It also affects businesses — especially ones with team members on the opposite side of the globe.
Communication apps can help you bridge the gap and allow your team to stay connected, but with hundreds out there, how do you pick the right one?
To help you narrow down your choice, here's a list of 7 apps we think you’ll like:
Is it really a surprise that Zoom tops our list of best team communication apps?
Zoom fatigue aside, you can’t deny it’s a powerhouse in video conferencing.
Whether you want to set recurring 1:1s with each team member, interview a podcast guest, or hold a company-wide meeting, even the basic version of this app will do the trick.
Zoom is still one of the most popular communication apps out there, even post-lockdown. It’s particularly useful for:
Want to delegate like a pro? Then say hello to Loom.
This nifty tool lets you record short videos of your screen, helping you avoid explaining the same things over and over again.
It’s a godsend for teams spread across different time zones and any business that wants to bid unnecessary meetings goodbye.
P.S. If you want to learn even more delegation tricks, we have a resource that will come in handy. Get free access to it here.
Loom is ideal for any team that wants to:
Slack is another employee communication app that’s a staple in remote teams.
To the uninitiated, it looks like an average app with no voice and video call functionality. But if you take a moment to tinker with it, you’ll find out that’s not the case.
Instead, you have one versatile app that makes remote communication child’s play. You can chat with your team, check their availability status, hop on a quick call, and more.
Since its release in 2014, Slack has become one of the top group chat apps for work—and for good reason. It’s essential for:
While Discord may be popularly associated with gamers, Slack’s fun younger cousin also makes a decent employee communication app.
Like Slack, it allows you to add channels for specific topics, share files, and add custom emojis. Its basic version even offers some features you’d have to pay for in Slack, such as having multiple people in one call.
It’s limited, though, in terms of integrations and the size of files you can upload. Still, it’s an option worth having.
As of writing, Nitro Basic is $2.99 per month while Nitro is $9.99 per month.
Unlike the other communication apps featured, Discord’s plans are for individuals, not groups.
Gamers and streamers will find the most use for Discord, but it’s also useful for small remote teams. You can use it in conjunction with Slack and other communication apps.
Looking for an alternative to Zoom? Enter Google Meet.
Zoom may have it beat in terms of max participants and integrations, but it’s still a contender for the title of best employee communication app.
That’s all thanks to its not-so-secret weapon: the Google ecosystem.
Since Meet seamlessly integrates with everything Google, its accessibility to the over 3 billion Google Workspace users worldwide is undeniable.
Prices shown are for Google Workspace as Google Meet is part of the subscription.
Is your team on Google Workspace? In your case, Google Meet would be the most convenient out of the other video communication apps.
Also, it’s available for use even if you’re not on Google Workspace (as long as you have a Gmail account). That’s good news if your meetings tend to last an hour — you can call people for up to 60 minutes with the free plan of Google Meet. By comparison, Zoom’s basic version is limited to 40 minutes.
If Slack and Zoom had a baby, it would be Microsoft Teams.
This app combines group messaging with voice and video calls to provide remote teams like yours with an all-in-one solution to your communication needs.
Some may find Teams’ lack of customization options boring, but if you’re looking for something more formal, you’ll love its interface. And, of course, the fact that it integrates with other Microsoft 365 apps.
Using Teams makes perfect sense for companies with a Microsoft 365 subscription since it’s part of the suite. But it’s also a good employee communication app for organizations looking to chat, share files, and call in one place.
Last but not least, the most unique employee communication app in this list.
Gather takes communication to a whole new level by providing a virtual office space for your team. It’s similar to working side by side, only everyone is in avatar form.
That’s what makes it a neat alternative to Zoom.
On Zoom, staring at other people’s faces for a while can be awkward. With Gather and its nod to old-school video game graphics, your team will feel more comfortable and connected with one another.
Gather is great for building rapport among your team, but if you’re worried things can get a little too fun (translation: no work getting done), we suggest saving it for situations like:
In a recent webinar he co-hosted with Nick Huber, Shaan Puri said:
“When you hire people internationally, you're gonna need to learn how to over-communicate.”
He couldn’t be more right.
You see, when you have a remote team, you’ll need to work extra hard on communication. It’s not as effortless as building rapport in the office.
Thankfully, team management apps like the seven we just shared can draw your team closer and improve collaboration. It’s ultimately up to you to pick which one (or a combination) works best, but any of these are excellent options.
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