Companies use Instant messaging software to facilitate communication between their staff members who may be located in different places and countries. Popular websites such as Facebook offer instant chat services for free. Good quality IM solutions provide useful features such as video calling, web conferencing, and VoIP. Show more Advanced platforms offer IP radio, IPTV, and desktop sharing tools. Large enterprises have greater communication needs and therefore they typically invest in installing an internal IM server to serve their thousands of employees. You can read our detailed reviews of leading products in this category including the current anointed topper Glip.Show less
To create this list of best Instant Messaging Software we have analyzed 114 different applications currently available on the market, studying their features, ease-of-use, client support, offered integrations as well as mobile device support using our patented SmartScoreTM rating system. This list has been prepared by Louie Andre, our software expert responsible for the Instant Messaging Software category.
CloudRank™ system is a unique algorithm that our research team uses to evaluate Instant Messaging Software solutions in a detailed and accurate way. The Spring 2022 edition of the ranking was prepared by Louie Andre, our leading expert in the field of Instant Messaging Software, who has authored 1380+ product reviews in this category. The goal of CloudRank™ is to present an unbiased, multi-layered perspective on Instant Messaging Software, considering a wide range of metrics and factors, and educating potential customers about both opportunities and challenges associated with each piece of software.
In order to achieve full objectivity the position in our CloudRank™ is based on:
We’ve calculated a score for each product based on the average experience shared by our users in their product reviews and arranged the list in three tiers. You can see the methodology below on how the calculations were made.
Regardless of their tier, all products included in our CloudRank™ are popular, quality products considered top-performers by our team of experts. Make sure you read a more detailed review of each solution to find one that will work best for your specific needs and budget.
Show lessMARKET POSITION
A score between 1 and 10 based on popularity and market reach of each product.
TOTAL score
A score between 1 and 10 based on the average of our Expert Score and User Score.
Market Position
A score between 1 and 10 based on popularity and market reach of each product.
Total Score
A score between 1 and 10 based on the average of our Expert Score and User Score.
CloudRank™ tier
Based on product's total score.
Rising Star
Contender
Front Runners
Here is a list of all 23 Instant Messaging Software solutions evaluated with our CloudRank™ analysis. We have compared their features, user satisfaction, market presence and other key factors in an in-depth analysis you can find below:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
No. of employees:
Our report covered 23 most popular products from the Instant Messaging Software category. We’ve analyzed their features, performance, integration, customer support, pricing, and several other key buying factors and combined it with feedback from user reviews to come up with the current list of best solutions:
Basecamp is a project management and collaboration tool for remote work. The tool is web-based and features all the tools a team will need to get projects running from ideation to planning to execution. Simplicity is Basecamp’s way of getting things done—keeping track of project priorities and actionable items.
Basecamp’s set of tools includes message boards and real-time group chats, to-dos, file storage, schedules, and automatic check-ins. The feature list may seem sparse compared to other similar products but Basecamp is highly customizable. Its features can be turned off and personalized, or integrated with 3rd party apps for accounting, time tracking, and even software development for a custom-built project planning tool.
Basecamp is used across different organizations—individual freelancers to startups to non-profits to established brands. The tool lets clients see how the project is going with shareable views of the project that keeps both sides organized providing a centralized record of decisions, files, deadlines, and project communications. Subscriptions are in two packages: Basecamp Personal which has limited features but is free and Basecamp Business which has a flat rate of $99 for unlimited projects and unlimited users and includes all features.
Most users of Instant Messaging Software solutions confirm that in most cases these tools allow them to reach the following business goals:
The Spring 2022 version of the report includes a total of 23 Instant Messaging Software products that were compared and analyzed by our team. We selected them based on the following factors:
More and more companies nowadays utilize the use of bot and messaging technologies. Such technologies are used to assist hotel and tickets booking, provide internal support, assist in personal banking, and respond to customer requests among others.
Below are the top instant messaging trends to expect this coming year.
Messengers not only allow the exchange of messages and funny emojis, it has now become a key communication tool for companies to connect with their customers as well as improve communication within their organizations. In 2020, instant messengers are gaining popularity as they give many opportunities – to communicate with customers on behalf of brands, newsletter, channels, and public accounts. The market of messenger is continuously growing so it’s crucial for entrepreneurs and marketers to know about the important tools and trends in order for them to keep up with the fast-changing markets.
Facebook Messenger*
Weixin / WeChat
Snapchat*
Telegram
Statista
Designed byThe development of Natural Language Processing and AI mean that bots can be used in a number of applications with a greater chance of success. Businesses are now recognizing chatbots as a tool to help them in upselling opportunities as well as a more personalized customer experience. Bots or chatbots automate dialogues and can be helpful in customer service especially for repeat questions or pre-qualification customer enquiry.
Statista
Factors like the development of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies increase the demand for Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS). Nowadays, a lot of businesses plan to put forward their own devices (BYOD) services for their employees, which in turn initiate the increase in the demand for UCaaS.
