Choosing a group messaging app for your private group
Thirteen apps side by side: what each one costs, whether members can pay for access, and when each one is the right choice.
Groupanda is our product. It comes first and is marked as ours, and the other twelve follow in alphabetical order, not as a ranking.
The right group messaging app for a private group depends on who is in it and what the group needs. WhatsApp, Telegram, GroupMe and Discord are free to use. Slack, Chanty, Flock and Ryver describe themselves as team tools. Groupanda, our product, is one of three that let members pay, here for access to channels.
How did we choose these group messaging apps?
This list holds every app that at least two of seven lists on Google's first page name, plus GroupMe and Groupanda. We read those lists for "group messaging apps", "best group chat apps" and "group communication apps" on 14 October 2026.
Groupanda first, marked as ours
Groupanda is our product, so it stands first with that label and answers the same questions as every other app. Its entry also says when Groupanda is not a good choice. The other twelve are in alphabetical order, so their order is not a ranking.
Why GroupMe is here
Only one of the seven lists names GroupMe. We added it because Google showed its App Store page first for all three phrases we read, and its Google Play page second for "group messaging apps".
Who gets a vote
A list does not count for its own publisher, so Pumble's list is no vote for Pumble and Lark's list is no vote for Lark. Two lists from one owner would count as one. The seven lists come from seven different sites.
Their own pages, with dates
Every fact about an app comes from that app's own pages or its store listing, all read on 14 October 2026. Each source under the table gives the date the page carries, or says that it carries none.
Left out, and why
Apps that only one of the seven lists names are not here, such as Signal, Viber, Mattermost, Zoho Cliq, Wire and Twist. Ryver and Flock meet the rule and are still on sale. Their entries say when their iPhone apps were last updated.
How do these group messaging apps compare?
Thirteen apps, one row each: Groupanda first, then the others in alphabetical order. Prices are in US dollars as each vendor's page showed them. Where a page showed another currency, we give no figure. The sources and dates are under the table.
| App | What it costs | Can members pay for access? | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| GroupandaOur product | Free, with no member limit and no time limit. No monthly charge, no per-member pricing. | Yes, in the payout countries named below: up to 5 plans, each a monthly subscription with an optional yearly price, or a one-time payment. Groupanda keeps 6% of each payment. Stripe's processing fee is deducted from the owner's payout. | A private group wants channels, a say in who posts where, and the option of paid access. |
| Chanty | Free for up to 5 team members. Business is priced per user. A version for communities shows no price, only a demo to book. | Not a feature Chanty describes. | A small team wants chat, calls and tasks in one free app. |
| Discord | Free, with in-app purchases. | Only for server owners in the United States. Discord keeps 10%. A 6% processing fee also comes out of each payment on desktop and in the browser. | Friends or a community live on voice, video and streaming. |
| Element | Free app for personal use. Own server: a free Community edition for 1 to 100 users, for non-professional use, or Enterprise priced per seat. | Not a feature Element describes. | A group wants end-to-end encrypted chat and calls on the open Matrix standard. |
| Flock | Free Starter plan for teams of 1 to 20. Pro from $4.50 per user a month on yearly billing. | Not a feature Flock describes. | A team of up to 20 wants free public channels and one-to-one video calls. |
| Google Chat | Included with Google Workspace, priced per user. A personal Google Account can only create spaces for collaboration. | Not a feature Google Chat describes. | Members already use Google accounts and want a simple shared space. |
| GroupMe | Free, with in-app purchases. | Not a feature GroupMe describes. | Friends, family or a club in the US want one simple chat that also reaches people over SMS. |
| Microsoft Teams | Free version for personal use, with meetings free for up to 60 minutes. A subscription adds more meeting features. | Not a feature Microsoft Teams describes. | A free group wants communities with channels and video meetings of up to 60 minutes in one app. |
| Rocket.Chat | Starter is free for up to 50 users on your own server. Commercial, Government and Defense plans on request. | Not a feature Rocket.Chat describes. | A group of up to 50 wants encrypted chat on its own server. |
| Ryver | A 14-day free trial, then $69 a month for up to 12 users or $129 for up to 30. | Not a feature Ryver describes. | A work team wants chat and task boards in one app at a flat monthly price. |
| Slack | Free plan with 90 days of message history. Pro and Business+ are priced per user, and Enterprise+ through sales. | Not a feature Slack describes. | A group works like a team and needs apps connected to its chat. |
| Telegram | Free. Telegram Premium is an optional subscription. | For channels, through paid invite links with a monthly fee in Telegram Stars. | A large group of up to 200,000 people wants free chat that syncs on every device. |
| Free. Data charges may apply. | Not described for group chats. Channel subscriptions are rolling out to a select group of channels. | Friends and family want end-to-end encrypted chat and group calls for free. |
Every source is dated. Each line below gives the day we read the page and the date the page itself shows. Where a page has no date, the line says so. We read every page on 14 October 2026. The Groupanda row describes Groupanda as of 3 November 2026.
