Top 10 Best Enterprise Instant Messaging Software [2026]

Enterprise Instant Messaging Software helps build messaging capabilities in corporate apps. In this review, I ranked the 10 best EIM software, so that you can pick the best one for your business.

Using Slack, Google Meet or Whatsapp for business communication?

Here’s the hard truth: According to SafeGuard Cyber’s 2023 Business Communication Risk Report, the primary risk is that 66% of threat indicators are found in transient messages within cloud-based collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Teams, WhatsApp), with 42% of businesses reporting security incidents due to employees using these apps on BYOD devices.

💡Know More

Businesses can’t keep gambling with shadow IT, like WhatsApp, for business communication. These consumer-grade apps weren’t designed for use in the workplace, and the risks whether it’s a data leak, significant regulatory fines or a cyber-attack are too severe for businesses to continue to turn a blind eye to.

Abby Guthkelch, VP Executive Advisory at Flip.

What is Instant Messaging?

Instant messaging (IM) is a real-time communication that allows users to send or receive written messages, make voice and video calls, share files, media and images over the internet. Users can simply access these platforms on apps on their mobile or computer.

What is an Enterprise Instant Messaging Software?

Enterprise Instant Messaging (IM) software is a real-time communication solution designed to build or integrate messaging features in business apps. These solutions enable employees, teams and stakeholders to exchange messages, share files and media instantly.

They differ from consumer IM software in terms of security features, compliance with industrial regulations, and integration with third-party platforms.

How Does an Instant Messaging Software Work?

As the name suggests, instant messaging (IM) is a type of communication that connects two or more people in real time over the Internet. 

Apart from direct messaging, instant chat software is widely used in many places, such as food delivery apps, cab services, and more. This quick integration demonstrates successful integration in troubleshooting and customer enquiries. 

Let’s see how all these real-time scenarios happen in the backend. 

1. Client Software: The messaging app that helps to send text messages is called client software that is connected with servers.
2. Server: The client software relies on servers to facilitate communications between users. These servers consistently monitor the network for incoming and outgoing messages and chats. 
3. Message Transmission: When a user types a message and sends it, the client software encrypts the message and then directs it to the server. Then, the server routes the message to the recipient’s device. Later, the recipient’s client software receives and decrypts the message.

Surprising Instant Messaging Statistics + Facts 📊

• The global IM market size is projected to grow from USD 39.8 billion in 2023 to USD 89.6 billion by 2032, at a CAGR of 9.4%. (Source: Instant Messaging Market Report) 
• AI-powered chatbots, personalization, and automation are becoming mainstream. (Source: Instant Messaging System Report) 
• Leading IM platforms often have 2+ billion users globally. (Source: IM Navigating Dynamics Report) Software dominates revenue, but the services segment is growing faster. (Source: Instant Messaging Software Market Report) 
• Cloud deployment is witnessing the highest growth, driven by scalability and cost benefits. (Source: Instant Messaging Software Market Report) 
• On-premises deployment remains popular for BFSI and healthcare sectors due to security needs. (Source: Instant Messaging Software Market Report) 
• Large enterprises dominate revenue, but SMEs are expected to grow faster. (Source: Instant Messaging Software Market Report) 
• Asia Pacific leads the global IM market, driven by digitalization and smartphone growth. (Source: IM Navigating Dynamics Report, Instant Messaging Market Report)
• North America holds ~35% share of the Business IM market, with a CAGR of 7.5%. (Source: Business IM Software Market Report)
• Asia Pacific holds ~28% share, growing at 9% CAGR. (Source: Business IM Software Market Report) 
• Europe holds ~25% share, growing at 6.8% CAGR. (Source: Business IM Software Market Report) 

Functionalities of Mobile Messaging Solution

These functionalities are a must if you are going for an instant messaging solution.

