Google Chat vs its rivals

Side-by-side comparison against Google Chat's closest competitors — identity, store metrics, ratings & sentiment, and strategic intel.

	Google Chat This App	Slack Nemesis	Webex Contender	Mattermost Contender	Microsoft Teams Contender	Discord Peer	Zoom Workplace Peer	Element Messenger New Kid	Spike: Email, Chat, AI & Notes New Kid
Core Identity
Developer	Google LLC	Slack Technologies, Inc.	Cisco	Mattermost, Inc.	Microsoft Corporation	Discord Inc.	Zoom Video Communications, Inc.	Vector Creations Limited	Spike Interactive Ltd.
Category	Business	-	-	Business	-	Social Networking	-	Business	-
Platform	Android, iOS	-	-	iOS, Android	-	iOS, Android	-	Android, iOS	-
Store Metrics
Rating	4.6 / 5	-	-	4.8 / 5	-	4.7 / 5	-	3.3 / 5	-
Ratings Count	300,533	-	-	5,455	-	3,418,501	-	574	-
Price	Free	-	-	Free	-	Free	-	Free	-
Release Date	Feb 28, 2018	-	-	Jul 10, 2017	-	May 21, 2015	-	May 5, 2016	-
Last Updated	May 4, 2026	-	-	Apr 16, 2026	-	Apr 27, 2026	-	Apr 2, 2026	-
Sentiment & Reviews
Sentiment	mixed	-	-	mixed	-	negative	-	-	-
Score	45/100	-	-	42/100	-	35/100	-	-	-
Praises	Direct communication via email addresses simplifies connectivity without requiring phone numbers or iCloud accounts	-	-	Self-Hosting & Open Source	-	Community-driven social interaction provides a reliable space for connecting with friends and hobbyists	-	-	-
Complaints	Post-update connectivity errors prevent users from loading messages or accessing their chat history	-	-	App Stability and Crashes	-	Frequent application crashes and freezing behavior post-update disrupt core communication and voice chat functionality	-	-	-
Requests	Integrated voice and video calling features are requested to restore previous communication capabilities	-	-	-	-	Simplified account recovery and login processes to reduce reliance on phone number verification	-	-	-
Strategic Intel
Strengths	Native Workspace integration creates high switching costs for existing Google users Gemini AI summarization embeds intelligence directly into the document lifecycle Cloud-native security architecture simplifies enterprise compliance requirements	-	-	Strong brand reputation in high-security sectors Robust self-hosting capabilities Clear focus on data sovereignty	-	Persistent server-based community structure drives high switching costs Real-time presence triggers increase DAU/MAU ratio	-	-	-
Weaknesses	Post-update connectivity errors prevent message loading Threaded conversation layout lacks user-controlled toggles High CPU usage on iOS causes hardware overheating	-	-	Poor mobile app stability Recurring notification bugs Sync issues	-	Frequent post-update crashes erode daily active habit Complex account verification creates high-friction entry barriers Premium tier pricing exceeds category median	-	-	-
Pricing	freemium	-	-	subscription	-	freemium	-	free	-
Momentum	Active	-	-	-	-	Intense	-	Intense	-
Update Cadence	5 versions, 1 majors/6mo, ~10d avg	-	-	-	-	5 versions, 1 majors/6mo, ~5d avg	-	5 versions	-

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