You juggle many tasks, keep an eye on deadlines, and try to stay organized, but when it comes to communication, it feels like something always gets lost in the shuffle.
Team members seem to miss important updates, important messages slip through the cracks, and suddenly the workflow feels more like a maze than a clear path. Sound familiar?
If you work within an ever-growing team, or simply in a very busy office, you definitely know how much harder your biggest challenge is-keeping everybody in the know. E-mails and meetings just won’t cut it anymore, especially these days. That’s where messaging apps come in for your business.
The right messaging app will eliminate miscommunication, speed up decision-making, and ultimately provide an efficient way to collaborate. Business messaging apps are designed to make these tasks easier, whether you’re sharing files, asking quick questions, or coordinating team projects.
In this article, we look at some of the best messaging tools for business apps that can help your team work smarter, faster, and more cohesively.
Top business messaging platforms
- Chanty: Simple, task-integrated messaging for teams.
- Microsoft Teams: Enterprise-grade collaboration with Office 365 integration.
- RingCentral: All-in-one voice, video, and messaging solution.
- SimpleTexting: Easy SMS marketing for businesses.
- Slack: Flexible messaging with extensive integrations.
- TextUs: SMS messaging for business communication.
- EZTexting: Bulk SMS platform for marketing.
- Zendesk: Customer support platform with messaging tools.
Why does your team need business messaging apps?
Ever had one of those moments when a simple question consumed your entire day because you couldn’t get through to the right person? In business, time is money. And that’s where business messaging applications change the game. They ensure that your team can connect instantly, regardless of distance, and without the delays that weigh them down.
Here’s why every modern business needs a text messaging app to stay ahead:
1. Instant messaging makes decision-making faster
No more waiting for email replies or missed calls. Business messaging applications allow your team to communicate in real time. Rapid feedback ensures quick decision-making and a smooth workflow. Just imagine how satisfying it is to receive instant feedback or troubleshoot issues with a few taps.
2. Centralized conversations for better organization
Think of messaging apps as a virtual office space. Everything you need is right there: discussions, shared files, and key information, all organized by project, team, or topic. With corporate messaging apps, you no longer have to hunt through countless emails or chat threads. Everything is easy to find, helping your team stay on track and eliminating the clutter of unorganized communication.
3. Real-time collaboration without geographical limits
Whether your team is scattered around the office or the world, business messaging apps tear down geographic barriers. With your colleagues always at your fingertips, it’s as if you’re in the same room no matter where you are. This type of real-time collaboration fosters productivity, speeds up the pace, and keeps everyone on the same page even if you’re working in different time zones.
4. Better security of sensitive information
Most enterprise-level messaging apps have far greater levels of security than general applications. From encrypted messaging to secure file transfers, these apps safeguard the corporation’s sensitive information. Using this type of enterprise messaging provides one with the assurance of a safe and compliant environment in which privacy truly does matter.
5. Streamlined task management and file exchange
Ever spent time looking for an important document or a task mentioned after your conversation by email? With business messaging applications, sharing files and delegating tasks are simple and immediate. Many business messaging apps integrate with the other tools you use for project management and file storage, ensuring everything is in one place, easy to access, and simple to manage.
In other words, business messaging apps bring efficiency, organization, and real-time communication that can take your company to the next level. If your team is still using old ways of communicating, it’s time to change how you collaborate.
Comparing top business messaging apps
Now that we’ve covered why messaging apps are key to smooth workplace communication, let’s take a look at some of the best tools out there that can supercharge your team’s collaboration and productivity. With features like easy integrations and user-friendly design, these business messaging platforms are built to make communication simpler, help teams stay engaged, and improve overall efficiency.
