10 Best Communications Software & Communication Apps of 2023

Connecteam is an all-in-one employee management application designed to streamline operations, enhance communication, and address HR needs for mobile-first businesses. It includes a personalized company news feed, secure instant messaging, employee surveys, and an employee-facing knowledge base.

Why I picked Connecteam: I selected Connecteam due to its comprehensive features that facilitate real-time oversight of operations, a characteristic that sets it apart from other tools in the market. Connecteam offers a unique blend of communication, operation, and training tools all in one place, which is not commonly found in other software.

In addition to communicating directly with your employees or teams, you can also use Connecteam for time tracking, shift management, and task monitoring, making it an ideal solution for businesses seeking greater oversight of mobile or field-based operations.

Connecteam Standout Features & Integrations

Standout features for Connecteam include their communication and task management tools. Managers can communicate directly with employees through their secure instant messaging, then assign them follow-up tasks directly within the app, including additional comments and attachments. Employees can mark them as complete as they work, giving their managers an up-to-date progress report as they go about their tasks.

Other useful features include a dedicated employee communication channel with targeted updates, team engagement features, a digital suggestion box to collect employee feedback, a searchable company directory, and an organizational chart.

Integrations include Google Calendar, Gusto, QuickBooks Payroll, and others.

Troop Messenger is a real-time messenger application that helps businesses manage team collaboration and communication.

Why I picked Troop Messenger: I selected Troop Messenger because of its burnout function, which provides an exclusive method for private chatting. You can set a timer, and once the time is up the message disappears. This is a clever way to have a discussion without any evidence left behind. Another exceptional feature is forkout, which lets you send a single message or attachment to numerous people without creating a group.

Troop Messenger Standout Features and Integrations:

One standout feature of Troop Messenger is the 'info' function, which provides information on each message sent and received, such as the time it was read and delivered. The 'recall' feature allows users to delete a message on both the sender and receiver's end, but only within ten minutes of sending it.

Additionally, messages can be marked as important, and the 'Respond Later' option allows users to set a reminder to reply when they have more available time.

Integrations through Zapier include Asana, GitHub, Gmail, Zoom, Google Calendar, Freshdesk, HubSpot, ClickUp, and Microsoft Outlook.

Slack is an all-in-one platform that facilitates communication and collaboration among team members. 

Why I picked Slack: I included Slack because I really like its channels feature. It helps me stay on top of all my work-related tasks and activities in an organized way. With channels, I can easily communicate with others in different departments, offices, and even other companies.

I also appreciate how customizable channels are, as they allow relevant people and information to be grouped together in one place. Whether I need to link two organizations through a shared channel or separate teams and projects, channels make communication clear, efficient, and organized. I also love how channels act as a dynamic archive, making accessing past discussions and identifying important messages incredibly easy. 

Slack Standout Features and Integrations:

Some of the standout features of this platform include group messaging, allowing for discussions between multiple team members simultaneously. Additionally, the file-sharing function makes it simple for team members to share important docs and files with instant notifications. When face-to-face communication is necessary, the video conferencing feature allows teams to hold online meetings and collaborate in real-time.

Integrations include Google Drive, Trello, Asana, Zoom, Salesforce, Jira, GitHub, Dropbox, and Microsoft Teams. You can also connect Slack to a paid Zapier account to build additional integrations.

AlertMedia is an emergency communication and mass notification software that helps companies notify employees of emergencies and ensures the right people receive critical information when needed.

Why I picked AlertMedia: I chose AlertMedia because of its unwavering dedication to keeping employees safe. This all-inclusive solution offers mass notifications and a 24/7 monitoring team for added assurance. The Employee Safety Monitoring App sets AlertMedia apart because it turns a standard mobile phone into a powerful safety device with one-touch access to law enforcement. Another important factor for me was the app's capability to read and respond to urgent organizational messages. 

AlertMedia Standout Features and Integrations:

AlertMedia provides standout features that improve communication in both directions, enabling individuals to confirm their well-being or share information about current events. Users can effortlessly send notifications through various channels. AlertMedia also offers pre-made message templates that ensure consistent responses during emergencies, saving valuable time.

Integrations are available with the Fusion Framework System.

Flock is a communication and collaboration tool designed to streamline team communication and enhance productivity.

Why I picked Flock: I selected Flock because of its impressive ability to widen the circle of collaboration. Inviting guest users ensures that decisions aren't just made based on internal opinions but also factor in valuable feedback from external stakeholders. 

Another distinguishing feature is its voice notes option. There are moments when typing can't capture the nuances of a message, so sending voice notes helps compare and judge tones, making it easier to determine the context or emphasis of a conversation.

Flock Standout Features and Integrations:

One of the standout features of Flock is its channel messaging system, which allows users to organize their conversations. With this feature, users can create channels for specific projects and priorities, making it easier to hold strategy meetings and brainstorming sessions and get instant feedback. Flock also supports in-app video and voice conferencing, enabling teams to meet even in different locations. Furthermore, the integrated search feature in Flock helps users find necessary information quickly. 

