Fortunately, you can remove this restriction by paying 4 EUR per month, which I did. But after a month, I came across some wonderful Franz alternatives that offer more feature for free, such as password protect the selective app and custom channels. So, what are we waiting for, let’s save you some money and check out these Franz alternatives? Read: 10 Best Project Management Tools for Small Business
5 Best Franz Alternatives
1. All-in-One Messenger
First one in our list is a popular chrome app All-in-One Messenger. Needless to say, since it’s a Chrome app, you need to have the Chrome browser installed to use this messenger app. Once installed, the app would sit on your Launchpad or Desktop as a separate app meaning you don’t have to fire up chrome every time you need to access the All-in-one Messenger. As usual, the app will let you create tabs for every messaging service you add. Simply click on the settings icon to add services and proceed with a one-time log-in. Much like Franz, you can mute sounds and notifications for every service individually. And it also supports multiple accounts on each client, so you can have two different WhatsApp or Slack account running inside a single app.
The only thing that bugs me the most, is unlike Franz which support 69 services, All-in-one Messenger only supports 31 apps. For example, I use Trello a lot on Franz, but unfortunately, it was missing in this app. So, thumbs down for me. That said, you’ll get most of the common ones though. All-in-One Messenger is available for any OS running Chrome browser i.e. macOS, Windows, and Linux. Pros
Basic and intuitive UI Supports multiple accounts
Cons
Missing work-group apps Requires Google Chrome Consumes so much RAM than Franz does.
Download All-in-one Messenger (Free)
2. IM+
IM+ is one of the better choices for all-in-one messaging in the Mac app store. You get a clean UI, a relatively better workflow as well. But, it might not be the perfect choice given the price tag on the app. The app offers better services than all-in-one Messenger extension but you are not limited to a bunch of services with better customization options. But what really separates IM+ from the rest is that it is available for iOS and Android as well. So, you can have a seamless experience on macOS, Windows 8 phone, iOS, and Android smartphone. IM+ is free to use on Android and iOS, however, if you want fully functional macOS and Windows version, you need to shell out $20 approx.
IM+ has a minimal user interface. You can access all the services by hitting the icons from the sidebar. Going to the Preferences, you can choose options like notifications, sound, etc. Notifications work better since IM+ is a native Mac app, not something based on Chrome. IM+ also brings you all the benefits of being a native macOS app. For instance, even when you close the app window, IM+ will be running in the background. Talking about the features, there aren’t many. But the team is reportedly working towards bringing support for Skype and Slack calls. So the only problem that lies here is the price. As of now, IM+ support 15 services including WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Facebook, Twitter, Slack, Skype, Gmail, Hangouts, LinkedIn Messaging, Instagram, SnapMap, WeChat, ChatWork, and Tinder. Pros
Simple UI Customizable configuration Better integration with macOS Navigate through your accounts using hotkeys Cross Platform app
Cons
Not worth the money
Download IM+ ($20 approx)
3. Rambox
Pretty much the most professional of all, Rambox will probably be the alternate choice for most of the Franz users. Not only it offers more services but is also multi-platform and multi-device. Rambox is a perfect manager for personal and workspace messaging apps. Why we say it is the most professional of all is for the features it offers. For starters, you can set up a passcode to the app. Every time you open the app you’ll be prompted for the passcode hence protecting the 150+ messaging services it offers. Apart from separate controls for sounds and notifications, the app also offers Do Not Disturb mode to silent the app completely. And if you don’t see service in the long list provided, just click on the custom app tab and put in the URL to insert the service in your list.
Additionally, you can log in to the app and it’ll save your data and apps preferences on the cloud. This allows login to the Rambox app on any other device and gets your messaging services just the way you set them before. Very useful when you change a device. Not only it includes all the common ones, but Rambox also offers services like Mattermost, Intercom, Pushbullet, Teams and more. But not all the additional services come for free. The extra services come with the premium version along with ad block and spell check features. Rambox supports up to 91 services and is available for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Pros
Password protected Do Not Disturb mode Multi-device support Custom Service addition
Cons
Paid professional messaging apps
Download Rambox (Free, $4 monthly for premium)
4. Manageyum
Interface like a premium browser and loaded with all the needed features. Manageyum will be your choice if you need a simple yet best all in one messaging app. Manageyum has web-based interface support for all your messaging apps. It feels like a browser set to your personal needs. The app supports pretty much all needed apps like Slack, WhatsApp, TweetDeck etc. You might also find some uncommon services listed in the app interface.
Like other all-in-one messaging apps Manageyum also supports individual controls for sounds and notifications for the messaging services. Also, like Rambox, you can add customs services here too. Just copy the URL and you should be able to add the service to your list. Another cool feature we found in Manageyum is the Overview tab. You can see what has been happening in your messenger services all in one place. It’s like a notification center which comes in quite handy if you’re a busy person. The app is free until you want a lifetime free upgrade or wanna support the Manageyum community. Manageyum supports unlimited custom apps but is only available for macOS. Pros
Optimized for web apps Custom app addition
Cons
High Price for lifetime upgrades
Download Manageyum (Free, $47 for lifetime upgrades)
5. Station
A look-alike of Franz with a bunch of extra features from all competitors, Station will blow you away. The ease of access and third-party app integration apart from messaging services will definitely make you think twice. The station app interface is extremely minimal yet the most intuitive one. All the selected messaging services line up on the left with only the icons showing. Once you log-in to the app and line up your services, you never have to do it again. The app supports multiple devices. In fact, you can make your teams sign in too and see what services are being used by them. My favorite thing about Station is that you can make Skype video calls, while Franz only supports skype text chat only.
Station integrates with 1Password so if you are a user, you don’t even have to set up a service, all your logins will be taken care of. The app also has the Do Not Disturb mode and a Notification center where you can see updates from all apps. Additionally, there is a silent button to mute it all together at once. As if that’s not it, there is a small icon on the left panel to see the CPU usage of the app. What more do you need now? Station supports the most number of services among all apps in this list going up to 500+. It’s also available for both Windows and Mac. Pros
Completely Free 1Password integration Quick search and jump Support 500+ service include little known such as Asana, Trello, DropBox, Office 365, etc
Cons
Custom Service addition
Download Station (free)
Which are the best Franz alternatives?
Not the best header this time I’d say. Because clearly there cannot be one best choice. All the apps offer something unique and fit best for people in accordance with their needs. In fact, our team here uses all different apps. But we sure have left behind Franz, that I can promise. I use the Station app for all my messaging services along with cloud services. It lets me open certain files in the station app itself rather than a new window. And since the Station app has a very minimal interface, its almost like editing a document in full-screen. Moreover, to optimize the system usage, Station puts the most unused service in sleep mode until I open it next. The app even notifies you when it does so. So make your best judgment and let us know your best pick in the comments below. Read: How to Hide Apps (Like Tinder) on Android