➡️ File transfers of unlimited size
➡️ HD Voice and video calling
➡️ Screen sharing
➡️ Whiteboard capabilities
➡️ Real-time Chat
➡️ SIP/VoIP calling
➡️ Video conferencing
➡️ Screen sharing
➡️ Automated reminder 

We have a list below if you are wondering which platform to use. Do check out them

Top Enterprise Instant Messaging Software

The Top 10 Best Instant Messaging Software are MirrorFly, Rocketchat, Twilio, Cometchat, Apphitect, Weavy, Zulip, Mattermost, Wire, and Nextcloud.

Here’s a quick look at Popular Instant Messaging Software for Enterprise:

Know more about Top Business Instant Messaging Solutions for Enterprises

1. MirrorFly

The Best Overall Enterprise Instant Messaging Software

MirrorFly Enterprise Instant Messaging Software is a CPaaS product by Contus Tech. You can use it to build custom chat features into your business apps and websites.

You get a toolkit containing a Chat SDK, library files and documentation. If your company has an app or a website already, you can integrate the SDK and enable instant messaging features within 20 minutes.

If you are running your app on an on-prem server already, you can deploy the chat features on the same server.

Why is this good for you?

MirrorFly EIM’s infrastructure runs on Kubernetes and Spring Boot services. This means when you are in a conference, and a large audience sends messages to you at the same time,  the app will not slow down or crash.

When your team members exchange messages, the AES protocols encrypt them. Plus, TLS protects the data when in transit. For organizations, this is a critical requirement. No hackers or attackers can peek into your confidential business information which is more likely to happen in third-party apps. 

MirrorFly Features:

➡️ Direct messaging (DM) & Group chat
➡️ Channels
➡️ Threads
➡️ Email chat
➡️ Online presence indicators
➡️Profanity filters
➡️AI chatbots
➡️Voice and video calls

Essential Characteristics

Price Setting Method:

MirrorFly provides two types of pricing:

1. SaaP (self-hosted): Custom pricing (One-time License fee)
2. SaaS: Starts at $0.08/month

Build Your Own Instant Messaging App Today with Enterprise-Grade Features

• Complete Source Code
• Lifetime Data Ownership
• Deploy on Own Server

Request Demo

2. Rocket.chat

The On-premise Chat Service Built For Teams

Rocket. Chat is an open-source chat platform that is secure and adaptable and is made for businesses with high data security requirements. It connects coworkers, organizations, and customers by seamlessly integrating real-time interactions across web, desktop, and mobile devices.

Features include

➡️ File Sharing.
➡️ Notifications.
➡️ Search.
➡️ Mobile Application.
➡️ Web Application.

Essential Characteristics:

Price Setting Method:

1. Starts from $499/month

3. Twilio

The Best Corporate Messaging API Provider

Twilio’s market-leading and reliable instant chat platform effectively drives customer engagement and offers web and mobile-based chat solutions with its web service APIs and programmable communication tools.

Features:

➡️ Voice SDK
➡️ Media stream
➡️ Interconnect 
➡️ SIP trunking

Essential Characteristics:

Price Setting Method:

1.  Starts from $452/month

4. Cometchat

The Most Secure On-Prem Messaging API Provider

Cometchat offers Flexible SDKs, APIs, and UI Kits that Cometchat is a leading instant messaging platform that offers flexible SDKs, APIs, and UI Kits that power voice, video, and in-app chat? CometChat provides a User-to-user chat on any supported platform, and a single “CometChat App” connects all the users in your app. Comtechat is best for enterprises and business corporations.

Features include

➡️ Chat messaging
➡️ Voice and video calls
➡️ UI kit
➡️ Analytics
➡️ Extensions
➡️ Bot chats

Essential Characteristics:

Price Setting Method:

Starts from $529/month

5. Apphitect

The Self-hosted IM Solution For Team Chat Apps

I first heard about Apphitect when I was searching for an on-prem instant messaging solution. Businesses could easily build a team chat app with their low-code solution.

This solution is a package of messaging SDK, API documentation and library files. I took the opinion of over 7+ developers. Most of them chose the solution for its customization and white-labeling options. 

