell, Rather than relying on various communication channels like emails and personal messengers to exchange work communications, simply collaborate on one official platform for great work outcomes. Authorize all your business communications and data with a better-designed commercial chat application like Troop Messenger! If you're concerned about the security of your business communications, you might wonder, "Is your WhatsApp Business account safe?" It's important to evaluate the security features and encryption protocols of any chat application you choose for your business.