Franz
Franz: A practical desktop hub for consolidating multiple chat services and accounts. Ranked #24 of 63 in Team Chat Apps by our editors (6.8/10); pricing: Free plan · 14-day trial; best for users consolidating multiple chat services on desktop.
At a glance
- Editor score6.8 / 10
- PricingFree plan · 14-day trial
- Best forUsers consolidating multiple chat services on desktop
- Free planYes
- Founded2016 · Vienna, Austria
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Combines 12 team-chat services in one desktop window
- Supports multiple accounts, workspaces, notifications, and unread badges
- Offers unified search, Magic Bar actions, and optional AI features
Where it doesn't
- Runs only on Windows, macOS, and Linux
- It is an aggregator, not a standalone team-chat workspace
- Some advanced features require paid plans
Our verdict on Franz
Franz is a desktop workspace that brings messaging, email, Signal, calendars, and other web-based tools into one application. It is intended for recruiters, consultants, founders, operators, and teams managing several communication services, with support for Slack, Microsoft Teams, Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zoho Cliq, Twist, Chatwork, Zulip, Cisco Webex Teams, Yammer, Element, and Nextcloud Talk. Separate sessions, service tabs, desktop notifications, unread badges, and workspaces help keep accounts and communication contexts distinct. Franz is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
The pricing structure starts with a free Starter plan supporting up to three messaging services, one workspace, and basic AI running locally. Pro costs $60 per user per year with annual billing and adds unlimited messaging services and workspaces, Smart Translate, Privacy Shield, and App lock. Max costs $120 per user per year and adds Franz Cloud AI, 5M AI tokens per month, 50 web-research runs per month, and Sender intelligence. Franz Lifetime costs $239 as a one-time per-person license and includes unlimited services, unlimited workspaces, every future Franz update, and one license per person. A 14-day free trial is also available, while the displayed annual starting price is $5 per user per month.
Its main strength is consolidation: users can manage multiple services through one interface while using cross-service search, Magic Bar actions, and workspaces for organization. Email features include priority sorting, Sender intelligence, and semantic search, while native Signal adds transcription, summaries, and action items. AI can be local, provider-connected, or Franz Cloud-based, depending on the feature and plan. Choose Franz when reducing desktop app switching matters more than having a single native team-chat system. Choose another option if you need a standalone channel-and-workspace product or support beyond its desktop operating systems.
Your product? Our editors can test Franz in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
Franz pricing
All 4 Franz plans and prices →
Franz fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Channels | Yes |
| Guest access | Not verified |
| Message history | Not verified |
| Integrations | Slack, Microsoft Teams, Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zoho Cliq, Twist, Chatwork, Zulip, Cisco Webex Teams, Yammer, Element, Nextcloud Talk |
| Supported platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Maximum members | Not verified |
| Free trial | 14 days · no card needed |
| Deployment | Desktop |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Compliance & security | GDPR |
| Support | Email, Tickets, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 75+ integrations: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zoho Cliq, Twist … See all → |
| Pricing | Free plan · 14-day trial (source) |
| Website | meetfranz.com |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Franz integrations
Franz lists 75+ integrations on its own site — the 17 named here are the ones its pages call out.
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
- Mattermost
- Rocket.Chat
- Zoho Cliq
- Twist
- Chatwork
- Zulip
- Cisco Webex Teams
- Yammer
- Element
- Nextcloud Talk
- Gmail
- Telegram
- Signal
- Discord
Alternatives to Franz
- Microsoft TeamsA broad team chat workspace with a free plan and deep Microsoft 365 integration.9.4
- SlackA capable team-chat hub for integration-heavy teams, with limited free history.9.3
- Zoho CliqA broad team chat suite with strong Zoho ecosystem fit and a capable free plan.9.1
Also Ranked In
Franz is ranked in 2 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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