Slack★ 4.6/5
Free / Pro $7.25/user/month (billed yearly) ✓ checked Oct 3, 2026
Move team communication out of email into organized channels, with huddles, clips, and 2,600+ app integrations.
Communication tools are often the biggest per-seat line in a small business's software bill, because everyone on the team needs them. Business phone systems give you a shared number, call routing and texting; video and chat tools keep the team connected; meeting assistants record and summarize calls.
Before adding a new tool, check what you already pay for: office suites such as Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 include video meetings and chat, and that can make a separate subscription unnecessary.
What to look for
- Per-seat price at your team size, not the single-user price
- Phone: local and toll-free numbers, call routing, and texting rules in your country
- Meetings: participant limits, time limits on free plans, and recording
- Overlap with what your office suite already includes
Every Phone, Video & Team Chat tool we track (16)
Prices are the cheapest paid plan. ✓ means we checked it on the vendor’s own pricing page (8 of 16). Newly listed tools aren’t rated until we review them.
Loom★ 4.6/5
Record and share video messages for async communication — replace meetings, write faster feedback, and deliver context teammates can watch at any time. Used by 25M+ people at 400,000+ companies.
Zoom★ 4.5/5
Free / Pro $14.16/user/month (billed yearly) ✓ checked Oct 3, 2026
Host reliable video meetings, webinars, and calls — with an AI Companion that summarizes every meeting for you.
AircallNew listing
Essentials $30/user/month (billed yearly) ✓ checked Oct 4, 2026
Cloud phone system for sales and support teams with unlimited US/Canada calls, SMS/MMS, shared inbox and call recording.
FastmailNew listing
Basic $3/user/month (36-month term) ✓ checked Oct 4, 2026
Paid email, calendar and contacts service for individuals and teams, with custom domain support.
Google VoiceNew listing
Free / Starter $10/user/month ✓ checked Oct 4, 2026
Cloud phone numbers with calling, texting and voicemail transcription, with a basic free plan for individuals.
GrasshopperNew listing
Starting at $14/month ✓ checked Oct 4, 2026
Virtual business phone system for small businesses and solo founders; offers a 7-day free trial.
NextivaNew listing
Core $15/user/month (billed yearly) ✓ checked Oct 4, 2026
Business phone and unified communications platform for small and enterprise teams.
QuoNew listing
Starter $15/user/month (billed yearly) ✓ checked Oct 4, 2026
Business phone system (formerly OpenPhone) with calling and texting to US and Canada, voicemail transcripts and an AI agent.
DialpadNew listing
Business phone, support and sales communications platform with AI features.
Microsoft TeamsNew listing
Team chat, video meetings and calling from Microsoft.
Proton Mail for BusinessNew listing
Encrypted business email with custom domains and shared team tools.
RingCentralNew listing
Cloud business phone, messaging and video platform; offers a 14-day free trial.
Vonage BusinessNew listing
Cloud business phone and unified communications service for teams.
WebexNew listing
Video meetings, calling and messaging platform from Cisco.
Zoho MailNew listing
Business email hosting with custom-domain mailboxes and basic collaboration tools.