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slack vs x series
16 Nov 2022
Yammer vs Slack - Which One is Best for Team Messaging [2023 Update]
Better communication creates better solutions!   Enterprise collaboration platforms as a gateway to connect team members of the organization and to a wide number of users across the globe. A single platform mingles all in one place to build empowering solutions for the world!   Technology is primarily engaging people, a possible reason why we see an immense rise in chat collaboration applications these days. The ultimate use could be personal or workplace engagement- tools are available for every need at every place to stay always connected.   The results of poor communication across teams could prove expensive to the organization. To attend such situations, we have many enterprise-ready chat applications like Troop Messenger, Yammer, Flock, Slack, etc., to ensure the best business productivity.   People knew Yammer since 2008 when it has been launched at TechCrunch50 by one of its founders David Sacks. Later in the year, 2012 Yammer has been acquired by Microsoft for US$1.2 billion. Slack has been launched in the year 2013 with more than 30% of paying customers. It is a cloud-based application that serves all team sizes founded by Steward Butterfield.   Though teams are segregated as per project, client, remote location, or based on geographical area, these collaboration tools keep them connected.   And in case, where if teams of the entire organization would want to communicate with each other; to ascertain this scenario, we have a private social networking team collaboration application like Yammer to fill this gap.   Slack has also been integrated into a myriad number of social media networks to stay upgraded. Having said this, it is time to draw upon the differences between the two for facilitating informed decision-making. Take a look. Table of Contents   Yammer vs Slack: Product Tour  Yammer vs Slack: Features Comparisons Yammer vs Slack: Pricing Comparisons Yammer vs Slack: Integration Comparisons Yammer vs Slack: UI/UX Comparisons Yammer vs Slack: Security Comparisons Yammer vs Slack: Support Comparisons Yammer vs Slack: Analytic Report Comparisons Yammer vs Slack: Search Comparisons Wrapping it up Yammer vs Slack: Product Tour  Yammer-Product Tour   Yammer is available across diverse platforms such as Windows, Mac, and Mobile phones. It is a part of your Office 365 suite and comes in variants of  Yammer users, Yammer groups, and Yammer networks. Yammer is exclusively built to have its presence in both internal organization’s users and external networks. The latest entrant in the block is its Windows desktop application, which enables the easiest way to join group conversations.   Yammer is a tough competitor when it comes to ranking the best social network for the workplace where it brings remote teams together. The sign-up process for Yammer is quite simple. Anyone can simply connect with this private social networking application with their work email. Yammer sends a verification mail to a new user to complete the sign-up process. Once you log in to the application, Yammer asks you to join the relevant groups to keep you updated.   With Yammer, you can   Write your first post Follow your co-workers Start a Group Check your Inbox Check Private Messages Check Notifications Browse External Networks Create a new network and invite people. View recently accessed files.   Slack – Product Tour “A single workspace for your small-to-medium size company or team”, is what Slack Says. Small organizations or teams can rely on Slack totally for an unlimited period of time. Based upon the pricing plans the users choose, they can create a wide number of workspaces and switch between them and also could share channels among diverse workspaces. The hassle-free sign-up process allows a new user to join an existing workspace or a new workspace with any of the public domain mail ids. Slack facilitates an URL for each workspace, and now Slack users can log in to the application with these workspace URLs. With Slack, your teams are better connected with all the information being transferred just at their fingertips. The project name you give at the time of the Sign-up process can be seen as a channel within the application's interface.   With Slack, you can   Add Public and Private Channels Invite people Talk with Slack bots Integrate a wide range of Apps Install Google Drive Check Analytics Customize Slack Sign into another workspace Access the application with feature-based keyboard shortcuts.   Our Verdict Yammer allows the users to prioritize conversations and announcements through Inbox from the application itself, whereas we don’t see this provision for Slack.   Yammer vs Slack: Features Comparisons Yammer One of the primary functionalities of Yammer would be connecting and engaging people across organizations via private social networks. An exclusive social networking platform for businesses and companies to communicate on myriad topics of the world! The users can toggle between Discovery, All, and Following feeds to view the conversations. Few Functional Features   Secure and transparent communication across teams to organize projects. Simple to use UI and easy to understand UX. Offers two kinds of networks: internal and external. Each internal network is allotted one primary email domain. Integrates with other tools of Office365. Invite people to join networks. People Directory to send an invite Like or share conversations across groups. Poll and Post   Slack Communication in Slack happens through channels and it supports a vast app directory to enhance team collaboration. It offers high-end data security like 2FA and SSO to protect all your organization’s information. Slack keeps a backup of your work for further retrieval through Archiving feature. Few Functional Features   Organized Conversations Private and Public channels Searchable message history Slack app directory with more than 1500 apps to integrate. Voice and Video calls. Screen Sharing Configure Slack to suit your business needs. High-level data encryption while in transit. Admin-level settings and permissions   Our Verdict Though Yammer is simple to use, Slack’s feature stack is quite vast, powerful, and functional. For better team communication, we might need highly workable and convincing collaboration features like Troop Messenger.   Yammer vs Slack: Pricing Comparisons Yammer Yammer comes absolutely free with its basic version for an unlimited amount of time. Any user can log into Yammer with their work email id and add other co-workers to start conversations across the internal and external networks. A subscription to Office 365 is not required to start using Yammer. But, of course, to gain enterprise and administrative access, one needs to purchase an Office 365 suite license.   Slack Slack as a freemium application has pricing plans to accommodate everyone’s needs. The Slack free plan offers a limited number of features for free for an unlimited amount of time, but to experience the full-level feature stack, one needs to opt for paid plans. Slack comes with three different pricing plans Standard, Plus, and Enterprise Grid with features segregated according to each. The free plan comes with a few basic features along with 5GB storage(total), 10k searchable messages, 10 app integrations, and two-factor authentication. The standard plan is at $6.67 per active user/per month Plus plan is at $12.50 per active user/per month The Enterprise Grid Plan offers 1TB of storage per member, along with features that suit enterprise-level companies.   Our Verdict  Yammer is cheaper when compared to Slack!   Yammer vs Slack: Integration Comparisons Yammer Integrations help to get your work done easily and effortlessly! We know Yammer is a part of the Office 365 suite and it also supports a good number of integrations.   Integration with Share point enhances the Yammer usage experience. Users can add their Yammer feeds to Share point pages. Yammer simply lets you integrate with other operations of Office 365 even while you are in conversation on Yammer. Users can open Outlook to set a meeting invite, can go with Skype video conferencing, work on an Excel sheet, upload files, and many more... One of the integrations includes a Yammer feed. It extends an embeddable JavaScript widget to display a snapshot of a specific feed to applications like Skype for Business, CRM, and CMS tools. You can integrate Microsoft Dynamics CRM with Yammer to add a social network layer for enhanced communication across business owners. Yammer can be integrated with other applications such as Microsoft Flow, Yammer Connect, Salesforce, and Yammer APIs. Check out the app directory for all Yammer Apps.   Slack  Slack says, “Add apps, get work done”. There is an endless number of apps that you can add to your workspace to pull reports, make calls, and store data in the cloud within Slack itself.   Slack users can pick from a wide category of App integrations; such as apps for daily tools, Essential apps, New&Noteworthy apps, brilliant bots, app collections, and from many more... Slack helps to integrate Google Drive, Microsoft One-Drive, DropBox, and Box applications for file management. Other integrations like Jira-Integration+ for Productivity, Azure Pipelines for Developer tools, Kudoboard for HR and Team Culture, Zoom for communication, etc., can be bought to Slack.   Our Verdict Comparatively, Slack supports a number of integrations to Yammer. The App Directory Slack is quite immense.   Yammer vs Slack: UI/UX Comparisons Yammer Yammer's user interface is quite simple to use and easy to understand. The user is allowed to create an internal or external group or even can post or send a private message from the functionalities derived in the left pane. An easy-to-navigate user interface helps Yammers to get into the use of the application faster.   Slack Slack’s interface is promisingly impressive with colorful background hues. The user can invite people, create a channel or search for a group of channels from the left user pane. Slack bots welcome first-timers to facilitate the necessary support services, and they also help the user to check the Slack help center page from the UI itself only.   Our Verdict Slack’s interface appears more appealing than Yammer's.   Yammer vs Slack: Security Comparisons  Yammer Yammer from Office365 comes with enterprise-level security, and compliance to provide secure online space for business enterprises, whereas the basic version doesn’t extend any admin security controls. All conversations and feeds in transit and at rest are encrypted with AES-256-bit key encryption. Yammer data is totally secured under strict guidelines at Microsoft’s global network of data centers with round-the-clock video surveillance, biometric and pin-based locks, strict personal access controls, and detailed visitor entry logs.   Slack  All workspace data is super-secured at Slack. It does provide safety to data through security bots. Slack is a certified ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 27017, ISO/IEC 27018, and HIPAA-accredited team collaboration business chat application. Slacks' GDPR policy is made available for the users on their website.   The other security features include; SAML-based SSO, SCIM provisioning, Granular app management, Custom Message Retention, Slack Enterprise Key Management (Slack EKM), and Support for Data Loss Prevention(DLP).   Our Verdict Yammer and Slack are both up to the standards in providing data security and data prevention and loss.   Yammer vs Slack: Support Comparisons Yammer  Yammer users need to describe their issue by navigating to the Contact Office Support page of Microsoft. Its help center educates Yammers with in-detailed Feature-training material like attaching a file to a message, Enabling or Disabling email and Phone notifications, Keyboard shortcuts, and more to go on...   Slack Slacks help center leverages extensive help support for its users. Slack users can post their queries to Slack bots within the application itself. On the Slack help-center page, users can find the Slack education column from which they can get to know about Slack Demo, Slack Foundry, and Slack Tips.   Our Verdict An interesting point to be noted here would be; Slack’s help-center support is quite extensive and advanced when compared with Yammer.   Yammer vs Slack: Analytic Report Comparisons Yammer  We know that many users of the world use Office 365 for their daily office work procedures. According to recent analytics, it is observed that Fortune 500 companies across the globe collaborate via Yammer.   Slack  Slack is one of those trusted business chat application brands across the world used by diverse sizes of organizations. Slack’s analytic reports say that there is an immense change in the work culture after adopting Slack. At around 80.4% of respondents convey, “The use of Slack has increased transparency in work collaborations which finally has yielded productive results”.   Our Verdict Yammer is a social networking people collaboration application, there are chances that it might dominate Slack in this arena.   Yammer vs Slack: Search Comparisons Yammer The search functionality of Yammer seems to be simple and limited. Yammer users can enable search options on internal and external network groups and start conversations as per the choice they make.   Slack  Slack’s search functionality provides a search on channels, messages, and files to simply select. Simplify your file search from the search facility of your files and all files.   Our Verdict Yammer and Slack both make good search result to a certain extent. When it comes to the case of Search comparisons, Troop Messenger has the most advanced search options to filter images, videos, contacts, locations, text, files, and URLs.   Wrapping it up Yammer and Slack both are good for team communication. Each has got its own set of pros and cons. If we take Yammer, which is popular across the world for its private social networking among internal teams and external networks. Slack has also gained its global share consistently. The latest entrant in the block, The Troop Messenger is no less competitor to any other business chat application. Give a sure shot for it to attain reliable, secure, and seamless team communication!   To sum it up, it is up to the reader’s discretion to choose the best-suited collaboration tool as per their team's needs.   Disclaimer The aim of the article is to be informative. We intend for users to take an informed decision for an effective and productive experience. The comparison shown between Yammer vs Slack in the blog is only towards that end and has no intention of pitting one against the other team collaboration app brands. The images, logos, any concepts, etc., used in this blog, purely belong to their respective companies or applications (Yammer and Slack).   Readers are advised to consult and confirm with the respective service providers regarding details of features, the latest updates, prices, and policies before utilizing any of their services. This further informs the reader that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this blog solely belong to the author’s perception, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee, or other group or individual.
