Best Instant Messaging Services for Small Business Project Collaboration

An instant messaging service should enable quick problem-solving, allow users to share information, and send large files in real-time.

This matters because we are seeing more and more businesses operating remotely with employees working from home. 

Since you and your employees are not together in the office, it’s more necessary than ever to have a powerful communication platform. Instant messaging software can help you stay in touch with your employees throughout the day. 

This software should be user-friendly and provide a variety of functions, such as video chat and even conference calling options. In fact, we recommend choosing an option that provides a videoconferencing solution, regardless of your business size.

Here are the top five free instant messaging applications for small businesses that won’t set you back financially.

That’s right, for a whopping $0 a month per user, you’ll get unlimited chat, unlimited storage, unlimited guest users, unlimited teams, and 500 total minutes of shared video. Glip also has a paid plan that costs $5 per user. This plan gives each user 1,000 minutes of video calling and video conferencing per month.

Glip’s task management tools are great for keeping track of your employee’s progress, making Glip an exceptionally powerful tool for managing remote workers and helping them to feel more integrated and connected with your company.

Because it’s easy and free to set up through Gmail, which many of your employees might already use, Hangouts requires virtually no installation.

Much like the former IM service, Google Talk, users can see when people are online and when they’ve read your messages. One big difference is that it’s more akin to text messaging, in that the conversation won’t end if you’re offline; the message will be waiting for you when you return, much like a text.

It is a multi-protocol chat client, so it conveniently supports Google Hangouts Skype, WhatsApp, AIM, and some other services, allowing you to chat with coworkers, no matter what service they’re using. Adium also provides complete address book integration and combined contacts, so each name represents the person instead of individual accounts.

When comparing instant messaging services, make sure the one you want has all the features you require for your small business and fits with the devices and computers you’re using. Your preferences for open-source software or a name brand is up to you. All these applications are customizable for your business, easy to use, and allow for effective communication between employees and with clients and customers.

Disclaimer

At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don't guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.

To find the best instant messaging services, we considered pricing plans, customer support, and how it worked for remote workers. We also looked at how many services were offered and whether these sites were flexible with discounts.