The Google Chat alternative that keeps your Google calendar.
Keep Gmail and Docs. Move the conversations into SphereOne, where channels, threads, client rooms, meetings and files share one workspace, your Google Calendar events sit alongside, and SphereOne Assist catches you up on what you missed.
The short answer
SphereOne is a Google Chat alternative for teams that want a fuller chat and client workspace without leaving Google behind. People connect their Google accounts, so Google Calendar events show in SphereOne and Google Meet links can be attached to meetings, while chat, client rooms, files and SphereOne Assist live in one place. Google Chat history imports from Google Takeout.
Why teams switch from Google Chat
What changes when chat, meetings, files and clients share one workspace.
SphereOne vs Google Chat at a glance
Google Chat’s prices change and differ by region, so we link to them rather than quote them.
| Capability | SphereOne | Google Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Team chat | Channels, DMs, threads, polls and voice notes | Spaces, group chats and DMs |
| Meetings | Built in: calls, screen sharing and guest links, up to 300 people on Business | Google Meet, a separate Workspace app |
| Files | SphereOne Box, with expiring links, versions and trash recovery | Google Drive |
| Calendar | Built in, with Google and Outlook events alongside | Google Calendar |
| People outside the company | Client accounts that only reach the rooms you add them to; guests join calls by link | External people, if your Workspace admin allows them |
| AI assistant | SphereOne Assist on every paid plan; not on Free | Gemini, depending on the Workspace edition |
| How it is bought | Free plan; Starter US$8 and Business US$15 per person a month | As part of a Google Workspace edition |
| History export | Workspace data export on Starter and up | Google Takeout, one person’s chats at a time |
It’s time to switch if
- Your team uses Gmail and Docs but finds Google Chat too thin for project and client work.
- You work with clients outside your Google Workspace domain.
- You want threads, polls, reminders and a daily AI brief inside the chat itself.
Google Chat may still fit better if
- You edit Docs and Sheets together all day and want chat in the same browser tabs.
- Your organization wants one Google bill and one admin console for everything.
Switch with your Google Chat history
Nothing is written until an admin confirms the preview, and any import can be undone.
The full Google Chat import guide- Export with Google Takeout. Takeout exports the spaces, group chats and direct messages of the person who runs it. Add Takeouts from several people to cover more spaces.
- Check the preview. SphereOne shows the rooms, people and message counts it found. Nothing is written yet.
- Decide people and rooms. Link each person to a member, invite them or keep their name only. Create each room fresh, merge it into one you have, or skip it.
- Import, and undo if you need to. Set a cut-off date for the day you switch. Undo removes only what the import created.
Questions about moving from Google Chat
Can we keep using Gmail and Google Calendar with SphereOne?
Yes. Keep Gmail and Docs as they are. Each person connects their Google account, their Google Calendar events show in SphereOne read-only, and meetings can carry a Google Meet link.
Can I import Google Chat history into SphereOne?
Yes, from Google Takeout. Takeout covers only the spaces, group chats and DMs of the person who runs it, so collect Takeouts from several people to cover more. Spaces come in as private channels, with threads, reactions and attachments. Imports run for workspace admins on Starter and up; on a free trial you can upload an export and see the full preview first.
Does SphereOne create Google Meet links?
Yes. Once your Google account is connected, choose Google Meet when you schedule a meeting and SphereOne adds the link.
What is the best Google Chat alternative?
If you want to keep Google for email and documents but need fuller chat, meetings and client rooms, SphereOne is built for that. Slack suits teams that want a large app directory; Microsoft Teams suits companies moving to Microsoft 365.
Comparing something else?
- Slack alternative
SphereOne vs Slack
Chat like Slack, with meetings, files, a calendar and client rooms in the same workspace.
- Microsoft Teams alternative
SphereOne vs Microsoft Teams
Chat, meetings and files in one place, with Outlook events alongside and your Teams history.
- WhatsApp alternative
SphereOne vs WhatsApp
Client and team groups the company owns, instead of chats on personal phones.
- Mattermost alternative
SphereOne vs Mattermost
Channels and threads without servers to run, plus meetings, files and client rooms.
- Discord alternative
SphereOne vs Discord
Company accounts, single sign-on and client rooms, instead of personal Discord logins.
- Telegram alternative
SphereOne vs Telegram
Work accounts and client rooms the company controls, instead of personal numbers.
Facts about Google Chat come from Google Chat’s own pages, checked on October 30, 2026. They can change, so check them before you decide. Product names and logos belong to their owners; SphereOne isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by them.
Switch from Google Chat with your history
Start free and see the full preview of your import, or book a walkthrough with our team.