Best Internal Communication Software for Startups

Woman on a video call.

As the world has shifted to a more online-friendly workspace, our communication needs have also shifted. Thankfully, there is plenty of communication software available to fit the unique needs of your team. To help you find the best fit, we’ve compiled a list of software services that all excel in their own way.

Top Inter-Team Communication Software

Comparing and contrasting the best service for your team can be a time-consuming challenge. We’ve carefully compiled a list of pros and cons of the top communication software available to help facilitate your decision-making.

What Types of Inter-Team Communication Software Do Startups Need?

Getting a startup off the ground requires clear communication and collaboration. In order to facilitate this, a team will want to carefully choose communication software to fit their needs. Picking the right SaaS (software as a service) entails assessing the needs of your team. A savvy startup should ask themselves questions such as the following:

  • Do they want a quick informal chat function, or perhaps to be able to host remote video conferences? 
  • Do they want to track the progress of projects, or maybe have the ability to assign and delegate tasks? 

The size of a team, the budget allocated, the security needs, and the personal style of a startup should all be considered when picking the right communication SaaS. 

To help assist in the process of choosing the right software for your team, we have compiled a list of our choices for best internal communication software for startups.

Best Inter-Team Communication Software Overall for Startups: Slack

Slack has set the bar for inter-team communication. Scalable to companies of all sizes, a startup hoping to have room to grow could thrive with Slack. Its text capabilities allow office communication to be less formal than an email and flow quickly like a conversation. The ability to sort conversations into channels allows team members to stay organized with multiple projects. At the paid level, Slack’s communication capabilities can even be expanded to teams at other companies. 

The free version of Slack has a strong baseline of functionality, including one-on-one video calls and integration with other apps such as Google Drive and Google Docs. However, the free version does not save messages indefinitely, which can make longer-term projects difficult to navigate. 

At the paid level, message history has unlimited storage, making it easy to search through past communications. Intuitive UI, speedy chat feature, and extensive app integration capabilities make Slack our pick for best inter-team communication software for startups. 

Pros

  • Easy-to-learn user interface
  • Integration with other apps, such as Google Docs, Zoom, Trello
  • Instantaneous chat functionality

Cons

  • Free version does not store messages for very long
  • Being in constant communication means constant notifications 

Price Breakdown

The prices listed are per user per month, if billing annually:

  • Free ($0) 
  • Pro ($6.67) 
  • Business+ ($12.50) 
  • Enterprise Grid (speak to Slack sales team for pricing)

Best Task Management Software for a Startup on a Budget: Trello

Trello is a simple, easy-to-use task management software. Its setup is quick, and the UI is easy for users of all experience levels.

Trello’s generous free version is great for small to medium-sized teams. The standard view of ongoing projects is Trello’s version of a kanban board. Great for small groups who achieve their goals quickly, these boards can become bloated and difficult to manage with larger or longer-term projects. However, at the paid level, there are alternate ways to visualize projects, such as an interactive map, a goal tracking timeline, and a calendar that can be synced with other apps. 

With a handful of power-ups that can streamline and automate workflow, Trello is rather lightweight. This is a feature rather than a bug, as the simplicity of the app makes collaborative transparency easy. Trello can be used in tandem with other communication software, such as Slack or Teams, allowing the app to do its one job very well. 

Much of the app’s utility is available at the free level, with room to expand at the paid level as a company grows. Because of this, Trello is our pick for best task-management software for a startup on a budget. 

Pros

  • Compatible with many other communication software apps, such as Slack
  • Simple design makes collaboration easy
  • Great for small teams

Cons

  • Larger or longer-term projects can be harder to manage
  • Less customizable

Price Breakdown

Prices listed are per user per month, if billing annually: 

  • Free ($0)
  • Standard ($5)
  • Premium ($10)
  • Enterprise (speak to Trello sales team for pricing)

Best Hybrid Software for Small Teams: Notion

Notion is a combination note-taking and productivity app that excels at organizing task management. This hybrid app not only has collaborative page editing and file sharing but has tailored layout options, including kanban board, table, calendar, and gallery. 

More capabilities mean there is more of a learning curve for the user, making Notion a better choice for a more tech-savvy startup. The highly customizable UI has a plethora of user-submitted templates available and the option to create your own.