When you get this solution, you can refer to their docs, integrate the SDK and enable messaging features into your app. Most of the features are built to be team-friendly. 

Features

➡️ Private & group messaging
➡️ Topic-based chat
➡️ Typing & delivered status
➡️ Chat history & export
➡️ Push notifications

Essential Characteristics:

Price Setting Method: :

Available at a custom price (one-time license fee)

6. Weavy

fully featured chat experience in minutes

Weavy is a comprehensive toolset that allows developers to quickly customize and add community, productivity, and collaboration capabilities to online and mobile products using a white-label SDK and API. For its easy integration and seamless support, Weavy will be the best fit for food delivery and rental cab instant messaging.

Features

➡️ Files API
➡️ Chat API
➡️ Chat solution
➡️ Cloud storage
➡️ File sharing

Essential Characteristics

Price Setting Method:

Starts from $400/month

7. Zulip

Highly Flexible Platform For Third-Party Integrations

It is oIt is one of the free and open-source APIs and a great alternative to Slack. It combines the best of email and chat to make remote work productive. Zulip is best for internal teams and remote employees to work better with interactive features like instant chat, voice calls, and whiteboards to keep everyone on the same page. 

Zulip features

➡️ Chat API
➡️ Messaging
➡️ Video calls
➡️ Scheduled messaging
➡️ Muted streams

Essential Characteristics:

Price Setting Method:

Starters from $399/month

8. Mattermost

The Highly Trusted OnPremise Chat Software For Enterprises

Mattermost is an open-source platform that enables safe collaboration in self-hosted chat programs featuring file sharing, search, and integrations; groups and businesses can use it as an internal chat.

Features

➡️ Group messaging
➡️ Unlimited chat history
➡️ Screen share
➡️ File sharing

Essential Characteristics:

Price Setting Method:

Starts from $399/month

Packages begin at USD 10 per user/month

9. Wire

The Most Secure & Customizable Instant Messenger Service

Wire provides an end-to-end encrypted chat app to communicate, share, and collaborate with customers and teams using a single app. It offers file-sharing, audio and video conferencing, guest rooms, and group calls.

Wire features:

➡️ End-to-end (E2E) encryption.
➡️ Encryption algorithms: Proteus protocol, WebRTC (DTLS, KASE, SRTP) with PFS.
➡️ Open source.
➡️ Self-destructing messages.

Essential Characteristics:

Price Setting Method:

Basic pack starts form $299/month.

10. Nextcloud

The Modern Self-hosted Collaboration Tool

Nextcloud Talk is one of the best self-hosted on-premises audio/video and chat communication services. It provides a cutting-edge on-premises content collaboration platform with real-time voice, video chat, and groupware on mobile, desktop, and the web.

Features

➡️ Sync and share files
➡️ Cloud storage, video conferencing
➡️ Voice chat
➡️ Encrypted connection.
➡️ Conversation manager

Essential Characteristics:

Price Setting Method:

 Starts from $499/month

Best Instant Messaging Platforms, TD:LR

Although there are several instant messaging software for businesses, all of them have been built based on their inspiration from the Business-to-Customer (B2C) IM apps that people commonly use.

On that front, here are some of the popular consumer-oriented apps that you may need to refer to before you choose your IM software.

1. WhatsApp

Most of us use WhatsApp as a primary messaging software for personal use. After WhatsApp introduced its business messaging, several companies have adopted this platform as a medium for their customers to connect to their business to make purchases, inquire services and get support instantly.

2. Facebook Messenger

Facebook Messenger is widely used for personal interactions and businesses make use of this platform to penetrate across a space where their customers hang out the most. They use messenger to automate interactions and offer support 24/7 along with options to integrate live chat plugins and extensions.

3. WeChat

If businesses prefer to use a common instant messaging platform, WeChat is another good option where they can share QR codes, launch ads, create content and showcase their catalogues to their customers as a means to reach a mass customer base.

