With Meta Workplace shutting down, it's time to upgrade your communications

76% of workers say they enjoy working collaboratively. But workplace collaboration isn’t just good for team members. It’s also good for your organization.

That’s because, when your teams are pulling in the same direction, there’s less wasted effort, greater productivity, and better business results.

These days, collaboration is a little more complicated than it used to be. Many employees work remotely or on a hybrid schedule. There are also hard-to-reach frontline employees to consider.

In 2024, organizations are having to be more intentional about employee collaboration — and they’re turning to tech tools to bring dispersed teams together.

Collaboration in the workplace may be changing. But it’s still as important as ever. Here, we take a look at the benefits of workplace collaboration, along with the role tech can play in creating a collaborative ecosystem.  

What does collaboration look like in the workplace?

Workplace collaboration involves team members working together to achieve a common goal. It relies on empathy, active listening, conflict resolution, and accountability.

But it’s not just about team members working together on a big project. Or giving the standard monthly update on company developments. Collaboration is much, much more than that.

The most collaborative organizations make collaboration part of their company culture. It’s a mindset of openness and transparency. A place where all employees engage in effective communication and are ready and willing to help one another.

Employee collaboration might mean liaising with engineering, marketing, and sales teams to launch a ground-breaking new product. Or simply helping your co-worker get the photocopier working again.

In any form, collaboration is about sharing information and knowledge. About willingly offering support. And about combining employee strengths to get the best results each and every day.

Nowadays, there’s another key element to collaboration in the workplace — technology. In the wake of remote working and higher employee expectations with regard to tech, collaboration has gone digital.

Organizations use digital tools to facilitate employee collaboration even when teams don’t work face-to-face. They use tech, like project management software, employee apps, and real-time communication tools.

This is helping to maintain collaboration among desk-based teams, at home and in the office. It’s also supporting dispersed frontline workers to collaborate at work, too.  

The Blink employee app helps frontline and desk-based employees work better together. Take a look at our platform features to find out more.

Why is workplace collaboration important?

Collaboration is good for business. It ensures that your employees, like cogs in a well-oiled machine, are all working together. There’s more momentum and less friction. So you find it easier to achieve organizational goals.

Collaboration within teams helps those teams to function more effectively. Cross-functional collaboration is important too. Team-working across different departments helps to remove workplace silos and get all teams on the same page.

Workplace collaboration is also good for employee motivation and morale.

With easy and effective communication, the workplace becomes a happier place to be. And when employees operate as a team, helping each other to achieve tasks, the workplace becomes more caring and supportive.

Collaboration clearly makes a difference to employees. A 2022 Corel report into team-working revealed that:

• 41% of employees have left their job or would consider leaving their job due to poor collaboration at work
• 64% of employees say that poor collaboration costs them at least three hours per week in productivity
• 78% of employees say that leadership could be doing more to promote collaboration within the organization

Collaboration ties in with employee engagement, the employee experience, productivity, and employee retention, making it a really crucial component of any workplace. 

8 benefits of collaboration in the workplace

Let’s take a closer look at what workplace collaboration can do for your employees and organization. Here’s what you can expect when your employees routinely collaborate with one another. 

Improved employee engagement

Employees who feel they belong within an organization are 5.3 times more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work. And employees who get enough information to do their job well are 2.8 times more likely to be engaged. 

Workplace collaboration brings employees together. It gives them need-to-know information, and aligns everyone behind company goals. 

This creates a sense of community and purpose, which fuels employee engagement. Collaboration leads employees to feel more satisfied in their work and more loyal to your company.   

Increased efficiency

When teams collaborate, they share information. Teams pool resources and people power. Employees who work together closely can share workloads and responsibilities.This enables teams to complete tasks more quickly. It also reduces the chance of duplicated work.

This efficiency frees up time in the workday. It helps managers to make workloads more manageable, while creating the time and employee headspace for even more creativity and collaboration.

Knowledge sharing

Imagine a company that fails to share its collective knowledge effectively.

Teams spend their time researching topics that other teams understand in depth. Employees repeat the same mistakes because there’s no one sharing their hard-earned insights. You fail to establish best practices. And employees are in a constant state of catch-up.

Now imagine the opposite. A company where knowledge is shared seamlessly between co-workers, teams, and departments. There’s no gatekeeper and collective knowledge is easy for everyone to access.

The latter scenario makes for a more successful organization. It helps you build a more knowledgeable workforce. And it saves a heap of time — because your people aren’t separately pursuing the same lines of research.  

Stronger relationships

Good employee collaboration relies on strong workplace relationships. And it helps to develop them, too.

When teams collaborate, they communicate regularly. They work together towards a shared goal. They also develop trust and mutual respect as they share ideas and rely on each other’s support.

By developing these strong relationships, your organization gets better at collaboration going forward. You create a culture of psychological safety, where people feel comfortable speaking up about their ideas, mistakes, and concerns.  

Strong workplace connections also improve the employee experience. With Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2024 report revealing that 20% of employees experience a lot of loneliness at work, nurturing workplace relationships has never been more important.

Better decision-making

When you make decisions as part of a team, you leverage the knowledge, perspective, and experience of each team member. You involve the people who are directly affected by the decision — and those who are responsible for implementing it.

Making decisions as part of a team means assumptions are challenged and everyone has a sense of buy-in. You make informed and balanced decisions that are more likely to garner company-wide support.

For example, in a recent webinar, we heard from the team at the Capital District Transport Authority (CDTA) in New York. They realized they needed new tech to improve internal communication at the organization.

When deciding on the right tech solution, they took a cross-functional approach. They involved communications, IT, and HR teams, along with leadership. They also consulted the workers who’d be using the new tech.

By collaborating in this way, the CDTA was able to choose a modern intranet that met everyone’s needs and enjoyed excellent levels of adoption.

Enhanced problem-solving

We all know the proverb. “Two heads are better than one.” And when it comes to problem-solving, you’re much more likely to come up with creative and effective solutions when working as part of a team.

Collaboration brings people with different viewpoints together. This diversity helps teams to approach a problem from multiple angles — and come up with a variety of potential solutions.

It also minimizes blind spots. Because there are people with lots of different perspectives involved, it’s less likely that some element of the problem or its solution is overlooked.

Stronger employee development

The practice of collaboration helps to develop employee soft skills, like decision-making, problem-solving, communication, conflict resolution, and creative thinking

When you have a culture of knowledge sharing, co-workers can also learn from one another. They can pick up new skills and information from the people they work with. Employees are organically coached by more experienced members of the team.

This informal learning can take place within teams and across departments. Successful cross-departmental collaboration enables workers to get a better understanding of different areas of the business.

Boosted productivity

As we’ve already seen, good teamwork is linked to:

• Improved employee engagement
• Knowledge sharing and employee development
• Increased efficiency
• Stronger relationships and communication

All of these things support workplace productivity. Employees have access to the resources, skills, knowledge, and relationships that help them perform at their best.

Collaboration also improves accountability. When employees are involved in planning, decision-making, and problem-solving, they’re more motivated to work hard and make a success of the initiative or project.

