The communication tool problem

Many small businesses have too many communication channels: email for some things, text messages for urgent things, a group chat somewhere, and maybe a Slack workspace that half the team uses and half ignores. The result is that important messages get missed, context lives in three different places, and everyone is slightly anxious that something important is happening in a channel they’re not watching.

The solution isn’t necessarily adding another tool. It’s deciding what each channel is for and being disciplined about it.

The three main options

Slack: The most widely used team messaging tool. Channel-based (organize by project, topic, or team), with direct messages, file sharing, voice and video calls, and a large library of integrations. Free tier is functional but limits message history to 90 days and has limited integrations. The Pro plan is $7.25/user/month.

Microsoft Teams: Included with Microsoft 365 Business plans. Deep integration with Outlook, SharePoint, and Office apps. Channels, direct messages, video calls, and file collaboration in one place. More complex than Slack but already paid for if you have Microsoft 365. The better choice if your team is already on Microsoft 365.

Google Chat: Included with Google Workspace. Simpler than Slack or Teams but functional for basic team messaging. Integrated with Gmail and Google Drive. If your team is on Google Workspace, Chat is already available at no additional cost.

Simpler options worth considering

For teams of 2–5 people, a free tool is often sufficient:

WhatsApp Business or iMessage group: Works surprisingly well for very small teams. No cost, everyone already knows how to use it. The downside: mixes personal and professional communication and has no integration with work tools.

Discord: Free, voice-channel-centric, popular with remote-first teams. Works well for teams that want persistent voice channels alongside text.

The decision

If your team has Microsoft 365: use Teams, it’s already included. If your team has Google Workspace: try Chat before adding Slack. If you have neither: Slack’s free tier works for teams under 5 people with shorter message history needs.