Briar
A free, open-source messenger that works peer-to-peer, even without internet.
Android AppFreeAndroid
4.2Visit
Category
Best Communication software, apps and tools
142 hand-picked communication tools, apps and resources, each one checked by a real person. 132 of them are free or have a free plan.
Updated
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
Communication tools are how people reach each other at work: team chat, email, video calls, messaging apps and the APIs that let your own software send messages. Used well, they get the right message to the right person quickly without burying everyone in notifications.
This list covers chat apps, inboxes, async video, messaging gateways and AI helpers that draft or sort messages. Pick one main place for quick questions and one for longer written updates, and agree as a team which is which. If you send automated messages to customers, check the platform's rules and get people's consent first.
All resources
Type
Pricing
Platform
142 resources
Jami
A free, private messaging and calling app that connects people directly, without a central server.
Mobile AppFreeCross-Platform, Windows
4.3Visit
Kooha
A simple screen recorder for Linux.
Desktop AppFreeLinux
4.5Visit
Lemmy
A free, open-source forum network of linked communities.
Web AppFreeWeb, iOS
4.2Visit
Mastodon
A free, open-source social network made of independent servers.
Web AppFreeWeb, iOS
4.3Visit
NeoMutt
A powerful email client that runs in your terminal.
OtherFreeCross-Platform
4.5Visit
StreamYard
A browser-based live streaming studio with a free plan.
Web AppFree planWeb
4.4Visit
Zoom
A video meeting app with a free Basic plan for one user.
Web AppFree planCross-Platform, iOS
4.5Visit
Apprise
Send one message to almost any notification service.
Automation ToolFreeCross-Platform
4.6Visit
Twist
A calm, thread-based team chat app with a free plan.
Web AppFree planWeb
4.4Visit
Zoho Cliq
Team chat with channels, calls and meetings, and a free plan.
Web AppFree planWeb
4.3Visit
Zoho Mail
Business email with a Forever Free plan for up to 5 users on one domain.
Web AppFree planWeb
4.4Visit
FairEmail
A privacy-focused, open-source email app for Android.
Android AppFree planAndroid
4.5Visit
Mailvelope
A browser extension that adds PGP encryption to the webmail you already use.
Browser ExtensionFreeChrome, Firefox
4.4Visit
Proton Mail
An encrypted email service with a free plan and apps on every platform.
Web AppFree planWeb, iOS
4.6Visit
Mailspring
A fast, open-source email app with snooze and send later.
Desktop AppFree planmacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
Signal
A free, end-to-end encrypted messaging app run by a nonprofit.
Mobile AppFreeAndroid, iOS
4.7Visit
Mumble
Low-latency voice chat you can run on your own server.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.4Visit
PrivateBin
An open source pastebin that encrypts your text in the browser.
Web AppFreeWeb
4.5Visit
LibreTranslate
Translate text on your own server without sending it to a big company.
Web AppFreeWeb, Linux
4.5Visit
Marp CLI
Turn a Markdown file into slides, PDF or PowerPoint.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
OnionShare
Share files, host a site or chat privately over the Tor network.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
Gotify
A self-hosted server for sending yourself push notifications.
Automation ToolFreeWeb, Android
4.5Visit
Magic Wormhole
Send files between computers using a short, one-time code.
Desktop AppFreeCross-Platform
4.6Visit
Health Icons
Free, open source health and medical icons for any project.
WebsiteFreeWeb
4.6Visit
illlustrations
Open source and premium illustration packs for websites and apps.
WebsiteFree planWeb
4.5Visit
ntfy
Send push notifications to your phone or desktop with a simple HTTP request.
Automation ToolFree planWeb, iOS
4.6Visit
Linktree
A link-in-bio page that gathers all your important links in one place.
Web AppFree planWeb, iOS
4.4Visit
Annotely
A free browser-based editor for annotating screenshots and images.
Web AppFreeWeb
4.4Visit
AutoDraw
A free Google experiment that turns rough doodles into clean drawings.
AI ToolFreeWeb
4.4Visit
Jumpshare
A screen recorder and screenshot tool that turns captures into shareable links.