Better communication creates better solutions!   Enterprise collaboration platforms as a gate...
productivity
17 Oct 2022
18 Best Note-taking Apps: Which one is Ahead of the Pack?
Have a thought or an important reminder to set? But no paper or pencil, and no time to pen it down? Fret not, we have got you covered, thanks to the below-mentioned best note-taking apps.   The thing with thoughts is that they hit you suddenly, irrespective of the time and place. A million-dollar idea can strike your brain while you are tuning to your favorite song, or walking down the street to fetch your morning coffee. We bet it happens to everybody, including you.   At a time like these, do you frantically search for a paper or pen or do you wish for a readily available tool that allows you to make quick memo notes? The latter sounds perfect, and that’s why we’ve rounded up the thirteen best note-taking apps and summarised their features.   To find an ideal note-taking app with all the above features, we began with over thirty-six contenders and shortlisted our way down to thirteen plus the most promising applications. Best Note-Taking Apps 1. Evernote 2. Microsoft OneNote 3. Bit.ai 4. Google Keep 5. Simple Note 6. Slips 7. ProofHub 8. Zoho Notebook 9. Quip 10. Dropbox Paper 11. Boostnote 12. ColorNote 13. Notion 14. Milanote 15. Bear 16. MyScript 17. Note Ledge 18. nTask 1. Evernote      Evernote is considered the best note-taking app, that allows users to prioritize and capture ideas, to-do lists, and projects. This note app offers capable services such as supporting an extensive range of note types including sketches, checklists, plain text, images, audio memos, and clipped pages.   Evernote Pros: Evernote Cons: Great Web Clipper Easy note formatting Uncluttered interface Flexible manipulation of images OCR feature that allows users to extract text from images Lacks search capabilities Poor text formatting     Available on: Windows, iOS, Web, Android, and macOS.   Pricing: Free plan for individual use. Premium plans start at $2.74 per month.   2. Microsoft OneNote   With Microsoft OneNote, you can do a lot more than create notes and checklists. And for your information, it is one of the best note-taking apps for Windows.   This note-taking software is perfect for both professional and personal reasons, given how it allows the users to enjoy multiple features like organization, collaboration, and sharing. It’s the best note-taking app for Android and Mac users.   OneNote Pros: OneNote Pros Scribble great ideas by writing and drawing with a fingertip Collaborate with anyone Convert handwritten notes to text Access from anywhere Digital Highlighter Upload files Organize lessons and share assignments from the central library Integration with other apps   No reminder features Complex for newbies Functionalities differences for Mac Users    Available on: Windows, iOS, Web, Android, and macOS    Pricing: Free plan with 5 GB file upload limit. Extra space can be purchased.   3. Bit.ai   Bit.ai is a great Microsoft Word alternative and the perfect app for team note-taking and documentation. Teams can create notes and documents like to-dos, client materials, project proposals, sales decks, training documents, how-to guides, etc., and collaborate in real time. They can chat inside of documents, leave in-line comments to leave feedback, make decisions, and get everyone on the same page.   Bit.ai Pros: Bit.ai Cons: Take rich notes by adding audio, pictures, videos, code blocks, maths equations, etc Workspaces to keep everything organized Markdown support Content management capabilities Real-time team collaboration Chat Safe and secure Document tracking  No handwriting support No mobile app   4. Google Keep   This is another popular free note-taking app that offers users a tactile and comprehensive note-taking space.   The tool has an advanced array of inbuilt features. Keep by Google is the quickest way to offload thoughts and ideas without losing focus. And it is one of the most widely used note-taking apps for Windows other than Microsoft OneNote.   Google Keep Pros: Google Keep Cons: Create notes, lists, and set reminders Add collaborator Add drawings and photos Search notes by creating topics Colour notes for easy searching Automatic sync and backup Follows voice command Pinboard feature Multi-device sharing Limited features Difficult organization No Numbered list or bullet point    Available on: Android, iOS, Windows, Google Chrome, macOS    Pricing: Available for free   5. Simple Note      Simple Note being the easiest of all note-taking apps delivers a productive way of taking notes, maintaining lists, and penning down ideas.   The tool is clean, light, and free with all components like syncing sharing, and backup, this is one of the best note-taking apps for Mac that offers all the required features.   SimpleNote Pros: SimpleNote Cons: Simple and clean UI Markdown support that allows users to write, preview, and publish notes Instant searching through tags Users are allowed to export data Collaborative features to work together No reminder No social media integration Poor save-to-disk feature     Available on:  Windows, iOS, Linux, Web, Android, and macOS    Pricing: Free     6. Slips   Slips support you to store your instant idea, a quick note, an image, an URL link, etc., just at the touch of a button.   It has a power-packed feature stack of auto text suggestions, organizes text with bullets and number lists, a seamless keypad, supports instant image capture, and many more.   It enables the user to write text by choosing the font styles Bold, Italic, and Underlined. With the help of colored templates, the user can easily pick the choice to make note-making more professional and beautiful.   Slips Pros: Slips Cons: Free to use Simple and Clean UI Auto-Save Option Unlimited number of slips Set Time Reminders   Lack of social media integration.   7. ProofHub     Notes are one of the fundamental aspects of ProofHub, which is an all-in-one project management and team collaboration tool. ProofHub notes are simple to use and provide a great place to write down any essential information for your projects.    ProofHub Notebook Pros: ProofHub Notebook Cons: Easy to use and accessible Notes help reduce docs and files Share notes directly with your team members Access notes from anywhere Better formatting and organization Lacks search option   Available on: Windows, iOS, Web, Android, and macOS Pricing:   The Essential plan is priced at $45/month, billed annually The Ultimate Control plan is priced at $89/month, billed annually   8. Zoho Notebook   This is one of the best note-taking apps for both professionals and students, which provides a wide range of features that allow users to jot down notes, set reminders, create checklists, and sync it all. Not only is it free, but it is ad-free too.   Zoho Notebook Pros: Zoho Notebook Cons: Audio notes Upload photos and files Pre-built checklist Completely free and ad-free Cloud Syncing Beautiful interface Ease of use Lacks some features like tag search No text formatting Weak community support   Available on: Windows, iOS, Web, Android, and macOS   Pricing: Free   9. Quip     Quip is not your regular note-taking application since it can do a lot more. There’s a reason why it is touted as the best note-taking app for Mac users.   The app is a spreadsheet and works processing application that lets you work with others, take notes, create documents, and share spreadsheets on the go.   Quip Pros Quip Cons: Complete transparency of collaboration features Secure mobile collaboration Group Chat Integration with Google Drive and Dropbox Create folders and subfolders Private folders for personal note-taking Efficient storage and syncing     Slow search function Limited features with a free plan   Available on: Windows, iOS, Web, Android, and macOS    Pricing: $30 per month for a team of five, and an additional $10 per member.   10. Dropbox Paper   Dropbox paper is a free note-taking tool from Dropbox which works by bringing creation and collaboration into one place. This is the perfect note-taking app for Windows and Mac that allows users to write, edit, review, brainstorm, and manage tasks on the go.   Dropbox paper pros: Dropbox Paper Cons: Add audio, pictures, and videos Excellent cloud sync and backup Essential note-taking functionalities High-level task management   No Highlight features No reminder or timer setting   11. Boostnote    This is an open-source memo app made especially for programmers. The stylish tools are backed up by a great community of developers and programmers.   With Boostnet, the users can take notes, write mathematical formulas, and codes, and customize as required.   Boostnote Pros: Boostnote Cons: Markdown notes Various formatting options Semi-live previews Code syntax in over 100 languages Backed up by the community of programmers Easy syncing across devices Customization features Consistency issues Poor syncing Doesn’t work well when offline    Available on: Windows, iOS, Web, Android, and macOS    Pricing: Free   12. ColorNote     ColorNote is considered one of the neatly designed note-taking applications with colored templates. The key features include quick creation of lists and notes, effortless organization, and secure backup to the cloud.   All these features make ColorNote the best note-taking app for students and professionals.   ColorNote Pros: ColorNote Cons: Checklists and Text notes Color Coding Sticky notes  Managing calendar and schedule Setting reminder Notes sharing Locking and archiving features Backup and searching Autolink to search the web Not available for iOS and macOS Chrome extension unavailable Lacks some basic features Lack of search options    Availability: Android and Amazon Appstore    Pricing: Free 13. Notion   Notion makes for an all-in-one Workspace with excellent features like writing, planning, collaboration, and organization. It's more than the note-taking app.   The tool gives the user the best of everything by bringing together productivity and collaboration features.   Notion Pros: Notion Cons: Notes and Documents with multiple media types Knowledgebase through easy-to-find answers Kanban boards, list views, and calendar Databases and Spreadsheets Markdown Drag and drop Runs Offline Syncing across devices Easy Integration Complex UI No feature to organize snippets No handwriting supports    Available on: Windows, iOS, Web, Android, and macOS    Pricing: Free plan with 5 GB file upload limit. Paid plan at $4 per month with unlimited upload and storage.   14. Milanote   For creative minds, visual thinkers, and designers, Milanote is arguably the best note-taking app available on Android. It's for those who prefer images over words and want tools to express their creativity.   The tool has a tactile and fast interface which makes it the best note-taking app for iPad users.   Milanote Pro Milanote Cons Web clipper feature to snap images online and save them to visual notes Fast interface Cloud Syncing and backup No highlighter or marker to draw Not suitable for audio memos and notes No collaboration and sharing features    Available on: macOS and iOS    Pricing: Free version allows 100 notes, images, and link access. The professional plan, starting at $9.99 per month, offers unlimited storage.   15. Bear   This digital note-taking app supports the Markdown format and allows users to work with inline images.   The best thing about the Bear is how it enhances focus toward one task by eliminating all unnecessary elements from the display that's what makes Bear the best note-taking app for iPhone users.   Bear Pros: Bear Cons: Multiple themes and rich previews In-line support for photos To-dos and Hashtags Focus mode Multi-device sync Regular Updates Multiple export options Advanced Markup Editor   It’s not available for free No tabs, so you can view only one note at a time     Available on: macOS and iOS    Pricing: $1.49 monthly and $14.99 annually   16. MyScript   Next in the queue is MyScript which is designed with powerful technologies like handwritten technologies and digital ink. It is regarded as the best note-taking app for Windows and macOS that is packed with features with allow users to take notes on the go.   MyScript Pros: MyScript Cons: Digital Interactive Ink Handwritten text conversion into the text Recognition of graphics, math, and music Integration with several apps No reminder features Complex for newbies    Available on: Windows, iOS, Web, Android, and macOS    Pricing: Free product by Dropbox   17. Note Ledge    NoteLedge makes note-taking not just easy, but also enjoyable. It doesn't matter whether you're taking notes at school or at work, the available set of tools allows you to create visual aids through drawing and sketching, and mind maps for easy sharing and collaboration. At the same time, your notes and other documents stay organized and synced across all of your devices while presentation tools allow you to create quick and easy-to-view presentations on the go. This is a versatile note-taking app that works for school or meeting notes, and as a creative outlet while staying user-friendly and truly useful. Pro Web clipping Multimedia aids Ability to sketch/draw Ayto-sync to the cloud Rich text editor Slideshow mode Online file conversion Pro Limited features with the free plan No social media integration   18. nTask   nTask is an incredible task management and project management application that allows you to take your note-taking game to the next level. The application has an incredible document management application that lets you store information relevant to your project and also lets you post comments or little notes about the tasks and processes that your team members are working on. The application also lets you manage all of your team members from anywhere around the world using its team management feature.   nTask Pros: nTask Cons: Task management and team management Project Management Risk management and issue tracking Gantt charting and Kanban boarding Note-taking Lack of customization and reporting features   Final Verdict: Over to you now Now that we’ve done an in-depth analysis of the thirteen best note-taking apps, we leave it to you to choose the one that is ahead of the pack and pick what's best for your professional and personal needs.   However, we see how the competition is pretty close in the class of Best note-taking app on iPad, and so we are listing some of the features that make a note-taking app ideal:   When it's about finding an ideal productivity tool, some standards and features have to be met. For example: The application should have a seamless User Interface It should offer an excellent user experience It should be cost-effective It should provide an option for multitasking  It should have additional tools like clipping, highlighting, image-to-text conversion  The app should offer a distraction-free note-taking experience It should work across all operating systems   If the decision were on us, we'd choose Evernote for being feature-rich and for offering productivity features that make it so useful for professional use. If the decision was on you, which one would you pick?
