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Slack Alternatives for Agencies (2026)

Quick picks

Short on time? Start with these picks, then scroll for details and trade‑offs.

ToolBest forLink
PumbleGood fit for agencies that want a straightforward setup and a clear workflow.See current pricing

Before you choose, sanity‑check these:

  • Do you need a client portal or just internal workflows?
  • Do you need approvals/sign‑offs (and an audit trail)?
  • Which integrations are non‑negotiable (email, accounting, calendar, Slack)?
  • How fast do you need to be live (today vs. next week)?

If you’re building an end‑to‑end stack, start with Stack Builder.

Related (to help you decide)

Disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links. See disclosure.

Last updated: 8 Jan 2026

Slack is great — until it gets expensive, noisy, or hard to keep client work organized. These alternatives are easier to run for agency teams (and some work better for client-facing channels).

See current pricing Jump to quick comparison

If you just want a fast answer:

  • Pumble if you want Slack-like chat with simpler pricing and built‑in voice/video.
  • Microsoft Teams if you’re already deep in Microsoft 365.
  • Discord if you want community-style channels and lightweight collaboration.
Quick path picker
Pick your workflow — we’ll highlight the best fit in the table below.
1 What’s your work mostly?

No JS? Use the quick comparison below.

2 What matters most right now?
3 How much setup can you tolerate?

Less generic, more useful:

Pick based on how you work (not “best overall”)

These fit checks are derived from the shortlists in ClickUp Alternatives for Agencies (2026) — use them to choose the fastest “good enough” tool for your agency.

If your priority is Agency delivery visibility

  • Great dashboards and easy adoption
  • Setup: 1–2 hours • Pricing: Paid

Best bet: monday.com

Avoid if: Can sprawl if you create too many boards

If your priority is Structured PM

  • Clean task management and good governance
  • Setup: 1–2 hours • Pricing: Paid

Best bet: Asana

Avoid if: Less “database” flexibility than ClickUp

If your priority is Docs + lightweight PM

  • Great for SOPs + lightweight projects
  • Setup: Half day • Pricing: Paid

Best bet: Notion

Avoid if: Not a true PM tool for complex workloads

Best Team Chat Tools for Agencies (2026)

If Slack feels expensive and email threads are chaos, start here. These picks focus on agencies: client channels, search, and simple rules that stick.

Quick comparison

ToolBest forWatch out
Pumble
Try Pumble		Budget-friendly Slack-style chat + channels for small/growing teams.Keep naming rules simple (clients/projects) or search gets messy.
Slack
See Slack alternatives		Teams that live in channels and want best-in-class integrations.Costs add up fast with larger teams and history requirements.
Microsoft Teams
Channel setup template		Agencies already on Microsoft 365 who want chat + meetings in one place.Channel sprawl unless you keep a strict template.

Best picks

Best “Slack alternative” for agencies: Pumble (simple, cheap, and familiar). If you like it, bookmark your setup checklist and stick to it.

Best if you already pay for Microsoft 365: Teams. Use a channel template so every client/project looks the same.

Use-cases

  • Client-heavy ops: you need channels per client + a simple escalation path.
  • Internal delivery: you need project threads that don’t disappear in DMs.
  • Async teams: you need searchable history and lightweight voice calls.

Avoid if…

  • You need heavy compliance/enterprise controls right now (start with the big suites).
  • Your team refuses to create channels and name things consistently.

Disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links. See disclosure.

More guides

More guides

Browse more categories (useful if you’re building the whole agency stack).

CRM

Best CRM for Small Agencies

Track leads, pipelines, and follow‑ups—without heavy admin.

Project Mgmt

Best Project Management Tools for Agencies

Delivery, visibility, and client-friendly workflows.

Proposals

Best Proposal Software for Agencies

Templates, approvals, e‑sign, and follow‑up tracking.

Directory

Tools directory

All categories in one place—quick jumps to guides.