Here’s a quick overview of eight great apps that can change how your team communicates and works together:
Business Messaging App | Standout Feature | Platforms | Security & Compliance | Pricing (Per User per Month) |
Chanty | Built-in task manager, simple interface | Web, Desktop (Windows, Mac), Mobile (iOS, Android) | SSL encryption, GDPR-compliant, 2FA options | Free for up to 5 users, $3 for Business |
Microsoft Teams | Deep Office 365 integration | Web, Desktop (Windows, Mac), Mobile (iOS, Android) | End-to-end encryption, compliance with ISO/IEC 27001 | $4.00 for Business Essentials, $12.50 for Business Standard |
RingCentral | VoIP integration with business messaging | Web, Desktop (Windows, Mac), Mobile (iOS, Android) | Compliance with HIPAA, GDPR, and SOC 2 Type II | Starts at $20 |
SimpleTexting | Simple mass texting with real-time chat | Web, Mobile (iOS, Android) | Secure text messages, GDPR-compliant | Starts at $29 |
Slack | Over 2,000 app integrations | Web, Desktop (Windows, Mac), Mobile (iOS, Android) | End-to-end encryption, enterprise-grade security | Free plan, $4.38 ($8.75) for Pro |
TextUs | Text messaging combined with team collaboration | Web, Desktop (Windows, Mac), Mobile (iOS, Android) | TLS encryption, HIPAA-compliant for healthcare | Custom |
EZTexting | Multi-channel campaigns (SMS, Email, etc.) | Web, Mobile (iOS, Android) | GDPR-compliant, 2FA, encrypted messaging | Starts at $20 |
Zendesk | Seamless integration with ticketing systems | Web, Desktop (Windows, Mac), Mobile (iOS, Android) | ISO/IEC 27001 certified, encryption for data safety | Starts at $55 |
Chanty
Chanty is a straightforward, user-friendly business messaging app designed to enhance team communication without unnecessary complexities. It consolidates essential features like messaging, calling, and task management, providing a seamless experience for small to medium-sized teams. As your business grows, Chanty can scale with you, offering more advanced features to meet your needs.
Among its finest qualities is simplicity. Chanty has a pretty intuitive interface that will let teams collaborate efficiently without overloading them with too many features. It allows your team members to easily communicate, share files, and track progress-all in one place.
Chanty is a real winner for companies looking to line up their workflows and coordinate their teams but without the complication of solutions targeted mainly at enterprise enterprises. It’s perfect for your startups or small teams that simply want to get stuff done without the overkill of tools.
Features:
- Unlimited messaging with search history so conversations are never lost.
- Audio and video calls make quick check-ins and team meetings easy to run.
- In-app task manager for effective task assigning, to-do lists, and work organization.
- You are able to share files with others for easy collaboration on documents and projects.
- Custom notification settings allow you to stay ahead and not be overwhelmed.
Pros:
- Friendly user interface.
- Reasonable pricing
- Build in task manager
Cons:
- Fewer integrations compared to much larger enterprise solutions.
Pricing:
- Free Plan: Available for up to 5 users with core messaging features.
- Business Plan: $3 per user/month, includes advanced features like unlimited message history, video calls, and built-in task management.
- Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, tailored for larger teams with additional features and enhanced support.
Chanty is a great simple and affordable communication tool that will help businesses in managing their tasks and projects. Ideal for small and medium teams who wish to communicate effectively. When your team grows, Chanty can grow with options that suit your business.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a top choice for corporate messaging, especially for those already using Office 365. It puts everything in one place: chat, video calls, meetings, and collaboration. Teams does an excellent job of centralizing your communication into one convenient location for better organization. It’s way more than an enterprise messaging app but a fully featured business messaging solution to help you smooth your workflow. Teams is designed to scale with your business – from a single team to an entire enterprise. Whether you are an independent contractor, a small business owner, or part of a corporation, Teams adapts to your needs without overwhelming you.
Features:
- Instant messaging with threaded conversations.
- Integrated video and voice conferencing.
- Direct integration with Microsoft Office applications for seamless file sharing and collaboration.
- Automation tools through integration with Power Automate.
Pros:
- Highly integrated with Office 365, great for businesses already using Microsoft products.
- Offers strong security and compliance features.
- Free plan available with essential features.
Cons:
- Can feel overwhelming for small businesses due to the large number of features.
- The interface is often considered cluttered for new users.
Pricing:
- Free Plan: Available with limited features like chat, file sharing, and 1:1 meetings.
- Business Essentials Plan: $4.00 per user/month, includes business-class email, file storage, and collaboration with Microsoft 365 apps.
- Business Standard Plan: $12.50 per user/month, includes everything from Business Essentials plus full Teams functionality, 1 TB of file storage per user, and web and desktop versions of Microsoft Office apps.
- Enterprise Plans: Starting at $22.00 per user/month, including advanced security and compliance features.
If you’re already in the Microsoft ecosystem, Teams is a powerful messaging tool that centralizes communication and collaboration, making it ideal for larger organizations with complex needs.
RingCentral
RingCentral is a business messaging application built to streamline communications for large teams. It provides messaging, video conferencing, and voice calls in one sweet bundle, enabling seamless experiences of internal and external collaborations. Teams can fluidly move from text chats to video meetings to calls for seamless syncing across channels. Ideal for businesses with diverse communication needs, RingCentral adapts to the growing team. Be it coordination of projects or fielding customer queries, this corporate messaging platform keeps your participants connected with information that will help them stay on track.
