Google Chat: pricing, features and alternatives
Direct messages and spaces inside Google Workspace, with Meet and Gemini built in
What is Google Chat?
Google Chat is the messaging part of Google Workspace, offering direct messages, group chats and persistent spaces with threaded replies. It connects to Google Meet, Docs and other Workspace apps, and uses Gemini for summaries and message drafting. Chat is included in every Workspace plan at no extra cost rather than being sold on its own.
Good for
- Teams that already use Google Workspace for email, Docs and Meet
- Organizations that want chat without paying for a separate messaging tool
- Teams building small custom chat apps with webhooks or AppSheet
Key features
- Direct messages, group chats and persistent spaces
- Threaded replies, smart chips and file sharing
- Tasks that can be created and assigned inside a chat
- Google Meet meetings started from a conversation
- Gemini summaries, translation and message drafting
- Marketplace apps such as Jira, GitHub, Asana and Salesforce, plus APIs and webhooks
Limitations to know about
- Sold only as part of a Google Workspace subscription, not on its own
- Some features are available only on Business and Enterprise plans
- Whether personal Google accounts can use Chat free was not stated on the pages read
Google Chat pricing
Google Chat offers a 14-day trial of Google Workspace for people not already using it. Business Starter (Workspace), Business Standard (Workspace) and Business Plus (Workspace) cost €6.80 to €21.10 per user a month billed annually. Enterprise (Workspace) is priced on request.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Business Starter (Workspace) | EUR 6.80 per user/month, 1-year commitment, excluding tax | Includes Google Chat |
| Business Standard (Workspace) | EUR 13.60 per user/month, 1-year commitment, excluding tax | Includes Google Chat |
| Business Plus (Workspace) | EUR 21.10 per user/month, 1-year commitment, excluding tax | Includes Google Chat |
| Enterprise (Workspace) | Contact sales | Includes Google Chat |
What a team pays: For a team of five on Business Starter (Workspace): €34 a month billed annually (€408 a year).
Google Chat alternatives
Slack
Team messaging built around channels, with huddles, canvases and workflow automation
Discord
Group chat with text, voice and video, built around gaming and community servers
Mattermost
Self-hosted team messaging and workflow platform for security-sensitive organizations
Pumble
Team chat with a free plan that keeps unlimited users and message history
Zoom Workplace
Video meetings with team chat, mail, calendar, docs and an AI companion in one app
Rocket.Chat
Self-hostable secure messaging platform with Matrix and XMPP federation
Frequently asked questions
How much does Google Chat cost?
Business Starter (Workspace), Business Standard (Workspace) and Business Plus (Workspace) cost €6.80 to €21.10 per user a month billed annually. Enterprise (Workspace) is priced on request. On Google Workspace Business Starter (includes Chat): chat has no separate price; it comes with a Workspace subscription. Price shown in EUR, excluding tax, with a 1-year commitment. Google also lists a 50% intro price (EUR 3.40) for a limited period. Prices as published on Google Chat's pricing page on 7 November 2026.
What is Google Chat used for?
Google Chat is the messaging part of Google Workspace, offering direct messages, group chats and persistent spaces with threaded replies. People use it for teams that already use Google Workspace for email, Docs and Meet, organizations that want chat without paying for a separate messaging tool and teams building small custom chat apps with webhooks or AppSheet.
What are the alternatives to Google Chat?
Tools that do a similar job include Slack, Discord, Mattermost, Pumble and Zoom Workplace. Each has its own page here with its plans, limits and prices.
Who makes Google Chat?
Google Chat is made by Google.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from Google's own pages, read on the dates shown.
- workspace.google.com/products/chat/ (features, platforms, Workspace inclusion, trial) read 7 November 2026
- workspace.google.com/pricing (pricing (Workspace plan prices in EUR, Chat included in all plans)) read 7 November 2026
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