GroupMe alternatives to try in 2025
The GroupMe messaging app launched in 2010, to bring groups of people together for easy communication. It was quickly adopted by school and college students, families and friends, as well as clubs and sports teams. Just 12 months after launch, GroupMe was acquired by Skype, which itself had been bought by Microsoft only a few months earlier.
Due to the large number of GroupMe users, particularly in the US, there has been an informal adoption of GroupMe across workplace teams in industries including retail, hospitality and construction. These industries with large casual and part-time workforces are not equipped with business messaging apps and GroupMe alternatives like Slack and Microsoft Teams for team communication and company announcements.
Top 8 apps like GroupMe
Here we have outlined 8 alternatives to GroupMe that include both business and personal instant messaging apps. This overview of the top messaging apps like GroupMe highlights the key features and pros and cons of each application, so that you can make an informed decision about what is most suitable for your use case.
8seats makes team communication easy with DMs for 1-1 and task-related chats for up to 8 people, Tables for 2-20 people to message in a multi-thread format and Rooms for communicating announcements, kudos and congratulations or updated processes to up to 10,000 people at once. Intelligent features including 8AI enables teams to solve problems together with AI assistance, making 8seats one of the best free GroupMe alternatives.
Key features
Available on mobile for iOS and Android, web and desktop
Phone number and OTP code login, no email address and passwords needed
Dynamic chat user interface for faster communication
Workspaces on 8seats retain chat history and data, not workers’ personal devices
Tables, Rooms and DMs keep communications simple for teams and businesses of any size
Pros
Intuitive user interface for quick adoption
Keeps work-related messages out of personal messaging apps
Centralized management of user access for businesses
Cons
Fast growing startup with smaller user base than other messaging apps
Geared towards real work and collaboration, not just chat
Email address and username access not currently supported
Signal is positioned as the most secure alternative to WhatsApp. Regarded by users for its focus on privacy and security, Signal utilizes end-to-end encryption for all communications by default. Suited to personal messaging, Signal collects minimal user data. Less suitable for team collaboration, Signal does not support cloud backup, multi-device syncing beyond desktop and broader integrations.
Key features
End-to-end encryption enabled for all messages, calls and files
Disappearing messages that auto-delete after a set period of time
Group invite links with approval and expiry settings
Media sharing of photos, videos, documents and files
No ads or tracking of user data
Pros
Free user access
Simple and clean user interface
Open-source codebase publicly available to be inspected and evaluated
Cons
No cloud data storage
No central management of user access
Requires phone number for initial registration
WhatsApp is the most popular personal messenger globally and its ease of use drives WhatsApp’s fast adoption and its widespread acceptance. Multi-device support, group chats and media sharing see it used for personal and small business communication, however it lacks central organizational controls and is owned by Meta, raising privacy concerns for some users.
Key features
Messaging, voice and video calling
Group chats for up to 1,024 participants
Read receipts and typing indicators
Customizable notifications and chat wallpapers
Compression options for faster media sharing
Pros
3 billion users across 180 countries, most used messaging app in the world
Offline messaging that queues messages and works well in low coverage environments
Multi-device support for up to four linked devices
Cons
Privacy concerns with Meta ownership of WhatsApp
Not suitable for workplace communications due to data security risks
Notification overload in large group chats
Telegram is a fast messaging service that supports large groups of up to 200,000 members. This capacity tied with custom themes makes Telegram the best messenger for broadcasting and communicating with communities and public channels. Telegram lacks a deeper collaboration structure for teams and has been criticized for its default privacy and moderation settings.
Key features
Messaging, voice and video calling
Groups support up to 200,000 members
File sharing up to 2GB in size
Simultaneous multi-device login with no device limit
Self-destructing messages that can’t be forwarded or screenshot
Pros
Broadcast channels for communication to an unlimited number of subscribers
Community supported with public groups, channels and bots
API for developers to build automated experiences in chat
Cons
End-to-end encryption is optional and not available in regular chats
Group video calling is not supported
Telegram is privately run so their privacy claims can’t be independently verified
Discord is a voice-first tool that originated from computer gaming with community-focused chat, video streaming and screen sharing capabilities. Widely used by gaming, crypto and other niche communities, servers can be customized with roles, bots and channels to manage large groups. While versatile and customizable, Discord is too informal for workplace productivity and lacks enterprise-level compliance.
Key features
Text, voice, video and screen sharing functionality
Voice channels with persistent always on audio
Go Live feature for broadcasting gameplay or projects in real time
Server structure that can be setup as public or private
Bots, automations and integrations available
Pros
Community features including welcome screens and rules to attract new users to servers
Cross-platform syncing for desktop, web and mobile
Adjustable high quality audio
Cons
Complex navigation and structure confusing for new users
Limited file storage and 8MB file upload limit on free accounts
Resource-heavy application is not performant on older devices
Connecteam is a mobile-first operations platform for frontline teams that need task management, time tracking, payroll and messaging in one application. While useful for coordinating small business operations, Connecteam is not a general-purpose business messaging app like 8seats, Microsoft Teams or Slack.