Have a thought or an important reminder to set? But no paper or pencil, and no time to pen it down? ...
productivity
14 Oct 2022
Working Remotely: 19 Tools to Manage Remote Employees
You are here on a page that talks about ‘remote tools for business.’ Would it be too early to say ‘Your search ends here? I guess not! Because, here, you get to review an impartial analysis of top work-from-home tools for employee monitoring and communication software with pricing details. This blog post needs your undivided attention.! 5 minutes will be enough. Let’s start with the basics.   As days pass by, working remotely has become a trend now.   In the modern-day, it seems quite possible for an entrepreneur or businessmen to run their businesses remotely.   For an employee, it’s now possible to work from home whenever he or she wants and be productive enough. Companies nowadays are focusing on their employee’s work-life balance and allowing them to work from their respective houses.   With technological markets enhancing their services every day, there are several productivity tools developed now which allow you to work remotely with the use of newly introduced applications.   This is an optimum way for companies to save money as well when it comes to the usage of computers and electricity. It also helps the employees to become more productive. Tools and Specifications There are several tools introduced in today’s world that you can consider when it comes to working remotely.   Below listed remote working tools are currently ruling the market because of the services they provide: Best Remote Working Tools 1. Troop Messenger 2. Slack 3. Proprofs 4. EveryTimeZone 5. Zoom 6. Basecamp 7. Asana 8. Zapier 9. Quip  10. Dropbox  11. Harvest 12. JotForm 13. Rebrandly 14. Timely 15. GanttPRO 16. Kipwise 17. ProofHub 18. CurrentWare 19. factoTime 1. Troop Messenger   Troop Messenger is a comprehensive messaging application where you can deliver messages instantly. It can work for both small business industries to large-scale industries. With the help of this application, you can connect with your colleagues who may be in different places in the world and cater to your business requirements. You also can get the benefit of upgrading your current technology, in terms of communication to the ultimate next level. The key features are   Pinging users and audio calls Video calling services Instant messaging and Customer support services throughout the year Forming groups to collaborate with all the members of your team. You can access your desktop app with QR Code Custom login facility. You can pay about 1 dollar to 5 dollars per month for an active user. This software supports any instant messaging platforms such as Gmail, FaceBook, Skype, etc. These were some tools that are currently dominating the market, and a lot of companies are availing benefits from using the applications. If you want to make profits and improve your work culture by using technology, the above-listed tools are the best options available for you. 2. Slack   When it comes to managing remotely working teams, communication becomes an important factor for all managers. Slack is a chat-based online platform that can be accessed by your team members to communicate with you or other team members in case of any queries or doubts. A few reasons why you should consider this platform   Brainstorming File-sharing Comparing notes and keeping yourselves updated with the recent news of an industry. It can be linked with any other incorporate platforms such as Basecamp, Zoom, MailChimp, or Skype.   You can onboard the Slack application into your company by investing about 6 dollars to 12 dollars per active user, which is cheap and affordable.   The storage limit set by the Slack providers is about 10,000 messages or 5 GB of data. It is a useful messaging remote tool for your team members which allows you to organize as well as prioritize necessary conversations which have to be addressed immediately. It can also be installed on your mobile phones. You can also use this software, including Slack integrations, to build simple blocks, incoming webhooks, bots, commands, and so on. These features make the software ideal for all remote workers. 3. Proprofs   Proprofs knowledge-based software applications can be utilized to empower your team members who are working remotely. The best features of this platform are –   Your teammates can produce user guidelines, FAQs, and documentation for clients and employees. It develops employee efficiency significantly. It also promotes sharing knowledge with your team members and keeps them posted about the latest updates. It also features reporting tools that help the manager in extracting employee statistics and take a decision accordingly.   You can use this application by paying 9 dollars to 80 dollars per active user, based on the services you choose.   This is considered to be one of the best remote tools which have been introduced in the technological market, so far. Some of the best company platforms this software supports are Sony, CISCO, DHL, Ford, Yale, Dell, and so on. The user-friendly navigation within the software makes it the best platform for remote workers to use this software. 4. EveryTimeZone   If you are looking for the best remote collaboration tool, then the EveryTimeZone application would be the best tool for you. The advantages of using this application are –   You can keep track of people or team members who are available for you to work with and who are out of reach across the globe. It helps in solving your problem by displaying the time zones around the world. Assists in identifying your co-worker’s time and determining whether it would overlap with your time zone. It would cost you about 12 dollars to onboard this application into your firm or company per active user. It supports systems used in Amazon, CentOS, Debian, Oracle Linux, and so on. Assessing the time zones becomes easier with the help of this software and is considered to be user-friendly. This is why most remote workers across the globe use this software. It has the capability to store about 500GB of data. 5. Zoom   Zoom is considered to be the best application when it comes to remote working tools. The key benefits of using this application are   It helps you to share your screens with your colleagues easily who are working remotely in different places in the world. A perfect tool for your teammates and permits about 25 participants to share their screens and be a part of it. Each meeting conducted using this application can last up to 40 minutes. You can also share files and messages using this application.   While the basic application for business purposes would cost you for an active user about 19.99 dollars per month allowing 100 participants to share their screens, you can also opt for high paid plans ranging between 35 dollars to 260 dollars per month, which would allow about 500 participants to share their respective screens.   This software supports multiple platforms such as Windows, Linux, IOS, Android, and so on. The user-friendly coding structure of the software makes it comfortable for all remote workers to use this software. It can store up to 1GB of data, depending on the plan you choose. 6. Basecamp   Basecamp is an effective tool for time management criteria, you can use the application to share and save confidential and useful documents. Apart from this, some of the other services offered by Basecamp are   Automatic Check-ins. To-do-checklist. Campfires permit users to chat and respond to questions. The message dashboard is used for making effective discussions for the team. The work can be easily managed by using this application.   You need to pay 99 dollars per active user monthly to onboard this application in your company.   This platform supports web applications, Android applications, podcasts, Mac, etc. The application is easy to use when it comes to installation, which is why it becomes easier for remote workers to use this software. 7. Asana   Asana is an effective management remote tool that all your remote workers can make use of. Some of the key benefits of using this application are   It permits you to allocate, cascade, and assign tasks and projects to your teammates easily. It assists your team members in keeping track of their progress, for the projects assigned to them while also showing the to-do checklists of an individual team member. You can also upload several attachments from your computer into the shared drives or Google Docs, Dropbox, and many more platforms.   The actual cost to onboard this application in your firm can range between 10 dollars to 12 dollars per active user, every month. There are numerous platforms that Asana software supports. Some of them are Microsoft Outlook, Adobe Cloud, Salesforce, Litmus, and so on. The software is easy to download and can be accessed from anywhere at any time. For this specific reason, it becomes easier for remote workers to use this application. Even though there are no storage limits if you are using this software, you can upload up to 100MB of files per task. 8. Zapier   Zapier is an important tool to remotely manage your team when it comes to using tools and applications together. Let’s help you in finding out why you need to use this application –   This remote collaboration tool helps in automating your work by connecting all your applications or tools together to ensure that your work becomes easier and smoother. You can also link website applications which can ease the process of file or data sharing. You can use this tool to increase the productivity of your team within a short duration of time. You can also sync different platforms such as Dropbox, Skype, Gmail, Buffer, PayPal, etc. which can be accessed easily, helping you in saving a lot of time for your time.   Onboarding this application would cost you about 50 dollars to about 125 dollars per active user monthly basis.   Using this software, you can connect to thousands of other tools and applications which use their storage capacity to store your data and information. 9. Quip      If your team uploads a lot of documents daily on platforms such as Google Docs or Dropbox, you can make use of this remote collaboration tool named Quip. The advantages of using this application are   It is a document editing and sharing tool which also compatible with Andriod and Apple IOS platforms. You can install this application on your phone or tablet which you can access from anywhere at any time to upload any necessary documents which would help you in taking effective decisions. The tool also notifies you of the name of the users who have recently used or modified the document. You can use this application to save sensitive conversations and train newcomers accordingly.   It would cost you about 30 dollars per month for an active user to onboard this application. You can install this software as it supports platforms such as Jira, TaskRay, PDFfiller, smart sheet, rectify, etc. You can integrate your sales department to work using this application. There are no restrictions when it comes to storage. 10. Dropbox    Considered to be one of the best platforms, which currently dominate the market, Dropbox permits you to invite your team members to interact on folders or files. Some other benefits of using this application are –   It integrates magnificently with other office tools and software, such as Microsoft Office. You can integrate the application with all the applications which require downloading and uploading files and uses APIs to function. This will help you in improving collaboration, streamlining workflows of tasks, securing contents and data, and so on. You can onboard this application in your company by paying 50 dollars per month for an active user. It’s easy to use and upload files. Owing to this feature, it becomes easier for remote workers to download this application and use it for their benefit. It will allow you to store about 2GB of data. 11. Harvest   Harvest is Considered to be the best tool for tracking your employee’s working time, this application is easy to use. Why use this application?   You can track your team member’s login and logout time and accordingly create timesheets. This tool provides insight reports which would allow taking an effective decision for your business in terms of profits, invoices, payments, integration with any other preferred tools, and so on. You can also sync this tool with any other time-tracking applications such as Quip or Zapier.   You can pay about 11 dollars per month for an active user to use this application. You can integrate this software with your applications and tools to increase the productivity of your employees and save time. There are no restrictions when it comes to storage capacity. 