With Notion, it is incredibly easy to invite collaborators to a workspace. Notion members are able to control how much a guest is able to view or edit, and at the paid level, the number of guests is unlimited. This allows for a single keyholder of a startup to collaborate with contractors, mentors, or friends and family. With so many capabilities and so much controllability, Notion is our pick for the best hybrid app for small teams. 

Pros

  • Highly customizable interface
  • Members are able to tailor-fit each guests’ role

Cons

  • Learning curve
  • Larger startups may prefer Monday or Asana

Price Breakdown

Prices listed are per member per month, if billing annually:

  • Personal ($0)
  • Personal Pro ($4)
  • Team ($8)

Enterprise (speak to Notion sales team for pricing)

Best Project Management Software for Startup Accountability: Monday

For software that does such heavy lifting, Monday is easy to use and allows users to seamlessly manage projects. Minimal training is needed to utilize the app's substantial task management features. It has an array of integrated communication apps, such as Gmail, Teams, Slack, and Zoom, meaning a startup can track their progress and do their work all in one space. 

With a choice of different layouts, Monday allows teams to create a roadmap, set goals, and track progress. Whether a team picks a dashboard, kanban cards, or Gantt chart, the user experience will be the same on both desktop and mobile. 

A startup that wants to keep track of milestones and coordinate multiple teams will excel with Monday. With elegant visual clarity and team-oriented productivity tracking, Monday is our pick for the best project management software to hold teams accountable. 

Pros

  • In-app integration with other communication software
  • Easy to use and customize UI
  • Progress tracking 

Cons

  • Free version offers minimal features
  • Frequent notifications

Price Breakdown

Prices listed are per member per month, if billing annually:

  • Individual ($0)
  • Basic ($8)
  • Standard ($10)
  • Pro ($16)

Enterprise (speak to Monday sales team for pricing)

Best Task Management Software for a Team With a Vision: Asana

Asana is a task management and collaboration app that is lightweight and customizable, perfect for a visionary team looking for a flexible way to collaborate. This app makes it easy to assign tasks and track them to completion, allowing for delegation and a balanced workload. It’s not a full project management software, as it lacks built-in time tracking for long-term projects. However, it does have an archival feature for when tasks are completed, making it easy to search through past work. 

The free version of the app has plenty of features available for up to 15 people, including different ways to view and assign tasks such as calendar, list, or board view. At the Premium Level, the timeline view and admin controls become available, and the Business Level unlocks portfolios and advanced integration with the Adobe Creative Cloud. 

Some initial work does need to be put in to format the interface to meet a teams’ needs due to how customizable the app is. Nevertheless, Asana’s flexible design and delegation capabilities make it our choice for the best task management software for a team with a vision. 

Pros

  • Customizable to meet any teams’ needs
  • Easily balance workloads 
  • Searchable archiving feature

Cons

  • Long-term projects don’t have built-in time tracking
  • Initial formatting has a learning curve

Price Breakdown

Prices listed are per user per month, if billing annually:

  • Basic ($0)
  • Premium ($10.99)
  • Business ($24.99)

Enterprise (speak to Asana sales team for pricing) 

Best Suite Software for Teams That Want a One-Stop Shop: Microsoft Teams

An important aspect of choosing a communication software is ensuring it integrates seamlessly with the other applications a team uses. If the bulk of the work is being done within other Microsoft applications, then it makes perfect sense to choose Microsoft Teams. That said, Teams is available as a stand-alone product outside of the Microsoft 365 suite. The free version comes with full video call and chat capabilities, with secure data encryption standards. It includes tasks, file sharing, and cloud storage. At the end of 2021, with the demand for remote communication software booming, Microsoft added the option of Teams Essentials, which is a subscription for the app outside of the 365 suite. It allows for longer meetings with more participants and more cloud storage. 

Both Zoom and Teams are comparable in price point and capabilities, but if a startup is already paying for Microsoft 365, they’ll have to purchase Zoom separately. Teams is already included in the 365 Business bundles, and when bundled, it has more extensive features, such as meeting recordings and expanded cloud storage. 

Integration with task management software like Monday and Trello is also available through Teams as well. If a business is going to be utilizing apps like Excel, Outlook, and OneDrive, then it is perfectly sensible to pay for one of the 365 Business bundles and utilize Teams for internal communications. Microsoft Teams is our choice for the best bundled software for teams that want a one-stop shop. 

