Collaboration chat tools such as Microsoft Teams are changing how we work. No matter the size of your company, using these services help you stay organised and make your operations look professional to customers.

Not that long ago, only large companies could afford such tools. But now it's available and affordable for SMEs, startups and sole proprietors. Your company can use business-grade collaboration video and chat services on your browser, PC and phone.

But which is best for you? In this article, we look at Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Slack, Discord and Zoom to choose a collaboration chat service that fits your needs and budget.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is the most popular collaboration chat service for two reasons: it's a Microsoft product, so businesses prefer it. Secondly, it forms part of a more extensive suite of office software that you can access with a low-cost Office 365 cloud subscription. Teams provides video and instant messenger options and works on browsers as well as the official desktop and mobile apps.

Why choose Teams? If you want a complete office software suite that includes a powerful video chat service, Teams is an excellent option. An added bonus is that if you often work with enterprise clients, chances are they also use the same Microsoft tools.

Google Meet

Google Meet is part of Google Workspace, a similar office suite to Office 365. Meet is the video chat client, and Google Chat provides instant messenger features. They both form part of Workspace, a suite of office tools similar to Office 365's options. If you prefer Gmail and you want the basics (video conferencing, chat, calendar), Meet and Workspace are worth looking at.

Why choose Workspaces? If you are already part of the Google ecosystem, and are working through a personal Gmail account, it may make sense to work exclusively through Workspace.

Slack

Slack is arguably the best communications service for businesses, offering very robust choices for video and instant messaging—to the point that it almost replaces email. Though it lacks other collaboration features, Slack supports a wide range of integrations, and you can connect its communication features with other services, such as Office 365.

Why choose Slack? If your business has a lot of internal chatter, Slack is a good choice to organise those groups. It's like a business instant messenger, but with many extra features, plus it plays well with other services.

Discord

Discord is popular among gamers yet has since become a casual meeting place for many online people. It's not really a business tool, nor does it have many collaboration features. But Dsicord has two advantages: it's free, and many people already know how to use it. You can also integrate collaboration services through Zapier, and the screen-sharing feature is excellent.

Why choose Discord? If you want easy-to-use communications and don't need all the extras or security features that come with other suites, Discord is a fun and popular choice that might not even cost you a cent.

Connecting together

Whichever software you use, it’s important for yourself and your employees to be able to connect any and everywhere. The Vodacom Cloud Marketplace offers Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms which enable digital offerings to all business types and sizes. It’s a complete digital transformation which lets you access, manage, and assign all your digital application and licensing requirements in one single place.