About 11; min
Teams comes with Microsoft 365. Google Chat comes with Google Workspace. If you already pay for one ecosystem, you have a chat tool included. The real question: is the included chat tool good enough, or do you still need Slack? We compared Teams and Google Chat for teams that want to stop paying for a third chat subscription.
All pricing verified March 2026.
Pricing: Both Are “Free” (With Your Suite)
| Microsoft Teams | Google Chat | |
|---|---|---|
| Included with | M365 Business Basic ($6/user) | Google Workspace Starter ($7/user) |
| Standalone | Teams Essentials $4/user | No standalone option |
| Free plan | Yes (60-min meetings, 100 people) | Yes (via free Google account) |
Neither costs extra if you already pay for Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. The comparison is really M365 vs Google Workspace — chat is a bundled feature, not a standalone purchase.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Teams | Google Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Channels | Full channels with tabs, files, apps | Spaces (simpler) |
| Threading | In-channel threads | In-space threads |
| Video meetings | Built-in (300 people, recording) | Via Google Meet (separate) |
| File sharing | SharePoint + OneDrive (deep) | Google Drive (deep) |
| Doc editing in chat | Word/Excel/PPT in-app | Docs/Sheets/Slides in-app |
| App integrations | 800+ apps, tabs in channels | Limited integrations |
| Bots/automation | Power Automate, custom bots | Workflows (basic) |
| Search | Good | Google Search quality |
| Interface speed | Sometimes heavy | Lightweight, fast |
| Mobile app | Full-featured (heavy) | Lightweight, fast |
Where Teams Wins
- Channel depth — Teams channels have tabs: pin a Planner board, an Excel file, a wiki, and a website inside one channel. Google Chat Spaces are simpler — just messages and files.
- Video meetings built in — click “Meet” in any chat or channel. Recording, breakout rooms, live captions. Google separates chat (Google Chat) and meetings (Google Meet) into distinct products.
- App ecosystem in channels — add Trello, Jira, Salesforce, or custom apps as tabs inside channels. Your PM board lives next to your team chat. Google Chat has fewer in-chat integrations.
- Enterprise admin — conditional access, DLP policies, eDiscovery, compliance. Teams’ admin controls are deeper for regulated industries.
Where Google Chat Wins
- Speed — Google Chat loads instantly. Teams can lag, especially on lower-end hardware. For a chat tool you open 50 times a day, speed matters.
- Simplicity — fewer features = less confusion. Messages, spaces, file sharing. No tabs, no apps, no channel clutter. Teams that just need to chat prefer Google Chat’s minimalism.
- Search — Google’s search DNA shows. Finding old messages in Google Chat is faster and more accurate than Teams search.
- Gmail integration — Chat lives inside Gmail’s sidebar. No separate app window. For teams that live in email, chat is one tab away.
- Mobile experience — lighter app, faster loading, less battery drain than Teams mobile.
The Real Decision: Which Ecosystem?
You don’t choose between Teams and Google Chat. You choose between Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. The chat tool follows the ecosystem choice.
| If your team uses… | Use this chat |
|---|---|
| Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook | Microsoft Teams |
| Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Gmail | Google Chat |
| Both ecosystems | Pick the one used more, or add Slack |
| Neither (Notion, Figma, etc.) | Slack or Discord (independent) |
Do You Still Need Slack?
If Teams or Google Chat is included free with your office suite, why pay $7.25/user for Slack?
- Skip Slack if: Your team uses one ecosystem (M365 or Google) and the built-in chat is sufficient. Most teams under 50 people don’t need Slack’s 2,600 integrations.
- Keep Slack if: You use both M365 and Google, or your workflow depends on specific Slack integrations (GitHub, Jira, Salesforce). Slack’s third-party integration depth is still unmatched.
Who Should Pick What
Microsoft 365 team: Teams. It’s included. Deep channel features and video meetings make it a complete collaboration hub.
Google Workspace team: Google Chat. Fast, simple, integrated with Gmail and Drive. Don’t add Slack unless you specifically need its integrations.
Want the best chat experience: Slack ($7.25/user). Neither Teams nor Google Chat match Slack’s threading, integrations, and UX. But you’re paying extra for a tool your suite already includes.
Cross-ecosystem team: Slack. It works equally well with both Microsoft and Google tools. The neutral ground for mixed environments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Google Chat as good as Slack?
For basic team messaging: yes, and it’s free with Workspace. For threading, integrations, and power-user features: Slack is better. Google Chat is 70% of Slack at 0% of the cost.
Can I use Teams without Microsoft 365?
Yes. Teams Essentials ($4/user/month) is standalone. But for $2 more ($6), M365 Business Basic includes email + storage + Office web apps. Standalone Teams rarely makes sense.
All pricing verified March 2026.