12. JotForm   JotForm is simply a productivity tool that many remote workers are utilizing each and every day. With JotForm users can create well-designed online forms so that they can collect the necessary and valuable data for their businesses without having to go into an office space. Here are the remote work-tailored features of JotForm:   Collaboration is very easy, as all the users have to do is share a link with their coworkers so that more than one person can work on the same form at the same time. JotForm is a HIPAA-compliant solution, which can be very useful for medical professionals who are using JotForm as a telemedicine tool while working from home. JotForm has hundreds of integrations with your other favorite remote work tools like Slack, Airtable, Square, and PayPal... which can work with JotForm seamlessly. JotForm Mobile Forms offers an offline mode, in which even if you are collecting data without internet access while working remotely, your entries can still be saved and automatically synced to your JotForm account when you are back online.   You can use JotForm for free for up to 100 monthly submissions! If you are going to need more than that you can receive 1000 submissions per month for $19 a month, 10,000 submissions for $39 a month, and 100,000 submissions for $99 a month. They also offer discounts for nonprofits and students! 13. Rebrandly   Rebrandly is a link management tool to brand, track, and share short URLs using a custom domain name. This tool enables you to easily create and share branded short links. As a result, you can improve your brand visibility and increase click trust. Key benefits of using this tool include: It is very easy to use and create new, rebranded links for any URL. Many features such as QR codes, link retargeting, link analytics, UTM builder, and editable destination URL. The option to create custom-branded URL links along with the power of remarketing in one tool. You will also receive handy analytics and insights into how your links perform on any channel.   14. Timely   Structure, coordination, and visibility are essential for remote work success. By automatically tracking everyone's time, Timely helps remote teams achieve all three without compromising their productivity. The main features for remote teams include:   An automatic private timeline of everything you work on each day AI time sheets that expedite reporting on tasks, clients, and projects The "People Dashboard" – breaking down team capacity, overtime, and hours Real-time project dashboards for tracking budget spend and activity A smart planner for visualizing colleague calendars and assigning tasks An intuitive calendar interface for time boxing your schedule   As an employee-first-time tracking tool, Timely actively protects remote worker privacy and dignity. It supports autonomy and self-management, enabling employees to manage their schedule and productivity on their own terms. Team plans start at $39/month, with the option to add more seats and scale features as your needs change. Timely has apps for web, Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, so you can manage your time fluidly across your work devices." 15. GanttPRO   GanttPRO is an elegant and intuitive project management software based on Gantt charts. It solves many project-related challenges for individuals as well as businesses of all sizes, up to enterprise level. No matter where your teammates are, with GanttPRO, everyone will know every detail about their tasks, deadlines, projects, and the goals they follow. The key features are   Project and portfolio management. Resource allocation and workload management. Team collaboration through comments, file sharing, and mentions. Smart budget management based on duration, estimation, actual cost, and time logged.   The Individual plan will cost you $15 per month. Team plans start at $8.90 per user per month. This is considered to be one of the best Gantt chart makers for project management on the market. Lots of world-known companies such as Sony, Salesforce, NASA, Booking.com, DHL, etc. enjoyed its beautiful and intuitive interface packed with robust management and collaboration features. 16. Kipwise   Kipwise helps remote teams share knowledge effectively and reduce communication lag by ensuring teammates from different sides of the world have access to the information that they need. Their key features include:   Powerful Slack integration - Create and search for team knowledge directly in Slack using the handy slash command and Slack Actions. You simply don't need to leave Slack to build up your knowledge hub. Real-time collaborative editor - Your team can edit the same doc at the same time and create visually appealing documentation with rich embedding options. Content review process - Set designated reviewers for your content and our system will remind you to review the content to ensure freshness and accuracy.   Kipwise also supports browser extensions and is integrated with many more tools that Remote loves, such as Google Drive, Trello, and Airtable. With Kipwise, you can create structured and visually appealing documentation and retrieve team knowledge easily, wherever you need them. 17. ProofHub   If you’re looking for a tool that is packed with all the features in a single location, is easy to use, and has a minimal learning curve then ProofHub can be the best choice for your requirements. ProofHub helps project managers and teams Easily plan, collaborate, organize, and deliver projects of all sizes, on time.   Key advantages of using this software are:   All tools under one roof Fixed pricing plans Minimal learning curve Multilingual interface Task management Timesheets   ProofHub is available in two pricing plans - The Essential plan and The Ultimate Control plan. The Essential plan is priced at $45/month, billed annually. This plan allows unlimited users, 15GB storage, and 40 projects. Users get access to all CORE features with this pricing plan. You can also opt for the Ultimate control plan which is priced at $90/month, billed annually. This plan allows unlimited users, unlimited projects, and 100GB of storage. This plan gives you access to premium features that are missing in the Essential plan.   The software is a SaaS tool, and can easily be used on web browsers without installing it. Mobile apps can be installed on Android and iOS-supported mobile devices. All in all, ProofHub is a simple yet powerful tool that is packed with powerful features. 18. CurrentWare   Visibility is a struggle for any remote team. By monitoring the computer activity of your WFH team you can see how they spend their time, the hours they are active, and how engaged they are.   CurrentWare’s remote employee monitoring software tracks the websites your WFH team members visit and the applications they use. For example, if employees are idle for an extended period of time their idle time will be tracked, allowing managers to verify that their off-site employees are working as expected. CurrentWare’s device management tool empower manager can even track logon and logoff times, showing when employees start and stop working on their computers. 19. factoTime   factoTime is a time and attendance management tool for small and medium-sized businesses. With the factoTime mobile app, employees can mark clock in and out punch directly from their mobile phone. The app provides advanced features such as punch with selfie and location, QR code-based, insightful dashboard, and many more.   Key advantages of using this software are:   Advance and secure time clock in/out without extra devices  Mark and manage employee attendance directly from the mobile phone Automatic salary and payroll calculation Competence attendance reports   You can use the premium feature by paying $0.99 per month or the elite feature by paying $1.49 per month, based on your selected plan.   The app can be used across all devices, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, and Chrome operating systems. To Sum-up with These were some tools that are currently dominating the market and a lot of companies are availing benefits from using the applications. If you want to make profits and improve your work culture by using technology, the above-listed tools are the best options available for you. 
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project management
06 Apr 2022
Project Management Tools and Software: Key Features, Pricing, and Pros and Cons
The evolving world didn't stop at social chat apps and social websites to make communication easier; it also expanded to business communication, such as effective office chat apps like Troop Messenger and project management tools that would make business and team communication easier.   Seven in every ten entrepreneurs believe that the biggest obstacle to their company's success is inadequate communication between the team members. Delegating tasks, managing mega-projects, and maintaining continuous collaboration with the team members are some of the most crucial responsibilities of a team leader. The same responsibilities can result in a ‘lost chance’ in the absence of proper communication with all team members and apt collaboration throughout the project. Of course, any task completion or project management becomes a lot simpler when the company has the right set of tools to execute, control, and manage all processes of project management. That’s the reason why all companies today swear by project management tools. With the majority of companies adopting software project management tools, there has been an increasing demand for team collaboration tools. But with over a  hundred project management tools available at a swipe of a finger, the selection of the right management tool can be a daunting experience. These tools are available with different features, unique functionalities, and distinct pricing-which can all be very confusing if you don’t know what will fit your business needs. To simplify the selection, we have made an unbiased comparison of the sixteen best project management tools and software. Follow this article, learn about the exclusive features of each tool, and make your decision after going over the pros and cons we've listed below: Table of Contents 1. ClickUp 2. Trello 3. Asana 4. Basecamp 5. GanttPRO   6. Bitrix24 7. Wrike 8. Redbooth 9. ProofHub 10. Nifty 11. Podio   12. Paymo 13. Teamly 14. Agantty 15. And CO 16. Teamwork 17. Freedcamp 18. Flow 19. Clubhouse 20. ProProfs Project 21. DashClicks 22. Financial Cents 23. Productive.io 1. ClickUp   ClickUp is a versatile project management platform that is designed to save your company one day each week. By helping your team plan and executes upcoming projects and collaborate on ongoing work, it lives up to that promise.   Why ClickUp is suited as the best Project management software tool of 2023:   ClickUp is the ideal project management platform because it shows all the relevant information you need to accomplish your work from a single place, allowing you to manage the flow of your work with ease. Tasks store all the attachments, assignees, comments, due dates, statuses, and other info you need to get up-to-date on a project's progress. ClickUp offers built-in integrations with tools like Slack, Dropbox, Email, and Google Drive, in addition to 1000+ 3rd-party integrations. Updating in real-time, ClickUp keeps your entire team on the same page at all times.  ClickUp has five pricing tiers billed per user, monthly:  Free Forever (Free); Unlimited ($5); Business ($12); Business Plus ($19); and Enterprise (Contact Sales Team).    ClickUp Pros:   Customizable views  Affordable pricing for any team size Assigned comments Customizable Dashboards and reporting 24/7 Support   ProProfs Project Cons: Less customizable mobile app Unlimited storage only available on paid plans   Rating: 4.6/5 2. Trello   Trello, is hands down, one of the most popular task management tools with features that promise to boost your company's productivity, and make task assigning, project tracking, and management more straightforward than ever.   Why Trello is suited as the best Project management software tool of 2023:    Trello is best for project management as it allows the user to create a board, add steps in the workflow, assign tasks, invite the team, and track the work progress on the same card. The user can dive into detail by adding attachments, checklists, sharing files, and project due dates to each card-all of which make collaboration very easy. Integration with Slack, Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive, and other productivity applications Irrespective of where you go, the tool stays synced across your devices. Trello has Business and Enterprise plans, both priced at $9.99 and $20.83 per user, monthly. Business and Enterprise plans have a per-file attachment limit of 250MB. Trello Pros   Unlimited team boards Unlimited scheduled commands Custom stickers and background 2-Factor authentication Easy Data Export   Trello Cons   No Gantt Chart Tasks get limited to only one board It’s available only on iPhone and Android   Rating: 4.5/5 3. Asana   This work management tool can scale your business tasks to a new level of productivity and efficiency. The platform is designed in a way a user can easily follow the assignments and projects through each stage, eliminate roadblocks, and structure projects as required.   