1. Zoho Cliq
Zoho Corporation · Chennai · Team chat & collaboration · 4.8/5
Team chat and collaboration from Zoho.
Free plan
Free plan available
Compared with Slack
- Built in India (Chennai)
Team chat & collaboration · Alternatives
Best Slack alternatives in India (2026)
Slack is a team chat & collaboration product from Salesforce, San Francisco, priced at Free plan with a free plan. We compared 20 alternatives on published price, free plan, platforms and made-in-India support: 20 have a free plan, 3 are built in India.
Quick answer
The closest alternatives to Slack are Zoho Cliq (Free plan), Zoho Connect (Free plan), Flock (Free plan), Notion (Free plan) and Microsoft Teams Chat (Free plan). Zoho Cliq is the top-ranked option with a free plan.
Why businesses look for a Slack alternative
Indian support and GST
Slack is built in United States. 3 alternatives are made in India, where GST, TDS and UPI are usually handled natively and support runs on IST.
Slack alternatives compared
Ranked by how closely each product matches Slack's category, pricing model, platforms and business size, then by rating. Prices exclude GST.
| # | Software | Starting price | Free plan | Platforms | Made in India | Rating | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Slack (current) | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | — |
| 1 | Zoho Cliq | Free plan | Yes | Web | Yes | 4.8/5 | vs Slack |
| 2 |  Zoho Connect | Free plan | Yes | Web | Yes | 4.8/5 | vs Slack |
| 3 |  Flock | Free plan | Yes | Web | Yes | 4.8/5 | vs Slack |
| 4 |  Notion | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | vs Slack |
| 5 |  Microsoft Teams Chat | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | |
| 6 |  Element (Matrix) | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | |
| 7 |  Mattermost | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | |
| 8 |  Rocket.Chat | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | |
| 9 |  Google Chat | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 10 |  Confluence | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | vs Slack |
| 11 |  Chanty | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 12 |  Twist | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 13 |  Pumble | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 14 |  Coda | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 15 |  Miro | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 16 |  Mural | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 17 |  Webex Messaging | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | |
| 18 |  Nuclino | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 19 |  Slite | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 20 |  Brosix | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 |
Top 10 Slack alternatives in detail
2. Zoho Connect
Zoho Corporation · Chennai · Team chat & collaboration · 4.8/5
Intranet and employee community.
Free plan
Free plan available
Compared with Slack
- Built in India (Chennai)
Key features
- Feeds and announcements
- Polls
- Town halls
- Surveys
- Live broadcast (Ultimate)
Free plan
Free plan available
Compared with Slack
- Built in India (Mumbai)
4. Notion
Notion Labs · San Francisco · Team chat & collaboration · 4.6/5
All-in-one workspace for notes, docs and wikis.
Free plan
Free plan available
Key features
- Pages and wikis
- Verified pages (Business)
- Private teamspaces (Business)
- Databases with subtasks, dependencies and custom properties
- Charts
5. Microsoft Teams Chat
Microsoft · Redmond · Team chat & collaboration · 4.6/5
Team chat in Microsoft 365.
Free plan
Free plan available
6. Element (Matrix)
Element · London · Team chat & collaboration · 4.6/5
Decentralised secure messaging.
Free plan
Free plan available
7. Mattermost
Mattermost · Palo Alto · Team chat & collaboration · 4.6/5
Open-source secure collaboration.
Free plan
Free plan available
Compared with Slack
- Open source
Free plan
Free plan available
Compared with Slack
- Open source
9. Google Chat
Google · Mountain View · Team chat & collaboration · 4.5/5
Team messaging in Google Workspace.
Free plan
Free plan available
10. Confluence
Atlassian · San Francisco · Team chat & collaboration · 4.6/5
Team wiki and documentation.
Free plan
Free plan available
Slack alternatives by what you need
Free Slack alternatives
Indian alternatives to Slack
How to choose a Slack alternative
- Pick the tool your team will keep open — adoption beats features.
- Check message history limits on free tiers.
- If you are already on Google or Microsoft, their chat may be enough.
Slack alternatives — FAQs
What is the best alternative to Slack in 2026?+
The closest matches to Slack on App Advisor are Zoho Cliq (Free plan), Zoho Connect (Free plan), Flock (Free plan). They are ranked by how closely their category, pricing model, platforms and target business size match Slack, then by rating. The best choice depends on your team size and budget.
Is there a free alternative to Slack?+
Yes. 20 of the 20 alternatives listed have a free plan or are free: Zoho Cliq (Free plan), Zoho Connect (Free plan), Flock (Free plan). Free plans usually cap users, records or transactions, so check the limits against your monthly volume.
Is there an Indian alternative to Slack?+
Yes. 3 alternatives are built in India, including Zoho Cliq (Free plan), Zoho Connect (Free plan), Flock (Free plan). Indian products usually handle GST, TDS and UPI natively and bill in rupees.
Slack vs Zoho Cliq: which is better?+
Zoho Cliq is the closest match to Slack in our catalogue. Key differences: Built in India (Chennai). Compare them side by side before you book a demo.
How were these Slack alternatives chosen?+
Every product listed sits in team chat & collaboration or a category Slack also covers, and Salesforce's own products are excluded. Prices, free plans and platforms come from each vendor's official website. App Advisor does not sell any of this software.
Free shortlist
Not sure which Slack alternative fits?
Tell us your team size and budget and we'll send a shortlist of three.
Related alternatives
Zoho Cliq alternativesZoho Connect alternativesFlock alternativesNotion alternativesMicrosoft Teams Chat alternativesElement (Matrix) alternativesMattermost alternativesRocket.Chat alternativesGoogle Chat alternativesConfluence alternativesChanty alternativesTwist alternativesAll team chat & collaboration alternativesBrowse all alternatives