4. Telegram

Telegram is another messaging platform that’s quite popular for its business groups and channels to showcase and share their products and services to a large number of audiences. Most consumer-focused businesses use this platform for its security encryptions that keeps user data safe.

5. Slack

Slack is one excellent internal communication software that lets users create various channels for each topic, product or service. The platform is also well-known for team collaboration features like screen-sharing, video calling and media sharing capabilities.

How To Choose The Instant Messaging Software For Your Organization?

Now you have options. And it’s natural to have a little panic on deciding that ONE right choice. We’ve all been there.

Well surprise!

What factors must you check when choosing an IM Software for your team chat app?

1. Customization

Generally, the higher the freedom to customize the software, the better. 

You cannot spend on a product and get convinced with what is offered. The provider must give full control to you, so you can build the features exactly the way you want it for your team.

2. White-labeling

Some providers do not allow you to remove their brand names from the software

It may appear anywhere on your app. That definitely is not good for your app. It will silently affect your branding. Make sure the provider you choose lets you add your logo, colors and UI elements that matches with your brand’s tone and style.

3. Extensive Features

People are accustomed to using modern chat features these days. Your team members will expect modern plus easy to use features that they use in their personal chat apps.

If your app is just basic or has outdated navigational elements, believe me, you are risking productivity. People may not be happy exchanging messages that work as in the stone age. 

Choose the provider that offers as many features they can. Make sure the features are advanced.

4. AI Features

It’s AI everywhere. Your team is going to want it too.

AI chat features guide employees internally with recommendations and next best actions. Or handle the customer inquiries until there’s a need for your customer support agent to step in.

Either way, automating processes reduces the time to complete tasks. It helps your team feel relaxed and productive.

5. Data Control

I’ve been convinced all my life: when I purchase software, only I have access to the data I upload in it.

Seems like not many platforms keep them safe.

Yes, you can’t risk your team’s data with a third-party provider. So?

Look for the one providing complete data protection and control. A provider that gives source code access would work great for this matter. You can customize any part of the code and make sure your company’s data stays intact.

6. Unconstrained Hosting

Go for a chat software that lets you continue running your app on the server you prefer.

Some of them restrict or do not support self-hosting. 

That’s a serious concern.

Make sure the EIM tool lets you host on-premise or on-cloud, so you can be the decision maker here.

7. Integration capabilities

Your company might already use tools like CRMs and ERPs. If you add this chat tool for your team, it’s just going to increase the count of tools. Your team might have to juggle with all of them.

Instead, check whether the software you choose integrates with your external tools. So you can access everything and keep everything in sync.

8. Scalability

Your team will expand, and your client base too. Can the EIM software handle a large scale of users?

Or at least when there is a sudden spike of users during meetings or conferences?

9. Custom security

End-to-end encryption is common, in fact an essential security setup these days. See for options beyond that. Can you add your own list of security features?

Your business might need extra layers of data protection. If your team suggests it, will the provider allow you to add the feature?

10. Data Privacy 

Most instant messaging software are compatible with regular industrial standards like GDPR and HIPAA.

But, if your business needs to operate in a country that needs a specific compliance certification, will the EIM software support it? Check that!

Instant Messaging Software Vs Instant Messaging Platforms

In this context, instant messaging software is a toolkit. It refers to a solution that developers use to build chat apps. This solution comprises a pre-built chat SDK, library files and a documentation that guides the SDK integration.

Example: MirrorFly, Mattermost & Apphitect and more

On the other hand, instant messaging platforms point to the apps or websites you build using the toolkit. This is a fully built product with messaging capabilities owned by a company or organization to perform business-specific chat-based tasks.

Example: Slack & Google Meet

Why Is Instant Messaging Software So Important For Businesses In 2026?

Chat has become a primary form of communication in most offices. Almost every department and every team communicates through messages

In this section, I’m bringing you the practical reasons why EIM is indispensable in 2026:

1. Working Remotely & Hybrid Has Become Convenient

Here’s a realistic number: Almost 50% of the workforce operate remotely or in a hybrid setting. In fact, I fall under this category, working remotely for more than 2 years now.