The role of technology in workplace collaboration

It used to be that collaboration could take place informally in the office.

Co-workers could share ideas as they made coffee in the break room. Or as they walked to the elevator together. There were plenty of face-to-face meetings where people could work together to solve problems and make decisions.

But things have changed. In recent years, technology has played a much bigger role in team working.  

Firstly, thanks to the pandemic, remote working became much more widespread. While some organizations are encouraging people back to the office, a sizable proportion of employees still spend part of their working week working remotely.

In the UK, figures for 2024 show that 40% of workers spend at least some time working from home. In the US, 41% of employees whose jobs can be done remotely work a hybrid schedule.

Secondly, employee expectations around workplace tech have increased. With intuitive tech at home making life easier and more convenient, employees now expect the same digital experiences in the workplace. This goes for frontline employees, too.

Frontline employees — working shifts, in isolation, or on a busy shop floor — haven’t always had the same opportunities for teamwork as their desk-based peers. But with organizations now focusing on frontline employee engagement and retention, this is something that employers are looking to rectify.

To involve all employees in workplace collaboration — no matter their location or schedules — we have to be intentional. We also have to use the right technology.

Here are a few tools that support collaboration in the modern, digital workplace.  

Real-time communication tools

When teams are working away from the office, real-time communication tools are an employee collaboration essential. You need a way for co-workers to communicate seamlessly, sharing information as if face to face.

We know that many deskless workers conduct conversations on personal apps. But this type of shadow IT poses security risks. It also fails to enhance collaboration and employee engagement as successfully as a dedicated communication tool, run with the oversight of your managers.

So providing employees with messaging and video conferencing tools is a must. You need software that facilitates 1:1, group, and company-wide chat.

Project management software

Projects have lots of moving parts. And — particularly for non-office-based teams — it can be hard to visualize project tasks and progress without project management software.

This type of software acts as a centralized platform for planning and executing projects. It keeps all files, discussions, and tasks in the same place, ensuring nothing gets lost and everyone is aware of their responsibilities.

Project management software is particularly useful for remote and hybrid teams. But it can still come in useful for purely office-based teams.

Streamlined communication, workflow automation features, file organization, task visibility, and real-time updates are useful for teams wherever they may be working.

Employee apps

For employees who don’t spend their day at a desk, an employee app is another vital workplace collaboration tool.

As Ian Gordon of Elara Caring said to us in an interview:

“Being a frontline worker can feel like you're on an island by yourself, and the solutions that you need must be quicker and more succinct. You can't spend a lot of time signing in and navigating. You need to get to your answer now.”

Apps, like Blink, fit Gordon’s description. They’re intuitive to use and available on employee smartphones. They also make it quick and easy for employees to complete tasks, whether that’s sending a message to a co-worker, checking the latest policy documents, or filling in a safety report.

Employee apps support collaboration for time-poor frontline workers. They help them build connections with co-workers, share their frontline insights, and keep up to date with company news, improving the employee experience in the process.

A resource hub

Whether it’s on your company intranet or an employee app, a digital resource hub is another useful tech tool for employee collaboration.

A resource hub allows co-workers to share files and work together on them. It also acts as an internal knowledge base.

Here, employees can find best practices, company policies, and FAQs. If they have the appropriate permissions, they can also add their own insights to the hub, tagging documents so employees can find them easily.

AI and automation

AI and automation tools are also playing a role in employee collaboration. They’re providing time savings that give team members more opportunities for collaboration. And they’re supporting collaboration in other ways, too.

Companies are using this tech to automatically tag resource hub documents so users can find what they’re looking for more easily. AI is producing better resource hub search results.

AI is also supporting employees in their use of data. With automated data analysis and predictive analysis, AI is giving employees a sound basis for their collaborative problem-solving and decision-making efforts.

Some organizations are also using AI to facilitate communication between different departments. For example, technical teams are using it to translate complicated documents for non-technical co-workers. 

This is helping to close the communication gap between departments and ensure that everyone has the information they need to collaborate effectively.  

In summary

Workplace collaboration has changed dramatically over the past decade. But it’s still a key indicator of business success.

Collaboration supports workplace productivity, communication, and business results. It leads to better problem-solving and decision-making.

It also supports your employee retention and engagement efforts by making your workplace an open and supportive place to be, improving the employee experience.

Face-to-face collaboration is trickier than it used to be. But with the right tech solutions, you can champion collaboration in your organization, no matter where your employees spend their work days.

Blink has everything you need to bring collaboration to your desk-based, remote-working, and frontline employees. Our mobile-first employee app provides:

• Real-time communication via 1:1 and group chats, plus the company news feed
• A resource hub, where employees can access company documents and forms
• Deep integrations with the project management tools you already use
• AI support that supports better workplace communication

With Blink, you also get all the tools you need for better internal communications and employee engagement.

Why not book a demo to see Blink’s modern intranet in action?

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What makes her awesome?

Chandi has been instrumental in representing the company and its bus drivers in cases related to traffic penalties. By thoroughly reviewing and addressing these cases, she has substantially reduced costs for both the business and individual drivers.

It is very common for bus drivers to face fines and prosecutions while doing their essential job for the communities of London. Chandi appears in Courts and Tribunals to represent the business and has successfully challenged almost 50% of the cases that come in. In years gone by the business was facing charges of up to £10k per month which have now been reduced by 70%. This is a massive saving both financially and reputationally to the business.

Most importantly, Chandi’s work provides crucial support to drivers, alleviating their stress and ensuring they feel valued. She is a quiet and meticulous professional who has created so much good in the department since her arrival in April 2024.

How has Blink helped in her role?

Blink has been used to advertise “money boxes” YBJ where fines are received. Chandi has also used the platform to share guidance and resources about observing traffic regulations, as well as demonstrating the team’s support for drivers. 

What does she want to do next?

Continuing to reduce penalties, with the ultimate goal of eliminating them, would be a massive achievement, maybe seen as impossible — but what Chandi has achieved would have been seen as impossible six months ago. Chandi is keen to communicate with drivers using Blink as well as garage roadshows to raise awareness and help bus drivers avoid fines and better serve the communities of London.

Nominated by: Phil Thornton, General Manager Central Operations

For comms leaders who want to bring their teams together, employee engagement is a critical element in creating a sense of belonging in frontline organizations. There are a number of different employee engagement frameworks available.

Therefore, it’s important to understand their respective strengths and weaknesses to make the right decisions for your teams.

How can you know which one is right for your organization?

The answer lies in understanding the goals that you want to achieve through engagement, and how the different frameworks can help you do so.

At Blink, we believe in the importance of employee engagement, which is why we've carefully evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of key frameworks on the market, to help you find the one that aligns with your organizational goals.

Whether you're an SME looking to create a fast-growing startup culture, or a large enterprise looking to make your employees feel more empowered and innovative, this guide will help you understand what an employee engagement framework is and find the right model for the job.

What Is An Employee Engagement Framework or Model?

