DingTalk vs Google Chat (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Google Chat grades higher than DingTalk: 2.8 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Google Chat grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
DingTalk
Chat, meetings, docs and approvals in one work platform
Google Chat
Team messaging and spaces built into Google Workspace
Which one is for you
Pick DingTalk if
- Fits if a small company wants chat, meetings and approvals in one account
- Works for teams that want a free tier for up to 10 people
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if store ratings matter to you, as the iOS app averages 1.4 from about 14,000 ratings
- Tight if you are over 10 people on Free, or over 300 on Basic
- Tight if you hold long meetings on Free, as they stop at 40 minutes
- Watch out: the lower price is assumed to be the annual rate, so confirm it
- Watch out: only an iOS app was confirmed, and no other platforms are named
Pick Google Chat if
- Fits if you already pay for Google Workspace and don't want a second bill for chat
- Works for people in Gmail all day, since Chat sits in the same window
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're not on Google Workspace, because Chat isn't sold on its own
- Not for you if you want a real desktop app, since computers get a browser tab or a Chrome app that needs Chrome open
- Pricey if you want Gemini to summarize chats, which starts on Business Standard at $14 a person
- Too light for teams who lean on Slack's 2,600 apps and its Workflow Builder
- Watch out: Business plans stop at 300 users, some listed features are marked coming soon, and Google has shut down chat apps before
How we grade them
| 2.0GPADingTalkFair | 2.8GPAGoogle ChatGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CBasic is $4 per user a month at the annual rate ($4.80 monthly), just above the $3.50 that marks the cheaper quarter of team-chat tools. The middle is $7. | CThere's no price for Chat: you buy Google Workspace from $7 a user a month on a one-year commitment, which is exactly what team chat typically starts at, except here it also buys Gmail and Drive. Gemini in Chat waits for Business Standard at $14. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree covers up to 10 users with 100 GB of storage, 40-minute meetings, 300 AI speech-to-text minutes per user and 180 days of chat history. A small team could use it, and paid plans get a free month. | BGoogle says Chat is included for consumer Google Workspace users, so a person on a personal Google Account chats free, with direct messages, groups and spaces. A business gets the 14-day Workspace trial and then a plan, and some premium features need one. |
| Features | BChat, meetings, docs, drive, mail, calendar, AI minutes, an AI table, approvals and attendance. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core chat job. | BDirect messages, group chats, spaces with threads, huddles, voice and video messages, Drive and Calendar in the conversation, Chat apps for Jira, GitHub, Asana and Salesforce, and an API with webhooks and Apps Script. Gaps users name: no archiving a space, and Gemini waits for the $14 plan. |
| Ease of use | FThe App Store listing shows 1.4 from about 14,000 ratings, and the recent reviews shown date from 2020. | B4.6 on the App Store from about 306,000 ratings. For most people it's already open: Chat sits in Gmail's left-hand navigation, so there's no new app to learn and no second window to keep an eye on. |
| Platforms and integrations | COnly an iOS app was confirmed from the listing, and the English pages name no other platforms. No API or integration list is shown. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, and that's the list. There's no native desktop app: a computer gets the browser, Chat inside Gmail, or a web app installed through Chrome. Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Meet, Asana, Jira, GitHub and Salesforce connect, and there's a Chat API. |
| Best for | a chat, meetings and approvals suite for a small company | teams already on Google Workspace |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: DingTalk and Google Chat. How we grade
Price against what you get
DingTalk starts at $4 a month for each person and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Google Chat starts at $7 a month for each person and scores 3.0.
Google Chat scores higher, and starts $3 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other team communication apps on the chart, 14 score higher than DingTalk for less, and 4 score higher than Google Chat for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- DingTalk also covers meeting notes, transcription, calendar and video calls.
- Google Chat also covers tasks and file sharing.
At a glance
| DingTalk | Google Chat | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $4.00 per user / month, annual rate ($4.80 billed monthly) | $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Google Workspace) |
| Free plan | Free plan for up to 10 users: 100 GB storage, HD video meetings up to 40 minutes, 300 AI speech-to-text minutes per user a month, and 180 days of chat history. | Google says Chat is included for consumer Google Workspace users as well as business and education customers; some premium features need a paid subscription. |
| Free trial | Free 1-month trial on paid plans | 14-day free trial of Google Workspace. |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | DingTalk (Singapore) Private Limited | |
| Price read from | dingtalk.com | workspace.google.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
DingTalk
- The pricing page was read through a Monthly or Annually toggle; the lower price is assumed to be the annual rate and a person should confirm it.
- Free is capped at 10 users and 40-minute meetings, and Basic stops at 300 users.
- Only an iOS app was confirmed from the App Store listing; the English pages name no other platforms.
- The App Store listing shows a 1.4 average from about 14,000 ratings, and the most recent reviews shown are from 2020.
Google Chat
- Chat is not sold on its own: a business gets it by paying for a Google Workspace plan that also covers Gmail, Drive and Meet.
- Gemini in Chat is left out of Business Starter, and Google marks some listed features as coming soon or limited to Business and Enterprise plans.
- There is no native desktop app: computers use the web interface, Chat inside Gmail, or a standalone web app installed through Chrome. The store apps are for phones and tablets.
