Naven
Comparison
Naven vs Slack
The short answer: Slack requires no phone number and an app install; Naven requires neither and runs entirely in a browser. Slack moderates after a report; Naven screens every message before it sends against ten published categories. Slack is not end-to-end encrypted by default, and neither is Naven.
Naven vs Slack at a glance
| Naven | Slack | |
|---|---|---|
| Phone number required | Never. Google, email, or a guest session | Not required — email based |
| App install required | Nothing. The whole product runs in a browser | Apps everywhere plus an excellent web client |
| End-to-end encrypted | No — and Naven says so. Pre-send screening and E2EE cannot both be true | No. Enterprise Key Management is a paid, non-E2EE alternative |
| Platforms | Any browser: Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, iOS, Android | iOS, Android, desktop, web |
| Communities | Public and invite-only channels, plus an AI newsroom | Workspaces and channels — built for organisations |
| Age model | Age bands; under-13 accounts get the strictest screening, and are suspended pending guardian approval if it is repeatedly tripped | Business product; not designed for minors at all |
| Moderation model | Pre-send. Seven published categories, checked before delivery | Workspace admins; no platform-level content safety |
What Slack does better
The best channel-based workplace tool there is, with deep integrations and search.
Where Slack gets in the way
It is priced and shaped for companies. Free workspaces hide history, it has no concept of a family, and inviting your aunt to a Slack workspace is a strange thing to do.
Who should stay with Slack
You are coordinating work inside a company that already pays for it.
Who Naven is for instead
Naven is built for a group that spans devices and will not all install the same app — a family across iPhone and Android, a club with one member on a school Chromebook, friends in three countries with three different SIMs. It is also built for a parent who wants a real answer about safety: messages are screened before they send — slurs, strong language and ten kinds of conduct, all published in full — while ordinary disagreement is deliberately left alone.
Moving a group off Slack
The hard part of leaving Slack is never the software, it is the eight people who have to agree. Two things make that easier here. First, nobody has to install anything or hand over a number, so "I'll do it later" stops being a reason. Second, you do not have to move everything at once — start one group, keep Slack for the people who are staying, and let the rest follow when they see the link works.
- Open Naven in the browser you are reading this in and sign in with Google or an email address.
- Create the group and send the link into your existing Slack chat — that is where everyone already is.
- People open the link and they are in. On Slack they would first need the app installed.
- Keep Slack for anyone who wants it. Naven does not need to be your only messenger to be useful.
Frequently asked
Is Naven a good Slack alternative?
It depends what you want from Slack. The best channel-based workplace tool there is, with deep integrations and search. If that is the part you rely on, stay. If what bothers you is the install requirement, the device fragmentation, or the fact that harm is only handled after somebody reports it, then Naven is built for exactly that complaint.
Is Naven end-to-end encrypted like Slack?
No. Content that never reaches a server cannot be screened before it sends, so pre-send screening and end-to-end encryption cannot both be true. Naven chose screening because it is built to be usable by children. Naven is transport-encrypted throughout, publishes no member directory, and does not profile or sell what you send. If end-to-end encryption matters more to you, use Signal for those conversations.
Can I use Naven without downloading anything?
Yes. Messaging, group chats, channels, voice calls and video calls all run in a web browser on any operating system. There is no app to install and no app store account required.
Does Naven need my phone number?
No. You sign in with Google, with an email address, or as a guest with neither. There is no phone number field anywhere in Naven.
Is Naven free?
Yes — free, with no advertising, no paid tier, no algorithmic feed and no data sale.