Pros

  • Strong chat function and virtual meetings
  • Data encryption and security
  • Apps are bundled into one software family

Cons

  • If not using other Microsoft services, it can get pricey
  • Does not integrate smoothly with non-Microsoft products

Price Breakdown

Prices listed are per user per month if billing annually:

  • Microsoft Teams Free ($0)
  • Microsoft Teams Essentials ($4)
  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($5)
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard ($12.50)

Best Video Communication Software for Startups: Zoom

Over the past few years, Zoom has become synonymous with video conference calls. From family parties to college courses and courtroom proceedings, Zoom has become an integral tool for remote communication. 

A startup of any size would find this software useful, as the number of allowed participants ranges from up to 100 (with the free version) to up to 1,000 (with the Large Meetings add-on). A startup that relies heavily on remote meetings will get its money’s worth with Zoom. The app also features integration with other communication software apps, such as Slack and Microsoft Teams.

The Zoom boom of 2020 did lead to some security snafus. In the past two years, the Zoom team has been working diligently to address security concerns, including adding optional end-to-end encryption. A security-conscious startup should do research into which of Zoom’s security features they need enabled. 

Zoom is accessible and familiar, with a utility belt of features like screen sharing, auto-captioning, and local or cloud recording. It’s scalable to fit the needs of a startup of any size, with optional add-ons. This versatility makes Zoom our pick for best video communication software for startups.

Pros

  • Beefed up security in response to user concerns
  • Integrated into many other platforms, such as Slack, Monday, and Microsoft Teams

Cons

  • Some security options must be activated by the user
  • Startups that utilize video calls less frequently may prefer a less expensive service

Price Breakdown

Prices listed are per license per month, if billing annually:

  • Basic ($0)
  • Pro ($12.49)
  • Business ($16.66)
  • Enterprise ($20)

Best Software for the Team That Wants to Keep It Simple: Basecamp

Teams are often going to be using different communication software in tandem with each other. This can start to add up, especially as teams grow. This is where Basecamp comes in. Their claim to fame is the flat fee, rather than charging per user. With features like chat, to-do lists, and data storage, Basecamp has plenty of the basic features a startup may need. It’s available on desktop and mobile and offers integration with other apps. 

Basecamp has a more simplistic user interface, so it doesn't have some of the advanced features of its competitors. For example, its time tracking and macro view of projects are lacking when compared to competing platforms like Monday. What makes Basecamp appealing is that rather than having a bunch of different apps that may or may not integrate, the different methods of communication are all happening in the same software. 

Basecamp takes the guesswork out of communicating, making it our pick for the best software for a team that wants to keep it simple.

Pros

  • Flat-fee pricing
  • Notifications are all kept within the same app

Cons

  • Fewer advanced features compared to competitors
  • Time tracking is still best done through an outside app

Price Breakdown

  • Basecamp Personal ($0) 

Basecamp Business ($99 flat fee per month)

Best Suite for an Innovative Team: Google Workspace

Google Workspace is a hub of apps that a team of any size will need. It includes email hosting through Gmail, which has some of the best phishing and scam protection out there. Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are analogous to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Google Meet is similar to Zoom, and Google Chat is similar to Slack. 

For the most part, Google’s apps work well compared to the competition, and a team working remotely may greatly prefer Google’s collaboration ability. Some apps, particularly Google Sheets, lack the full scope of functions that Microsoft’s platforms offer. The heavyweight champ of Google Workspace, however, is Google Calendar. Available through Workspace or as a standalone app, Google Calendar is one of the most used and top-rated scheduling apps.

Since the launch of Google Docs ten years ago, Google has been openly competing with Microsoft by offering a similar suite of applications but available through your browser. The companies have kept pace with one another as they each add improvements, such as Google upgrading the previously casual Hangouts to the more business-oriented Chat. This healthy competition means more viable choices for the consumer. 

The company’s willingness to embrace change is what makes Google Workspace our pick for the best suite for an innovative team. 

Pros

  • Google Calendar makes scheduling and collaboration a breeze
  • Available for browser and mobile 

Cons

  • It can be difficult transitioning from Excel to Sheets
  • Many of the apps in the suite are available piecemeal for free

Price Breakdown

Prices listed are per user per month, if billing annually:

  • Essentials Starter ($0)
  • Business Starter ($6)
  • Business Standard ($12)
  • Business Plus ($18)

Enterprise (Speak to Google Workspace sales team for pricing)