Sources
- Groupanda, FeaturesFacts about Groupanda, checked against the app's code on 24 September 2026 and rechecked through 30 October 2026. The table row and the Groupanda entry reflect the product as of 3 November 2026.
- Chanty, home pageChanty as team communication and collaboration software, with chat, tasks and calls in one place. No date on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
- Chanty, PricingThe free plan for up to 5 team members, its one-on-one calls and storage, per user Business pricing with group calls, and Chanty for Communities by demo. No date on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
- Discord, home pageVoice, video and text chat and streaming, for friends or a worldwide community. No date on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
- Discord on the App StoreFree, with in-app purchases. Latest version 349.0, released 13 October 2026, 23 hours before our read. Read 14 October 2026.
- Discord, Creator Revenue FAQThe 90/10 split, and the US-only rule for Server Subscriptions. Updated 28 August 2025. Read 14 October 2026.
- Discord, Monetization TermsHow the 10% is calculated, after transaction taxes and fees, and the 6% processing fee. Last updated 6 June 2024. Read 14 October 2026.
- Element, home pageThe free app for personal use, and the Matrix open standard. No date on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
- Element, PricingThe free Community edition for 1 to 100 users, Enterprise priced per seat, Element Call, and encryption by default. No date on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
- Flock, home pageFlock as a team messenger, with channels, voice and video calling, and screen sharing. No date on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
- Flock, PricingThe free Starter plan and its limits, Pro per user on yearly billing, and what Pro adds. No date on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
- Flock on the App StoreVersion 2.52.0, released 10 November 2025, the latest version. Read 14 October 2026.
- Google Workspace, Google ChatChat for business and personal communication, included with Workspace at no additional cost. No date on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
- Google Workspace, PricingWorkspace plans priced per user per month, with a trial. No date on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
- Google Chat Help, Learn about spacesSpaces for collaboration on personal accounts, threads in spaces, and spaces for announcements kept for work or school accounts. No date shown on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
- GroupMe on the App StoreGroup chats, events and calling, free with in-app purchases, people added by phone number or email address, and SMS chat in the US only. Latest version 16.25, released 9 October 2026, 5 days before our read. Read 14 October 2026.
- GroupMe on Google PlayNearly the same description as on the App Store, with the same US-only SMS note. Updated 9 October 2026. Read 14 October 2026.
- Microsoft Teams, Free Microsoft TeamsThe free version, chats by email address or phone number, and meetings free for up to 60 minutes. No date on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
- Microsoft Support, What are Communities and Channels in Microsoft Teams for personal use?Communities with channels, membership roles and events, and the ways to join. No date shown on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
- Rocket.Chat, Get startedThe free Starter plan for up to 50 users, its features, and the open-source Community edition. No date on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
- Rocket.Chat, PlansThe Commercial, Government and Defense plans, priced on request, and Starter for small businesses and non-profits. No date on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
- Ryver, home pageGroup messaging, task management, and voice and video calls marked beta, in one app. No date shown on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
- Ryver, PricingThe 14-day free trial and the Starter, Standard and Medium Pack prices. No date shown on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
- Ryver on the App StoreVersion 1.43, released 5 June 2024, the latest version. Read 14 October 2026.