Why Asana is suited as the best Project management software tool of 2023:   Task assigning and organization is way more straightforward with Asana as it allows users to set goals and create milestones. One can assign tasks and share details with team members. Allows creation of visual projects, pinpoints risks, and implements changes. Premium and Business plans are priced at $9.99 and $19.99 per user, monthly. Asana Pros:   Task and list view Due dates and Assignees Calendar and board view Advanced search and milestone reporting Private projects and teams Asana Cons:   UI delays No-time tracking No multi-member tasks   Rating: 4.5/5 4. Basecamp   This tool covers all aspects of business management. It makes communication with the internal and external teams easy and allows project management on the board. It's great for managing small and mid-size projects because of multiple collaboration tools which help the job get done.   Why Basecamp is suited as the best Project management software tool of 2023:   The tool has a very simple UI, and the support is excellent. The setup to manage the task, report to clients, and seek an update from team members is as smooth as it can be. The Automatic check-in feature allows the team leader to keep track of tasks in progress. The tool allows 500 GB of file storage with unlimited projects and users. Basecamp has a one-for-all plan of $99 per month, per enterprise. This is irrespective of the total number of people working in the company.   Basecamp Pros:   Centralized feedback and discussion Automatically progress summary To-dos One-for-all plan of $99 per month   Basecamp Pros:   Too much simplicity No tags No reporting and time tracking Cluttered organization of attachments   Rating: 4/5 5. GanttPRO     GanttPRO is one of the most popular online Gantt chart tools with more than 350K registered users. For individuals and teams from all over the world, it makes task and project management as well as team collaboration and resource management much easier and smoother.   The Gantt chart timeline gives a clear picture of a plan that is very simple to track and follow.   Why GanttPRO is suited as the best Project management software of 2023:   GanttPRO provides a visually appealing picture of all the tasks with their dates. It turns task assignments, progress and time tracking, deadlines,s and cost management into enjoyable activities. The tool allows teams to collaborate on critical issues right inside one workspace: comment on tasks, attach files, and receive notifications. Export and Sharing features allow having plans at hand at any moment. Projects can be managed with the most appropriate time view thanks to the Zoom option: from hours to years. The ready-made professional templates are a good start for most industries: software development, construction, marketing, event planning, education, manufacturing, and many more. GanttPRO has one of the easiest setups with a very intuitive interface. The learning curve is very short even for a novice.   GanttPRO pros:   Gantt chart timeline with a short learning curve. Kanban view as an alternative to Gantt charts. Resource management and team collaboration. Time tracking. Personal calendars. Tasks dependencies and milestone management. Reports.    GanttPRO cons:   No mobile app. Not rich in integrations.   6. Bitrix24   Bitrix24 offers state-of-the-art team communication with exclusive project and task management. With this online project management tool, companies have the freedom to manage clients, assign tasks, track project milestones, and enjoy secured internal communication.   Why Bitrix24 is suited as the best Project management software tool of 2023:   It has the majority of collaboration and communication features like the social intranet, user groups, document management, chat, video, and email integration. Bitrix24 has an exclusive HR management system. A Customizable Kanban board is available for project tracking It’s a powerful CRM tool with features like lead and pipeline management and sales automation Online storage limits up to 50 GB and 100 GB in CRM+ and standard plans. CRM+ and standard plans are priced at $69 and $199 for all users of a company, monthly.   Bitrix24 Pros:   Gantt Charts Task Dependencies & Project Workgroups Multichannel customer helpdesk Automatic time tracking & Task templates   Bitrix24 Cons:   A bit complicated to use because of the extensive features Lacks fine-tuning configuration   Rating: 4.8/5 7. Wrike   This leading project management tool has features that simplify workflow, streamline project tracking, and increase the productivity of team members through centralized collaboration. It lets you create, collaborate, plan, customize, and plan everything that needs your team members to be on the same page.   Why Wrike is suited as the best Project management software tool of 2023:   The tools allow a project plan to turn into a robust strategy and a schedule into a streamlined workflow. Wrike has advanced project management features that align your team and set priorities and work faster. The app allows easy integration with Google, Salesforce, Github, JIRA, Gmail, Microsoft One Drive, and Adobe Creative Cloud. The business plan allows storage space of up to 50 GB and a 15 GB monthly video upload limit. The professional and business features can be availed at $9.80 and $24.80 per user, monthly. Wrike has advanced add-on features like Wrike Extension, Wrike Proof, Wrike Resource, and Wrike Lock. Wrike Pros:   Shareable dashboards Subtask Management Gantt Chart and Graphical analysis Calendars and Time Tracking Real-time scheduled notifications and shared reports Advanced Integration   Wrike Cons:   Difficult breaking up of tasks Cluttered interface   Rating: 4.6/5 8. Redbooth   This management tool facilitates file organization ensuring smooth communication between team members. The best thing is easy accessibility and navigation which allows users to check, edit, and update ongoing tasks.   Why Redbooth is suited as the best Project management software tool of 2023:   It has an interactive dashboard with all the necessary details One can create tasks, make comments, add files, edit due dates, and manage the task as needed. Managers can catch a glimpse of who’s doing what. All files are centrally located. Integration with Box, Slack, Dropbox, Google Drive, Zapier, and Zendesk. Pro and Business plans are priced monthly at $9 and $15 per user. The business plan has a storage limit of 50 GB, but with the Enterprise plan, it can be exceeded by up to 500 GB. Redbooth Pros:   Unlimited Workspace Resource Management Time Tracking Success Manager Advanced Subtasks Redbooth Cons:   No advanced feature for task management No recurring task Non-customizable workspace   Rating: 4/5 9. ProofHub   ProofHub is an all-in-one task management tool compact with numerous contemporary features that can address your business necessities in real-time. The unified business tool has features that can speed up your workplace processes, document review procedures, generate reports, simplify tasks through boards and workflows, and give a visual timeline through Gantt Charts.   Why ProofHub is suited as the best Project management software tool of 2023:   Proofing, White-labeling, Custom roles, Multilingual interface, Kanban boards, Task management, Gantt charts, Time tracking, and file management are the elite feature. Proofhub allows integration with Google Calendar, Google Drive, Box, iCal, Freshbooks, Onedrive, Evernote, and Outlook applications. The Ultimate control plan allows unlimited users, unlimited projects, and a storage capacity of 100 GB with all the core features. The Essential and Ultimate Control Plan starts at $45 and $89 per month, per team. Users can opt for IP restrictions to avoid unauthorized access to their accounts. The supported platform includes Windows and Android.   ProofHub Pros:   Advanced Search Notes taking Project Manager and Templates Discussions and Chat In-app Notifications API to connect with third-party tools File Versioning ProofHub Cons:   Not very user-friendly Comparatively slow in uploading and downloading Too many notifications   Rating: 4.7/5 10. Nifty   Nifty brings entire organizations together by offering a single workspace to collaborate on and manage the different departments of the organization. A cross-organizational Project Overview feature gives leadership insights into high-level sprint timelines which can turn into a task-level deep-dive analysis of any project in just a few clicks. For regular team members, Nifty provides intuitive core features such as project discussions, milestones, tasks, docs, and files. In order to make their work easier and also to keep stakeholders aligned on project objectives. Direct messaging and group chats provide streamless teamwide communication to bridge the gap between planning and delivery. The nifty free version allows access to all core features, 3 members, 2 active projects, and storage of 1 GB per user, plus the Self-Serve Help Center. Nifty Pros:   Unlimited tasks and milestones Kanban and list task views Custom documents and Google Docs built-in Files Time tracking Team chat and discussions Nifty Cons:   No reach direct integrations No recurring task No calendar task view   11. Podio   This web-based task management software is one of the best business collaboration tools which has numerous customizable options that facilitate project completion on time. Companies can add different workplaces depending on their work requirement, and through these features team members can collaborate efficiently.   Why Podio is suited as the best Project management tool of 2023:   Podio assures streamlining your business tasks in a way everything is organized, and there is no room for distraction and confusion Structured task management is where one can assign work, discuss the details, attach files, and add comments. Seamless integration with GoToMeeting, Dropbox, Google Drive, Email, and Excel. Podio frontend is developed on the API, which makes integration of API operations simple. Podio is free for a team of five members. The primary plans are priced monthly at $9 and $14 per user.   Podio Pros:   Feedback and review workflow with clients Automated calculations and progress reporting Insight to improve operational productivity Compatible with iPhone and Android   Podio Cons:   No time tracking Difficult interface   Rating: 4.3/5 12. Paymo   This is one of the best project management tools that allow your team members to work efficiently by getting them all on the same page. The key features include project planning, task scheduling, time tracking, and project management.   Why Paymo is suited as the best Project management software tool of 2023:   Prime features of the free version include Kanban and meta Kanban boards, to-do lists, file sharing, and community support. For small businesses, Paymo has features like advanced reporting, integrations, project templates, and advanced task management. Paymo supports integration and API with primary social interaction and collaboration tools. The small-office plan has a storage limit of 50 GB, whereas the Business plan offers unlimited storage. Small-office and Business plans can be availed at $9.56 and $15.16 per user, monthly. Paymo Pros:   Invoice and Estimate features API and Integration Resource Scheduling & Gantt Charts Online Remote Assistance Paymo Cons:   Difficult to navigate Difficult to learn for beginners   Rating: 4.2/5 13. Teamly   Teamly is a remote team management software that simplifies the process of managing a team remotely. With real-time chat, workflow, task management, screen capture video and audio recording, and employee time tracking and monitoring, Teamly is the perfect solution for managing your team efficiently and effectively.   