Alternatives · Team Chat
Glue alternatives
Glue compared with 5 alternatives: Slack, Twist, Zulip, Microsoft Teams and Pumble.
Glue has a free plan. Paid plans start at $6 per user / month, billed annually (Startup; first 5 users free). All 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan.
5 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 6, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| GlueThis tool | Free plan · from $6/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Slack | Free plan · from $7.25/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Twist | Free plan · from $6/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Zulip | Free plan · from $3.50/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Microsoft Teams | Free plan · from $4.00/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Pumble | Free plan · from $2.49/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
How each one differs from Glue
- Free plan · from $7.25/mo
Slack
Channel-based team messaging with huddles, workflows and AI
- Slack starts at $7.25 per user / month, billed annually. Glue starts at $6 per user / month, billed annually (Startup; first 5 users free).
- Only Slack lists a Linux app.
- Slack also covers workflow automation, documents, video calls and file sharing.
- Glue also covers AI agents.
Suits: Teams that want conversations organized by channel rather than email threads
- Free plan · from $6/mo
Twist
Async team messaging organized into threads
- Twist starts at $6 per user / month, billed yearly. Glue starts at $6 per user / month, billed annually (Startup; first 5 users free).
- Only Twist lists a Linux app.
- Twist also covers file sharing.
- Glue also covers AI agents.
Suits: Distributed teams that reply across time zones rather than in real time
- Free plan · from $3.50/mo
Zulip
Open-source team chat that organizes channels by topic
- Zulip starts at $3.50 per user / month self-hosted (billed monthly); Cloud from $6.67 billed annually. Glue starts at $6 per user / month, billed annually (Startup; first 5 users free).
- Only Zulip lists a Linux app.
- Zulip is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Zulip also covers file sharing.
- Glue also covers AI agents.
Suits: Distributed teams that prefer asynchronous, topic-organized conversations
- Free plan · from $4.00/mo
Microsoft Teams
Chat, video meetings and calling tied into Microsoft 365
- Microsoft Teams starts at $4.00 per user / month, paid yearly. Glue starts at $6 per user / month, billed annually (Startup; first 5 users free).
- Microsoft Teams also covers transcription, noise cancellation, whiteboard, video calls and file sharing.
- Glue also covers AI agents.
Suits: Organizations that already pay for Microsoft 365
- Free plan · from $2.49/mo
Pumble
Team chat with unlimited message history on the free plan
- Pumble starts at $2.49 per seat / month, billed annually. Glue starts at $6 per user / month, billed annually (Startup; first 5 users free).
- Only Pumble lists a Linux app.
- Pumble also covers video calls and file sharing.
- Glue also covers AI agents.
Suits: Teams that want a free chat app without a message-history cap
Limits worth knowing in Glue
- Only a Startup workspace's first 5 users are free, and it is capped at 5 groups and 1 admin; Glue's docs say this is not a freemium plan.
- Premium AI models from Gemini, Anthropic and OpenAI need Business or Enterprise; Startup uses open-source models.
- Data imports are not part of the Startup plan; Business allows up to 100 MB and Enterprise is unlimited.
- The plan cards and docs put SAML SSO and SCIM on Enterprise only, though the pricing page's comparison table also ticks SAML SSO for Business.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Glue?
The alternatives to Glue in this directory are Slack, Twist, Zulip, Microsoft Teams and Pumble. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Glue.
Is there a free alternative to Glue?
Yes. Slack, Twist, Zulip, Microsoft Teams and Pumble have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Glue alternatives work on Linux?
The Glue listing does not include a Linux app. Slack, Twist, Zulip and Pumble list one.
Is there an open-source alternative to Glue?
Zulip is described as open source on its own site.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Oct 6, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.