Naven
Comparison
Naven vs Microsoft Teams
The short answer: Microsoft Teams requires no phone number and an app install; Naven requires neither and runs entirely in a browser. Microsoft Teams moderates after a report; Naven screens every message before it sends against ten published categories. Microsoft Teams is not end-to-end encrypted by default, and neither is Naven.
Naven vs Microsoft Teams at a glance
| Naven | Microsoft Teams | |
|---|---|---|
| Phone number required | Never. Google, email, or a guest session | Not required — a Microsoft account |
| App install required | Nothing. The whole product runs in a browser | Apps plus a web client |
| End-to-end encrypted | No — and Naven says so. Pre-send screening and E2EE cannot both be true | Only for one-to-one calls, opt-in |
| Platforms | Any browser: Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, iOS, Android | iOS, Android, desktop, web |
| Communities | Public and invite-only channels, plus an AI newsroom | Teams and channels |
| Age model | Age bands; under-13 accounts get the strictest screening, and are suspended pending guardian approval if it is repeatedly tripped | Business product |
| Moderation model | Pre-send. Seven published categories, checked before delivery | Tenant admin policies; no consumer safety layer |
What Microsoft Teams does better
Deep Office integration, real meeting scheduling, and enterprise compliance controls Naven has no equivalent for.
Where Microsoft Teams gets in the way
Heavy, slow to start, and confusing across personal and work accounts. Nobody has ever set up Teams for a friend group.
Who should stay with Microsoft Teams
Your organisation runs on Microsoft 365.
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 Microsoft Teams
The hard part of leaving Microsoft Teams 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 Microsoft Teams 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 Microsoft Teams chat — that is where everyone already is.
- People open the link and they are in. On Microsoft Teams they would first need the app installed.
- Keep Microsoft Teams for anyone who wants it. Naven does not need to be your only messenger to be useful.
Frequently asked
Is Naven a good Microsoft Teams alternative?
It depends what you want from Microsoft Teams. Deep Office integration, real meeting scheduling, and enterprise compliance controls Naven has no equivalent for. 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 Microsoft Teams?
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.