Features:
- Team messaging with organized channels.
- Integrated video and voice calls.
- File sharing and collaborative tools.
- Cloud phone system and team collaboration.
- Advanced security features, including encryption.
Pros:
- All-in-one solution for voice, video, and messaging.
- Highly secure with encryption and multi-factor authentication.
- Scalable to support businesses of any size.
Cons:
- Can be overwhelming for smaller teams.
- Premium plans can be expensive.
Pricing:
- Core Plan: Starting at $20 per user/month, this plan includes team messaging, unlimited calls within the US & Canada, and 100 SMS/MMS per month.
- Advanced Plan: Starting at $25 per user/month, it offers video conferencing, call management, and integrations with CRM software.
- Ultra Plan: Starting at $35 per user/month, this plan includes call recording, analytics, and admin tools for larger teams.
RingCentral is an excellent choice for larger businesses looking for a unified messaging and communication platform, offering a full range of features from voice to video to messaging.
SimpleTexting
SimpleTexting is the intuitive business messaging application that connects enterprises to their customers, employees, and team members in real time. It offers an extremely easy way to send bulk SMS, thus being one of the most powerful means for notifications, reminders, and customer support. While it’s widely used for marketing and customer engagement, SimpleTexting also functions as a business messaging solution for internal communication, ensuring teams stay connected. It automates messaging tasks and helps your business keep messages rolling out with automated scheduling, two-way texting, and real-time analytics.
Features:
- Real-time analytics for tracking engagement.
- Send and receive mass SMS messages.
- Automated scheduling for text campaigns.
- Two-way texting for customer and employee interaction.
- Message templates to speed up communication.
Pros:
- Easy to use, pretty interface
- Good for bulk messaging and customer engagement.
- Excellent customer support with 24/7 access.
Cons:
- Limited integrations compared to more fully featured tools.
- Does not have full team messaging; mainly designed for SMS.
Pricing:
- Plans starts at $29 per month for 500 messages.
- Additional charges for overages.
SimpleTexting is ideal for businesses that need a simple and effective messaging tool to reach employees or customers directly via SMS, especially for notifications and customer support.
Slack
Slack is one of the well-known business messaging apps, that helps teams communicate in an efficient and organized way. Slack puts real-time messaging, voice and video calls, and file sharing in one place. Slack helps businesses simplify their workflows and keep all your communication in one place with integrations of more than 2,000 apps. Whether it be project management or remote teams collaboration, Slack fits any work style. Its channels make organizing discussions a piece of cake. The search function enables users to quickly locate messages and files, making collaboration easier and faster.
Features:
- Real-time team messaging with channels.
- Powerful search to find old messages and files.
- Voice and video call for meetings.
- Customizable notifications.
Pros:
- Excellent for teams that need integrations with other tools.
- Flexible communication options for teams of any size.
- Free plan with essential features.
Cons:
- Can become noisy with too many notifications.
- The search function can be clunky when dealing with lots of messages.
Pricing:
- Free Plan: Includes unlimited private and public channels, 90-day searchable message history, 1:1 voice and video calls, and file sharing.
- Pro Plan: Priced at $8.75 per user/month (billed annually), this plan offers unlimited message and file history, group calls with screen sharing, and unlimited integrations with other apps.
- Business+ Plan: At $12.50 per user/month (billed annually), it includes all Pro features plus advanced security and compliance tools, such as SAML-based single sign-on (SSO) and data exports for all messages.
- Enterprise Grid: Designed for large organizations, this plan offers enterprise-grade security and compliance, with pricing available upon request.
Slack is ideal for businesses that require flexibility and a robust set of integrations to keep communication flowing and productivity high.
TextUs
TextUs is a business messaging platform that keeps your teams connected, keeping everything moving at the right pace. It is all about fast, two-way communication-so you can send or receive messages in less time and keep them all apprised. Be it simple updates or proper conversations, TextUs moves you away from cluttered emails and overcomplicated tools. This corporate messaging solution lets you track interactions and ensure that no important messages get lost. It is ideal for businesses that really want to keep communication clear, direct, and accessible to absolutely everyone.
Features:
- Instant team messaging with real-time updates.
- Two-way SMS communication.
- Ability to send group messages and broadcast to teams.
- Direct communication with employees and clients.
- Integration with other software tools.
Pros:
- Fast and reliable messaging platform.
- Easy-to-use interface with minimal setup required.
- Excellent customer service.
