With around 270 million users last year, Microsoft Teams is certainly a behemoth in the field of digital communication platforms. However, there are now many other alternative platforms on the market that could be well worth considering.
Because while Teams offers many great features, there are some downsides. For example, many users find the file structure confusing, while others cite the fact that the integrated chat tool leaves much to be desired, with messages often arriving hours after they were sent.
If you think that 2023 could be a great time to consider an alternative to Microsoft Teams, then we can help; below, you’ll find our pick of the five best communications platforms that could serve your business better and improve productivity to boot.
Spike
Looking for something a little different that’s designed specifically to boost collaboration and maximize efficiency in remote and hybrid teams? If you find that the range of tools incorporated in Microsoft Teams feels a little clunky or outdated on this score, then it may be time to look for an alternative.
One of our favorite contenders for the title of the best alternative to Microsoft Teams is the new kid on the block, Spike. This intuitive, user-friendly platform boasts a best-in-class team app that allows your colleagues to connect more easily and boost workflow. Team members can switch from video calling to messaging to leaving a voice note in the app, so there’s no need to jump between platforms and screens and interrupt workflow as a result.
Organized messaging is a key feature of Spike – this chat app helps you to keep track of conversations, search for messages quickly and easily, and it is designed to ensure that all conversations are both actionable and employee-focused for all-around better, happier working practices.
Google Workspace
Also worthy of a place on the list of best alternatives to Microsoft Teams is Google Workspace, which offers users a wide range of collaboration-fuelling tools in one platform. Shared calendars and the sending of automatic email invites make scheduling meetings a breeze, and video conferencing can be initiated with the touch of a single button on a camera-enabled phone, tablet, or computer.
Users love the fact that Google Workspace allows you to share your screen with other attendees to help them understand the data or the big picture, and to promote better, faster decision-making.
Documents, spreadsheets, and slides can also be collaborated on in real-time, even with individuals not within your business. You’ll be able to see edits as colleagues or co-collaborators type, and the incorporated chat feature lets you give feedback and offer suggestions as you go.
Rocket.Chat
For those interested in an open-source alternative to Microsoft Teams, Rocket.Chat is worth considering – it’s currently the world’s largest open-source communications platform and boasts millions of users in over 150 countries – meaning it’s got to be doing something very right.
It’s especially useful for businesses, supporting collaboration between team members, partners, communities, customers, and even other platforms while allowing for plenty of integrations and customizations.
Rocket.Chat can take on Teams in terms of the features offered, too: this platform incorporates an easy-to-use pop-up chat and messaging function, notifications, targeted emailing lead development, and a super helpful team inbox. Plus, the facility to file share and switch to both video and audio conferencing makes it a great choice for business users.
Slack
This platform provides its users with a ‘digital HQ,’ and its communications tools are designed with the sole aim of helping a team to work faster and more flexibly than ever before. To this end, its communication features seek to adapt to the needs of every unique business, providing the ability to easily send audio and video clips, chat, or join a huddle to chat live with colleagues.
One of the standout features of this alternative to Teams is how fluidly it can connect and integrate with your other work and productivity apps, meaning that you and your colleagues don’t need to waste valuable time switching between screens and tabs. Plus, Slack’s Workflow Builder allows you to automate many of your office’s manual tasks, leaving you and your staff members free to get on with more important things!
WebEx
The original WebEx platform was founded all the way back in 1995- fast forward to today, and it’s used by an estimated fifty million users a month, clocking up a mammoth three billion meeting minutes – phew, that’s a lot of virtual coffee being drunk on a monthly basis.
This platform provides a space for video conferencing, instant messaging, file transfer, IP telephony, and screen sharing. Both one-to-one video meetings and larger group conferences are supported by WebEx, and screens can be shared during these sessions. You also have the facility to easily record meetings for easy minuting afterward.
Fans of this platform point to the incorporated digital whiteboard tool as a particularly useful feature, as well as the fact that WebEx can be integrated into a hybrid cloud platform to save up on storage space and allow for access to the platform securely and remotely.
How to Choose an Alternative to Microsoft Teams
Although Teams may be considered one of the leaders in its field, there are many worthy contenders out there that could actually be a better fit for your business.
Have a look at the features and tools provided by the platforms listed above to weigh up whether switching could boost your business’s productivity and enhance workflow in 2023.
