Compare
Hasarak vs Google Chat
Google Chat comes with Google Workspace and lives next to Gmail, Drive and Meet. Hasarak is a dedicated chat and docs workspace for engineering teams and their AI tools.
Side by side
| Hasarak | Google Chat | |
|---|---|---|
| Spaces or channels with threads | ✓ | ✓ |
| Vim-style keyboard navigation | Minimal style | — |
| Docs next to chat | Pages, co-edited, with Mermaid | Google Docs |
| MCP server for any MCP client | ✓ | — |
| Desktop and mobile apps | Not released yet | ✓ |
| Custom integrations | One HTTP endpoint | Chat apps, webhooks |
| Included with Google Workspace | — | ✓ |
| Video meetings | — | Google Meet |
Why teams switch from Google Chat
A chat tool, not a sidebar
Hasarak is a full workspace of its own, with one inbox for mentions, thread replies and DMs.
Built for engineers and their agents
Claude Code, Cursor and your scripts sign in to the workspace over MCP, and your own tools connect through one HTTP endpoint.
Keyboard first if you want it
⌘K jumps anywhere; the Minimal style adds Vim keys and a : command line.
Who should pick Google Chat
If your company already runs on Google Workspace, Google Chat is there at no extra cost, signs in with the same accounts and sits right inside Gmail. It works well with Drive files, Calendar and Meet, and admins manage it with the rest of Workspace. For teams whose chat is mostly quick coordination around Docs and Sheets, that integration is hard to beat.
Who should pick Hasarak
Engineering teams tend to outgrow chat in a Gmail sidebar. Hasarak is a dedicated workspace with an inbox that collects mentions, thread replies and DMs, so nothing gets buried. It keeps specs and runbooks as pages with Mermaid diagrams next to the channel that discusses them, and any MCP client can sign in to the workspace and work with it as you.
Using both
Most teams that move keep Google Workspace for email, files and meetings. Paste Docs and Meet links into Hasarak as you would anywhere else, and use Hasarak for the conversation itself.
Questions
What is a good Google Chat alternative for developers?
Developer teams usually look for faster navigation and better links to their code tools. Hasarak, Slack, Zulip and Mattermost are common picks. Hasarak adds docs with Mermaid diagrams next to chat and a built-in MCP server.
Can I keep Google Workspace and use Hasarak for chat?
Yes. Keep Gmail, Drive, Calendar and Meet, and move day-to-day team conversation and engineering docs to Hasarak. Link Google Docs and Meet calls from any message.
Google Chat vs Slack for engineering teams?
Google Chat is the easy choice when the company already pays for Workspace. Slack has the bigger app ecosystem. Teams that care most about speed, docs next to chat and connecting their AI tools often pick Hasarak instead.
Does Hasarak have video calls like Google Meet?
No. Hasarak has no voice or video calls; paste a Meet link when you need one.
Related
- Hasarak vs ElementElement is the best-known Matrix client, built for federated, end-to-end encrypted and self-hosted messaging. Hasarak is hosted team chat and docs for engineering teams and their AI tools.→
- Hasarak vs TwistTwist is calm, thread-first messaging for async teams. Hasarak pairs channels and threads with an inbox, pages for docs and an MCP server for your AI tools.→
- Hasarak vs SlackSlack is the default for team chat. Hasarak is for teams who want chat, docs and their AI tools in one workspace, without add-ons.→
- Hasarak vs Microsoft TeamsTeams is built around meetings and the Microsoft 365 suite. Hasarak is built around fast written conversation, with docs and your AI tools in the same window.→