Blink vs. Workplace by Meta: comparison for 2022

Trying to find the Workplace alternative for your modern mobile workforce? See how Blink and Workplace by Meta compare and decide for yourself.
What we'll cover

In the modern era of remote work, technology is the key to a productive workplace. This means you have tons of options available for an organization’s internal collaboration tools.

Today, we’ll compare Workplace by Meta and Blink to see if Blink can be the Workplace alternative for you.

Blink vs. Workplace by Meta — quick facts

Chart comparing Blink and Workplace by Meta.

Workplace comes from a team known for creating social platforms, while Blink has always been focused on professional lives.

These very different backgrounds affect the way both companies design solutions.

Blink and Workplace share many features, but ultimately Workplace by Meta is a communication tool, and Blink’s platform is designed to be used as an all-in-one communications app and intranet replacement.

How they’re similar

Workplace by Meta news feed showing a live video update.

Familiar user experience

Workplace is explicitly designed to feel like a natural extension to Facebook. So the user experience is streamlined and simple to use. As most users have used the popular social network, it’s easy to get up to speed on using Workplace. 

But some users may find the connection to Facebook a little too close for comfort. The emphasis on socialization may not be suitable for every work culture, and some reviewers mention, “The easy access to the Facebook newsfeed keep distracting me from my works for hours.”

Blink also approaches user experience with mainstream social media experiences in mind. For example, Blink’s real-time Feed is easy to understand and engage with because of streamlined, familiar options like reactions and comments. 

But Blink blends the social engagement features users naturally gravitate towards with business-minded additions. This makes Blink a viable Workplace alternative for companies that want to encourage engagement without distraction. 

Chat

Both platforms have similar chat features useful for teamwork and project management. 

Workplace’s instant messaging supports file sharing, GIFs, images, polls, and sharing your location.

Similarly, Blink’s chat lets you send documents, images, and videos. And admins can send one-way chats to get their message across while limiting responses for specialized announcements. 

Both platforms enable users to create custom chatrooms based on teams, workgroups, or topics. When work is done, users can turn off notifications or set their status as away. 

When the task requires extensive communication over the video, both platforms enable remote teams to start a video call right from the chat group. The only difference is that Workplace does this through its proprietary video app, while Blink integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams to fulfill the same role. 

Innovation

Both apps constantly strive to provide their users with innovative features that enable a truly modern digital workplace. 

To decide on new features, Blink takes its users' input and needs into account. The company maintains a portal of proposed and in-progress features that users can vote on.

In contrast, Workplace by Meta takes cues from popular trends, so the link to its customers’ input is indirect. 

If you want greater control over the features implemented into your employee app, Blink is likely a better Workplace alternative for you.

Analytics

Both Blink and Workplace collect engagement data and aggregate your user’s interactions into charts. 

Workplace’s insights panel can tell you how active your members are, the top contributors, sentiment analysis, and more. 

Blink’s analytics includes data on post reach, likes, comments, file engagement and provides ways to filter data by date range and teams. 

How they’re different

Blink’s feed page on a phone screen.

Personalized newsfeed

While both platforms strive to show only the most relevant posts for each user, the way they achieve this differs. 

Blink’s newsfeed is individualized based on each employee’s team, interests, and role. Employees can also filter their newsfeed by their team, so they never miss what they need to see. 

In contrast, Workplace targets the newsfeed using a custom algorithm, which may not always filter each user’s feed correctly. 

In user reviews, many users mentioned receiving too many notifications. One, in particular, said, “Notification can be annoying and cause a distraction from your usual work.”

One app vs. two

Workplace by Meta requires each employee to download two apps on their phone: one standard app for groups and the newsfeed and a second app dedicated to the chat function. 

Blink’s features are less intrusive and come streamlined with everything ready to use from a single app, making it an excellent Workplace alternative. 

Dedicated customer support manager

With Blink, your organization receives a personal implementation manager to see you through onboarding. Then, a customer success manager helps you optimize the app for your needs and answers questions.

You get monthly check-ins and personalized support 24/7, forever, no matter your subscription tier. 

Support from Workplace by Meta is much less personalized. When you need something, you have to fill out a form and wait for a customer service agent to get to your ticket with a turnaround time of 24 hours. 

For advanced support (with turnaround time below four hours), Workplace charges $2 more per month, per user. 

That’s why Blink is a great Workplace alternative for organizations that place a high priority on customer service. 

Knowledge library

Workplace’s intranet replacement is its knowledge library, organized by an unlimited number of group pages. The library is static, and some reviewers say, “It is not always the easiest to locate what you are looking for.” 

Screenshot of Workplace by Meta’s knowledge library hub.


Blink improves upon the outdated intranet concept with its Hub. It aggregates essential documents, tracks engagement, and pulls relevant documents from third parties like Sharepoint through single sign-on. 

If you’re looking for a powerful content management system and intranet in one, Blink is a good Workplace alternative. 

Security

Blink holds itself to banking-grade security standards, which means that it uses GDPR security measures like encryption,  ISO 27001 compliant data centers, and HTTPS encryption during transmission. 

Given Meta’s reputation with data, users are less confident about Workplace’s security, saying, “Security, especially of recent, is always a big question mark and concern.”

Integrations

Blink’s extensive in-app integrations enable the platform to work as a digital front-door for every technology your workspace needs to operate.

It seamlessly integrates with most apps in your workflow, from big-name apps like Google Docs and Microsoft 365 to niche industry tools. 

In contrast, most Workplace integrations involve automation bots or shortcuts that take the user out of the app. This can foster a disjointed employee experience. 

So for organizations that already know they will be using several internal communication tools together, Blink is a better Workplace alternative. 

Blink vs. Workplace by Meta — pricing

Blink offers four levels of paid service based on company size, while Workplace charges based on the number of features you need. 

Blink: 

  • Essential: $3.40 per person, per month
  • Business: Price on application
  • Enterprise: Price on application
  • Enterprise Plus: Price on application

Workplace by Meta: 

  • Core: $4 per user, per month
  • Enhanced Admin and Support: Additional $2 per user, per month
  • Enterprise Live: Additional $2 per user, per month

Blink vs. Workplace by Meta — final thoughts

Both Blink and Workplace by Meta are attractive, streamlined employee communication apps.

However, Workplace emphasizes socialization, while Blink's features prioritize streamlined team collaboration among frontline employees. 

The right employee communication app for you depends on whether you’re looking for a familiar one-size-fits-all solution to increase communication or a highly customizable platform to boost employee engagement. 

Organizations that appreciate personalization, quality customer support, and security will find Blink an excellent Workplace alternative.

If you’re in doubt, book your free demo with Blink today and see for yourself.