Many of us love Facebook, right?
Everyone is out there. It’s great for sharing cat photos and keeping track of your friends’ birthdays. However, it’s not the best tool for internal communication in the workplace. Your team needs something more private to discuss tasks, and projects and share confidential information.
One of the most popular workplace social networks was Yammer. Launched in 2008, it gave organizations a Facebook-like space for internal communities, knowledge sharing, and discussions. Microsoft acquired Yammer in 2012 and integrated it into Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365). For years, it served as a workplace social network, helping teams connect beyond just chat.
But in 2023, Microsoft announced a big change: Yammer would be phased out and replaced by Viva Engage, a new platform within Microsoft 365. Viva Engage keeps the familiar features of Yammer while adding deeper integration with Microsoft 365 and new tools to boost community engagement, knowledge sharing, and organizational connectivity.
As there is no ‘one size fits all’ communication solution, it’s common for users to look for alternatives to Yammer. We’ve researched the most popular search queries and discovered that people often compare Yammer with tools like Facebook Workplace, Chatter, HipChat, Basecamp, etc. Some of these tools are real Yammer replacements. There are also a few that could hardly be treated as competitors. Let’s take a look at them and see why.
And of course, when thinking about internal communication tools, it’s worth remembering that not all teams prefer social network-style platforms. Many choose instant team chats such as Chanty, Slack, or other Slack alternatives – solutions that focus on quick messaging, collaboration, and task management in a more direct format.
Viva Engage (formerly Yammer) vs Chatter 
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Can Chatter replace Viva Engage?
Yes, just like Viva Engage (Yammer), Chatter functions as a company intranet, social network hub for businesses or a microblogging platform helping coworkers have company-wide communication and build corporate culture. Acquired in 2009, the GroupSwim collaboration app joined the Salesforce products line and evolved into what is now known as Salesforce Chatter.
How is Chatter different from Viva Engage?
Some of the Chatter customer reviews highlight Salesforce’s fast 24/7 support team brings a huge advantage. According to Cyndi Zaino
Chatter is great if you want lots of support, robust integration, and the peace of mind that will always be around and supported (at least as long as Salesforce is around)
Other reviews note that Viva Engage offers more features inherited from Yammer, such as community discussions, rich content sharing, and seamless integration with Microsoft 365 apps. This can make Chatter feel like a simpler, more streamlined solution compared to Viva Engage.
Important update: Salesforce is gradually phasing out Chatter, shifting its focus to Slack as the primary collaboration platform. While Chatter is still available, the product is no longer actively developed, and several Chatter-related tools (e.g., Chatter Messenger) have already been retired. Organizations currently using Chatter should consider transitioning to Slack for more modern collaboration and deeper integration with Salesforce.
Pricing is also a difference: Salesforce’s pricing is complex, and Chatter is not available as a standalone product. Most Salesforce plans including Chatter start at $25 per user/month, which is higher than Microsoft 365 packages that now include Viva Engage (starting at $5 per user/month).
Should you choose Chatter or Viva Engage?
An organization would benefit from using Chatter if it already relies on Salesforce products due to strong integrations and excellent support.
If your company prefers a Microsoft 365-native solution that feels like a Facebook-style internal network, with core Yammer features preserved and enhanced in Viva Engage, and more affordable pricing, then Viva Engage is the better choice.
Viva Engage (formerly Yammer) vs Jive
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Can Jive replace Viva Engage?
Yes. Both apps are social platforms for employees, providing tools for productive communication and collaboration. When you visit Jive’s website, you immediately notice its strong focus on enterprise – the user experience is less intuitive, there’s no single pricing page, and it can be easy to get lost among menus and extra information. The actual pricing requires direct contact with Jive, as it is usually tailored based on company size and feature needs, making direct comparisons with Microsoft 365 packages (which now include Viva Engage) difficult.
However, Jive’s flexibility allows it to serve as a comprehensive alternative, particularly for organizations looking for a robust engagement and collaboration platform.
How is Jive different from Viva Engage?
According to Diane Strutner‘s review,
Yammer is an internal social network, while Jive is more of an internal social database
My personal experience is – Yammer feels like Facebook and Jive feels like a company intranet. Not sure what was wrong when I tried to use Jive, but it appeared to respond very slowly – I had to wait up to 15 seconds till the next page got loaded. Considering this experience, I’d recommend using Jive on-premise where your server is responsible for the app speed. With that said, I didn’t encounter any speed issues while using Yammer.
Should you choose Jive or Viva Engage?
My take on it is that Viva Engage provides a friendlier, more intuitive environment than Jive, with a clean design, minimal clutter, familiar social-network interface, and smooth integration with Microsoft 365 apps. Jive can be a powerful alternative if your organization prefers a highly customizable enterprise platform and is willing to manage its complexity.