An employee engagement framework or model is a strategic structure created to help you understand and measure the factors that drive employee engagement within your organization. 

These models work to identify the specific factors that are most important to creating an engaged employee workforce, and provide a strategic framework for improving these factors as part of your wider employee engagement strategy.

But why does this even matter? Why bother? Well, studies have shown that engaged employees see increased customer satisfaction, boosted job satisfaction and improved turnover (43%) compared to their competitors, amongst a range of other competitive benefits. We know, we've told you before! But that's because it's true.

As for the framework, it provides a core structure to your communications and engagement efforts and helps you to focus on the elements that are most important. So whether you're looking to drive innovation, retention, or productivity within your organization, there's bound to be an engagement framework or model out there that can help you achieve these goals.

Before we dive into how to choose the best employee framework for you, let's take a look at some of the main employee engagement models.

Employee Engagement Framework Examples

When it comes to employee engagement theories, specifically frameworks, the sector is dominated by a few major players. In this section we'll outline the key focus and aims of each employee framework example, hopefully providing you with some insight into which model might be best for improving employee engagement in your organization. 

1. The Zinger Model

The Zinger model of employee engagement consists of 14 employee engagement elements, with key symbols for each element. Together, these elements make up a symbolic framework for measuring employee engagement, with each element representing a specific part of the engagement process. These 14 elements include:

• Achieve results
• Craft strategy
• CARE (Connect, Authentic, Recognition, Engage)
• Enliven work roles
• Excel at performance
• Esteem organization
• Foster community
• Serve customers
• Develop career
• Leverage energies
• Experience wellbeing

The model is designed to help organizations evaluate and monitor the factors that impact employee engagement over time, and track progress towards their organizational goals.

While this theoretical model lacks depth in terms of human resource management theory, it does provide a useful visualization of different engagement factors and mechanisms, making it a great choice for comms leaders looking to map out their employee engagement strategy in a visually appealing way.

2. The Deloitte Model

The Deloitte model of employee engagement was created after two years of discussions and research with clients, revealing five major elements and 20 underlying strategies that work together to make an organization truly “irresistible.” The 5 major elements included in this framework are:

• Meaningful work
• Hands-on management
• Positive work environment
• Growth opportunity
• Trust in leadership

All of these factors work together to form a core system of engagement within an organization (See Figure 1 below) that maintains itself through strong company culture. And while the model is aimed at maximizing employee satisfaction, it also works to improve productivity and profitability.

This framework has been used by hundreds of organizations around the world and boasts a high success rate in improving organization-wide employee engagement and company performance. If you’re looking for an evidence-based approach to employee engagement that can help you achieve results across the board, this might be a good fit for you.

3. The JD-R model

The Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) theory of employee engagement is a model that explains how the organizational environment impacts employee well-being and performance.

One central idea in the JD-R theory is that although workers may be based in various sectors–think transport, manufacturing, or finance–their job characteristics can be classified into two categories: job demands and job resources.

• Job demands are job aspects that require continuous effort and usually come with physical and mental costs. Some examples could include a heavy or unmanageable workload, conflicting demands from managers and customers, and workplace bullying.
• Job resources help workers progress in their careers, make their jobs less demanding, and improve their day-to-day life both professionally and personally. Some examples of resources could include scheduled breaks during the workday, access to line management training, or implementing specialized employee engagement software for manufacturing that gives workers instane mobile access to a Central Hub storing core company document.

Using a variety of methods to study leadership and workers, such as Employee Surveys, interviews and administrative data, the JD-R model has been proven to be a valid method for assessing how employees feel about their job resources and demands, and in turn their engagement levels.

4. The Gallup Employee Engagement model

The Gallup model of employee engagement refers to their Q12 Survey, which consists of 12 employee engagement survey questions. After taking the Q12 survey, leaders and managers will be able to effortlessly work each item's concepts into conversations, meeting agendas, performance evaluations and team goal setting. The 12 questions are:

1. I know what is expected of me at work.
2. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.
3. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
4. In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.
5. My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.
6. There is someone at work who encourages my development.
7. At work, my opinions seem to count.
8. The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.
9. My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work.
10. I have a best friend at work.
11. In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.
12. This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.

The 12 questions are split into four levels (See image below) required for an environment of trust and support in the workplace. By meeting the needs of the three levels of foundational employee engagement drivers, leaders can drive top level personal and professional growth for their employees.

Using these levels as a guide to manage your team, you can improve their performance and continue developing them professionally.

It's important to note that these four levels do not represent consecutive phases. Managers do not complete level one and then level two, etc. Leaders must ensure that employees' needs are met on level one first, however they must then continue to deliver on that level while meeting their needs on the second, third and fourth levels.

Simply put: if you don't meet your employees basic needs on an ongoing basis, the other levels won't follow.

5. The AON Hewitt model

The AON model of employee engagement consists of three main sectors, Say, Stay and Strive. Based on employee responses to "say, stay, and strive," engagement levels can be determined and used as a predictor of business outcomes. 

AON goes on to recommend some key steps when implementing an engagement framework, which include:

• Define your improvement strategy
• Boost the impact and effectiveness of your managers and leaders
• Create an aligned employee value proposition
• Design and implement total reward programs.

By using these steps, leaders can successfully improve employee engagement and drive better business outcomes for their organizations.

How to pick the right employee engagement framework for you

What business targets are you aiming for?

To choose a fit-for-purpose engagement model, you need to understand the goals that you want to achieve through engagement. Some of the most common business targets are: improved innovation, increased employee retention and productivity, and better financial performance.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) built around employee engagement metrics can also make strong targets for your engagement framework. For example, some organizations might aim to increase employee participation in the workplace and their willingness to contribute to company goals – both of which are important metrics for measuring employee engagement and satisfaction.

Some key questions to ask yourself at this point could include:

• What's the main engagement problem you’re currently facing? 
• What are your business targets?
• Does the engagement framework align with KPIs and company goals?

Understand your team setup

The first step in choosing the best employee engagement framework for your organization is to understand the different types of teams that you have. This will help you to better understand the specific engagement needs of your team, and tailor the framework accordingly.

For example, a frontline workforce is going to require specific framework targets, such as increasing employee engagement in nurses or on the factory floor. On the other hand, an office-based team may be looking to increase employee participation in company events or projects.

The truth is, frontline workers are often left with no engagement projects that meet their needs. Unfortunately, this has led to a growing number of frontline workers left feeling unheard and disengaged. 

To do better for your staff, start by really getting to know them and their team setup.

Assess your current technology

When choosing your framework to engage employees, run-of-the-mill employee engagement activities and boring old company practices need to stay in the past.

If you really want to drive employee engagement outcomes in your organization, you need the right tech. Luckily, when it comes to the best digital tools for employee engagement, we know a thing or two.

From employee engagement platforms and digital communication tools to online learning resources, there's a growing number of technology solutions available to help you improve your organizational culture and increase engagement.

