I use different messaging apps to stay in touch with different groups of people. Some examples include Slack for work, WhatsApp and Telegram for friends and family, Discord for gaming, and so on. Then there are work apps like Trello, Gmail, Twitter, and so on. Now, the problem with this approach is that I’ve multiple apps running at the same time. This is where all-in-one messenger apps for Windows and macOS come in.
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All-in-One Desktop Messenger and Productivity Apps
These all-in-one desktop apps let you manage multiple services/platforms from a single window. When you launch them, you also launch multiple apps like Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, Asana, and Slack in one go. The benefit is obvious. There are easy keyboard shortcuts to quickly switch between services, create workspaces to group apps by category like personal and professional, manage notifications globally or individually, and more.
We have updated this article to be in line with recent changes and new launches. The list now includes both all-in-one messaging and productivity apps because why limit ourselves to just sending messages when you can also manage tasks, conference calls, and teams?
1. All-in-One Messenger – For Just Messaging
All-in-One Messenger supports all messaging and chatting apps which also includes Gmail (GTalk), Instagram (DMs), etc. But there is no support for productivity apps like Asana or Google Drive. The UI is sleek and easy to use though on my Windows 11, the app kept crashing for some reason. Also, Twitter and Android Messages never loaded.
All-in-One Messenger is good for the average user who wants quick access to a few messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. in a single UI. Advanced users would be better off with one of the apps shared below.
Pros:
- Simple and intuitive design
Cons:
- Does not support productivity apps
- No support for workspaces
- Limited apps supported
Platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux
Download All-in-One Messenger (Free)
2. IM+ – All-in-One Message for Desktop/Mobile
IM+ is similar to the all-in-one messaging app I discussed above with one important distinction. It works on iOS too but skips Windows for some reason. So now you can access all your favorite chat apps on macOS as well as iPhone. That’s the USP. Pretty much everything else remains the same which means only messaging apps, no productivity apps, and some customization options, and that’s it.
IM+ also brings all the benefits of being a native macOS app to the table. For instance, even when you close the app window, IM+ will continue running in the background. Talking about the features, there aren’t many.
IM+ costs $18 one-time on the MacBook while iOS pricing begins at $2.99/month. They also have a business plan that costs $8/use/month.
Pros
- IM+ has an impressive UI
- Works on both iOS and macOS
- Native macOS features
- Limited feature set for the price
Cons
- It’s kinda expensive
- Supports only 24 services
Platforms: macOS and iOS
Check Out IM+
3. Station – Open-Source and Feature-Rich
Station is not only free but also open-source which is important because you will be giving the app access to so many apps. That means too much data along with a peak inside your personal and professional life. I personally use and prefer it due to privacy and security reasons. The all-in-one app support not only messaging apps but also a host of other productivity and business apps like GitHub, Todoist, Evernote, and more.
Station comes with advanced features like DND mode so you can turn off notifications for a set period of time. Then there is Focus mode which is nothing but a fancy way of saying you can disable notifications for individual apps.
Station says you can log in to multiple accounts on the same platform but whenever I try that with Twitter, it doesn’t work. However, it worked fine with Trello and Google Calendar so I guess it’s a bug or something on my end. I did like the quick switch which automatically saves the last app I used so if I have way too many apps added to Station, I can switch go back and forth.
Pros:
- Open-source
- Advanced search
- Support messaging and productivity apps
- Smart dock
- DND and Focus modes
- Install Chrome extensions (Chrome should be default browser)
- Notification Center
- Quick Switch
Cons:
- Can’t create multiple workspaces
Note: Ferdi is another open-source all-in-one app that you can try if you are facing some issues with Station.
Platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux
Download Station (Free)
4. Rambox – Enterprise Users
Rambox was designed for businesses and enterprise users who are running a company. Needless to say, Rambox is not free and the code is not open-source.
You do get what you pay for and it shows. Rambox is polished, UI is clean and beautiful, and everything just works. Sign in using your Google/Facebook account and Rambox will save all your added services in the cloud so you can access your entire workspace on any computer. Talking about workspace, this is the only all-in-one app that supports creating multiple workspaces.
Rambox has more features than you know what to do with. Apart from what other apps above offer, Rambox has a built-in spell-checker, a to-do app to create quick tasks, an advanced search for any text inside any app, and more. And then you can customize the look and appearance using themes and manage how notifications and apps function. Most features are locked under the pro plan but even the free plan is better than the competition.
The basic/free plan has no limits to the number of apps you can add to a single workspace. The Pro plan costs $7/monthly or $210 one-time and unlocks workspace, dashboard, extensions, spell-checker, and more. For really advanced users only. Enterprise offers branding and team management with roles and permissions features and will cost $14/month/user.
Pros:
- Beautiful and functional UI with themes
- Huge list of supported apps
- Multiple workspaces
- Spell checker
- To-do list and widgets in personal dashboard
- Focus mode and notification management
- Lock apps with password or FIDO (2FA) security
- Smart hibernation to save power and resources
Cons:
- Closed-source code
- Can be expensive for paid users
Platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux
Download Rambox
5. Franz
Franz has a business model that is quite similar to the one adopted by Rambox. It has a free plan with some limits and paid plans for professionals and business users.
Because they have a business model, the UI and feature set are polished. You get account sync across a host of devices when you create an account. Complete control over how notifications are sent and when. While the free plan is ad-supported which can be annoying, paid users get spell checker and workspaces. Enterprise users get the ability to add custom websites, manage roles and permissions, proxies, and 2FA security.
You can easily disable all the notifications and sounds by clicking on a single button. There are also some cool features in the app like GPU Acceleration and support for various languages.
The biggest issue I have with Franz is that free users can’t add more than 3 services. That would have been still okay, but even pro users who pay $3.99/month get to add only 6 services. That’s too expensive. And there are no lifetime plans like Rambox either.
Pros:
- Beautiful and functional UI
- Notification management
- Create workspaces
- Cloud sync
- Extension support
- Spell checker
- Run multiple instances
Cons:
- Free plan is ad-supported
- Both free and paid accounts are quite limited
Platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux
Download Franz
All-in-One Messenger and Productivity Apps
I would recommend Rambox if you are looking for a free all-in-one app that can handle both messaging and productivity apps with ease. If data, privacy, and security are on your mind, Station or Ferdi are open-source and work well. If you have money to shell, Rambox’s one-time license is worth looking at but only for advanced users. IM+ is good if you want messaging apps on your smartphone too if is limited to the Apple ecosystem and expensive. I like Franz too but the limit on the number of services and ads is killing it.