- Slack, home pageSlack connects your team, and its title calls Slack an AI work platform. No date on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
- Slack, PricingThe free plan with 90 days of history, up to 10 apps and one-to-one meetings, and paid plans priced per user with group meetings and unlimited app integrations. No date of its own. Read 14 October 2026.
- Slack, Usage limits for free workspacesThe 90 day window, and the one year rule dated 26 August 2024 inside the text. No date of its own. Read 14 October 2026.
- Slack, Slack's Fair Billing PolicyA paid workspace is billed for all active members. No date of its own. Read 14 October 2026.
- Telegram, FAQ (English version)Groups of up to 200,000 people, channels for broadcasting, cloud sync, secret chats, calls, and Telegram Premium. No date of its own, though the text mentions August 2026. Read 14 October 2026.
- Telegram, Super Channels, Star Reactions and SubscriptionsPaid invite links for channels, with a monthly fee in Telegram Stars. Published 14 August 2024. Read 14 October 2026.
- WhatsApp, home pageFree messaging and calling, data charges, end-to-end encryption, and group calls on WhatsApp Web. No date on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
- WhatsApp, About adding subscriptions to your channelChannel subscriptions are rolling out to a select group of channels. No date on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
- WhatsApp, About WhatsApp ChannelsChannel updates are a one-way broadcast rather than a conversation. No date on the page. Read 14 October 2026.
Which are the best group chat apps for a private group?
One verdict per app, then the facts behind it. Groupanda comes first because it is ours. The others are in alphabetical order, not ranked.
Groupanda
Our product
Best when a private group wants channels, a say in who posts where, and the option of paid access.
Groupanda is a workspace for private communities: real-time chat in channels, with an owner, admins and members. Only members see the conversations. In each channel you choose who can post: the owner, the owner and admins, or everyone. Admins can ban, mute and delete messages. Open groups are listed in Groupanda search. It is free, with no member limit and no time limit, on the web, iOS and Android. Members can also buy access to channels through up to 5 plans.
Not a good choice when your group needs voice or video calls, screen share, end-to-end encryption, bots and integrations, or a desktop app. Signing up requires an email address and a phone number, so it does not suit members who would rather not share them.
Channels, roles and moderation are shown in more detail on the page about Groupanda's group chat app.
Chanty
Best when a small team wants chat, calls and tasks in one free app.
Chanty describes itself as team communication and collaboration software, with chat, tasks and calls in one place. Its free plan covers up to 5 team members, with unlimited searchable history, one-on-one audio and video calls, and 20 GB of storage per team. Group calls come with Business, which is priced per user. A version for communities shows no price, only a demo to book. Chanty's pages describe no way for members to pay for access.
Discord
Best when friends or a community live on voice, video and streaming.
Discord describes itself as great for playing games and chilling with friends, or even building a worldwide community, with voice, video and text chat and streaming. The app is free, with in-app purchases. Only server owners in the United States, with US bank details and ID, can turn on Server Subscriptions. Discord keeps 10% of each membership payment, calculated after transaction taxes and fees. Its Monetization Terms also list a 6% payment processing fee on desktop and in the browser. In the mobile apps, app store fees are added to the price the member pays.
What a paid Discord server requires, and what it costs next to Groupanda, is compared row by row on its own page. Other tools that replace Discord are on our list of Discord alternatives for private communities.
Element
Best when a group wants end-to-end encrypted chat and calls on the open Matrix standard.