Integrations include Asana, Dropbox Business, GitHub, Google Analytics 360, Google Drive, Google Workspace, Jira, Mailchimp, Trello, and Twitter.

Asana is a task management and project collaboration tool that helps teams stay organized and on track. It is designed to streamline workflows and improve productivity by providing a centralized team communication and task management platform.

Why I picked Asana: I chose Asana because of its Intelligence feature that just blew me away. It's like having a personal helper that optimizes everything, ensuring tasks are streamlined and easy to handle. Communicating about tasks directly on the task is easy with a high-level overview. Comments and changes are automatically sent to all relevant project parties. And when things get a little tricky, it proactively alerts me and helps me communicate better with its writing assistance. Not to mention, it provides a coach who gives me personalized advice and project insights. 

Asana Standout Features and Integrations:

Asana has a great workflow builder feature, which lets teams create automated processes to keep everyone on the same page. Also, the timeline feature allows users to quickly create visual Gantt charts that show project timelines. The Boards feature is like Kanban boards, which helps keep tasks organized and easy to track. Furthermore, the Calendar feature gives teams a clear view of all tasks and deadlines so nothing gets missed.

Asana integrates with over 100 apps, including Azure Active Directory, GitHub, Google Drive, Instagantt, Notion, Okta, Salesforce, Slack, Tableau Reporting, Trello, WhatsApp, and Zoom.

GoToConnect is an all-in-one phone, meeting, and messaging software built for small buisenesses. 

Why I picked GoToConnect: I selected GoToConnect for its easy-to-use and advanced VOIP calling abilities, which enable teams to deliver excellent customer service from anywhere. With features like virtual receptionists and voicemail, connecting with clients and teammates is always possible. The virtual voicemail allows you to listen to messages from anywhere, making it easy to prioritize important ones. 

GoToConnect Standout Features and Integrations:

GoToConnect lets businesses quickly set up new phone numbers or use their current ones. They offer audio conferencing for businesses, supporting calls with up to 250 people. Their video conferencing is safe and can be used from anywhere and on any device. 

Integrations include Zendesk, Salesforce, Miro, Microsoft Teams, Google Calendar, Salesforce Lightning, Prezi, Docebo, and CirQlive.

Atlas is a comprehensive project communication tool offered by Atlassian. It is designed to simplify the status reporting process and enhance team alignment within organizations.

Why I picked Atlas: I was drawn to Atlas mainly because of its 'Homepage for Every Project' feature. This unique hub centralizes all my crucial project information, offering instant answers to pivotal questions and fostering a common vocabulary for team alignment. It brilliantly outlines ownership and contributions while giving stakeholders a clear view of project updates and insights. 

 Atlas Standout Features and Integrations:

Atlas offers a few standout features, such as the ability to embed images, documents, and videos within project updates, providing extra context when needed. It also enables conversation and celebrates progress through comments and reactions, keeping teams motivated and engaged. Atlas Search is another feature-rich capability that provides an outstanding end-user search experience, combined with AI and enterprise search integration options across various content sources.

Integrations include Google Apps for Education, Microsoft Azure, Clever, LDAP, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Canvas, Schoology, Powerschool Unified Classroom, and Genesis. 

Zoom is a video conferencing platform for online video conferences, webinars, and live chats through their desktop or mobile app.

Why I picked Zoom: I chose Zoom because of features that help me in a meeting. The virtual background that lets me place an image or video behind me helps keep my real location hidden while still looking professional. Another cool thing about Zoom is its translated captions feature, which makes it easy for employees who speak different languages to communicate without the need for an interpreter or translation services. 

Zoom Standout Features and Integrations:

Zoom stands out for its high-quality video and audio calling, ensuring clear communication in every interaction. Users can interact more with features like screen sharing and hand-raising reactions. Breakout rooms facilitate focused small group discussions, while the polling and Q&A feature enhances participant engagement. Additionally, its phone call capabilities, complete with voicemail, call forwarding, and recording, make it a comprehensive communication tool.

Integrations include Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, Dropbox Box, Trello, Asana, and Fireflies.ai.

Simpplr is an employee communication and engagement platform designed to streamline internal communications within organizations.

Why I picked Simpplr: I chose Simmplr for its prescriptive analytics feature, which uses AI-driven data to provide useful insights into employee engagement. It combines usage data, sentiment analysis, behavioral signals, and feedback to offer organizations tailored recommendations for future actions. Additionally, Simpplr includes a change management tool that assists leaders in understanding employee sentiment toward organizational changes.

Simpplr Standout Features and Integrations:

Simpplr has a smart search function powered by AI that assists users in finding the most suitable results. The platform has a simple and intuitive interface that even non-technical people can easily manage, allowing them to organize properties throughout their organization. With content delivery customization, each employee can receive information that is relevant to their needs.

Integrations include BambooHR, Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, Okta, Salesforce, SharePoint/OneDrive, Slack, and Confluence.