For most small businesses the best Slack alternative is a free one: Pumble gives unlimited users and full history for $0, and Chanty is free for up to 5 people. If your business handles sensitive client data (a clinic, a law firm, an accounting practice), look at Yodl, $10 a month flat for 5 users with a signed BAA, or at Teams Essentials and Google Chat if you already pay for those suites.
Why people look for an alternative to Slack
Slack is the standard, and the standard is priced per seat. As of November 2026 the Pro plan is $8.75 per user per month, or $7.25 paid annually, so a 5-person team pays $43.75 a month and a 12-person team pays $105. Business+ is $18 per user, or $15 annually. Prices change, so verify on slack.com.
- The Free plan hides messages older than 90 days, allows 10 apps, and deletes data after one year.
- Per-user pricing punishes growth: every contractor, part-timer and seasonal hire is another $8.75.
- Slack supports HIPAA only on its Enterprise plans, which means a sales call.
- Many 6-person companies use channels, DMs, files and search, and nothing else.
One term you will see below: a BAA (Business Associate Agreement) is the contract HIPAA requires before a vendor may store protected health information, or PHI: any detail that identifies a patient and relates to their care. A law office may not need one, but the same question applies to any confidential client data.
The alternatives at a glance
Prices are for a 5-person team, read from each vendor's own site on November 3, 2026. Most are annual-billing rates; verify before you buy.
| Tool | Price for 5 people as of November 2026 | Signs a BAA | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yodl | $10/mo flat (5 users, 20 GB) | Yes, every plan | Businesses with sensitive client data |
| Pumble | Free; Pro $2.49/seat/mo annual = $12.45/mo | No BAA offering found | Most small teams that just need chat |
| Chanty | Free up to 5 members; Business $3/user/mo annual = $15/mo | Yes, Business plan | Tiny teams that want tasks built in |
| Zoho Cliq | Free; Standard US$16.20/mo annual (reads as up to 25 users) | Site does not say | Businesses already on Zoho |
| Twist | Free; Unlimited US$6/user/mo = $30/mo | Site does not say | Remote teams that prefer threads |
| Flock | Starter free; PRO $4.50/user/mo yearly = $22.50/mo | Site does not say | Teams that want calls and to-dos |
| Microsoft Teams | Teams Essentials $4/user/mo paid yearly = $20/mo | Yes, commercial plans by default | Businesses already on Microsoft 365 |
| Google Chat (Workspace) | Business Starter $7/user/mo annual = $35/mo ($8.40 flexible) | Yes, accepted in the Admin console | Businesses already on Gmail and Drive |
Alternatives for businesses that handle sensitive client data
Yodl
Yodl is Slack-style chat with a flat price and a signed BAA on every plan. The Team plan is $10 a month per location with 5 users and 20 GB of files; extra users are $2 each. You get channels, threads, full-text search, channel roles, an audit viewer, retention controls and legal hold. Built for small healthcare teams; a law office or accounting firm with confidential files gets the same controls. No calls, no app marketplace, no free plan.
Microsoft Teams
Teams Essentials is $4 per user per month paid yearly on an auto-renewing subscription, with 10 GB of storage per user; it excludes business email and the Office desktop apps (Business Basic at $7 adds those). Microsoft's HIPAA BAA applies by default through its Online Services Data Protection Addendum to commercial customers, with Teams in scope. Already on Microsoft 365? Teams is the no-extra-cost Slack alternative. Otherwise it is a lot of suite for a chat need.
Google Chat
Google Chat is bundled with Google Workspace: Business Starter is $7 per user per month on an annual plan or $8.40 flexible, with 30 GB of pooled storage per user. Google lists Chat among the services covered by its BAA, which an admin accepts in the Admin console. If your business already lives in Gmail, you may be paying for a Slack alternative you have never opened.
Chanty
Chanty is free forever for up to 5 members with unlimited searchable history and 20 GB per team, the best free pick for a very small team. Business is $3 per user per month billed annually (the FAQ says $4 monthly) and lists HIPAA compliance and a BAA, with 20 GB per user. Confirm the monthly price and the BAA in writing, since the pricing page is inconsistent.
Free and low-cost general alternatives
Pumble
Pumble is the closest free Slack clone: unlimited users and message history, channels, threads, calls and 10 GB per workspace on the Free plan, with up to 3 apps. Pro is $2.49 per seat per month billed annually. We found no HIPAA or BAA statement on its pricing or security pages, so keep client medical information out. For an agency, contractor or shop, it is the first tool to try.
Zoho Cliq
Zoho Cliq's Free plan allows 100 participants per group and 10,000 searchable messages. Standard is US$16.20 a month billed annually for what the page describes as up to 25 users, which reads as a flat fee we could not confirm. Professional is US$1.80 per user annually with a 10-user minimum, so a 5-person team pays for 10. HIPAA and a BAA are not mentioned on the pricing page.
Twist
Twist is built for teams that hate interruptions: threads instead of channels, for asynchronous work. Free keeps one month of history with 5 GB; Unlimited is US$6 per user per month with full history and unlimited storage. No HIPAA or BAA mention on the pricing page. Good for a remote agency across time zones, poor for a front desk that needs an answer now.
Flock
Flock's Starter plan is free for teams of 1 to 20 members with 10 public channels, 10,000 searchable messages and 5 GB per team, with video calls and to-dos. PRO is $4.50 per user per month on yearly billing with 10 GB per member. Flock cites TLS encryption and SOC 2 but not HIPAA or a BAA. A reasonable all-in-one for a small contractor or retail team.
How to choose
Six questions, and the first one decides the shortlist:
- Do you handle data that needs a vendor contract (PHI, legal matters, financial records)? If yes, shortlist only tools that sign one.
- What will it cost at your real headcount next year, and is the quoted price annual or monthly?
- Will you also message customers through it, or is it staff only?
- Does it work on phones and in a browser, and does it need an admin?
- Can you export an audit log and set a retention period?
- How do you export your history if you switch again?
If that answer is yes, Yodl's plan is $10 a month for 5 people with a signed BAA; see yodl.cc/pricing.
Most small businesses should try Pumble or Chanty free before paying anyone. If you already pay Microsoft or Google, use the chat you own. If your business handles sensitive client data and wants a flat bill with a signed BAA, Yodl is $10 a month for 5 people.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free Slack alternative for a small business?
Pumble, for unlimited users and full history at no cost; Chanty is free for up to 5 members. Neither free plan includes a BAA.
Which Slack alternatives sign a BAA?
Yodl (every plan), Chanty (Business plan), Microsoft Teams (commercial plans) and Google Workspace (accepted in the Admin console). Pumble, Zoho Cliq, Twist and Flock do not mention one on their pricing pages.
Is flat pricing really cheaper than per-user?
For 5 people, Yodl's $10 beats Slack Pro's $43.75 and Twist's $30, but Pumble and Chanty are free at that size. Flat pricing wins when you need a BAA or often add part-timers.
What about self-hosted tools like Mattermost or Rocket.Chat?
Both run on your own server, and Rocket.Chat's Commercial plan lists a BAA, but neither publishes a paid price and both need someone to maintain the server.
Does Yodl work for a non-medical business?
Yes. The BAA matters only if you handle PHI, but the audit log, roles and retention controls help any business with confidential client files.