Element is a messaging app built on Matrix, a decentralised open standard. Messages are end-to-end encrypted by default, voice and video included, and Element Call handles the calls. The app is free for personal use. For a server of your own, the free Community edition covers 1 to 100 users and is meant for non-professional deployments and evaluations. Enterprise is priced per seat per month. Element's pages describe no way for members to pay for access.
Flock
Best when a team of up to 20 wants free public channels and one-to-one video calls.
Flock calls itself a team messenger and online collaboration platform, with channels and voice and video calling. Its free Starter plan is for teams of 1 to 20, with 10,000 searchable messages, 10 public channels and one-to-one video calls. Private channels need Pro, which costs from $4.50 per user a month on yearly billing and adds group video calls and screen sharing. Its iPhone app was last updated in November 2025. Flock's pages describe no way for members to pay for access.
Google Chat
Best when members already use Google accounts and want a simple shared space.
Google says Chat is designed to help you manage the flow of business and personal communication. It is included with Google Workspace at no additional cost, and Workspace is priced per user. With a personal Google Account you can only create spaces for collaboration, where members post in the main conversation or reply in threads. Spaces for announcements are kept for work or school accounts. Google's pages describe no way for members to pay for access.
GroupMe
Best when friends, family or a club in the US want one simple chat that also reaches people over SMS.
GroupMe calls itself the free, simple way to stay in touch with the people who matter most, from family and roommates to teams, Greek life and faith groups. You add people to a group by phone number or email address. Anyone without the app can chat over SMS, in the US only, and standard text messaging rates may apply. Its App Store listing names group chats, events and calling. GroupMe's pages describe no way for members to pay for access.
Microsoft Teams
Best when a free group wants communities with channels and video meetings of up to 60 minutes in one app.
Microsoft Teams has a free version for personal use. You can start a chat with anyone who has an email address or phone number, and meetings are free for up to 60 minutes. Communities in the free version have channels, membership roles and events. The owner can invite people, members can share a join link, and owners can approve requests. Members join with a personal account, not a work or school one, and Microsoft says communities will no longer be open to minors. Microsoft's pages describe no way for members to pay for access.
Rocket.Chat
Best when a group of up to 50 wants encrypted chat on its own server.
Rocket.Chat is a chat platform with channels, groups, direct messages, threaded discussions, searchable history and end-to-end encryption. Its Starter plan is free for up to 50 users on a workspace you run yourself, and Rocket.Chat points small businesses and non-profits to it. Above 50, a free open-source Community edition is meant for teams that need only very basic capabilities, and Rocket.Chat says it suits up to 100 concurrent users. Its paid plans, Commercial, Government and Defense, are priced on request. Its pages describe no way for members to pay for access.
Ryver
Best when a work team wants chat and task boards in one app at a flat monthly price.
Ryver puts group messaging, task boards, and voice and video calls in one app for teams, with the calls still marked beta. After a 14-day free trial, Starter costs $69 a month for up to 12 users and Standard $129 for up to 30. Its iPhone app was last updated in June 2024. Ryver's pages describe no way for members to pay for access.
Slack
Best when a group works like a team and needs apps connected to its chat.
Slack's home page says that Slack connects your team, and its title calls Slack an AI work platform. Slack has channels and huddles. Its free plan keeps 90 days of message history, up to 10 apps and one-to-one meetings. Slack says data older than one year may be deleted from free workspaces on a rolling basis. Pro and Business+ are priced per user, add group meetings and unlimited app integrations, and are billed for all active members. Enterprise+ is priced through sales. Slack's pages describe no way for members to pay for access.
Slack's per user pricing, and what its free plan does to your history, are compared row by row on a separate page. Other tools that replace Slack are on our list of Slack alternatives for private communities.
Telegram
Best when a large group of up to 200,000 people wants free chat that syncs on every device.
Telegram is a free cloud messenger: you log in on as many devices as you like, and your chats sync. Groups hold up to 200,000 people, and channels broadcast to unlimited audiences. Its FAQ covers voice, video and group calls, and its secret chats use end-to-end encryption. Telegram Premium is an optional subscription. Channel owners can create paid invite links with a monthly fee in Telegram Stars.