In our humble opinion, Blink is the absolute frontrunner when it comes to tech solutions for engaging employees. Blink offers:

• Secure Chats to drive feedback loops, two-way communication and meaningful workplace relationships
• Central Hub for instant access to core company policies, procedures and files
• Blink Feed for company announcements and engaging day-to-day updates
• Frontline Intelligence to help you measure and analyze how your employee engagement strategy is performing
• Employee Surveys to drive a movement of listening within your organization.

With these digital features in one Frontline Engagement App, Blink really is the perfect fit for any business looking to improve employee engagement and, ultimately, business outcomes.

So if you're ready to start taking your employee engagement efforts to the next level, how about trying Blink today? You'll be able to easily meet your communication, collaboration and company culture goals!

Identify engagement framework allies

Employee engagement framework allies are those who are invested in improving your organization's culture and are willing to work alongside you to help achieve this.

For example, if you're looking to boost employee participation in your workplace, it might be worth reaching out to HR teams or management to see if they can dedicate budget towards more frequent team meetings or staff events.

Alternatively, if you're a comms or HR leader, you might need to get CIO or even CEO buy-in in order to implement the right digital tools to kickstart a new framework.

Overall, finding allies for your employee engagement framework can be a powerful way to get more support behind your goals, and achieve better results in the long run. So make sure you reach out to anyone who might be able to help you move forward.

How do you implement an employee engagement model?

It’s important to choose the right model and identify your allies to ultimately achieve your goals. To implement this thinking, it's important to approach implementation in a structured way. This will help you have a clear plan to manage the process from start to finish.

Some key steps include overhauling your digital employee engagement tools, testing and setting measurable goals, creating regular check-in points for measuring progress, and ensuring that everyone involved is aligned with the same vision and implementing employee engagement best practices.

What Blink can do for you...

Now that you have a better understanding of how to implement an employee engagement model in your organization, you can think about implementing a tool like Blink.

At Blink, strong employee engagement is at the heart of what we do. That's why our mobile engagement app offers a range of powerful tools and features to help frontline organizations improve their culture and build better relationships with their staff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV1_4ZdjPQ4&ab_channel=Blink

With an average activation rate of over 85% across numerous deskless industries, Blink can help you drive more open and honest communication, increase employee participation in your initiatives, gather feedback from across all departments, all of this to help you drive key metrics and KPIs. 

Get started today

Many factors go into a business making it in today’s world, but one of the biggest make-or-break factors is the environment. Strong downtown districts tend to benefit from a range of factors, the main ones being population growth, local engagement, and economic activity. From retail to hospitality, mid-sized cities are a good sweet spot due to affordability and space.

For businesses, understanding where people spend time and engage with their communities is becoming increasingly important. That's why Blink helps brands better understand and connect with local audiences. By identifying the cities where residents are actively exploring, businesses can make more informed decisions about where to invest and grow.

A successful Main Street isn't just about the number of businesses operating there. It's also about whether people want to work, shop, eat, and spend time in the area. To determine the U.S. cities with the most booming downtown areas, we focused on retail and food/hospitality business density, small business births, and workforce growth, alongside search volume, population growth, and walkability score.

Not sure where your business falls? Find out what qualifies as a small business in high-growth U.S. cities.

The best U.S. cities for small business growth

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1. Orlando, Florida

Orlando takes the top spot with a score of 46.8, thanks to its blend of rapid growth, thriving tourism, and a steady stream of new businesses. The city added 7,464 residents in just one year and generated one of the highest small-business search volumes in the rankings, at 8,140. Retail and hospitality continue to flourish, with thousands of new businesses opening across both sectors. Orlando's appeal extends well beyond its theme parks, too, with 25,800 searches for things to do in the city. For entrepreneurs, that means access to a large, active audience of locals and visitors looking to shop, dine, and explore.

2. McKinney, Texas

McKinney may have one of the smaller populations in the top 10, but it's growing faster than almost anyone else. The city added 11,664 residents between 2023 and 2024—the largest population increase in the rankings—and continues to see strong growth in both retail and hospitality. That momentum is helping transform McKinney into one of the most exciting business destinations in North Texas. With more than 3,000 searches for both local businesses and things to do, it's clear that people are increasingly paying attention to what the city has to offer.

For entrepreneurs eyeing cities like McKinney, getting the foundations right matters from day one—starting with choosing the right business structure for a high-growth market. 

3. Frisco, Texas

Once overshadowed by neighboring Dallas, Frisco has quickly carved out a name for itself as one of Texas's fastest-growing business hubs. The city earned a score of 41.7 after adding more than 8,200 new businesses in a single year and posting strong employment growth across retail and hospitality. Interest in the city is growing alongside its business community, with searches for things to do in Frisco reaching 3,700. As more residents and visitors discover the city's shopping, dining, and entertainment options, Frisco continues to strengthen its appeal for entrepreneurs.

4. Tampa, Florida

Tampa combines the advantages of a large city with the energy of a growing small business scene. Home to more than 427,000 residents, the city welcomed nearly 4,800 new people in the past year while generating more than 7,000 searches for small businesses. Tampa's downtown also attracts plenty of attention, with nearly 16,000 searches for things to do. Supported by a healthy mix of population growth, tourism, and local engagement, Tampa remains one of Florida's strongest cities for retail and hospitality businesses.

5. Garland, Texas

Garland rounds out the top five with a score of 38.5, driven by strong business expansion and steady population growth. The city added more than 4,100 residents over the past year and achieved an impressive average employment growth rate of 10.3% across retail and hospitality. At the same time, thousands of searches for local businesses and downtown activities show that people are actively exploring what Garland has to offer. These trends suggest the city is becoming an increasingly attractive place for both business owners and customers.

6. Arlington, Texas

Arlington is best known for its sports, entertainment, and major attractions, but it is also proving to be a strong environment for small businesses. The city is home to more than 408,000 residents and recorded average employment growth of 10.3% across the retail and hospitality sectors. Interest in local attractions remains high, with more than 4,000 searches for things to do downtown and more than 3,300 searches related to small businesses. Combined with steady population growth, Arlington offers businesses a large audience and plenty of opportunities to stand out.

7. Boise, Idaho

Boise shows that a smaller city can still deliver big opportunities for entrepreneurs. With a population of just under 239,000, Boise recorded an average employment growth rate of 9.7% across retail and hospitality sectors, while also earning the highest walkability score among the top 10. More than 3,700 searches for small businesses and over 3,000 searches for things to do downtown reflect a community that actively supports its local economy. Combined with steady population growth, Boise continues to attract both new residents and new business ventures.

8. Glendale, Arizona

Glendale has quietly become one of the strongest markets for retail and hospitality businesses in the Southwest. The city added more than 3,100 residents over the past year and recorded some of the strongest workforce growth in the rankings, including a 15.3% increase in hospitality employment. Searches for local businesses and downtown activities also remain healthy, highlighting a city that is attracting attention from both residents and visitors. These factors helped Glendale secure a place among the top 10 booming main streets in America.