Why Teamly is suited as the best Project management software tool of 2023:   Has all the functionality you need to effectively manage a remote team Bypasses steep learning curves and eliminates team member frustration Makes team collaboration a snap with instant chat and virtual chat rooms Effortlessly stay on top of tasks, projects, & timelines with user-friendly Kanban boards Calculates payroll quickly & easily with built-in time tracking and monitoring   Teamly Pros:   The easy-to-use interface that makes remote team management simple Real-time chat and task management Screen capture video and audio recording Employee time tracking and monitoring Professional checklists and SOPs with done-for-you templates   Agantty Cons:   Not yet premiered   Rating: 4.8/5 14. Agantty   With Agantty, you can manage and organize projects, teams, and tasks through Gantt charts and Graphical representation. You can monitor and administer numerous tasks and teams through a single account, and look up to an organized dashboard.   Why Agantty is suited as the best Project management software tool of 2023:   With Agantty, you can create as many projects as you want, and drag them to the Gantt chart view for visual tracking of the project process. The task can be grouped very easily, and multiple members can be invited to assign parts and access rights. The tool guarantees a high level of data protection and encrypted file transfer This is the only free tool with premium features.   Agantty Pros:   Project creation Task assigning Inviting partners and friends Teamwork Drag and Drop Task progress tracking Available for free Agantty Cons:   Difficult breaking up of tasks No API No Integration No Speed Optimization   Rating: 4.4/5 15. And CO And Co from Fiverr is one of the high-rated tools that have a great many features. Not only does this software has invoicing, proposal, and contract features, but it works more like a project management tool with features that help users manage ongoing tasks and completing the project within the due date.   Why AND CO is suited as the best Project management software tool of 2023:   It is an excellent tool for freelancers who work on Platforms like Fiverr and require to keep track of their ongoing projects. Task management is made easy with features like proposal and contract, payment and invoicing, expense tracking, and time tracking and report generation. There’s a free plan that allows one active user, and the paid plan starts at $18 per user, monthly. Integration with Asana, Google Docs, Slack, MailChimp, and Dropbox.   AND CO pros:   Customizable invoice Set recurring tasks Time-sheet sharing Multi-device syncing and tracking Contact management and time-tracking AND CO cons:   No Gantt Chart Very Limited Integration   Rating: 4.3/5 16. Teamwork   Teamwork has an appealing and eye-catching design which is similar to Trello and Basecamp. Apart from the sharable notes, direct messaging, tagging, and invoice generation, some features let you create milestones for ongoing projects and assign tasks through email.   Why Teamwork is suited as the best Project management software tool of 2023:   Gantt charts, reports, time tracking, and subtasks reporting are the key features. The tool facilitates integration with email, iCal, Google Calendar, and Microsoft Outlook. The tool allows excellent document management with Dropbox, SVN, FTP, and Google Drive. It is compatible with iPhones, Windows phones, and Android phones. There are monthly pro and premium packages priced at $9 and $15 per user. With the premium package file space of 250 GB is available, and with the Enterprise plan, the limit exceeds 500 GB.   Teamwork Pros:   Helpdesk for improved customer care Team communication software Documentation management Automated marketing workflows   Teamwork Cons:   Inability to import tasks of large size Comparatively slow and time-consuming   Rating: 4.2/5 17. Freedcamp   Get all your business needs in one place with Freedcamp as this is one of those tools that simplify business organization at an advanced level. Not only does this tool boasts task lists, Kanban boards, and Gantt Chart, but it also has all the other features you need to accomplish your business goals on time.   Why Freedcamp is suited as the best Project management software tool of 2023:   Key Features include a drag-and-drop tool, task and subtasks management, and personal and private tasking. Task Management features include a calendar, milestone setting, discussion board, documentation, social communication, time management, and issue tracking. Supported Platforms are the App Store and Google Play Store. There are three packages titled Minimalist, Freelancer, and Business package, each priced at $1.49, $3.49, and $7.49 per active user, monthly, and billed annually.   Freedcamp Pros:   Invoice Generation for clients Project Templates CRM solution Task Board and Widget Board Backups White Label   Freedcamp Cons:   No reporting features No time tracking No Gantt Chart   Rating: 4/5 18. Flow   This is a visual task management app whose main functionality is to provide high-level project transparency to the team members. The tool covers all workplace task that involves delegating responsibilities, scheduling timeline for the work that needs to be done, and keeping track of progress made.   Why Flow is suited as the best Project management software tool of 2023:   Key Features include project planning, priority setting, and task tracking. Kanban boards for simple checklists. Project dashboard for project tracking. Visual mapping of deadlines and task progress. Easy management of resources and workload balancing. The basic Flow plan is available at $4.79, and the pro plan starts at $7.099 per user, monthly.   Flow Pros:   Team Collaboration Resource management Project tracking Catch-up feature All Integrations Public API Unlimited tasks and Projects Flow Cons:   No Gantt Chart Difficult to get used to   Rating: 4.6/5 19. Clubhouse This is an easy-to-use tool specially designed for software development companies. The interface is straightforward, with no crammed features, and just a simple UI. What makes it great for Software developers is the predictive analytics, real-time project management, and tracking.   Why Clubhouse is suited as the best Project management software tool of 2023:   Anyone can create a project, add tasks, assign roles, set milestones, and track progress. Team members can reflect on daily chores through Kanban boards while focusing on the big picture. For teams of up to ten members, the monthly plan of $8.33 is available. For teams of up to ten members, a monthly plan of $8.50 per user is available. One can chart the project update and generate a progress report.   Clubhouse Pros:   API Access Unlimited workspaces App integration Dedicated account management Clubhouse Cons:   No innovative feature No time tracking functionality   Rating: 4.1/5 20. ProProfs Project ProProfs Project is a simple project management software that has an easy-to-use and understandable UI. The PM software also has all the tools to streamline workflow, improve team communication, monitor team performance, and bill clients automatically. Manage your projects, teams, clients, and other stakeholders on a single platform with ProProfs Project.   Why ProProfs Project is suited as the Best Project Management Software Tool of 2023:   It has two views - a single dashboard to view all your projects and their progress and a calendar view with which you can visualize milestones alongside your team easily ProProfs Project has features like time tracking and timesheet entries that help in project and resource management. Collaboration is really easy using ProProfs Project with features like Task Comments, Shared Calendar, Email Notifications, and File Sharing. Assign tasks to relevant teams and ensure they stay informed of all updates with task permissions. ProProfs Project offers four pricing plans, ranging from a Forever Free plan to an Unlimited Plan priced at $199/month.   ProProfs Project Pros:   Easy-to-understand UI Extremely feature-rich Instant, insightful reporting Accurate, automated invoicing   ProProfs Project Cons:   Kanban view still underway Non-customizable email notifications   Rating: 4.5/5 21. DashClicks   “Projects” by DashClicks is a project management software crafted especially for agencies. It offers the most convenient and robust way to manage your teams, projects, customers, and more.   With the help of the software, you can upload and manage files for your client’s projects. You can also create and manage notebooks for your client’s projects. Another remarkable feature of the Projects app is that it enables you to manage unlimited projects within it.   Why DashClicks is suited as the best Project management tool of 2023:   The software lets you automate the creation of a new project. You can automate the creation and sending of onboarding documents to your clients with the help of the software. You can view analytics associated with your client's marketing campaigns within the software. The software lets you manage your client’s website. You can choose a forever-free plan. Paid plans start from $97 USD a month.   DashClicks' Project Pros:   Available for a free trial; no credit card is required A forever-free plan is available Both the free and paid plans include unlimited projects Auto project creation Automate onboarding docs   DashClicks' Project Cons:   The free plan provides limited file storage (100 MB) Can be a bit complicated to use because of its extensive features   22. Financial Cents   This accounting project management software is a cloud-based solution that makes it easy for accounting firms to manage client work, collaborate with staff, and hit their deadlines. The software can scale your accounting firm task to a new level of productivity and efficiency.   Why Financial Cents is suited as the best project management software for the accounting firm of 2023:   Keep things from slipping through the cracks by easily tracking the status of client work, who’s working on what, and all your deadlines in one simple view. Use automated requests and reminders with a secure upload and no client login required. Keep all communication, documents, notes, email, and client info stored in one place so your team can access it and get their work done.   Financial Cents Pros:   Project management and task management Workflow Automation Email Management Client Database Client Portal Document Management Time Tracking & Billing Available on Desktop 14-days trial   Financial Cents Cons:   No mobile application   Rating: 4.8/5   23. Productive.io   Productive.io is a comprehensive project management platform designed specifically for agencies and professional service firms. With built-in tools for budgeting, time tracking, resource planning, invoicing, and collaboration, Productive helps teams manage everything from project delivery to profitability in one place.   It’s trusted by thousands of agencies around the world to streamline operations, boost efficiency, and ensure projects stay on track and within budget.   Why Productive.io is suited as one of the best Project Management tools of 2023:   Productive combines project planning with budgeting, time tracking, and profitability insights—all under one roof. The platform offers a clean, intuitive interface that makes it easy to plan, track, and deliver projects. Built-in collaboration features like task comments, file sharing, and real-time updates keep teams aligned and connected. With detailed forecasting and reporting tools, businesses can monitor performance and profitability in real-time. Productive is fully customizable to match workflows of agencies, consultancies, and service businesses across industries.   Productive.io pros:   All-in-one tool for project delivery and business operations. Real-time budget tracking and financial forecasting. Resource planning and time tracking in one place. Clean, user-friendly interface with powerful insights. Native integrations with tools like Slack, QuickBooks, Xero, and Google Calendar.   Productive.io cons:   May be more feature-rich than needed for very small teams or freelancers. Limited offline functionality.   Summing Up Companies trust in project management software to ensure all tasks are done on time, the project meets the deadline, and the workload is balanced for standard time management. Since these tools ensure project success, enhance the efficiency of resources, and increase organizational productivity, they are becoming an integral part of the majority of small, mid-size, and larger enterprises. Not only do these tools help with project estimation, tracking, and planning, but they also have collaboration features that make task assignment and resource scheduling very simple. Though we've shortlisted the best of the project management tools, the final selection of one app can still be overwhelming. Be advised to ensure compatibility, and examine your requirements with the tools and their features before selecting one.
The evolving world didn't stop at social chat apps and social websites to make communication easier;...