Cons:
- Limited integrations compared to other enterprise solutions.
- Basic features for team collaboration compared to larger platforms.
Pricing:
- Essential: Starts at $300+/month (for smaller teams or basic messaging features)
- Plus: Pricing available upon request (for advanced features and larger teams)
- Pro: Pricing available upon request (for premium features and enterprise-level support)
TextUs is perfect for teams who need a straightforward and fast messaging solution, helping you stay in touch with team members and clients in real-time.
EZTexting
EZTexting is a business messaging app built for communication simplicity. From customer reminders to team alerts, keeping everyone in the loop is easy as pie. The interface is pretty straightforward; your team will waste no time trying to figure things out. Plus, it’s flexible enough to grow as your business does. EZTexting works well for both customer communication and corporate messaging, offering a practical solution to keep everyone connected. Be sure this app is one that will cover your needs in an easy-to-use yet effective way for your business messaging.
Features:
- Mass SMS text messaging for alerts and updates.
- Automated workflows for SMS campaigns.
- Customizable text message templates.
- Two-way messaging for customer interaction.
- Contact list management and segmentation tools.
Pros:
- Quick set up and easy to use.
- Great for bulk SMS campaigns and reminders.
- Affordable pricing for small businesses.
Cons:
- Limited features for larger, enterprise-scale businesses.
- Primarily focused on SMS, lacking more advanced team collaboration tools.
Pricing:
- Launch Plan: Starts at $20/month (billed annually) for 500 credits.
- Boost Plan: Starts at $60/month (billed annually) for 500 credits.
- Scale Plan: Starts at $100/month (billed annually) for 500 credits.
- Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, starting at $3,000/month for 200,000 credits.
EZTexting offers a simple and cost-effective way for businesses to connect via text, especially if you’re looking to send mass notifications or communicate directly with customers and staff.
Zendesk
Zendesk is a powerful customer service platform that offers business messaging capabilities to enhance communication with customers and internal teams. It is an all-in-one corporate messaging solution from which an organization can manage customer inquiries, internal conversations, and team collaborations without any problem. Though it is meant for core customer support, Zendesk’s messaging products are highly useful in communicating across big teams. With integration between ticket support and messaging on the same platform, there is effective flow; hence, the platform will serve perfectly for coordination in business enterprises and customer service departments, as well as offer an efficient corporate solution for messaging on internal communication.
Features:
- Real-time messaging for customer support and internal teams.
- Integration with various communication channels like email and social media.
- Reporting tools for tracking message volume and response time.
- Automated responses and workflows to improve efficiency.
- Multi-channel messaging support for a consistent experience.
Pros:
- Powerful customer support tools and messaging in one platform.
- Easily integrates with other business software.
- Strong analytics and reporting features.
Cons:
- Pricing can be on the higher side for smaller businesses.
- Can be more complex to set up and navigate.
Pricing:
- Suite Team: Starts at $55 per agent/month (billed annually) – includes ticketing, email, chat, voice, help center, and AI agents.
- Suite Growth: $89 per agent/month (billed annually) – adds multiple ticket forms, SLA, and multilingual support.
- Suite Professional: $115 per agent/month (billed annually) – includes advanced collaboration tools and enhanced analytics.
- Suite Enterprise: Custom pricing for larger enterprises.
Zendesk is a robust option for businesses looking to streamline both customer support and team communication, offering an all-in-one solution for managing messages across multiple channels.
Final thoughts
Choosing the right business messaging app is a key step to improve communication and collaboration, ultimately boosting your organization’s productivity. Don’t search the “perfect” tool, but look for the one that fits your team’s needs, workflow, and growth best.
When looking for the best solution, consider the following:
- Ease of Use: Choose an intuitive app, easy for your team to use, thereby reducing the learning curve.
- Scalability: As your team grows, so should your messaging platform. It should be able to handle increased demands without losing performance.
- Security: Find an app that offers a variety of security features. Especially look for encryption and two-factor authentication to protect sensitive business information.
- Integration: Consider the ability to integrate with your already used tools.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Balance the app’s features with its cost. Be sure it offers good value for the functionality it provides.
By assessing these elements, you can select a messaging app that not only improves communication, but also enhances collaboration and efficiency across your organization.
If you’re looking for a simple yet versatile solution, Chanty is an excellent choice. It combines unlimited messaging, video calling, and task management into one platform. With its user-friendly interface and scalable pricing, Chanty is ideal for teams of all sizes.
The right messaging app ensures your team stays connected, organized, and productive – no matter where they are or what they’re working on.