9. Scottsdale, Arizona

Scottsdale pairs strong business growth with one of the most engaged audiences in the rankings. The city posted an average employment growth rate of 11.5% across retail and hospitality while generating 6,450 searches for things to do downtown—one of the highest totals in the study. Searches for small businesses also remained strong at 3,680, showing that people are actively seeking out local experiences. This combination of business activity and visitor appeal continues to make Scottsdale a standout destination for entrepreneurs.

10. Plano, Texas

Plano closes out the top 10 with a score of 37.0, demonstrating that a strong business community can thrive even during slower population growth. Despite a slight population decline, the city maintained an average employment growth rate of 10.3% across retail and hospitality and generated nearly 3,800 searches for small businesses. Interest in local attractions also remains high, with almost 4,500 searches for things to do downtown. Those figures suggest Plano's established business ecosystem continues to attract customers, helping the city remain competitive for new and growing businesses.

The top U.S. cities for job growth

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1. Lubbock, Texas

Taking the top spot is Lubbock, TX, with the highest average employment growth rate in the ranking at 13.1%. The city's labor market is being driven by strong expansion across both major industries analyzed. Retail employment grew by 11.3%, while employment in food and accommodation services climbed even higher at 14.9%, making Lubbock one of the few cities to post double-digit workforce growth in both sectors. This balanced growth suggests that job creation is occurring across a broad range of businesses rather than being concentrated in a single industry. With a population of 279,104 and an annual population growth of 4,033 residents, Lubbock's workforce momentum shows few signs of slowing.

For small businesses looking to compete in markets like this, offering the right employee benefits can be the difference between attracting top frontline talent and losing them to larger employers.

2. Huntsville, Alabama

Coming in at #2 is Huntsville, AL, with an average employment growth rate of 12%. The city recorded workforce growth of 10.6% in the retail sector and 13.4% in food and accommodation services, highlighting strong hiring demand across consumer-facing industries. Huntsville's ability to achieve double-digit employment growth in both sectors demonstrates a healthy local economy that is rapidly creating opportunities for workers. Supported by a growing population of 237,413 residents and an annual population growth of 1,305 people, Huntsville continues to establish itself as one of the strongest job markets in the country.

3. Glendale, Arizona

Rounding out the top three is Glendale, AZ, with an average employment growth rate of 11.45%. While retail employment increased by a solid 7.6%, the city's food and accommodation sector was the standout performer, recording workforce growth of 15.3%—the highest among the top three cities. This surge in hospitality hiring helped push Glendale's overall employment growth into double digits and reflects increasing demand from both residents and visitors. With a population of 262,745 and an annual population growth of 3,142 residents, Glendale's expanding workforce suggests a city where employers continue to invest and hire at a significant pace.

The fastest-growing U.S. cities

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1. Spring Valley, Nevada

Taking the top spot is Spring Valley, NV, which added an incredible 22,974 residents from 2023-2024, the largest population increase in the ranking. With a total population of 229,494, the city is experiencing rapid expansion, welcoming new residents at a pace that far exceeds that of many larger metropolitan areas. Spring Valley also maintains a substantial business presence with 6,500 retail businesses and 5,780 food and accommodation businesses. The area's continued population boom suggests growing demand for housing, services, and local businesses as more Americans choose to call this Nevada community home.

2. Port St. Lucie, Florida

Coming in at #2 is Port St. Lucie, FL, which welcomed 11,880 new residents in 2023-2024 alone. The city now has a population of 284,448 and remains one of Florida's fastest-growing destinations. Population gains have been accompanied by healthy economic growth, with average employment growth reaching 5.1% across the retail and hospitality industries. The city is home to 1,639 retail businesses and 1,011 food and accommodation businesses, helping support its expanding population. As more people relocate to Port St. Lucie, demand for local services, shopping, dining, and entertainment is likely to continue rising, further strengthening the local economy.

3. McKinney, Texas

Ranking third is McKinney, TX, which added 11,664 residents in 2023-2024, bringing its population to 242,534. The North Texas city continues to attract new residents thanks to its strong economy and growing business community. Employment growth averaged an impressive 10.3% across retail and hospitality sectors, one of the highest rates in the ranking, indicating that job creation is helping fuel population growth. McKinney also benefits from a sizable business base, with 21,680 retail businesses and 18,161 food and accommodation businesses supporting the local economy. With thousands of new residents arriving each year and employers continuing to expand their workforce, McKinney remains one of the fastest-growing cities in America.

The U.S. cities with the most walkable downtowns and main streets

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1. Boise, Idaho

Taking the top spot is Boise, ID, with an exceptional walkability score of 93, making it the most walkable downtown and main street destination in the ranking. For residents and visitors alike, this means many of the city's shops, restaurants, and attractions can be reached on foot, creating a vibrant environment for local businesses. Boise is home to 2,281 retail businesses and 1,732 food and accommodation businesses, while employment growth remains strong across both sectors, averaging 9.7%. People are also very interested to see what the city of trees has to offer, with 3,730 searches for small businesses, 500 for local shops, and 3,080 for things to do downtown. Combined with annual population growth of 1,530 residents, Boise's highly walkable downtown continues to support both economic activity and quality of life.

2. Jersey City, New Jersey

Jersey City, NJ, takes the second spot thanks to its highly walkable downtown and vibrant urban atmosphere. With a walkability score of 87, residents can easily access shops, restaurants, and local services without relying on a car, helping create a lively environment for small businesses. The city is also home to a substantial retail and hospitality sector, supported by strong interest in local attractions and businesses, with more than 4,000 searches for small businesses over the past year. While employment growth has slowed recently, Jersey City still added 4,609 residents, suggesting its mix of convenience, amenities, and proximity to New York City continues to attract new residents and support local commerce.

3. Newark, New Jersey

Newark, NJ, rounds out the top three thanks to its highly walkable downtown, growing population, and thriving business community. With a walkability score of 76, residents can easily access local shops, restaurants, and everyday services, helping create a bustling environment for businesses of all sizes. The city added 8,078 residents in the past year—one of the largest population increases among the top-ranked cities—while also generating nearly 4,800 searches for small businesses and more than 2,400 searches for things to do downtown. With its extensive retail and hospitality sectors, Newark continues to offer a mix of accessibility, activity, and growth that helps local businesses thrive.

Curious where your city ranks? Check out our interactive table below 

What America’s top main streets have in common

The results show that thriving main streets aren't limited to major metropolitan areas. While fast-growing cities in Texas and Florida performed especially well, the rankings highlight a broader trend: places with growing populations, active downtown districts, and strong retail and hospitality sectors tend to create the best conditions for small businesses. But the businesses that thrive long-term in these cities are the ones that also get the fundamentals right internally — from managing employees effectively to building teams that grow with the city around them.

Whether driven by tourism, new residents, or vibrant local communities, these cities are proving that a successful main street depends on more than just business density; it requires an environment where people want to live, work, shop, and spend time.

