Chat room
Slack-style chat, already in your workspace
Channels, DMs, presence, typing indicators, and unread badges. Plus a floating chat widget on every page, so the conversation follows you through the workspace.
Chat is the real-time layer of Openbook: channels for teams and topics, DMs for one-on-ones, presence so you know who's around, typing indicators, and unread badges that keep you honest. If your team has used Slack, they'll be at home in the first minute.
The difference is where it lives. A floating chat widget rides along on every page, so you can talk about the board while looking at the board. No alt-tabbing to a separate chat app to discuss the work you just left behind.
What you get
Everything inside Chat
Channels
Organize conversation by team, project, or topic. Public discussion stays findable instead of trapped in DMs.
Direct messages
Quick one-on-one conversations for the things that don't need an audience.
Presence
See who's online before you ping them. Small thing, saves a hundred tiny frustrations a week.
Typing indicators and unread badges
Know when a reply is coming and what you haven't read. The little signals that make chat feel alive.
Floating chat widget
Chat rides on every page in Openbook, so conversations happen next to the work they're about.
Real-time everything
Built on Openbook's real-time sync, so messages land instantly for everyone in the room.
Made for moments like these
- Discuss a kanban card in the chat widget without leaving the board
- Run a #launch channel during release week with everyone's presence visible
- DM a quick question instead of scheduling a fifteen-minute call
- Move the team off a separate chat license and cancel a bill
One less tool to pay for
Teams typically use Chat to replace:
See how Openbook stacks up in our comparison guides.
FAQ
Common questions
Can Chat really replace Slack for us?+
For team chat, yes: channels, DMs, presence, typing indicators, and unread badges are all here. And because it's inside Openbook, the chat sits next to your boards, docs, and feed, which is the part a standalone chat app can't do.
What is the floating chat widget?+
A chat panel available on every page of Openbook. You can keep a conversation going while working in a board, doc, or dashboard, so discussing the work doesn't mean leaving it.
Is chat actually real-time?+
Yes. Openbook runs on real-time sync, so messages, presence, and typing indicators update live. It feels like a dedicated chat app because it behaves like one.
What about chat history on the free plan?+
The free plan gets you started with unlimited rooms and members. The Pro plan, $15 per user per month ($12 annual), adds unlimited history, so long-running channels keep their full archive.
Add a Chat room in seconds
Every room type is included on the free plan. Compose the workspace your team deserves.