alternative
02 Nov 2022
Top 11+ Slack Competitors to look out for 2023
In this fast pacing world, every piece of information is available with a swipe of a finger.   But this same information, when not delivered in the right manner and within appropriate timing, has the potential to cause considerable damage to the largest of the organizations.   And that is why enterprises today understand the importance of business collaboration tools. Famous examples of such a tool are Slack and the counterpart Slack competitors-all which facilitate instantaneous team communication for an organized workspace and a streamlined workflow.   Slack- The reigning champ of Business Collaboration tools   Slack is an award-winning, wildly popular collaboration and business messaging application that serves corporate teams as an excellent alternative to emails and phone calls. The powerful messaging features and the easy-to-use interface is not the only reason for its popularity. There are functionalities like threading, instant messaging for business, pinning, document tracking, and lightning-quick navigation that make this an excellent tool.   As impressive as Slack is in multiple functionality dimensions, this article is not about Slack. The article instead talks about Slack Alternatives —which might have you wondering why bother looking at the alternate options when Slack is so great. Well, the reasons could be plenty. It could be Slack pricing plan or the fact that it has few features and functionality gaps, or it could be some ‘extra-great' collaboration tools with extraordinary features that can boost your organization's productivity to new heights, or it could be a few Slack Competitors, which are likely to suit your company's budget affordably. Whatever the reason, there are two things we are very sure of —First, this article has a compilation of the best collaboration tools, and Second, you must not miss out on the outstanding features these tools can provide for your workplace organization.   Time to replace Slack with these top 11 Slack Competitors   Slack Competitors   1. Troop Messenger 2. Fleep 3. Microsoft Teams 4. Zoho Cliq 5. Blink 6. Ryver 7. Mattermost 8. Bitrix24 9. Quip 10. Glip 11. Facebook Workplace 12. Rocket Chat   Troop Messenger   Of course, we’re biased, but hey — it is our blog. Here’s our #1  Slack Competitor    Troop Messenger is a renowned business messenger application developed to empower communication and collaboration between team members. As Slack's biggest competitor, it provides organizations and businesses with features like instant messaging, video calls, and file sharing in an exclusive and secure environment. Much like Slack, the tool connects the users within their organization irrespective of their time zone, and location, and makes for a robust online-based workforce.    Why Choose Troop Messenger Instead of Slack?   With Troop Messenger, the team members get to avail of direct messaging capabilities and also leverage advanced features like audio or video calls, virtual meetings, screen sharing, and many productivity features that enhance collaboration. The software is lightning fast, as it connects the members working within an organization at an excellent speed. Troop Messenger is known for its highly secure firewall, which assures privacy to all the messages, conversations, and file exchanges happening between team members. End-to-end encryption is the reason why no unauthorized party can ever access the data and information shared within the troop messenger application. The tool has a ‘delete and recalls’ feature and multiple domain merging options. To save even more time, the tool has a speech-to-text option, which is again something that can boost productivity at your workplace. The troop messenger is strictly individual to your organization. The involvement of no external networks or third parties offers an extraordinary level of security. Troop Messenger is an affordable collaboration tool. The free version alone can fit the need of small businesses with 50 users’ access to all the features. The premium version is as low as $1 monthly, per user.   Fleep   Fleep is one of the team collaboration software that combines business chat with collaboration tools that make multi-tasking easier. The tool works across multiple devices and operating systems, and it is arguably one of the most flexible collaboration solutions for businesses today. The app allows users to connect and share files seamlessly.   Why Choose Fleep over Slack:   One can manage push notifications on both the app and conversation levels. It's easy to control the email notifications, choose a specific sound for the alerts, and set up silent mode. Fleep has affordable plans for team collaboration. ‘ Fleep has an elegant and very carefully designed interface. The paid plan starts at $5 per member per month.   Microsoft Teams   With Microsoft teams, team collaboration doesn't only get simplified, but it also gets protected to an advanced level. With security that is no match to conventional chatting applications, this software has all the potential to transform the way you are operating and managing business necessities. Not only does it facilitate effective communication, but it also allows the users to customize the workspace and collaborate on built-in Office 365 applications.   Why Choose Microsoft Teams over Slack:   Microsoft Teams team Allows a storage space of 1 TB per organization, and a file upload limit of 15 GB. Microsoft Teams office 365 package members can use MS teams for Free. It has in-built integration of all MS Office tools. The supported platform includes all the major operating systems like iOS, android, windows, and JIRA.     Zoho Cliq   This communication software aims at providing businesses with messaging features that go beyond the functionality limit of the conventional chat application. There has to be a solid reason why small and large companies are using Zoho Cliq as an official team communication tool. It supports multiple channels and displays all of them in one window for easy access and monitoring.   Why Choose Zoho Cliq over Slack:   Zoho Cliq has a wide range of security options that are designed to protect company data and confidential files against security breaches. Zoho has dedicated customer training features that assure a user makes the most of their investment. The tool allows users to compile multiple channels into one window for easy access and monitoring. The UI design and interface allow lightening quick navigation with easy drag and drop file transfer. The app allows ten effective integration in the free plan. It offers a free plan with file storage of 100 GB per organization and a searchable message limit of 10k. The paid plan allows file storage of 100 GB per user with a charge of $0.58 monthly, per user.   Blink   Blink’s product offering goes beyond your average internal communication tool; Blink combines powerful integrations, instant messaging, file storage, and more to make the lives of frontline workers easier. No more notice boards in the breakroom and boring paper-based admin forms. Blink is the best way to digitize old processes and for organizations with a distributed workforce to reach and engage their employees on a handy mobile app.   Why Choose Blink Instead of Slack?   Specifically created for companies with a deskless workforce, Blink is perfect for any company across transit, logistics, facilities management, retail, hospitality, construction, and more. Featuring enterprise-level security, data on Blink is always encrypted. Additional Blink security capabilities range from remote wipes to non-repudiable audit logs, making it a favorite tool for IT departments and HR alike. In addition to enabling two-way communications and giving digitally disconnected workers a voice, rolling out Blink has been shown to decrease employee turnover by 28% while increasing employee satisfaction. Blink is mobile-first, but a user-friendly desktop app is available for desk-based colleagues in regional offices and the company HQ. The admin portal provides internal communications and HR teams with access to engagement analytics, moderation capabilities, identity management, a company directory, and more.   Ryver   When it is to Integration, Slack wins the battle with easy-to-implement 1000+ integrations. But when it is to task and content management, we are not sure if there are tools that are as competent as Ryver. Through this tool, one can create a task out of inbox messages, start a topic thread, set a reminder, add a reaction, and pin it.   Why Choose Ryver over Slack:   Ryver has an in-built solution for video and audio conversations. And that’s one reason why the call quality is so much better. Search feature and functionality is very simple in Ryver. Unlike slack where the search limit is only up to 10,000 messages, this tool allows an unlimited search. Just type the word you want to look up, and the result will be displayed in a fraction of a second. Ryver allows users to manage push notifications on both the app and conversation levels. It's easy to control the email notifications, choose separate tones for the alerts, and set up silent mode too. Ryver has not a freemium plan. The premium plan starts at $99 per month, and the enterprise plan starts at $399 per month.   Mattermost   Mattermost, as premium business chat software, is dedicated to providing businesses with premium collaboration solutions. The hybrid, slack competitor's open source, private cloud allows the paid users to avail of configurable, highly encrypted, and scalable messaging solutions across mobile, web, and PC.    Why Choose Mattermost over Slack:   It has exclusive features like brainstorming, task management, discussion boards, discussion threads, push notifications, search, video conferencing, and file sharing. Mattermost is self-hosted and open source. The highly secure network assures no data is ever lost. Enterprise E10 starts at $3.35 per user per month, and Enterprise E20 starts at $8.50 monthly, per user.   Bitrix24   With Bitrix 24, you get to do this effectively and connect with your colleagues over the E2E open-source platform. The software allows team conferencing through video calls, social networking, and project management. It has an E2E secured and encrypted centralized repository that assures that all media shared between the team members are secured and encrypted from cyber-attacks of all kinds.   Why Choose Bitrix24 over Slack:   The tool has cool features like a reminder system, document storage, Internet chat integration, mobile access, and lead scoring. Collaboration features include social media integration, task management, and segmentation. The tool is super customizable with streamlined CRM and multi-pipelines. Bitrix24 has visual workflow tracking features. The vendor offers excellent community support. The standard plan is $99 per user per month, and the Professional plan starts at $199/per month monthly, per user.   Quip   Quip is a simple-to-use and straightforward application with an avenue of features that streamline the work process of an organization. The application makes for a perfect collaboration system that enables the user to become more efficient in project planning and task management, editing documents, taking notes, communicating with team members, and collaborating on team projects.   Why Quip is a great Slack Alternative:   The real-time messaging features are embedded with full-features spreadsheets. The app can be integrated with Google Docs, Google Drive, Evernote, Dropbox, and a lot many third-party applications. The documents and media attachments can be easily exported to .doc, .jpg, and PDF versions. Users can enjoy importing contacts from Google, Hotmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and Gmail. Quip offers paid plan of $30 per month for a team of five members, and $10 per month for each additional member. For large businesses, the plan starts at $25 per month, per member.   Glip   This office chat software allows API integration, notes taking, video conferencing, file sharing, and project management. Using Glip, you can assign tasks, schedule deadlines, send and receive messages, and manage shared files. This application can be used as a central device for managing projects and communicating with the people working on them.   Why Choose Glip over Slack:   This unified productivity software revolves around task management, where the user can assign, edit, and share tasks. The team chat app has annotation features including creating and sharing notes, documents, and event schedules. You can attach files and upload them on the preferred cloud services. The app can be easily paired with the desktop version. Glip allows unlimited chat, unlimited storage, integration, and unlimited teams. The free plan allows shared video of 500 total minutes, and the paid plan ($5 monthly, per user.) allows shared video of 1000 minutes per user.   Facebook Workplace   When it is about facilitating communication, Facebook can never stay in the background. The Workplace by Facebook is a platform designed to file businesses of all sizes. Primarily it is a collaboration tool, but it works similarly to how the social media platform works. The only difference is the way it provides a secure workspace where team members can make groups, organize events and share media, and documents, and set reminders for ongoing projects.   Why Choose Facebook Workplace instead of Slack?   Facebook Workplace is known for its easy accessibility. The similar and straightforward interface makes even the novice user an expert. All the features are streamlined in a way that takes no genius to understand how things work. With easy integration of social media channels, the tool serves as an excellent platform for team collaboration, communication, and event schedule. The API capabilities of the application help the user to integrate with file storage providers. This internal chat tool also has live video streaming options and administrative control. The Standard package allows the user to use it for free, and the premium package costs about $3/user/month.   Rocket Chat   This comprehensive communication tool is developed to facilitate team communication within the workplace. What makes RocketChat better than Slack is its deployment within an organization's Intranet or the Internet. The tool is dedicated to reinforcing task management with the great many collaboration and management features.    Why prefer Rocket Chat over Slack?   It has several productivity tools that make the organization process a lot simpler. The software has API functionalities that make integration very simple and highly extensible. It facilitates unlimited integration. The E2E-secured communication feature assures that the messages exchanged between team members are on a private network. The users have complete control over the profile settings and dashboard appearance. The paid plan starts at $3 monthly, per user.    Final Verdict While Slack sure has been the prodigy of the revival of office collaboration tools, things are changing now with next-gen communication apps. If you are a small or medium organization, MatterMost Tool and Workplace by Facebook could be good options because these two tools are cheaper than Slack, and they provide similar and better functionality.   But if you want to experience something extraordinary and ‘strictly individual’ office software, our advice would be to switch to Troop Messenger. Because with this collaboration tool, you are in complete control of your workplace interaction with secure access to your data. Troop Messenger is an ultimate Slack Competitor. The free version alone can fit the need of your business (as long as your team has fifty or fewer members). Above all else, our final verdict will go in favor of Troop Messenger for the end-to-end encryption and extensive range of features.
In this fast pacing world, every piece of information is available with a swipe of a finger.  ...