Methodology

To determine which U.S. cities have the most booming main streets, we analyzed the 200 most populous mid-sized cities (pop. 500,000 or less) using a weighted index combining four key indicators:

- Retail & Food/Hospitality business density — the total number of retail, food, and hospitality businesses (NAICS 44-45) (NAICS 72) operating in each city's surrounding metro area

- Retail, Food, and Hospitality workforce growth — the percentage change in retail, food, and hospitality sector employment between Q1 2019 and Q1 2025

- Retail, Food, and Hospitality small business births - The number of newly established retail, food, and hospitality small businesses within each city's surrounding metro area

- Search Volumes - The total search volume for each query (“Small businesses [city]”, “Local shops [city]”, “Things to do downtown [city]”) across each city listed 

- Population Growth (1-Year growth '23-'24) - The increase or decrease in population YoY from 2023-2024 (most recent data available) 

- Walkability Score - The total score determining how easy it is to walk around each city listed 

Establishment counts were sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 County Business Patterns. Employment growth figures were drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau's Quarterly Workforce Indicators, accessed via the LED Extraction Tool. The MSA populations were sourced from the 2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.

Cities sharing an MSA were assigned the same metro-level data, showcasing that retail and hospitality businesses serve regional economies rather than strictly city limits. Cities were then ranked from highest to lowest by total score to identify the metros where small-business activity and growth are strongest.

* Workforce growth was measured by comparing Q1 2019 to Q1 2025 employment data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Quarterly Workforce Indicators (QWI). For four metros — Columbia, MO; Springfield, MO; Springfield, MA; and Worcester, MA — Q1 2024 was used as the endpoint due to the delayed Q1 2025 release; this represents a 5-year span instead of the standard 6-year span. For Anchorage, AK; St. Louis, MO-IL; Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI; and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI, workforce growth could not be calculated due to incomplete or unreleased state-level QWI data. These cities remain in the ranking based on their establishment density figures (Census 2023 County Business Patterns), with workforce growth treated as -100%. Data accurate as of May 15th, 2026.

Explore top platforms that deliver more than a SharePoint skin

Akumina positions itself as a digital workplace experience layer built on SharePoint—but for many organizations, it creates more complexity than it solves.

It’s highly customizable, yes—but that often comes with long implementation timelines, heavy IT lift, and limited employee engagement. If you're looking for a solution that’s easier to roll out, more intuitive to use, and built for actual adoption, you're not alone.

In this article, we break down the 12 best Akumina alternatives—modern intranet and employee experience platforms that go beyond SharePoint overlays to deliver real value for today’s hybrid, remote, and mobile workforces.

#1. Blink

Best all-in-one intranet and employee app

Blink is a modern employee platform that combines internal communications, essential tools, and content into one intuitive experience. Unlike Akumina, Blink doesn’t sit on top of SharePoint—it replaces it, offering native mobile and desktop apps that employees actually want to use.

Why Blink over Akumina:

• Lightning-fast deployment (no dev work required)
• Personalized, social-style feed
• Messaging, surveys, forms, and files all in one place
• Works beautifully on mobile and web

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#2. Interact

Best for structured intranets with strong comms features

Interact is a mature intranet platform that offers a blend of content governance and communication tools. It provides more flexibility and a better out-of-the-box experience than Akumina, especially for internal comms teams.

Key strengths:

• Smart content targeting
• Built-in comms features (surveys, likes, comments)
• Page templates and drag-and-drop tools

#3. Simpplr

Best for AI-powered content personalization

Simpplr is a polished, AI-driven intranet focused on employee engagement. It’s known for lifecycle communication (e.g. onboarding, transitions), and offers more automation than Akumina without the same technical setup burden.

Why it stands out:

• AI-powered content surfacing
• Smart search and recommendations
• Built-in templates for lifecycle moments

#4. Staffbase

Best for internal comms at enterprise scale

Staffbase shines when it comes to centralized, top-down communication. With a branded employee app and multi-channel messaging, it’s a better option than Akumina for organizations prioritizing reach and visibility.

Top features:

• Newsletter builder
• Campaign management
• Native mobile app with notifications

#5. LumApps

Best for global enterprise deployments

LumApps offers a broad, customizable employee experience platform with deeper integrations and personalization than Akumina—without being tied to SharePoint. It supports global rollouts and multi-language content delivery.

Why it’s better:

• Google & Microsoft integrations
• AI personalization
• Multilingual and regional content support

#6. Happeo

Best for Google Workspace users

If your organization uses Google Workspace, Happeo is a lightweight, user-friendly intranet that connects seamlessly with your tools. It’s far easier to deploy and use than Akumina, especially for remote teams.

Highlights:

• Tight Google integrations
• Social intranet features
• Customizable layouts

#7. ThoughtFarmer

Best for easy-to-manage intranets

ThoughtFarmer focuses on simplicity and people-first design. Unlike Akumina’s complex configurations, it offers a quick setup and low learning curve—perfect for organizations without large IT departments.

Notable features:

• People directory and profiles
• Easy content editing
• Micro-sites for teams and departments

#8. Igloo

Best for governance and compliance-heavy teams

Igloo is a solid Akumina alternative if your focus is structured content, document control, and knowledge management. It’s more rigid than Blink or Happeo, but ideal for finance, legal, and healthcare.

Strengths:

• Document versioning
• Access controls
• Policy and procedure hubs

#9. Jive

Best for community collaboration

Jive is ideal for organizations that value social collaboration and peer-to-peer interaction. While Akumina layers content, Jive fosters real-time engagement and employee communities.

Features:

• Social groups and forums
• Peer recognition
• Advanced analytics

#10. Haiilo (formerly Smarp)

Best for employee advocacy and engagement

Haiilo is a newer entry but a compelling Akumina alternative if you’re focused on culture, employee voice, and comms amplification. It goes beyond intranet basics into the territory of employee engagement and advocacy.

Why consider Haiilo:

• Omnichannel comms
• Employee-generated content
• Engagement analytics

#11. Noodle

Best for small companies wanting a turnkey intranet

Noodle is a lesser-known but solid option for SMBs. It’s easy to set up and includes standard intranet features without the need for SharePoint or heavy integrations.

Pros:

• Budget-friendly
• Core intranet tools (news, docs, chat)
• On-prem or cloud options

#12. Unily

Best for enterprise intranets with rich features

Unily is a well-known intranet solution with a robust feature set, polished UI, and strong Microsoft integrations. It’s a better alternative to Akumina if you want a full-featured, polished intranet with deep customization—without starting from scratch.

Why it’s a solid pick:

• Beautiful UX
• Strong multilingual and multi-brand support
• Flexible integrations with Microsoft 365 and beyond

Final thoughts: Choosing the right Akumina alternative

Akumina can work well for highly customized intranet needs—but that flexibility often comes at the cost of complexity, budget, and adoption.

Whether you want something faster, simpler, or more engaging, the 12 alternatives above offer modern options that fit different use cases and team types.

Want a platform that people will actually use?‍

Blink replaces legacy intranet headaches with an all-in-one, beautifully simple platform for communication, tools, and culture.

