17 Important Internal Communication Applications to Enhance Employee Motivation and Efficiency
In today's fast-paced and increasingly remote work environment, effective internal communication is more important than ever. To help businesses navigate this landscape, we've compiled a list of the best internal communication tools available in 2025, each catering to different needs such as real-time messaging, video conferencing, collaboration, and employee engagement.
1. Slack: Ideal for remote and hybrid teams, Slack offers channel-based messaging and rich integrations, making it an excellent choice for streamlined communication.
2. Microsoft Teams: A natural fit for Microsoft 365 users, Microsoft Teams integrates chat, video calls, and collaboration seamlessly within the Microsoft ecosystem.
3. Google Workspace (Google Chat/Meet): Perfect for Google-first businesses, this tool provides chat and lightweight video meetings for effortless collaboration.
4. Zoom: Suitable for virtual meetings and webinars, Zoom offers HD video conferencing and webinars, making it a preferred choice for larger gatherings.
5. Pumble: An all-around communication and collaboration tool, Pumble offers instant messaging, file sharing, video conferencing, and a user-friendly interface, with a free plan available.
6. Workvivo: Mobile-first and focused on real-time engagement, Workvivo is ideal for deskless and frontline teams, offering features like real-time chat, voice/video calls, live streaming, and multilingual capabilities.
7. Chanty: A simple team chat tool with built-in task management, Chanty is perfect for teams needing a streamlined chat and task management solution.
8. ContactMonkey: Ideal for small to large businesses, ContactMonkey offers employee newsletters, pulse surveys, real-time analytics, and integrates with Outlook and Gmail.
9. Cerkl Broadcast Suite: This tool is perfect for any team size needing centralized email communication, offering newsletter creation, email blasts, mobile app, analytics, and integrations with Microsoft Teams, Slack, G-Suite, and more.
These tools each emphasise different aspects:
- For real-time messaging and collaboration, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Pumble, and Chanty are strong options. - For video conferencing and virtual meetings, Zoom and Microsoft Teams are preferred. - For document collaboration tied to communication, Google Workspace offers integrated chat and video. - Pumble is notable as an all-in-one tool with messaging, video, and file sharing combined. - Workvivo excels in mobile-first communication, especially for deskless or frontline teams with a focus on community building and multilingual capabilities. - For internal newsletters and email-based communications, ContactMonkey and Cerkl Broadcast Suite provide advanced features and analytics.
Choosing the best tool depends on your company's size, remote work needs, existing software ecosystem, and whether you prioritise messaging, video, newsletters, or mobile accessibility. By implementing the right internal communication tool, businesses can ensure that the right information reaches the right people at the right time.
[1] Typelane, Connecteam, Jostle, Apploye, ThoughtFarmer, Skype, and Hubstaff are other tools mentioned in the bullet points that offer various features for managing workflows, employee communication, collaboration, and more.
[2] Visual communication tools are also available, such as platforms offering real-time team collaboration features, branding kit, drag-and-drop editor, and seamless sharing within teams or publicly.
[3] Various internal communication systems are available, including corporate networking apps, instant messaging software, and employee social networks.
[4] Qualtrics XM, Freshteam, and LumApps are employee onboarding tools and employee social network tools, respectively, offering features like feedback program automation, real-time feedback, and social media features.
[5] Typeform is a digital form builder offering an intuitive form builder, built-in photo and video libraries, customizable templates, conditional logic jumps, website embeds, shareable reports, and real-time data analytics. It also offers integrations with G Suite, Microsoft Office 365, SharePoint, and more.
- To further enhance collaboration within a team, a library of template-based digital forms from Typeform can be integrated into the internal communication system, providing customizable and efficient data collection.
- In addition to the highlighted tools, technology-driven solutions such as corporate networking apps (like Jostle or Apploye), instant messaging software (like ThoughtFarmer or Skype), and employee social networks (like LumApps) can contribute to effective team collaboration and internal communication.
- To facilitate finance-related discussions within the team, one could consider integrating financial management tools like Mint (for personal finance) or QuickBooks (for business finance) within the chosen communication platform for a more streamlined approach.
- For those seeking to create a cohesive lifestyle brand within their business, integrating a visual communication tool, offering real-time team collaboration features, branding kit, and seamless sharing, can help foster a unified aesthetic across the business.
- To maintain a strong focus on team collaboration and employee engagement, businesses may want to consider adopting a suite of lifestyle and productivity apps like Toggl (for time tracking) or Trello (for project management) alongside their chosen internal communication tool.
