Free plan
Free plan available
Compared with Zoho Connect
- Open source
Team chat & collaboration · Alternatives
Best Zoho Connect alternatives in India (2027)
Zoho Connect is a team chat & collaboration product from Zoho Corporation, Chennai, 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, 1 are built in India.
Quick answer
The closest alternatives to Zoho Connect are Zulip (Free plan), Flock (Free · PRO priced per user · Starter free up to 20 members; PRO price on request), Notion (Free plan), Slack (Free plan) and Microsoft Teams Chat (Free plan). Zulip is the top-ranked option with a free plan.
Why businesses look for a Zoho Connect alternative
Reported limitation
Starter is capped at 25 users and 25 GB
Reported limitation
Gamification, dashboards, enterprise search and live broadcast need Ultimate
Reported limitation
Zoho mentions a forever-free plan but does not publish its limits on the pricing table
Zoho Connect alternatives compared
Ranked by how closely each product matches Zoho Connect'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Zoho Connect (current) | Free plan | Yes | Web | Yes | 4.8/5 | — |
| 1 | Zulip | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | vs Zoho Connect |
| 2 |  Flock | Free · PRO priced per user · Starter free up to 20 members; PRO price on request | Yes | Web | Yes | 4.8/5 | vs Zoho Connect |
| 3 |  Notion | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | vs Zoho Connect |
| 4 |  Slack | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | vs Zoho Connect |
| 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 Zoho Connect |
| 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 Zoho Connect alternatives in detail
Free · PRO priced per user · Starter free up to 20 members; PRO price on request
Free plan available
Key features
- One-to-one and group chat
- Public and private channels
- Message and file search
- File sharing
- Bookmarked messages
3. 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
Free plan
Free plan available
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 Zoho Connect
- Open source
Free plan
Free plan available
Compared with Zoho Connect
- 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
Zoho Connect alternatives by what you need
Free Zoho Connect alternatives
Indian alternatives to Zoho Connect
How to choose a Zoho Connect 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.
Zoho Connect alternatives — FAQs
What is the best alternative to Zoho Connect in 2027?+
The closest matches to Zoho Connect on App Advisor are Zulip (Free plan), Flock (Free · PRO priced per user · Starter free up to 20 members; PRO price on request), Notion (Free plan). They are ranked by how closely their category, pricing model, platforms and target business size match Zoho Connect, then by rating. The best choice depends on your team size and budget.
Is there a free alternative to Zoho Connect?+
Yes. 20 of the 20 alternatives listed have a free plan or are free: Zulip (Free plan), Flock (Free · PRO priced per user · Starter free up to 20 members; PRO price on request), Notion (Free plan). Free plans usually cap users, records or transactions, so check the limits against your monthly volume.
Is there an Indian alternative to Zoho Connect?+
Yes. 1 alternatives are built in India, including Flock (Free · PRO priced per user · Starter free up to 20 members; PRO price on request). Indian products usually handle GST, TDS and UPI natively and bill in rupees.
Zoho Connect vs Zulip: which is better?+
Zulip is the closest match to Zoho Connect in our catalogue. Key differences: Open source. Compare them side by side before you book a demo.
How were these Zoho Connect alternatives chosen?+
Every product listed sits in team chat & collaboration or a category Zoho Connect also covers, and Zoho Corporation'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
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Related alternatives
Zulip alternativesFlock alternativesNotion alternativesSlack alternativesMicrosoft Teams Chat alternativesElement (Matrix) alternativesMattermost alternativesRocket.Chat alternativesGoogle Chat alternativesConfluence alternativesChanty alternativesTwist alternativesAll team chat & collaboration alternativesBrowse all alternatives