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Why teams choose Blink over Akumina

Akumina is a flexible digital workplace platform built primarily around SharePoint and Microsoft 365 — a strong fit if your workforce is desk-based, less so if it isn't. Blink is mobile-first, requires no corporate email, and is used daily by teams at McDonald's, Domino's, and Chick-fil-A. See how Blink compares.

Team chat apps play a pivotal role in organizing, securing, and making workplace communications accessible. 

Blink’s audience often includes remote, frontline, and hybrid teams that rely on dependable messaging to stay aligned.

For small and medium businesses, Blink suggests choosing a team chat app that's easy to use, well-organized, and available on all devices, particularly if the business doesn't have an IT team.

In this Blink guide to the best team chat apps, we review eight leading options for hybrid teams and affordable choices for startups and SMBs. We evaluate each team chat platform based on ease of setup, support levels, and total cost.

If your business is a remote startup, operates a small office, or needs to keep hybrid employees connected, this Blink overview will help you choose a team chat app that fits your needs.

Why team chat apps matter for SMBs and agile teams

Team chat apps play a pivotal role in organizing, securing, and making workplace communications accessible. 

Blink’s audience often includes remote, frontline, and hybrid teams that rely on dependable messaging to stay aligned.

For small and medium businesses, Blink suggests choosing a team chat app that's easy to use, well-organized, and available on all devices, particularly if the business doesn't have an IT team.

In this Blink guide to the best team chat apps, we review eight leading options for hybrid teams and affordable choices for startups and SMBs. We evaluate each team chat platform based on ease of setup, support levels, and total cost.

If your business is a remote startup, operates a small office, or needs to keep hybrid employees connected, this Blink overview will help you choose a team chat app that fits your needs.

Highlights 

• The best team chat apps organize, secure, and make workplace communications accessible in frontline, remote, hybrid, and work environments.
• Top chat apps for 2025 include Blink, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zulip, Discord, WhatsApp, Google Chat, and Element, each designed for different business needs, from affordable team chat apps for startups and SMBs to work chat platforms that are easy to set up without IT support. 
• Key team chat app features to consider include instant text or group messaging, voice and video calls, file sharing/storage, chat history and search, workflow automation, analytics, and insights, language and accessibility support, and security. 
• To find the best team chat apps for a small business and easy team chat apps for hybrid teams without IT support, test a free trial period, and assess how it improves your team’s connectivity and productivity. 

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What is a team chat app? 

A team chat app is a digital platform that enables quick, real-time communication between employees across locations and departments. These apps are essential for maintaining coordination, sharing updates, and ensuring accountability, especially in remote, hybrid, and frontline work environments.

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Blink, a leading employee communication platform, defines team chat apps as:

“Tools that combine instant messaging, collaboration, and productivity features into a single accessible workspace. Allowing teams to connect without the delays of email or the complexity of multiple disconnected systems.”

Choosing the right team chat app for your business depends on how your team communicates, your company size, the tools you already use, and the level of IT support available.

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For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), Blink offers an all-in-one solution that simplifies communication, integrates with existing workflows, and keeps teams connected wherever they work.

How to choose the best team chat app

Most team chat apps focus on real-time communication, collaboration, and organization, along with a host of extras, some you'll need, others you won't.  

But some features are crucial for every business, such as: 

1. Real-time messaging

• One-to-one and group chats so team members can communicate 
• Typing indicators, read receipts, and message reactions to increase engagement
• Threaded and channel conversations for organized discussions

2. File sharing and storage

• Uploading and sharing documents, images, videos, or links in chat is essential 
• Preview and version control for shared files and tracking updates

3. Channels and topics

• Public channels for open chat and private channels for specific teams or projects
• Topic-or hashtag-based organization for easy navigation and search

4. Voice and video calls

• One-click voice or video calls for meetings or quick check-ins
• Screen sharing and virtual whiteboards

5. Notifications and mentions

• Customizable alerts for separating communications
• @Mentions and tagging to alert people and groups

6. Integrations

• Integration with tools like Google Drive, Trello, Asana, Slack, Zoom, and GitHub
• Automation to handle repetitive tasks like reminders and updates

7. Search and history

• Full-text search for files, messages, and channels
• Search filters for searching by user, date, or keyword

8. User management 

• Admin roles, moderation controls, and security access levels for protecting sensitive data
• Team invite, guest access, and user status alerts (online/offline/away)

9. Cross-platform availability

• Desktop, web, and mobile apps to ensure accessibility everywhere
• Synchronization across devices so users can seamlessly continue conversations.left off

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The 8 best team chat apps

1. Blink
2. Slack 
3. Microsoft Teams
4. Zulip 
5. Discord
6. WhatsApp 
7. Google Chat 
8. Element 

Blink

Startups and SMBs often need affordable team chat apps that are easy to set up without IT support.

Blink, an off-the-shelf, all-in-one solution, is designed with simplicity in mind, making it a perfect fit for mobile-first or frontline teams. It's customizable to fit your team perfectly, ensuring a seamless and intuitive experience. 

Described as an "employee experience platform" that combines chat, news feeds, and workplace tools into one app. Blink enables direct and group messaging, file sharing, and voice or video calls, without a complex setup. 

Digital Project Manager described Blink`s interface as intuitive:

• Blink’s interface is intuitive and built for teams that “aren’t particularly tech-savvy.” Perfect for easy team chat apps for hybrid teams without IT support

Best suited for:

• Startups and SMBs that want an affordable chat tool that does more than messaging, like polls, shift management, and document sharing
• Small businesses seeking a lightweight internal hub (chat + company news) instead of an entire enterprise stack
• Frontline and distributed teams that need quick, mobile-friendly communication

Blink pros:

• It offers more than chat, with features like absence tracking and polls, making it a complete communication platform rather than just a chat app
• Setup is minimal and user-friendly; you can be up and running within hours
• Blink supports images, GIFs, videos, PDFs, and spreadsheets within chat
• A value-for-money team chat app for startups and SMBs

Blink cons:

• Pricing and scalability details aren't as transparent as some other platforms
• It doesn't support advanced chat features (such as bots or extensive APIs)
• Fewer integration and automation options compared to Slack or Teams

Blink pricing: Blink's Business plan starts at $4.50 per user/month for up to 1,000 users.

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Slack

Described as "where work happens," Slack is the most used app in the workplace (Source: Mio). It combines chat, channels, integrations, and file sharing into one streamlined workspace.

Slack serves a wide range of businesses, from small startups to global organizations, and offers thousands of third-party integrations, smooth onboarding, and real-time communication features.

Best suited for:

• Hybrid and remote teams that need synchronous and asynchronous collaboration
• Startups and SMBs that want a flexible, easy-to-adopt chat platform
• Teams that rely on integrations and automation

Slack pros:

• The free tier provides what many startups need, keeping costs low during those expensive first few years
• According to Social Intents, Slack works best for small, flexible teams because it prioritizes chat
• Slack integrates with over 2,600 apps, including Google Drive, Notion, Asana, and Zoom

Slack cons:

• Without guidance, channels can become noisy and unstructured, something Wired notes as a common growing pain. 
• Pricing can surge when you add users or need advanced features such as security and compliance controls
• Teams already using Microsoft 365 may find Slack less seamless in comparison

Slack pricing: Free tier available. The Pro plan is $7.25 per user/month (billed annually).

