WhatsApp alternatives for work (2026)

Everyone already has it, it works on any phone, and groups can have up to 1,024 members (WhatsApp). For a few people in one place, that can be enough.

• One stream per group. There are no channels or threads, so a busy group mixes every topic together.
• Personal phone numbers. Work and personal chats share an app, and everyone sees everyone’s number.
• No company admin. When someone leaves, the history stays on their phone, and there is no workspace to remove them from.
• Hard to search and hand over. A new hire starts with an empty chat.

The WhatsApp Business app is built for customers: "Connect with your customers, showcase your products, and run your small business more efficiently" (whatsappbusiness.com). It is a good way to talk to customers and a poor place to run the team. Most businesses keep WhatsApp for customers and move internal chat to a work app.

Best for: teams that want the work chat most hires know.

Where it wins: channels by topic instead of one long group, threads, search, Huddles, and Slack Connect for working with other companies.

Watch-outs: everyone needs a work account and the app, and the free plan shows 90 days of history.

Price: Free (90 days of history, 1:1 huddles); Pro $7.25 per user per month billed annually ($8.75 monthly); Business+ $15 billed annually (slack.com/pricing).

See Ando vs Slack.

Best for: teams that already use Gmail and Google Docs for work.

Where it wins: it comes with Google Workspace, so work accounts, chat, mail and files are one login your admin controls.

Watch-outs: there is no standalone free plan, and the price buys the whole suite.

Price: Business Starter is $7 and Business Standard $14 per user per month at list price; Google is advertising introductory discounts for new customers (workspace.google.com/pricing).

See Ando vs Google Chat.

Best for: companies on Microsoft 365.

Where it wins: chat, meetings and calling in one app, with company accounts and admin controls.

Watch-outs: it is built around meetings and the Microsoft 365 suite, which can feel heavy for a team used to a phone chat.

Price: Teams Essentials is $4.00 per user per month, paid yearly (Teams Essentials).

Best for: teams that liked that WhatsApp was free.

Where it wins: the free plan keeps unlimited users and history, on phone and desktop.

Watch-outs: free calls are 1:1, and guests are on the Business plan.

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

Best for: teams of 5 or fewer, and teams that track tasks in chat.

Where it wins: free for up to 5 members with unlimited searchable history, and built-in tasks.

Watch-outs: the free plan stops at 5 members.

Price: Free for up to 5 members; Business is $3 per user per month billed annually ($4 monthly) (chanty.com/pricing).

Best for: teams moving off WhatsApp groups that already work with AI agents.

Where it wins: 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). There are apps for iOS and Android as well as macOS, Windows and Linux (FAQ). Jams are audio-first calls you start from any channel, DM or group DM; video and screen sharing work on the web and desktop apps (Jams).

Watch-outs: Ando isn't free and isn't a way to message customers. If your team just needs chat off personal phone numbers, Pumble or Chanty costs less. Access is by request.

Price: per human seat; rates aren't published yet (pricing philosophy). Starting a new company and moving off iMessage? We'll onboard you in under 24 hours (FAQ).

1. Pick the app and create three or four channels that match how the team already talks (one per project, team or site).
2. Post the invite in the WhatsApp group and set a date after which work questions go to the new app.
3. Pin the important decisions and files from the group into the new channels.
4. Keep WhatsApp for customers and personal chat.

For a fuller one-week plan, read how to move your team off iMessage; the steps are the same for WhatsApp.

• You want the default work chat → Slack.
• You already pay for Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 → Google Chat or Teams.
• You chose WhatsApp because it was free → Pumble, or Chanty for 5 people or fewer.
• You need to message customers → keep WhatsApp Business for that.
• Your team already works with AI agents → Ando. Starting a new company and moving off iMessage? We'll onboard you in under 24 hours (FAQ).