Back in 2013, building a free enterprise social network meant signing up for one of a handful of standalone tools. Most of those tools are now gone, absorbed, or renamed. The idea did not die, though. It grew up. The activity feeds and internal communities that felt novel a decade ago are now built into the software your team already uses, and a new category of employee-experience platforms has taken over the high end.
This guide does two things: it tells you honestly what happened to the free enterprise social networks people still search for, and it shows you the free and low-cost options that actually work in 2026.
Key takeaways
- Socialcast (shut down by VMware) and Hall (acquired by Atlassian, then folded away) no longer exist. Do not try to sign up for them.
- Yammer is not gone, it was renamed Microsoft Viva Engage in 2023 and now ships inside Microsoft 365.
- Workplace from Meta is also being shut down, with Workvivo (by Zoom) as Meta’s official migration partner.
- The free enterprise social network function now lives inside freemium suites: Microsoft Viva Engage, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Bitrix24, and Zoho Connect all have free or low-cost tiers.
- Two names from the original 2013 list survived: Bitrix24 and Igloo Software are still active.
What happened to the free enterprise social networks of 2013
If you landed here looking for one of the older free tools, here is the current status of each, because several are no longer options.
Socialcast is discontinued. VMware acquired Socialcast and later shut it down, issuing an end-of-life notice to customers. It is not available today. Igloo Software publicly offered a migration path to Socialcast customers at the time, which is part of why Igloo is still on the list below.
Yammer is now Microsoft Viva Engage. Microsoft rebranded Yammer to Viva Engage in 2023. The product did not disappear; it moved fully inside Microsoft 365, where it powers company-wide communities, leadership posts, and internal feeds. If you have a qualifying Microsoft 365 plan, you already have it.
Hall is gone. Hall was acquired by Atlassian and folded into HipChat, which was itself later discontinued and its technology sold to Slack. There is nothing left to sign up for.
Bitrix24 and Igloo Software are still here. Both survived and remain active in 2026. Bitrix24 still offers a free plan, and Igloo continues as a digital-workplace and intranet platform.
Worth noting for anyone evaluating today: Workplace from Meta, a popular option after this article first ran, is also being shut down. Meta is winding it down through 2025 and 2026 and named Workvivo (by Zoom) as its official migration partner, with Microsoft Viva Engage as another common destination. The lesson is the same one the 2013 list teaches: standalone social platforms get absorbed, so favor tools tied to a suite you already pay for.
What an enterprise social network does today
The core idea has not changed. An enterprise social network gives employees activity feeds, profiles, group discussions, file sharing, and a searchable record of internal conversation, using an interface familiar from consumer social media. What changed is packaging. Instead of a separate app, this now usually arrives as one feature of a broader platform: a collaboration suite like Microsoft 365 or a dedicated employee-experience platform focused on company-wide communication and culture. That shift is why almost every practical option in 2026 is either free inside a suite you already have, or a paid platform that bundles social features with intranet and comms tools.
Free and low-cost enterprise social platforms in 2026
These are the options most teams evaluate now. Prices are current as of 2026 and worth confirming on each vendor’s site before you commit.
| Platform | Best for | Free / starting price |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Viva Engage (ex-Yammer) | Company-wide communities in Microsoft 365 shops | Included with qualifying Microsoft 365 plans |
| Slack | Channel-based conversation and light community | Free tier; paid from about $8.75/user/mo |
| Bitrix24 | All-in-one intranet, tasks, and social feed | Free plan; Basic $49/mo (5 users) |
| Zoho Connect | Budget SMBs, especially existing Zoho users | Free plan; low-cost paid tiers |
| Workvivo (by Zoom) | Company-wide social and employee experience | Custom quote |
| Igloo Software | Intranet-style digital workplace | Custom quote |
How to choose
The fastest way to narrow this down is to check what you already pay for. If your company runs Microsoft 365, Viva Engage is already included and costs nothing extra to turn on. If your team lives in Slack or Microsoft Teams, their free tiers cover a lot of the same ground before you buy anything.
Go with a dedicated free plan like Bitrix24 or Zoho Connect if you want an intranet-plus-social feel without a Microsoft or Slack footprint. Step up to a paid platform like Workvivo or Igloo when internal communication and company culture are a priority in their own right, especially for large or frontline workforces, and you need reach, analytics, and a polished employee experience. Whatever you pick, read the free-tier limits closely: caps on users, message history, storage, and integrations are where free plans push you toward paid ones.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free enterprise social network in 2026?
Yes, but mostly as free tiers rather than standalone free apps. Microsoft Viva Engage is included with Microsoft 365, Slack and Microsoft Teams have free tiers, and Bitrix24 and Zoho Connect both offer free plans. Truly standalone free enterprise social networks like the ones from 2013 have largely been absorbed into these suites.
What happened to Socialcast?
Socialcast was acquired by VMware and later discontinued, with an end-of-life notice sent to customers. It is no longer available. Igloo Software offered a migration path for former Socialcast users and remains active today.
Is Yammer still around?
Yammer was renamed Microsoft Viva Engage in 2023. The functionality did not go away, it is now part of Microsoft 365 and handles company-wide communities, leadership communication, and internal feeds.
What replaced Workplace from Meta?
Workplace from Meta is being shut down, winding down through 2025 and 2026. Meta named Workvivo (by Zoom) as its official migration partner, and Microsoft Viva Engage is another common destination for organizations moving off it.
What is the best free option for a small business?
If you already use Microsoft 365, start with Viva Engage at no extra cost. Otherwise, Bitrix24 and Zoho Connect both have solid free plans that combine a social feed with intranet and task features, and Slack’s free tier works well for smaller, conversation-first teams.
The bottom line
The free enterprise social network from 2013 did not vanish so much as get absorbed. Socialcast and Hall are gone, Yammer became Microsoft Viva Engage, and even Workplace from Meta is on its way out. The practical move in 2026 is to use what you already pay for: turn on Viva Engage if you have Microsoft 365, lean on the free tiers of Slack, Bitrix24, or Zoho Connect if you do not, and step up to Workvivo or Igloo when company-wide communication is worth a dedicated platform. Check the free-tier limits before you build on any of them.
Comparing enterprise social platforms for your team? Start with the leaders in the category.