- Business Starter, Standard and Plus can be bought for a maximum of 300 users.
Key features
DingTalk
- Chat with long retention
- Messaging history is kept for 180 days on Free, 2 years on Basic, 10 years on Standard and 20 years on Premium.
- Video meetings
- Meetings run in HD on Free and Full HD on paid plans, with limits of 100, 300 or 500 participants depending on the plan.
- AI Minutes
- Speech-to-text and AI-generated meeting summaries are metered per user each month: 300 minutes and 5 summaries, or 1,500 and 50 on Premium.
- AI Table
- Spreadsheet-style tables for building business apps with automations, with row limits from 2,000 to 50,000 per sheet and monthly automation runs.
- Docs, drive, mail and calendar
- The same suite includes cloud docs, a drive with per-user storage, mail with attachment limits and a calendar.
- Approvals and attendance
- The English download page lists clock-in, clock-out and leave approval features, and the Chinese site lists approval and attendance products.
Google Chat
- Direct messages and spaces
- Chat covers direct messages, group messaging and persistent spaces with threaded conversations. Google says a space can hold up to 500,000 members on eligible plans.
- Huddles and voice or video messages
- Huddles let teammates connect in real time for drop-in collaboration, and updates can be shared as recorded audio or video messages.
- Gemini in Chat
- Gemini summarizes conversations, lists action items and translates messages. The pricing table includes it from Business Standard up, not in Business Starter.
- Built into Gmail and Workspace
- Chat appears in Gmail's left navigation and works with Drive, Calendar, Meet and Tasks, so files, meetings and assigned tasks are handled from a conversation.
- Chat apps and API
- Chat apps cover tools such as Asana, Jira, GitHub and Salesforce. Custom apps can be built with the Chat API, webhooks and Apps Script, or without code in AppSheet.
- Migration and interoperability
- Existing data can be migrated from Slack or Teams, and interoperability products from Mio and NextPlane connect Chat with other messaging platforms.
Plans
DingTalk
Free$0.00
Up to 10 users, 100 GB storage, 100 participants per meeting and chat retained for 180 days.
Basic$4.00
per user / month, annual rate ($4.80 billed monthly)
Up to 300 users, 2 TB plus 5 GB per user, Full HD meetings up to 24 hours and chat retained for 2 years.
Standard$8.00
per user / month, annual rate ($9.60 billed monthly)
From 3 users with no upper limit, 300 meeting participants, 500 GB mailboxes and chat retained for 10 years.
Premium$15.00
per user / month, annual rate ($18.00 billed monthly)
500 meeting participants, 1,500 AI speech-to-text minutes per user, 5 TB mailboxes and chat retained for 20 years.
Google Chat
Consumer (Google Account)$0
Chat for consumer Google Workspace users. Google notes that some premium features require a paid subscription.
Business Starter$7
per user / month, 1-year commitment, billed monthly
Google Workspace suite plan that includes Chat, with 30 GB of pooled storage per user. Gemini in Chat is not included.
Business Standard$14
per user / month, 1-year commitment, billed monthly
Suite plan with Chat plus Gemini in Chat to find, summarize and translate conversations, and 2 TB of pooled storage per user.
Business Plus$22
per user / month, 1-year commitment, billed monthly
Suite plan with 5 TB of pooled storage per user, Vault to retain and search data, and advanced endpoint management.
EnterpriseCustom
Suite plan with data loss prevention, context-aware access and data regions, with no minimum or maximum number of users.
Ways to pay less
DingTalk
- Annual discount
About 17% off with annual billing
The pricing section shows annual rates roughly 17% below the monthly figures, for example $4.00 against $4.80 for Basic.
Google Chat
- Annual discount
Save 16% with a 1-year commitment
Google's pricing page says the Annual plan saves 16% compared with paying without a commitment. The listed prices are the Annual ones, billed monthly.
- Other savings
Up to 50% off the first 3 months
New Google Workspace customers get up to 50% off their first 3 months, for a limited time with no end date given. The discount on each plan varied between reads of the US page in October and November.
- Nonprofit
Free Google Workspace for Nonprofits
Eligible nonprofits get Google Workspace for Nonprofits, which includes Chat, at $0 per user, and Business Standard for $3.50 per user / month on a 1-year commitment.
- Education
Education Fundamentals at no charge
Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals, which includes Chat, is available at no charge to qualifying institutions. Education Plus is a paid edition.
- By country
Lower price shown to buyers in India
On October 9, 2026 Google's pricing page showed Starter at ₹270 per user / month to a visitor in India, against $7 in the US version, and listed a Base plan at ₹99 that the US version does not show.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, DingTalk or Google Chat?
As of Nov 12, 2026, DingTalk is cheaper to start with: $4 a month for each person, against $7 a month for each person for Google Chat. DingTalk starts at $4.00 per user / month, annual rate ($4.80 billed monthly), and Google Chat starts at $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Google Workspace).
Which has a free plan, DingTalk or Google Chat?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both DingTalk and Google Chat have a free plan.
Which platforms do DingTalk and Google Chat run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Google Chat lists a web app and an Android app. Both list an iOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.