Key takeaways
- Free plans are limited in different ways: members, message history, storage, file size or features.
- Ask who owns the conversations and whether you can export them if you leave.
- Security should not depend on the plan: check encryption in transit and at rest on the free tier.
- C Chat is free for now with these limits: 50 members per team, 5 teams per account, 30 groups per team, 25 MB per attachment.
- Free for now means pricing may change, so read the provider's pricing page and terms.
Free is the right price for a lot of teams, especially small businesses and new projects. The risk is not paying nothing; it is discovering a limit after fifty people depend on the tool. Spend twenty minutes on the questions below before you invite your first employee.
Why it matters
Switching chat tools is expensive in a way that does not show up on an invoice. People have to install something new, re-learn habits, and the history you need for disputes or handovers is left behind. A free plan that fits your team for three years is a bargain. One that runs out in three months is not.
How free plans are usually limited
Every provider limits its free plan somewhere. The common patterns are:
| Limit type | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Members | How many people per workspace? Are guests counted? |
| Message history | Can you see and search all past messages, or only recent ones? |
| Storage and file size | What is the maximum file size? Is there a total storage cap? |
| Groups or channels | How many can you create? |
| Features | Are admin roles, exports or guest access reserved for paid plans? |
Different tools make different trade-offs, and the right one depends on your team. A desk-based team that lives in documents may care most about integrations; a field team may care most about photos, voice notes and phone sign-up. For a broader view, see the comparisons of Slack alternatives for deskless teams and Telegram alternatives for companies.
Data ownership on free plans
The question many teams skip is who controls the conversations.
- Is it a company workspace or a set of personal accounts? On consumer apps, the group often belongs to whoever created it, and history lives on individual phones.
- Can the business export what it needs? Look for a documented export for group conversations.
- What happens when someone leaves? You should be able to remove them from the workspace in one step.
- What do the terms and privacy policy say? Read them, especially sections on access to content and account deletion.
C Chat’s answers: the team is a workspace your company owns, team owners and admins can audit and export group conversations, and direct messages between people remain private. The privacy policy and terms are public.
Security on free plans
Security features should not disappear on the free tier. Check at least:
- Encryption in transit (TLS) between the app and the server.
- Encryption at rest on the provider’s servers, and whether keys are separated per customer.
- Who can read messages: the provider, your admins, or nobody but participants. End-to-end encryption and auditable encryption make different trade-offs.
- Sign-up and access: how accounts are verified and how quickly you can remove someone.
For a structured way to compare providers, use how to choose a secure messenger for business and the overview of secure business messaging apps.
C Chat free limits explained
C Chat is free for now. These are the limits that apply:
- Up to 50 members per team. Enough for most small businesses, a department or a regional operation.
- Up to 5 teams per account. Useful if you run separate companies or keep a client-facing workspace apart.
- Up to 30 groups per team. Plenty for one group per site, function and project.
- Files up to 25 MB per attachment. Covers photos, short videos, PDFs and voice notes.
Security is the same for everyone: TLS in transit, AES-256 at rest with per-organization keys. “Free for now” is honest wording: check the pricing page for current details before you plan a large rollout.
How C Chat helps
If your team is mostly on phones and in the field, C Chat covers the daily work: groups, direct messages, photos, videos, files, voice notes, location sharing, pinned messages, search and a one-tap 🚨 alert. Security companies on CGuard Pro get site groups with on-duty guards, office and client; see security guard communication apps compared. Once you choose, keep the new space calm with tips for reducing notification overload and simple chat etiquette.
Getting started
Write down your team size, the number of groups you need and your largest typical file. If they fit the limits above, create a team at getcchat.com/c and try it with one site or department for two weeks. For the full setup, see team chat for small businesses.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a completely free team chat app for business?
Several team chat apps offer free plans, but each one limits something, such as the number of members, how much history you can see, storage or advanced features. C Chat is free for now with limits of 50 members per team, 30 groups per team, 5 teams per account and 25 MB per attachment.
What is the catch with free team chat apps?
Usually one of three things: a cap that you hit as you grow, older messages that become hidden or deleted, or features you need being reserved for paid plans. Some free consumer apps also blur the line between personal and work accounts. Read the limits and the terms before you commit.
Can I export my data from a free team chat plan?
It depends on the provider and the plan, so check before you start. In C Chat, team owners and admins can audit and export the team's group conversations. Direct messages between people are private and are not part of that export.
Is a free messaging app secure enough for work?
It can be, if the free plan has the same protections as paid ones. Look for encryption in transit, encryption at rest, clear rules on who can access messages and a way to remove people instantly. C Chat applies TLS in transit and AES-256 at rest with per-organization keys on its free plan.