alternative
05 Apr 2019
Need an alternative to Hipchat? Find it here
You are probably reading this article because you've learned about the discontinuation of Hipchat Server and Data Center and Atlassian's partnership with Slack.   With Hipchat going down, the ex-users of the app are in a fix about which collaboration tool to pick next. While some are migrating to Slack, others are looking for better Hipchat Alternatives that can meet their requirements. Slack sure has gained momentum as a team communication tool, and it has excellent features that guarantee secure collaboration. But it limits the context searching feature.Only 10,000 messages are searchable and viewable, and the file sharing is also limited to the total storage space of 5 GB.   However, there’s nothing to worry about because there are a lot many collaboration tools with extraordinary features and functionalities available at minimum pricing. Follow this article to find a list of best Hipchat alternatives. We've compiled this list after thorough research, comparison, and user experience tests of the best-rated team collaboration tools. These tools not only have been developed by renowned vendors, but they also have a significant market presence among the businesses operating remotely.   Table of Contents   1. Troop Messenger 2. Fleep 3. Microsoft Teams 4. Yammer 5. Flock 6. Mattermost 7. Bitrix24 8. Discord 9. Google Hangouts 10. Redbooth 11. Rocket Chat 12. Circuit 13. Wimi   Troop Messenger         Troop Messenger is the best in class, team communication application compact with excellent functionalities that address business needs of both small- and large-scale enterprises. What makes Its a great team chat tool is multiple contemporary features, IP ownership, Data Security, ease of use, and secured and monitored entry etiquette.   Features: Instant Messaging, Unlimited Groups, and Group chat, Free Email/Chat Support, Unlimited Message search and History, Face-to-Face interaction, Data record, File Sharing, Screen Sharing, Work Scheduling, and Analytics.    Integration: Allows Integration with multiple third-party tools.   Storage: Offers storage up to 1 TB for unhindered communication.   Supported Platforms: Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, and Mac. Troop Messenger is compatible with Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox.   Pricing: has free and low-cost plans. The basic plan starts at $0 per user/month, and the premium plan starts at $1 per user/month.    In general, Troop Messenger's intuitive interface and UI makes the collaboration tool a reliable alternative of Hipchat for team members to collaborate and communicate in a better way.   Fleep       Fleep is a flexible communication tool which can be integrated with email. Fleep offers task management features that allow the members to interact with other fleep users and share files.    Features: Instant Messaging, Unlimited Groups, and Group chat, Free Email/Chat Support, Unlimited Message search and History, Face-to-Face interaction, Data record, File Sharing, Screen Sharing, Work Scheduling, and Analytics.    Integration: Integration with multiple third-party tools like Email, Trello, Fleep API, Dropbox, Google Drive, JIRA, Slack, One Drive, GitHub, and mainstream social networks.   Storage: Business subscription have a storage limit of 100 GB.   Supported Platforms: Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, and Mac.   Pricing: $5 per member per month.   Overall Rating: 8/10    Microsoft Teams     While several tools boast of extraordinary features, it's hard to compete with Microsoft edge for the robust security it offers for the users. As a part of the 365 packages, this collaboration tool offers a great many features and MS Teams free plan offers few features that can match an individual requirements. Users can enjoy private and public conversations with the team members.   Features: Online meeting, web conferencing, file collaboration with all Office 365 applications, administrative control, integration with third party tool, and end-to-end data encryption.    Integration: MS package, Adobe Creative cloud, Trello, Google Calendar, slack, outlook, Survey Monkey, Wrike, Jira, and Folly.   Storage: Allows the storage space of 1 TB per organization, and file upload limit of 15 GB.   Supported Platforms: All the major operating systems like iOS, android, windows, JIRA and with all internet browsers like Internet Explorer 11, Microsoft edge, Google Chrome, and Firefox.   Pricing: Its free with Office 365 Business Premium and Office 365 Business Essential plans starting at $12.50 per user per month and $5 per user per month.   Overall Rating: 9.5/10   Yammer       Yammer is all about business networking and collaboration. The tool allows the users to collaborate with team members across geographies, departments, and content to solve problems and share ideas in real time. The tool can be used to share photos, videos, docs in context by adding people in conversations.   Integration: One-click integration with Office 365 and multiple third-party tools.   Storage: Each post at Yammer can have files up 100 files. The maximum size per attachment is 100 MB for free networks and 5 GB for the premium networks   Supported Platforms: Android, Windows, Linux, and iPhone   Pricing: The premium plan starts at $5 per user per month.   Features: Public groups, messages and content tagging, enterprise microblogging, company directory, file and link sharing, profile pages, high-level security, and automated notification. Other features include tagging, document distribution, search functionality, and instant messaging for business   Overall Rating: 9.3/10   Flock       Flock is for those who like to keep everything organized and at one place. Fleep can radically modify and improve your collaboration with your team members.    Features: Chat during the meeting, Video or audio conference, screen sharing, threading, and content sharing, and Skype for business.   Integration: Flock allows Integration with over sixty apps including Google Drive, Dropbox, Twitter, Google Analytics, Trello, and etc. It also gives users the freedom to build their own apps via Flock API.   Storage: 10 GB file storage for midsize companies, and 20 GB file storage for large enterprises.   Supported Platforms: All the major operating systems like iOS, android, windows.   Pricing: Flock has a free-plan for small teams with limited admin control, standard support, and 10 GB file storage. It’s free with Office 365.   Overall Rating: 8.9/10   Mattermost       This open-source communication tool is a business messenger and a private cloud tool that allows the users to meet their company collaboration need. Mattermost works by providing search, integration, and archive of hundreds of business applications to deliver a simplex workplace interaction solution. It makes for a good HipChat alternative because of the following features:   Features: The tool offers an extensive list of features including push notifications, file sharing, communication management, unlimited search history, Audio/video conferencing, authentication & security, Multi-factor authentication, and Open source & private cloud-ready.   Integration: One-click integration with hundreds of pre-built integrations, third-party apps, and company tools.    Supported Platforms: Android, Windows, and iOS, Linux, macOS, and Mattermost Server.   Pricing: Free Trial for 30-days. Enterprise E10 (plan for small companies) starts at $3.35 user per month, and Enterprise E20 (for large enterprises) starts at $8.50 per user per month   Overall Rating: 8.1/10   Bitrix24       Bitrix24 offers a highly secure collaboration solution for both small- and large-scale business. It makes for a well-protected data repository where team members can share files, sync them, and collaborate on the on-going projects.   Features: Calendar system, email marketing, Marketing automation Integration, Segmentation, Chat, Discussion threads, push notifications, video conferencing, file sharing, task management, discussion boards, brainstorming, and document management, and CRM management.   Integration: Integration with a broad range of third-party tools including CRM, Accounting, Project Management, and Business process tools.    Supported Platforms: Cloud, SaaS, Web, Mac, Windows, Android Native, iOS Native.   Pricing: Free Trial for 30-days. Enterprise E10 (plan for small companies) starts at $3.35 user per month, and Enterprise E20 (for large enterprises) starts at $8.50 per user per month   Supported Platforms: Cloud, SaaS, Web, Mac, Windows, Android Native, iOS Native.    Overall Rating: 8.9/10   Discord     Discord and Hipcat are very much similar since both are collaboration tools with the same interface. Discord is also an excellent place for a gaming community where one can look out for people with similar gaming interest. Though the prime concern of this tool is the voice chat features. It allows the users to join the ongoing conversations and posts by joining specific servers.   Features: Voice communication, file upload, push to talk, instant messaging, display sharing, and video conferencing up to eight users in the free plan. Users can connect with 5000+ online concurrent members.   Integration: API integration of social media apps, games, and other third-party services.   Storage: Unlimited storage with a file upload limit of 8 MB in the free plan, and 50 MB in Nitro plan.   Supported Platforms: All the major operating systems like iOS, android, windows, JIRA and with all internet browsers like Internet Explorer 11, Microsoft edge, Google Chrome, and Firefox.   Pricing: Nitro Classic plan starts at $4.99 per month, and the Discord Nitro plan starts at $9.99 per month, per user.   Overall Rating: 8.9/10   Google Hangouts       Are your team members working remotely? Do you need the cheapest medium to collaborate with your employees and team members? If yes, Google Hangouts can be a great tool for team communication. Besides sending text messages, video, audio call, this Google app also allows the users to share images. It has other exciting features for personal and business usage.   Features: The tool offers screen sharing options, instant messaging, auto screen focus, voice calls, custom administrative control, hangout on air, and HD group conferencing for a maximum of 15 people.   Integration: It allows integration with all Google applications like Google Drive, Google Docs, Maps, etc.   Storage: The G Suite user can store up to 30 GB of media and text content.   Supported Platforms: Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, and Mac, and Web-based.   Pricing: Hangout is available for free for making calls, video conferencing, and other features.   Overall Rating: 8.9/10   Redbooth       This office chat software provides a virtual workspace where businesses and virtual teams can organize and manage ongoing projects through real-time chat and workflow streamlining. It enables the enterprises, team, and departments to accomplish business goals efficiently.   Features: File sync and sharing, push notifications, direct messages, to-do-list, live-video conference, data encryption, and project tracking with detailed productivity reports.   Integration: Integration with API, native apps, emails, and productivity tools like Okta, Hub staff, and Zapier, Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, and Slack.   Storage: Storage capacity of 5 GB for paid users.   Supported Platforms: Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, and Mac, and Web-based.   Pricing: Redbooth pro and business plan of $9 and $15 per user per month.   Overall Rating: 8.2/10   Rocket chat       This open-source business communication solution makes it possible for colleagues to collaborate virtually. It allows the user to avail asynchronous team chat, share ideas, discuss an on-going project with the real-time document and file transfer.   Features: Screen sharing, Free video, and audio call guess access, E2E security, two-factor authentication, Live Meeting, Group Sync, and real-time translation.   Integration: The tool allows outgoing and incoming Webhook Integration and plugins with popular tools. There are Powerful APIs like Real time API, Live Chat API, and Rest API which make collaboration simpler.   Storage: The Bronze and Silver plan allows the storage limit of 1TB and 5TB, and the Gold plan has a storage capacity of 20TB.   Supported Platforms: You can download Rocket Chat on Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, and Mac.   Pricing: Rocket Chat’s Bronze and the Silver plan start at $2 and $4 per user monthly. For Businesses requiring high-level management, scalability, and unlimited features, the tool has a Gold Plan available at a Volume discount and Tiered pricing.   Overall Rating: 8/10   Circuit       Circuit enhances the efficiency of teamwork through a great many collaborative features like content management, discussion boards, brainstorming, and document management. The tools also have multiple functionalities that facilitate team communication.   Features: Chat, Discussion threads, push notifications, video conferencing, content management, discussion boards, brainstorming, and document management. 24/7 Help and Support.   Integration: Integration with a broad range of API, and workflow apps like Google Drive and Syncplicity, and Box.   Storage: Storage limit of 5 GB for paid users.   Supported Platforms: iOS, Android, and Windows.   Pricing: Team plan and professional plan starting at $3.95 and $6.95 per month per user.   Overall Rating: 7.9/10   Wimi     Wimi makes for a standard all-in-one collaboration tool built to make teams work efficiently and effectively. A great variety of features allows remotely working business teams to integrate many services, increase teamwork productivity, and save time.   Features: File sync and document sharing, private messaging, business chat, project management through project progress update, drag and drop interface, automatic reminders and notifications, To-do-list, live-video conference, group calendars, data encryption, Gantt chart, and Wimi Drive.   Integration: Entire Office 365 tools and Google apps integration, and 20+ service integration.   Storage: Storage capacity of 250 GB for the team plan, and 500 GB for enterprise plan.   Supported Platforms: All the major operating systems like iOS, android, windows.   Pricing: There is a free plan that allows collaboration of a team of three members. If you have a larger team, there is team and enterprise plan of $15 and $18 monthly per user.   Overall Rating: 8.6/10   In a Nutshell   While the extensive varieties of collaboration tools may seem daunting, we spent considerable time to shortlist the best HipChat Alternatives for your business needs and necessities. Not only do these tools have the same functionalities as HipChat, but they also have a better inventory of team chat features that can drive your company’s productivity to new heights.   If you are still confused about which tool to use for business communication, allow us to help you filter the best. If you are an MS Office 365 member, we recommend Microsoft teams for robust security and distinct collaboration features. But you'll have to compromise with few limitations of the tool. For instance, it doesn't allow a unified search for the conversations, the structure of files can be confusing, and permission setting can be somewhat daunting.   If your organization likes to collaborate the practical way (and you want to save money on expensive paid plans), Troop messenger might be the perfect HipChat Alternative. What makes Troop an excellent team communication and collaboration tool is multiple contemporary features including unified searches, easy organization of files, IP ownership, Data Security, ease of use, and secured and monitored entry etiquette.
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