
Employee communication software helps you build a digital platform for internal communication.
Whether you need a convenient way to stay in touch with your remote staff or looking for a better on-premise communication system, you can accomplish both via this software.
It’s an incredibly useful tool that allows you to stay connected with everyone and reach out to anyone anytime.
Let’s explore the employee communication platforms and check out the best available options for your company.
What is Employee Communication Software and What Features to Look For?
Employee communication app offers collaborative and productivity tools to facilitate team communication.
Through this platform, you can build a secure cloud space to connect with your staff, broadcast the company’s events, post updates, and share documents.
Some Top Features to Look For In Employee Communication Software;
- Public and private groups.
- Message, audio, or video channels.
- File sharing.
- Activity feeds or spaces for general announcements.
If your business requires frequent site visitations, you should also look for multi-device support or web extension. Via smartphone, you can easily contact your staff while they’re away.
Let’s check out the 12 best employee communication software products I have reviewed. Most of these apps are well-suited for both small and established organizations.
1. Connecteam
Connecteam is an employee management platform that provides everything, from basic workforce management and time tracking to advanced HR functions like training courses.
One of the products it offers is exclusively for employee communication, which delivers team chat features, a company directory, event management tools, and a knowledge base.
You can create channels and chat groups, pin announcements and updates, share media files, and monitor your team’s conversations.
With admin control, you can restrict the view of certain posts, making them accessible to specific members only.
The best thing about Connecteam is the seamless integration between its products. You can incorporate its other product features—like shift schedule — into the chat to save time.
Core Features
- Public and private chat.
- Groups and channels.
- Announcements, events, and media sharing.
- Post scheduling.
- Anonymous surveys and live polls.
- Knowledge base.
- Admin control.
- Employee directory.
Price
Connecteam charges $35 to $119 per month for its premium plans.
You can try it for free.
2. OpenPhone
OpenPhone is ideal for companies that use direct calls as their primary communication channel.
It’s a VoIP provider that delivers a toll-free number and a softphone for domestic and international calls.
You can purchase separate numbers for your employees, set up an auto-attendant to transfer calls, create threads for internal communication, and run group meetings.
If your team typically handles clients together, you can assign one number to several members, so your customers always get a response. With a shared number, teammates can see their colleagues’ responses and easily pick up the conversation.
Core Features
- Business number.
- Domestic and international calls.
- Messaging and group calls.
- Voicemail and call recording.
- Conversation threads.
- Shared numbers.
- Auto-attendant.
- Email and CRM integration.
Price
OpenPhone charges $17 to $25 for the VoIP phone system. You can take a free trial to explore it.
3. Slack
Slack is one of the most common apps companies use for team communications. It’s intuitive, secure, and integrates with virtually any third-party platform.
You can raise unlimited workspaces and build public and private channels for announcements and project discussions.
Colleagues can talk to each other on private chat, comment on public posts with emojis, upload short clips, and share documents.
You can send direct messages to any user, run video and audio meetings with your team, and check file history.
Slack also gives you the flexibility to interact with independent contractors or clients.
You can purchase guest accounts for outside users and give them limited access. If your partner already has a Slack account, you don’t even have to buy a guest account. Simply create a channel and invite them to your workspace.
Core Features
- Virtual workspaces.
- Messaging, video, audio.
- Private and public channels.
- File sharing.
- Guest account and client invitation.
- Two-factor authentication.
- Integration with third-party platforms.
Price
Slack basic plan is free and premium packages start from $8.
4. Chanty
Chanty is a great option for small businesses.
It’s a team messaging app that provides budget-friendly packages, free guest invitations, 20 GB of file storage, and third-party integrations.
You can send unlimited messages, run public and private discussion threads, conduct one-on-one video conversations, and make group audio calls. With media file sharing and engagement tools, you can connect with your staff and post social media content on threads.
Chanty additionally has a built-in Kanban board for task management. You can use it to create to-do lists and convert messages into tasks.
Core Features
- Unlimited messages, video, and audio calls.
- One-on-one and group meetings.
- Search history.
- Task manager.
- Guest invitation.
- File sharing.
- Admin control.
- Integrations.
Price
You can get started on Chanty for free. To access premium features, you may have to pay $4 per user.
5. Rocketchat
Rocketchat offers more flexibility and control over your data.
It is an open-source communication platform that allows you to build a secure and custom workspace for employees and develop an omnichannel contact center for clients.
You can add your branding to personalize it and embed it on your on-premises system.
To manage content access, you can design an organization chart and assign roles to employees. The app has around 180 built-in permission actions to let you customize user permissions and roles.
It’s well-suited for both startups and established companies.
Core Features
- Message, audio, and video, VoIP.
- Omnichannel platform.
- File sharing.
- Customization and white labeling.
- Integration with third-party applications.
- SaaS and self-hosting.
- Guest users.
Price
You can install Rocketchat for free. It charges $7 for its enterprise features and an additional amount for hosting.
6. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams shares a suite of communication products for remote and hybrid workspaces.
You’ll get video meeting tools, unlimited chat messages, team collaboration options, and productivity features.
You can invite any external party to your online meeting and record the conversations. For joint projects, you can import Office to Microsoft Teams and work together in real-time on Excel and PowerPoint.
You can also create an on-premises setup with Microsoft Teams’ certified devices and add virtual rooms to deliver an interactive experience.
One other thing you can do is; incorporate a VoIP phone system in your office for calling, voicemail, and e-fax. The phone package includes both business numbers and PSTN services.