The increase in tablet and smartphone use, coupled with the ongoing application of 5G technology, are also key factors to the growth of UCaaS market size.
Businesses nowadays base decisions on relaying real-time information back and forth, which is exactly how instant messaging & chatting became a top corporate utility. The nature of this software is a social-networking one, but unlike private communication, it helps enterprise collaboration, and supports daily business routines.
Instant messaging tools have the distinctive advantage of displaying relevant information in no time, which keeps business parties connected wherever they are. In that way, instant messaging tools extend a business’s online network, and turn collaboration into a remarkable business adventure (unlike conventional office interactions with professional tone, which are de-motivating, to say the least).
The best part of the adventure is that software markets are packed with outstanding platforms and it won’t be difficult to capture the best instant messaging software tools for enterprises, medium and small businesses.
A good way to start your search for the best chat software programs is to register for the free trials or demo offered by leading instant messaging software for business providers. This will give you a chance to test drive their key features free of cost and a general comparison of different products. You can register for the free trials of the following list of apps that have received the highest SmartScore rankings and user satisfaction rating in our instant messaging & chat software reviews: Jive reviews, Skype, and Jabber.
When choosing an IM program, make sure it has all of these features:
Long story short, best chat software should enable three activities: Private chat; sending/receiving files; and integration. The ‘heavy’ part of choosing one will be to focus on tiny nuances, because that’s what distinguishes one system from the other. Being completely honest, all IMs are built on the same concept and similar practice, which is why the decisive factor is almost always their appearance.
Let’s take a deeper look at the features you should expect from these systems:
Our detailed comparisons show that there are a lot of business benefits to be related to IM software, all because of the common conception that people need to be ‘put’ in one place when sharing their assignments. These systems unite strangers, build teams and coalitions, and come up with original solutions because few heads reason better than one head. At a corporate level, companies get to collaborate and learn from each other, which is priceless in terms of savings and competition.
In bits and pieces, this is what you will get from a reliable IM program:
There aren’t almost any downsides to connecting people and letting them communicate, unless you’re communicating with the wrong person.
Sharing information via IM services is a great idea for colleagues and business associates, but it can be misused in many ways if it falls into the wrong hands. Internet hackers won’t stop trying to use this ‘open port’ to your computer, and to extract sensitive and valuable information from it. What makes the problem worse is that messages can be intercepted without anyone having a clue about it, and you can only imagine what type of damage this could cause to your company. Therefore, take care!
Most IM systems are free, based on the vendors’ assumption that you’re going to buy extra sets of freebies and emoticons, or pay for security and customization. Free doesn’t have to mean insecure or low quality – browsing the web for some time will show you that there are many that do an excellent job without costing anything.
The paid ones, on the other hand, have more advanced features, high-priority support, and a stronger security policy, as they grant access only to registered users. Most of the time, vendors sell one-time licenses for unlimited usage, and they accept all payment options (bank wire transfers included). The price depends on the number of users/observers you want to include, and varies between $10 and $1000.
Order by:
First, be clear about the reasons why you want to use a SaaS system. You should also have a good understanding of your existing infrastructure and business processes. This information will assist you to effortlessly integrate the SaaS program with your existing infrastructure without any problems.
The second consideration is a follow up to the first one. Ask yourself what you want the SaaS product to do for your organization. Then, be clear about the features the app should have. For example, if you want enhanced data collaboration between different business units you need a solution that can be accessed by multiple users. However, if you need an efficient system that is similar to an on-premise solution, you need to invest in a SaaS product that can be accessed by only a few users at a time.
After you pick a suitable provider, do not sign an agreement before you take a good look at the Service Level Agreement (SLA). The SLA will clearly describe what the SaaS vendor is offering and the reimbursement they will pay if they do not deliver the agreed services. Read and comprehend the SLA thoroughly to know what you are getting into and to avoid issues later.
The best instant messaging software is Slack. Slack is a robust instant messaging software that consolidates all channels in one convenient platform. It archives your messages in real-time and indexes them so they’re searchable and referenced. It has support for real-time messaging, audio calls, and video conferences, plus file sharing and integration with over 1,500 third-party applications.
The benefits of instant messaging software include:
The features of instant messaging software include:
Easy instant messaging solutions include:
Good free instant messaging software include:
Updated
FinancesOnline is available for free for all business professionals interested in an efficient way to find top-notch SaaS solutions. We are able to keep our service free of charge thanks to cooperation with some of the vendors, who are willing to pay us for traffic and sales opportunities provided by our website. Please note, that FinancesOnline lists all vendors, we’re not limited only to the ones that pay us, and all software providers have an equal opportunity to get featured in our rankings and comparisons, win awards, gather user reviews, all in our effort to give you reliable advice that will enable you to make well-informed purchase decisions.