Viva Engage (former Yammer) vs Facebook Workplace
Can Facebook Workplace replace Viva Engage?
Yes. In fact, it was widely seen as a top competitor to Yammer until it was announced that Facebook Workplace would be shutting down in 2026. Launched in the fall of 2016, Workplace mirrored the traditional Facebook experience – allowing users to create and join groups, send direct instant messages, post updates, comment, like and share their colleagues’ posts.
The major difference – Workplace is a closed, private universe that belongs to your business only. After using Workplace along with a regular Facebook for a while you might get a feeling that you deal with two versions of yourself during the day – the Facebook You and the Facebook Workplace You.
How is Facebook Workplace different from Viva Engage?
Yammer worked hard to create a tool that resembled Facebook. Over the years, Workplace introduced several innovative features that created fierce competition in the internal communications landscape.
With attractive pricing structures – just $3 per user per month for organizations with fewer than 1,000 employees, and even more enticing packages for larger companies – it positioned itself as a viable alternative for many businesses. However, despite its success, the impending closure of Workplace has caused many organizations to rethink their internal communication tools.
Yammer is now integrated into Microsoft 365 as Viva Engage, further emphasizing its role within a broader suite of collaboration tools. This transition marks a shift towards the improvement of the employee experience and the promotion of communication within organizations.
One of the prominent differences between Facebook workplace and Yammer that catches your eye and affects your every day at work is the messaging system. Although there is a private message functionality in Yammer, once you receive a direct private message from a team member, the only thing you can do – is to write a reply.
You can’t chat back and forth on various topics. The whole conversation is rolling around that first message. This way, if you need to discuss a number of things with the same person, you end up having several conversations at your left sidebar at Yammer with the name of your colleague instead of a descriptive title. This is really confusing.
I can’t say I love Facebook messages. Honestly, I find them inconvenient as it’s hard to find the message you need, the chatbox is very small and you have to expand it every time you need to have a longer conversation or scroll through some earlier messages. However, unlike Yammer, if I’m having a conversation with George on Facebook, all the messages are in one place and I can easily access everything we’ve discussed.
Should you choose Facebook workplace or Viva Engage?
Both of the apps serve a similar purpose – building a company culture, connecting with your colleagues. Both of the apps have a strong back up – it’s no doubt Microsoft and Facebook will be up and running years from now.
On the other hand, Facebook has more attractive pricing plans, has a more convenient messaging system and a familiar Facebook interface. Yammer in its turn has a much cleaner UI with minimum unnecessary information on the screen, which makes it a more simple tool to use.
Looking ahead to 2026, Facebook has announced that Workplace will be discontinued. Organizations currently relying on it will need to explore new internal communication alternatives. Viva Engage, with its enhanced Yammer capabilities, is a strong Microsoft-native option, alongside other competitive platforms, to ensure teams stay connected and productive.
Viva Engage (former Yammer) vs Chanty 
Chanty is a team communication app that we are proudly building. It’s hard to compare Chanty with Yammer as Chanty is a team chat while Yammer is a social network for business. Having long conversations is tough at Yammer as it’s mostly about microblogging. Even with the newly introduced private messages functions, it’s still far from being an instant messenger.
On the other hand, Chanty is designed to improve team communication, collaboration and productivity, that’s why instant real-time messaging is the core of this tool. Moreover, multiple integrations will turn your messenger into a single notification center and the audio and video calls features will allow you to set up a business meeting online in the blink of an eye.
There is no need to open multiple windows, as you’d receive all the notifications directly to your Chanty app from all the SaaS you are using (MailChimp, Intercom, Jira and many more). Besides, to create a task in Chanty you won’t even need a third-party app, as the tool has a built-in task manager.
Book a demo with the Chanty team to learn how Chanty can boost your productivity, save your time and make your communication enjoyable.
Viva Engage (former Yammer) vs Sharepoint
Can Sharepoint replace Viva Engage?
No. Both Yammer and SharePoint are Microsoft 365 products. SharePoint standalone pricing starts at $6 per user per month, which is the same as the cheapest Microsoft 365 package that includes Yammer. From 2023, Yammer will be fully integrated into Viva Engage, replacing its standalone functionality. This integration means that Yammer is no longer available as a separate product, making it more difficult to directly compare these applications, as they complement rather than compete with each other.
SharePoint is primarily used for file storage and document collaboration and works similarly to Microsoft’s version of Google Drive. It allows teams to create, share, and manage content in a secure environment. If your company prefers Microsoft products, it’s common to use Viva Engage (formerly Yammer) as your intranet platform for communication and community building, while using SharePoint for corporate file storage and collaboration. This combination improves overall productivity and connectivity within organizations that rely on Microsoft’s suite of tools.