Key features
All-in-one operations platform for deskless workers
Employee timesheets
Rostering and shift coordination
Company newsfeed
Checklists and forms for task management
Pros
All-in-one solution for running small businesses
Free plan for up to 10 users
Security and compliance certified for GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2 and HIPAA
Cons
Confusing pricing structure with different bundles required
No built-in audio and video calling capability
Extended learning curve to adopt full functionality across teams
Microsoft Teams is an enterprise-grade collaboration tool for workplace communications. With strong Microsoft 365 integrations, Microsoft Teams is ideal for organizations that already use Microsoft for emails, calendars and their suite of Microsoft Office applications. Teams does not provide a flexible or intuitive user experience that is typically suited to the informal communications of frontline workers.
Key features
Single application communication and collaboration platform
Seamless integration with Microsoft 365 products
Microsoft enterprise-grade security
Voice and video calls including video meetings are included
File sharing, meeting scheduling and task assignment are supported
Pros
Free with Microsoft 365 subscriptions
Large library of integrated applications and workflows
Customizable channels to help organize conversations
Cons
Best utilized in a Microsoft environment
Messy and complex user interface makes things hard to find
External collaboration is difficult to configure for outside users
Slack is the most widely adopted business messaging tool for office-based organizations not running exclusively Microsoft environments. Slack has an intuitive user interface and supports thousands of integrations with tools like Google Drive, Zoom and Trello. It is important to intentionally set up Slack for your teams, as it can become overwhelming when not implemented properly.
Key features
Unified messaging, voice and video calling
Channel-based conversations for streamlined communication
Threaded messaging allowing replies to specific messages
Slack Connect for collaboration with external parties
Search across messages, channels and files with filters
Pros
Intuitive user interface
Customizable for every organization
Integrations with 2500+ other applications
Cons
Expensive paid plans start from USD $8.75 per user per month
Audio and video quality is poor
Group messages limited to 8 people, then it must be a channel
Why more teams are leaving GroupMe in 2025
In 2025, teams are leaving GroupMe to fit for purpose instant messaging applications that meet their requirements. While GroupMe has been a convenient solution for many teams, decision makers and businesses are now looking at GroupMe competitors for the reasons listed here.
Increased control of their company data and intellectual property
Protection of employee personal information
Control of user access and permissions
Help workers with their work-life balance and keep their work-related messaging outside their personal messaging applications
Build company culture with team-wide and company-wide methods for communicating announcements, policy and procedure documents and kudos and congratulations.
What to look for in a group messaging app today
Today there are too many different applications to choose from. What features do teams really need in a group messaging app? Here we have listed 10 things to consider when making your decision.
Cross-platform compatibility on iOS and Android, web browser and desktop application
Secure messaging with minimal data collection by big tech companies
Topic-based chats or threaded conversations to minimize groups and stay organized
Media and file sharing for photos, videos, voice messages and documents
GIFs and stickers to keep the messaging engaging and fun
Notification controls for the application and individual conversations
Searchable message history to find the information that you need
Group management tools including admin permissions to add and remove users
Large group member limits to enable effective communication of updates and announcements
Affordable and scalable pricing tailored to your specific needs
FAQs about GroupMe alternatives
Is there something better than GroupMe?
It depends on whether GroupMe is being used for workplace or personal communication. 8seats, Slack and Microsoft Teams are better than GroupMe for use in businesses. Enabling the protection of company information and customer data with centralized management of users.
Is Flare better than GroupMe?
No, Flare is not better than GroupMe. Flare is designed for groups of students at college, for general messaging and the coordination of events. If you need a messaging app for communicating with friends and family, we recommend GroupMe before Flare.
Is Remind or GroupMe better?
Remind is better than GroupMe for teachers communicating with their students and families. Remind enables 2-way messaging between schools and families without revealing personal contact information, while automatically translating the messages into the recipient's home language.
What is the difference between GroupMe and GroupSpot?
The difference between GroupMe and GroupSpot, is that GroupMe is a widely adopted general communication app. GroupSpot is targeted at sports teams, music groups and book clubs that need event scheduling including RSVPs and want customization with team logos and colours.
What is the best free alternative to GroupMe?
The best free alternative to GroupMe is 8seats. 8seats is great for personal messaging and communications for teams and sports clubs. 8seats is also the best alternative to GroupMe for businesses to protect sensitive information and manage user access.
Find the right messaging app and upgrade from GroupMe
With GroupMe used extensively by colleges, sporting teams and community groups, it is no surprise that it does not scale effectively for use in businesses. Are you ready to upgrade from GroupMe? Here we have outlined key reasons why you would upgrade from GroupMe for your team or business.
Your business needs a communication tool that does not leave all message history on the workers personal device
Support for admin roles and permissions is not available in GroupMe
You require centralized management to add and remove users from the business account
Customize logos, branding and colours to suit your organization
Threaded conversations are not available within GroupMe group chats and they become noisy and distracting
GroupMe is not being continually developed by Microsoft, there have been very limited improvements in design and user experience in recent years
Issues with syncing of messages across devices and delayed notifications have been reported by GroupMe users
8seats provides separation between your company's work-related messaging and your employees' personal messaging apps. Particularly important for frontline workers that don’t have a company email address, 8seats uses a cell phone number and SMS code for login. Protect your company data and intellectual property, customer information and employee personal information from residing on workers personal devices long after they finish their employment in your business. 8seats workspaces are the best messaging tool for day to day communication, team chats, company announcements and document sharing.
If you are thinking about upgrading from GroupMe, you can sign up to 8seats free and start using it today. Alternatively, if you would like to speak with one of our product experts, then simply book a demo and our team will contact you right away.