The first app I open when I start work is my chat app. I check upon messages from my team and align with them every day.

I’ve used emails for communication before, around 2015. The number of emails I did not open or missed in the clutter is big!

Chat has solved this. Even in the middle of a task, I can quickly reply to a message or instantly connect over a meeting with just a click of a button within the app.

2. Teams Are Becoming More Productive & Automated

We need not run across departments to convey a message or a file anymore.

Chat apps have become more of a personal assistant to office workers these days. They deliver a message in just a blink of an eye.

And they keep people connected, so your projects get done more quickly than they used to take 10 years ago!

Plus, the rise of Agentic AI for business use cases is automating everything.

You can employ 1 chatbot that can handle routine queries from billions of concurrent users at the same time. This may help you shift your human resources to more important tasks.

3. Your data stays secure

When you use an EIM software, you get to keep your data under your control.

No one gets access to it. 

This reduces the risks like attacks, data theft, and hacking.

Above this, some of the secure IM software offer MDM (Mobile Device Management) support to keep professional conversations separate from personal ones.

4. Connecting your Deskless Workforce 

A massive portion of the global workforce especially across retail, logistics, or healthcare) do not sit at a computer. They work deskless or in the field.

If your team is operating this way, you can send out updates like shift changes or safety alerts directly to a worker’s phone.

Overall in 2026, the discussion is not about whether or not we use instant messaging but on how to use it to automate our daily operations. This difference is what makes a company stay up to the speed of the growing market.

Top 10 Key Features of Instant Messaging Software

There are hundreds of instant messaging software available for businesses these days. But not all of them may align with your needs. To ensure you’re partnering with the right provider, you should verify if they offer the most important features for your app

✨ Real-time messaging: When a business environment has options to communicate instantly, decisions can be made quickly and daily operations can be run smoothly.

✨ Group messaging: Teams can connect for discussions and conversations on the same topic with dedicated groups for each topic, project, or department, based on their needs.

✨ Voice calling: Instant messaging software just doesn’t limit themselves with chat features. They also include options to make calls over the internet without the need for complex phone line setups.

✨ Video calling: If mobile phones or computers have cameras and mic, instant messaging platforms let users make and receive video calls for face-to-face interactions.

✨ File sharing: With just a simple click on the share button, users can send out media files, documents, images and videos within a snap, provided the platform supports all the formats, which most of them do.

✨ Online presence indicators: Unlike email conversations, users need not keep checking their inboxes to see if their message has been sent, delivered and read by the recipient. IM platforms have these online status indicators that show if the person on the other side is available for a conversation or not.

✨ Push notifications: Instant messaging platforms keep users on the loop with real-time alerts on their devices and app notification pane. This way users will not miss an update, and stay consistent with brand experience and offerings.

✨ Chatbots: In recent years, AI Chatbots have changed the way people get support with a business. Users can simply visit a business website or app, start inquiries via the bots, and get things done, without any hassle. If needed, they can also avail the options to get human agent help via the options offered by the bot.

✨ AI Voice agents: This feature in an instant messaging app can help users avail support with the products or services through a voice-guided assistance from bots. These assistants help users in a human-like voice that can be personalized and customized by the users themselves.

Conclusion:

We hope the list provided will help you choose the right platform for your software; make sure you understand your business needs, check the feasibility of messaging SDKs with your app through a quick free demo and then go for choosing the chat API, SDK’s. The most sought-after and top businesses go for the top 3 in the list above; for more information on the chat API, talk to an expert who can clarify your queries in minutes.

Looking To Build Your Own Instant Messaging App?

Launch your own self-hosted instant messaging app in 24 hrs with MirrorFly AI CPaaS.

Contact Sales

• 100% customizable
• White-label solution
• Full source code

Frequently Asked Questions:

Related Articles

• Best Real-Time Chat Solutions for Business in 2025
• How To Build A Chat System: A Complete Guide in 2025