Viva Engage (former Yammer) vs HipChat
Can HipChat replace Viva Engage?
No. Although Yammer may solve some of the issues that HipChat solves, comparing these two is very much like comparing Twitter and Skype. While HipChat is an instant team messenger, Yammer is a corporate social network or microblogging platform. In other words, it’s “Facebook for your business” tool.
From 2023, Yammer will be phased out and integrated into Viva Engage, enhancing its functionality within the Microsoft 365 suite. The main question is, “Should I choose a social networking platform for my business, or an instant team messenger, or perhaps both?” To answer this, consider whether receiving instant responses is critical to your team. If so, a team messenger should definitely be part of your workplace toolkit.
If you are searching for an instant messenger solution for your company, you can also take a look at our HipChat alternatives review to understand your options. We also invite you to try Chanty – the simple team chat that we are currently building. Feel free to sign up for early access.
Viva Engage (former Yammer) vs Basecamp
getapp.com
Can Basecamp replace Viva Engage?
No. Being a social network for enterprises, Yammer doesn’t allow the instant chat functionality. While there is a private messaging feature, you still can’t chat back and forth in real-time with your colleagues like you’d do using an instant messenger e.g. Chanty or Slack. At the same time Basecamp is a CRM with Campfire included as a chat platform. Basecamp is used to manage projects and tasks, put to-do lists, set deadlines, comment on the projects and more. Comparing Yammer and Basecamp is almost like comparing Facebook and Jira. While Yammer serves as a social network for business, Basecamp is mostly used for project management.
Viva Engage (former Yammer) vs Lync
products.office.com
Can Lync replace Viva Engage?
No. Lync has undergone significant changes and was rebranded as Skype for Business in 2015. Unlike Yammer, which has a history rooted in social networking, Lync was developed directly by Microsoft as an instant messaging platform designed for business communications.
Since 2024, Microsoft has transitioned from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams, which now serves as the primary hub for collaboration and communication within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. Teams combine features from both Lync and Skype for Business, offering instant messaging, video calling, and team collaboration tools.
While Yammer is primarily a social network for team interactions, facilitating community engagement and knowledge sharing, Teams has become the go-to solution for real-time communication. If your organization subscribes to Microsoft 365, you’re probably using both Teams and Yammer together. However, it’s important to note that while Teams is included in the Microsoft 365 package, Yammer has moved to being more integrated into the overall Microsoft ecosystem, rather than existing as a standalone product.
Viva Engage (former Yammer) vs Asana
gigaom.com
Can Asana replace Viva Engage?
Not for now. Asana is a project management tool to help teams collaborate and get tasks done while Yammer is a social network for businesses to encourage culture building at work. However, an enterprise these days doesn’t need hundreds of SaaS with various features. The trend today is to have one tool that meets all the needs.
Naturally, many companies work hard to become that “swiss knife” kind of software. Yes, Asana is a CRM and Yammer is a Facebook for enterprise, but they both expand their functionality, which very often overlaps.
For instance, Asana has enhanced its collaboration features and introduced integrations with various communication tools, while Yammer continues to evolve within Microsoft 365, now branded as Viva Engage, enhancing its community-building capabilities. As they continue their growth, there’s a high chance for them to become competitors and turn into a tool that helps companies manage their projects and tasks as well as build corporate culture.
Conclusion
Yammer is a great tool, but it’s not unique. In 2023, Microsoft phased out Yammer and replaced it with Viva Engage, which integrates social media capabilities into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. This change emphasizes the importance of finding an effective alternative to Yammer that can support corporate communications and culture-building initiatives. After conducting an in-depth analysis, we have compiled a table of true and false competitors and alternatives to Yammer for comparison. Let’s take a look.
| True | False |
| Salesforce Chatter | HipChat |
| Facebook Workplace | Sharepoint |
| Jive | Basecamp |
| Asana | |
| Lync | |
| Chanty |
With so many companies embracing remote teams, the need for effective internal communication tools like Viva Engage is growing faster than ever. Building a strong corporate culture, collaborating seamlessly with colleagues, and keeping discussions around workflows organized are essential for getting more done and staying productive. We hope this article helps you navigate the wide range of tools available today.
If you’re still unsure which team communication software to choose, give Chanty a try. Chanty is more than just a simple team chat – it’s a product we’ve built with passion, keeping our customers at the heart of every feature. We carefully analyzed dozens of competitor apps, studied hundreds of customer reviews, and balanced the pros and cons to create something truly practical and user-friendly.
Book a demo with Chanty today and experience a tool designed to make teamwork smoother, faster, and more enjoyable. It’s simple, reliable, and built to help your team get things done – together.
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