Desktop AppFree planWindows, macOS
4.4Visit
Lightshot
A tiny screenshot app for grabbing, marking up and sharing your screen.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.4Visit
Adobe Enhance Speech
A free AI filter that makes voice recordings sound studio-quality.
AI ToolFree planWeb
4.6Visit
FilePizza
A free peer-to-peer file transfer tool that runs in your browser.
Web AppFreeWeb
4.5Visit
Markup Hero
A screenshot and annotation tool for marking up images, PDFs and web pages.
Web AppFree planWeb, Chrome
4.6Visit
Slidev
Write presentation slides in Markdown and present them right in your browser.
FrameworkFreeWeb, macOS
4.7Visit
- Shottr
- Rentry
- Datawrapper
- Flourish
- Noun Project
- WordReference
- YouGlish
- Emojipedia
- Hashnode
- DEV Community
- Slides.com
- Slido
- ASCIIFlow
- Mentimeter
- Shields.io
- DrawKit
- Gratisography
- Monica
- Pika
- DeepL
- Ferdium
- Vocaroo
- Indie Hackers
- Peerlist Launchpad
- Diagram Design
- Greenshot
- QR Code Monkey
- Screenity
- Thunderbird
- Big Arrow on the Screen
- explainroo
- Flameshot
- Ray.so
- Brevo
- Cap
- Discord
- Element
- Google Meet
- Harper
- Hemingway Editor
- Jitsi Meet
- Kit
- LanguageTool
- listmonk
- MailerLite
- Mattermost
- Microsoft Teams (free)
- Pumble
- Rocket.Chat
- ShareX
- Whereby
- Wordtune
- Zulip
- VoiceBlender
- Presentify
- Moorline
- tlgr
- Pushkeen.AI
- open-slide
- httpSMS
- Atomic Mail Agentic
- ru-text
- Sendra
- Snapzy
- Xnapper
- Scrimba Explain
- OpenVidu
- SkySend
- Aurora
- Bolna
- call.md
- CODY AI
- slackcli
- Superpowered AI
- ChatCLI
- newsjack
- OpenWA
- Active Builders
- Stanley
- Brand Guidelines Skill
- Morning Brew
- PreviewMyProfile
- Postiz
- VoiceStudio
- Loop Email
- Spark Mail
- FastAI
- GetRescript
- Shotbase
- Calendly
- Fireflies.ai
- Farcaster
- Beeper
- CleanShot X
- Fathom
- Hey.com Email
- SavvyCal
- Grammarly
- Granola
- Otter.ai
- Read AI
- Screen Studio
- Shortwave
- Loom
- Superhuman
- Slack
Showing 36 of 142
Communication at a glance
Counted from the listings on this page.
- Pricing
- Of 142 picks, 68 are completely free, 64 have a free plan and 10 are paid.
- Highest rated
- Morning Brew (4.8/5), CleanShot X (4.8/5) and Postiz (4.7/5) have the highest ratings in our reviews.
- Formats
- Most common: Web App (57), AI Tool (25), Desktop App (18) and Website (10).
- Often also listed under
- AI Productivity (33), Collaboration (28), Meetings (22) and Workflows (22).
- Platforms
- Most listed: Web (97), macOS (51), Android (41) and Windows (41).
- Best for
- Picked most often for Developers (61), Professionals (55) and Teams (49).
- Learning curve
- 97 beginner-friendly, 37 intermediate and 8 advanced.
- Newest addition
- Briar, added 13 November 2026.
Communication tools: common questions
Straight answers to what people ask before picking a tool.
- What are the best communication tools?
- The highest-rated communication picks in the directory right now are Morning Brew, CleanShot X and Postiz. Each one is checked by hand, and the full list above is sorted by our recommendation.
- What is the best free communication tool?
- Morning Brew and ShareX are the top-rated completely free options. If a free plan is enough, Postiz is also worth a look.
- How many communication tools are listed?
- 142 communication resources are listed: 68 completely free, 64 with a free plan and 10 paid. New ones are added as they are checked.
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