The best chat software for Linux, macOS and Windows isn't Slack

3 years ago 418

Everyone chats. Everyone chats with antithetic apps and services. But which is the best? You mightiness beryllium amazed astatine the decision Jack Wallen draws.

Finding the champion chat bundle is simply a analyzable mess. Why? Because everyone and each institution uses a antithetic work for squad collaboration, messaging and adjacent chatting with clients/customers. Some usage Slack, others usage Hangouts oregon Microsoft Teams. You mightiness similar Android Messages oregon iMessage. What astir Twitter oregon Facebook messages?

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Do you spot wherever I'm going with this? Chat runs the gamut of services and platforms. So, erstwhile I was asked to determine connected what chat bundle was the champion enactment for Linux, macOS, and Windows, I had to instrumentality a antithetic attack ... 1 that could delight everyone. I surely couldn't accidental Slack was the champion instrumentality for chatting erstwhile not everyone uses the service. And though Twitter and Facebook nonstop messaging tools don't truly autumn nether the "chat" category, galore usage them for that purpose.

So you spot wherefore this gets a spot complicated?

Even so, there's a mode astir that mess, 1 that was brought astir by my ain idiosyncratic vexation with the fig of antithetic platforms I person to woody with. Currently, I person friends, family, and clients who use:

Facebook Messenger
Twitter DMs
Google Hangouts
Slack
Android Messages

Throughout the day, I either person to support each of those apps unfastened oregon retrieve to spell backmost and cheque them with immoderate level of regularity (otherwise I could miss important messages). After a while, that became rather frustrating. I already support capable tabs unfastened successful Firefox to confuse astir desktop users, truthful the past happening I needed was to adhd 5 much tabs to my regular routine. My extremity has ever been to enactment smarter, not harder.

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That led maine down a singular rabbit hole—one with the hopes to simplify my regular chat interaction. This pursuit precise rapidly became astir uncovering 1 app to regularisation them all. In the end, I remembered I'd already installed the beatified grail of chat curation tools. That instrumentality is Franz.

Franz is simply a escaped messaging app that supports:

WhatsApp
Messenger
Slack
Skype
Gmail
Telegram
Android Messages
Google Calendar
Discord
Hangouts
LinkedIn
TweetDeck
Trello
Microsoft 365/Outlook
Google Keep
Hangouts Chat

Chances are beauteous bully if you person a chat work you beryllium on, Franz has you covered. But beyond its quality to big galore chat services (and you tin adhd arsenic galore services arsenic you need), Franz is conscionable plain elemental to use. Once installed, you adhd immoderate work you request to usage and past entree that work from the near sidebar (Figure A).

Figure A

With Franz, I tin easy interact with each chat work I need, each from the easiness and comfortableness of a azygous desktop application. The 1 caveat is that Franz deals with immoderate of these services (such arsenic Google Hangouts and Twitter) arsenic if it were viewing the afloat webpage for each. So, alternatively of Twitter, you get Tweetdeck. Instead of a Google Hangouts app-like interface, you're treated to the full-blown Hangouts web interface. As for Slack, Franz displays this work astir identically to that of the Slack app. That's fine, due to the fact that it each inactive works and works precise well.

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For me, the crushed Franz takes this prize (and has go my go-to interface for chat) is that it allows maine to curate each of the chat apps and services I usage into 1 easy-to-use interface. And due to the fact that it's reliable with each work I require, it beats retired a batch of the contention trying to bash the aforesaid thing. So, alternatively of having to scramble astir for a web browser tab matching the notification I conscionable received (so I tin rapidly reply to the connection successful question), I simply spell to Franz, cheque for which work has the caller message, click connected that work and respond.

The icing connected the barroom is that, due to the fact that immoderate services are displayed arsenic afloat websites (such arsenic Twitter), I tin bash much than conscionable chat.

If you're similar me, and you beryllium connected galore chat sites and services, bash yourself a favour and halt dedicating idiosyncratic browser tabs and desktop existent property to assorted chats. Collect them each into 1 useful exertion and beryllium done with the clutter and confusion. You'll find your chats amended organized and your time little chaotic.

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