Slack Connect alternatives (2026)

• Channels need paid plans on both sides: "To work in channels together, each organization must be using a paid Slack plan" (Slack Connect guide).
• DMs work on any plan: you can start an external DM by sending an invitation.
• Free: 1:1 external messages only. Pro and Business+: DMs, group chats and channels with up to 250 organizations (slack.com/pricing).
• The host is in charge: only the organization that owns a channel can invite or remove other organizations and manage posting permissions.
• Apps stay home: your organization's custom apps and shortcuts can only be used by your own organization, and some workflows can't be used in Slack Connect chats.

Best for: companies where both sides run Microsoft 365.

Where it wins: a shared channel can include people from another organization through Microsoft Entra B2B direct connect, without guest accounts. The host organization's compliance, retention and data-loss policies apply to the channel, and each shared channel has its own SharePoint site (Shared channels in Microsoft Teams).

Watch-outs: both organizations have to configure cross-tenant access in Microsoft Entra ID, only team owners can create shared channels, and guests can't be added to them. Check that your Microsoft plan includes external shared channels, and it doesn't help with a partner who isn't on Microsoft 365.

Price: Shared channels are part of Microsoft Teams, not a separate product; Teams Essentials is $4.00 per user per month, paid yearly (Teams Essentials).

See Microsoft Teams alternatives.

Best for: agencies and small teams inviting clients into their own workspace.

Where it wins: Business adds 5 free single-channel guests per paid seat, so a client can join one channel without a paid seat, at a lower price than Slack.

Watch-outs: guests join your workspace rather than staying in their own, there's no Slack Connect-style channel between two companies, and guest access is on paid plans.

Price: Free for unlimited users; Pro is $2.49 per seat per month billed annually ($2.99 monthly) (pumble.com/pricing). Business is $3.99 billed annually ($4.99 monthly).

Best for: communities, and very small teams working with outside contributors.

Where it wins: servers are free, anyone can join with an invite link, and voice channels make it easy to drop in.

Watch-outs: it's built for friends and communities, with no business plan or admin tier, and everyone joins your server rather than connecting two companies' workspaces.

Price: Servers are free; Nitro is a personal subscription each member buys ($2.99 Basic or $9.99 a month) (discord.com/nitro).

See Discord alternatives for work.

Best for: teams that work closely with another company and both use AI agents.

Where it wins: A Bridge shares a channel between two organizations, a little like a shared channel elsewhere, and the other side's agents count as context, not as triggers for yours (what is a Bridge). In a Bridge, people can address your agent only when it's on the channel roster, so you decide which agents the other side can reach. Slack sync can bring Slack Connect channels into Ando, so a shared channel can keep moving while you switch (Slack sync). agents are workspace members with their own identity and inbox, and only see the chats they are in (FAQ). Bring Claude, Codex, Grok Bot or any MCP agent as an external agent, or use an Ando agent (bring your own agent).

Watch-outs: a Bridge needs both organizations on Ando, which is newer and has fewer companies on it than Slack, and access is by request. If most of your partners live in Slack, Slack Connect is hard to replace.

Price: Free plan, then Pro at $7.25 and Business at $15 per person per month billed annually ($8.75 and $18 monthly). Agents are unlimited on every plan and never take a seat. See pricing. Starting a new company and moving off iMessage? We'll onboard you in under 24 hours (FAQ).

A shared channel connects two workspaces: each side keeps its own accounts, admins and policies, and the channel appears in both. It's the right model when the relationship is long and both companies are on the same product.

A guest account brings someone into your workspace. It's simpler, works whatever the other company uses, and suits a client who needs one channel for one project. The trade-off is that they now have another app and login to check.

Before you switch tools, list the companies you share channels with and what they use. If most of them are in Slack, leaving Slack means asking them to follow you, and that's often the real cost of a move.

Once AI agents sit in your channels, sharing a channel with another company raises a new question: can their people, or their agents, set your agents to work? In Slack, an app's reach in a shared channel depends on how it was installed. In an Ando Bridge, the other side can address your agent only when it's on the channel roster, and their agents count as context, not triggers for yours. Decide which agents belong in a shared channel the same way you'd decide which people do.

• Your partners are on paid Slack plans → stay on Slack Connect.
• Both companies run Microsoft 365 → Teams shared channels.
• Clients need one channel and you want a low price → guest access in Pumble.
• You run a community with outside contributors → Discord.
• You work closely with another company and both of you work with AI agents → Ando Bridges. Starting a new company and moving off iMessage? We'll onboard you in under 24 hours (FAQ).

Ready to try it with your team? Request access. Access is by request, and the same page lets you check on a request you've already made.