What is the difference between Microsoft Teams and Chanty?

Microsoft Teams is best for Organizations already using Microsoft 365, while Chanty is best for Small teams wanting simple, affordable team chat. Microsoft Teams starts at $4/user/mo and Chanty starts at Free.

Is Microsoft Teams or Chanty cheaper?

Microsoft Teams starts at $4/user/mo with a free tier. Chanty starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Chanty?

Both Microsoft Teams and Chanty offer free tiers.

Microsoft Teams vs Chanty

Microsoft Teams is all-in-one communication platform with chat, video meetings, and Office 365 integration, while Chanty is simple team messaging with tasks, video calls, and unlimited message history on the free plan. The biggest difference up front: Chanty is free, while Microsoft Teams starts at $4/user/mo. Microsoft Teams is built for organizations already using microsoft 365, whereas Chanty targets small teams wanting simple, affordable team chat.

At a glance

	Microsoft Teams	Chanty
Best for	Organizations already using Microsoft 365	Small teams wanting simple, affordable team chat
Starting price	$4/user/mo	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	—
Channels	✓	—
File Sharing	✓	—
Office 365 Integration	✓	—
Tasks	—	✓
Threads	—	✓
Unlimited History	—	✓
Video Calls	—	✓
Video Meetings	✓	—
Webinars	✓	—

Microsoft Teams

Strengths

Included with Microsoft 365 subscriptions
Deep integration with Office apps (Word, Excel, SharePoint)
Strong video conferencing with large meeting support
Enterprise-grade security and compliance

Weaknesses

Interface can feel cluttered and confusing
Heavy on system resources
Navigation between chats, teams, and channels is unintuitive
Notifications management is frustrating

Try Microsoft Teams → Full review

Chanty

Strengths

Unlimited message history on every plan — nothing gets lost or archived
Includes Tasks as a core feature, purpose-built for team communication workflows
Free for up to 5 members — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Includes video calls alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Notification overload is a real problem as the number of channels grows
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Chanty → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Chanty is completely free (Free for up to 5 members), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Microsoft Teams starts at $4/user/mo, but Free basic chat and video meetings. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Microsoft Teams offers Channels, File Sharing and Office 365 Integration that Chanty lacks. Chanty brings Tasks, Threads and Unlimited History that Microsoft Teams does not have.

Team fit: Microsoft Teams is geared toward enterprise teams, while Chanty is aimed at small teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Where each tool shines: Microsoft Teams's biggest strengths are: included with microsoft 365 subscriptions. deep integration with office apps (word, excel, sharepoint). Chanty's biggest strengths are: unlimited message history on every plan — nothing gets lost or archived. includes tasks as a core feature, purpose-built for team communication workflows.

Watch out for: With Microsoft Teams, users commonly note that interface can feel cluttered and confusing. With Chanty, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose Microsoft Teams if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: organizations already using microsoft 365
You specifically need Channels and File Sharing
You care about deep integration with office apps (word, excel, sharepoint)
Your team size fits the enterprise profile Microsoft Teams is designed for
The free tier works for you: free basic chat and video meetings

Choose Chanty if...

You need a tool built for small teams wanting simple, affordable team chat
Budget is a hard constraint — Chanty is free, Microsoft Teams is not
You specifically need Tasks and Threads
You care about includes tasks as a core feature, purpose-built for team communication workflows
Your team size fits the small teams profile Chanty is designed for