How a paid Telegram group compares with Groupanda is set out row by row on its own page.
WhatsApp
Best when friends and family want end-to-end encrypted chat and group calls for free.
WhatsApp offers private messaging and calling for free, though data charges may apply. Personal messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted, and voice and video calls, one-on-one or in groups, now work on WhatsApp Web too. Channels are a one-way broadcast rather than a conversation, and WhatsApp is rolling out channel subscriptions gradually to a select group of channels. None of the WhatsApp pages we read describes paid access for group chats, or who pays for a channel subscription.
How large a WhatsApp group can get is covered in our post on WhatsApp group and community limits.
Which group communication apps are built for work, and which for friends?
The apps on this list are built for different groups, and the difference shows in what they cost and who they bill.
Built for teams at work
Slack, Chanty, Flock and Ryver describe themselves as tools for teams. Google Chat comes with Google Workspace, and Rocket.Chat and Element sell plans to organisations. Most of them price their paid plans per user or per seat.
Made for friends, families and communities
WhatsApp, Telegram, GroupMe and Discord are free apps for people you know or a community you build. Microsoft Teams also has a free version for personal use, with communities and channels.
Built for private communities
Groupanda, our product, is built for private communities: channels, roles and moderation, and plans that members buy. It has no voice or video calls.
Which group messaging apps let members pay for access?
Most of these apps are free, or bill whoever runs the group. Three of the thirteen describe a way for members to pay.
Discord, for owners in the United States
Only server owners in the United States can turn on Server Subscriptions. Discord keeps 10%. A 6% payment processing fee also comes out of each payment on desktop and in the browser.
Telegram, for channels
Telegram channels can use paid invite links with a monthly fee in Telegram Stars. A Telegram channel is a broadcast, not a group conversation. WhatsApp is rolling out channel subscriptions to a select group of channels, and the WhatsApp pages we read do not say who pays for them.
Groupanda, our product, for channels in a group
A group can offer up to 5 plans, and members buy them in the browser. A plan is either a monthly subscription, with an optional yearly price, or a one-time payment. Each plan opens its own channels. On a paid group the member pays the price you set. Out of that payment, Groupanda keeps a 6% platform fee. Stripe's processing fee is deducted from your payout. Nothing is added on top of what the member pays. Stripe Connect pays out to the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Norway, Liechtenstein, Canada, and Switzerland.
Questions people ask about group messaging apps
What is the best app for group chatting?
It depends on the group. For friends and family, WhatsApp, Telegram and GroupMe are free, and WhatsApp and Telegram have group calls. For a community that meets by voice and video, Discord fits. For a team at work, Slack and Microsoft Teams are the apps the seven lists we read name most often. For a private group with channels and paid access, Groupanda, our product, fits.
What is the best free app for group texting?
If some members do not want another app, GroupMe lets them chat over SMS, in the US only, and standard text messaging rates may apply. WhatsApp and Telegram are free, and Discord is free with in-app purchases. Groupanda is free with no member limit, but every member needs an account with an email address and a phone number.
Which group messaging apps have voice and video calls?
WhatsApp, Telegram and Discord have voice and video calls, and GroupMe's listing names calling. Element includes Element Call. Microsoft Teams has free meetings of up to 60 minutes. Chanty and Flock have one-to-one calls on their free plans and group calls on paid plans, and Slack's free plan has one-to-one meetings. Ryver marks its calls as beta. Google Chat's page describes huddles, and Rocket.Chat connects to video tools such as Jitsi. Groupanda has no voice or video calls.
Why is Groupanda first on this list?
Because it is our product. We put it first and mark it, so nobody has to guess, and it answers the same questions as the other twelve apps. The others are in alphabetical order, and each one has a case where it is the better choice.
Last updated:
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