Core Features
- Video, chat, email.
- VoIP phone.
- Guest access.
- 1 TB file storage.
- Real-time collaboration on Office tools.
- Devices for on-premises setup.
- Integration with third-party apps.
- Up to 300 user capacity.
Price
Microsoft Team’s basic plan is free and the premium plan starts from $4 per user.
7. Asana
Asana is technically a project management software, but it can be a great tool for team communication.
You can create specific groups for teams where they can chat with colleagues, collaborate with guests, discuss project details, and share files.
For announcements or updates, you can build a separate space and make it visible to all users.
The app comes with plenty of collaborative features, allowing you to develop a centralized platform for your staff. It works on both desktops and smartphones and integrates with third-party tools.
Core Features
- Public space for announcements.
- Private groups for departments and projects.
- Inbox for direct messages and notifications.
- File sharing.
- Guest invitation.
- Permission and roles.
- Task management and calendar.
- Integrations with third-party platforms.
- Mobile app.
Price
Asana’s monthly subscriptions range between $10 and $25. You can use its basic features for free.
8. Simpplr
Simpplr is a leading intranet software. Via this platform, you can create a private communication hub for the internal staff.
You can use it to onboard new members, post events, build a virtual staff directory, and maintain a document repository. Through multiple communication channels and workflow automation, you can broadcast messages, engage employees, and keep your content updated.
Anyone in your organization can access the profile directory, share feedback, and publish articles. It’s easy to use and offers user-friendly editors for content creation.
Core Features
- News feeds and article publication.
- Drag-and-drop editor.
- Staff directory and document library.
- Feedback and surveys.
- Admin control.
- AI-powered automation.
- Analytics.
- Integrations and APIs.
- Mobile app.
Price
Simpplr shares custom quotes. Request a demo to learn more about it.
9. Jostle
Jostle is another good internet software for internal communication. You can use it to set up a branded platform in your company.
Inside the platform, you can run an activity feed, announce events, create discussion groups, and keep a document repository. Employees can join any conversation thread and collaborate with teammates on special projects.
To improve internal communication between departments, you can develop organizational charts and maintain an employee directory.
Jostle also provides a TV option. You can connect Jostle with any physical screen in your boardrooms or cafeteria to stream the company’s feed. It allows you to keep the office staff up to date on current events.
Core Features
- Intranet.
- Social feed and discussion threads.
- Content publication.
- Organizational chart and staff directory.
- Team collaboration.
- Branded mobile app.
- Multi-languages.
- Integrations.
- Jostle TV.
Price
Jostle’s prices change with your company’s size. The minimum amount it charges per month is $75.
10. Staffbase
Staffbase, like Jostle, offers a communication platform for on-premises and remote employees. But it mainly caters to large-size organizations.
Through social feeds, newsletters, surveys, and chat rooms, you can deliver relevant content to all employees and keep them well-informed of the company’s activities. Your staff can log in via their mobile phones to check updates and contact other members.
There are a lot of other things you can do with Staffbase.
You can create an editorial calendar, run targeted campaigns, customize your email layouts to make them personalized, and add your branding to improve your employee’s experience. You can also integrate Microsoft products with Staffbase to collaborate on projects.
Core Features
- Enterprise communication platform.
- Campaigns, newsletters, social feeds, and announcements.
- Instant messenger.
- Surveys.
- Staff directory.
- Analytics.
- White labeling.
- Integrations.
- Desktop and mobile app.
Price
Staffbase shares prices on request. Contact sales to get the quotes.
11. Workvivo
Workvivo enables you to develop a social network for employees.
You can create different spaces and groups for teams, build a profile directory to keep a record of each member, and set up a calendar for events. Your employees will be able to run private activity feeds, share feedback on posts, talk to their colleagues, and broadcast live.
For new members, you can maintain an org chart and a knowledge base, so they can get relevant company information online.
With content automation, you can send newsletters, run polls, celebrate birthdays, and much more.
It’s an amazing tool for companies that aim to establish a casual workplace culture to make their employees feel connected.
Core Features
- Intranet.
- Spaces, groups, pages, and calendars.
- Activity feeds.
- Communication tools.
- Team collaboration.
- Surveys, polls, and insights.
- File repository and employee directory.
- Automation.
- Integrations.
Price
Workvivo provides prices on request. Book a demo to explore it.
12. Office Chat
Office Chat is a basic messenger for employees.
It’s easy to set up, works on desktops and mobile phones, and allows unlimited messaging.
You can create as many groups as you want, broadcast important posts, flag priority messages to draw attention, and run video conferences with your team.
Colleagues can send texts to each other and share files and images on private chat. You can easily monitor your team’s conversations and search chat history to extract old messages.
The app is best for small businesses, startups, and mid-size organizations.
Core Features
- Private and public messages.
- Video, images, and texts and screen sharing.
- Conversation groups.
- Chat history.
- Notifications.
- Admin control.
- Desktop, web, and mobile support.
- Two-factor authentication.
Price
Office Chat prices range between $25 and $99. You can take a 14-day free trial.
Conclusion
So, have you considered purchasing any of the above software?
A good way to pick a communication tool is to shortlist applications that can be easily adapted to your business work model.
If your company has a large employee volume and runs a hybrid workspace, software like Staffbase and Jostle are ideal for your organization. If you feel video calls improve your internal communication, OpenPhone or Microsoft Teams would be well-suited for your business.
Be sure to ask for the system’s capabilities before subscribing to any platform. Good luck!