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Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams gives you file sharing, video meetings, chat, and collaboration under one roof, fully integrated with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. 

Microsoft built Teams for hybrid work, combining chat and productivity tools into a single, secure space.

Best suited for:

• Teams that need chat, meetings, and document collaboration in one platform
• Businesses with compliance or governance requirements
• Organizations already using Microsoft 365 or Office
• Small businesses that want scalability built in

Microsoft Teams pros:

• Microsoft positions Teams to "empower employees to meet, chat, call, and collaborate from anywhere" 
• Sharing files and working together on documents is easy because it works well with OneDrive and SharePoint
• Microsoft`s Teams Essentials plan was designed for small businesses

Microsoft Teams cons:

• Setup is more complex than other chat tools, especially if you're not already in the Microsoft ecosystem
• If you're not a Microsoft user, licensing and configuration can be frustrating 
• For some startups, the complete feature set might be overkill

Microsoft Teams pricing: The Essentials plan is $4 per user/month (annual). Microsoft 365 Business Basic is $6 per user/month (annual). Microsoft 365 Business Standard is $12.50 per user/month (annual).

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Zulip

Zulip takes a different approach to chat by blending the immediacy of real-time messaging with the organization of threaded conversations.

By grouping messages into streams and topics instead of endless chat scrolls (🥱), Zulip makes it easier to catch up without losing context.

Best suited for:

• Businesses seeking an open-source or self-hosted solution
• Organizations that rely on asynchronous communication
• Teams with multiple ongoing discussions

Zulip pros:

• According to Wikipedia, Zulip's threading system reduces noise and makes conversations easier to navigate 
• Like Slack, this interface offers integrations and notifications, but in a more organized way
• It's open source, giving you complete control over hosting, data, and customization

Zulip cons:

• Zulip protects your data while it's being sent and stored, but the messages themselves aren't fully end-to-end encrypted (only push notifications are)
• Fewer plugins and integration options in comparison to heavier commercial apps
• Reports are that the UI can feel less intuitive for non-technical users
• For simple chat needs, the format is pretty complex

Zulip pricing: Open-source self-hosted version remains free. The Cloud plan is $6.67 per user/month (annual) or $8 monthly. 

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Discord

Created for gaming, Discord has evolved into a powerful communication tool for creative and hybrid business teams by combining text channels, voice chat, video calls, and community-style engagement on a single platform.

Best suited for:

• Budget-conscious organizations that need robust features at low or no cost
• Startups and creative teams that love informal, real-time collaboration
• An easy team chat app for hybrid teams without IT support
• Hybrid teams that frequently use voice and video
• Team chat apps for small businesses

Discord pros:

• Zapier said its flexibility and community-style setup make it appealing for small, fast-moving teams
• Discord offers always-on voice channels, thread-based chat, and strong media sharing
• Its free tier is generous and can handle most small business communication needs

Discord cons:

• Employee engagement platform, HubEngage said, "Discord lacks the enterprise-grade governance and compliance features in tools like Teams or Slack"
• Productivity tool integrations are improving, but they're not as good as those in popular work chat apps
• The platform's laid-back vibe and game-like design might not suit every workplace

Discord pricing: Nitro Basic costs $2.99/month. Full Nitro costs $9.99/month (US).

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WhatsApp

Besides the 2 billion WhatsApp users, many small businesses also use WhatsApp Business for staff chats, GPS location, file sharing, and quick customer interactions. 

Best suited for:

• Businesses that need to combine internal chat with customer communication
• Small teams or micro-businesses with minimal onboarding needs
• Teams that rely on mobile messaging for quick coordination

WhatsApp pros:

• WhatsApp Business offers quick replies, automated greetings, and product catalogs
• Setup is pretty easy: verify your phone number, and start messaging! 🥳
• Most of us know the interface, so adoption's a breeze

WhatsApp cons:

• AI-powered customer service provider, Cuedesk, advises that using WhatsApp for internal business chat could lead to problems with data control
• The app doesn't suit large-scale internal communication
• It lacks channels, user roles, and admin controls

WhatsApp pricing: The Business App is Free. The Business Platform (API) uses a per-message pricing model.

Google Chat

Google Chat is a perfect match for Google Workspace users, as it integrates with Gmail, Drive, and Docs, making it easy for Google users to chat and collaborate.

Best suited for:

• Small businesses that need minimal IT setup or training
• Teams already using Google Workspace

Google Chat pros:

• Google says Chat is a secure, integrated way to “collaborate in the flow of work”
• You can organize topics, assign tasks, and share files in one place
• Easy setup for businesses already using Gmail and Drive

Google Chat cons:

• Fewer features than Slack or Teams in terms of integrations and automation
• Anyone outside the Google ecosystem may find limited value in using it

Google Chat pricing: Business Starter is $7/user/month (annual), Business Standard is $14/user/month (annual), Business Plus is $22/user/month (annual)

Element

Element built its open-source, enterprise-grade chat platform on the Matrix protocol.

It's secure, private, and supports self-hosting, making it unique among popular chat apps.

Element suits:

• Businesses with the technical capability to manage setup and maintenance
• Teams that require secure, end-to-end encrypted communication
• Organizations that prioritize data control and self-hosting

Element pros:

• Element's system is decentralized and shared, so no single server stores your data
• You can self-host, use the cloud, or integrate Element into existing infrastructure
• It's both mobile-friendly and compliant with strict security standards
• Offers full end-to-end encryption (E2EE)

Element cons:

• Self-hosting or advanced deployment may be too complex for teams without IT resources
• For quick, non-technical adoption, it's less plug-and-play than tools like Blink or WhatsApp
• The integration ecosystem is smaller than mainstream options

Element pricing: $5–$10 per user/month, depending on the hosting plan.

Quick recap of our best team chat apps 

• Blink and WhatsApp are budget-friendly team chat apps for startups and SMBs with mobile-first teams that want simplicity and affordability
• Slack offers the best mix of ease, integrations, and scalability for growing SMBs
• Microsoft Teams delivers collaboration for businesses already using Microsoft 365
• Zulip and Element provide teams with security, privacy, and self-hosting options
• Discord shines as a platform for creative, hybrid teams that value flexibility and real-time communication
• Google Chat is ideal for Google Workspace users who prefer work chat platforms that are easy to set up without IT support

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Which team chat app should you choose?

When choosing a team chat app, test a free plan or trial period while assessing your team’s connectivity, sense of community, and productivity.

If you need additional functionality, consider a paid plan, as saving a few dollars on a free option is rarely worth the loss of your team’s time and efficiency.

The best team chat app connects, focuses, and engages your workforce, avoiding unnecessary technical complexity or friction.

Blink meets 95% of workforces where they are by providing fast, innovative solutions to modern-day communication requirements. 

Ready to collaborate on a whole new level? 

Blink. And connect with your team today.