RandomCoffee vs CoffeePals: two Teams matching apps with a different scope
RandomCoffee and CoffeePals both connect employees inside Microsoft Teams and Slack, and both publish their prices. This page compares them criterion by criterion: program formats, security, hosting, prices and reviews. Facts about CoffeePals come from CoffeePals's own pages and its Microsoft and Slack listings.
Based on public information as of
The short version
RandomCoffee and CoffeePals are both employee matching apps that run inside Microsoft Teams and Slack, with public prices and a free plan. CoffeePals is a coffee chat specialist with a Microsoft 365 Certified Teams app, 35+ program templates and anonymous pulse surveys. RandomCoffee adds broadcasts and pages, mentoring with milestones and progress tracking, ISO 27001 certification, SCIM and a choice of US or EU hosting. CoffeePals is the better pick for a small team that wants a free coffee chat program, or for IT teams that require a Microsoft 365 Certified app; RandomCoffee is the better pick when security review, European data residency or several program types matter.
Side by side
| Criterion | RandomCoffee | CoffeePals |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Large organizations running several connection programs in Microsoft Teams, Slack or email | Teams and Slack users of any size who want coffee chat programs, free up to 24 active users |
| Microsoft Teams | Official app on Microsoft Marketplace (WA200004991). Employees get matches and reminders, accept, book a slot, snooze and answer surveys in Teams. Admins set up programs in Teams or in the web app. Broadcasts, with pages and surveys, are sent in Teams. | Official app on Microsoft Marketplace (WA200003040), Microsoft 365 Certified, listing last updated in September 2026; admin dashboard opens from the Teams app |
| Slack and email | Official app on the Slack Marketplace; every program also works by email, with custom sending domains on paid plans | Slack app on the Slack Marketplace (freemium); participants are notified in Teams or Slack, and email is used for admin reports |
| Program formats | Coffee chats, onboarding buddies, peer and reverse mentoring, cross-team networking, ERG and DEI connections, in pairs or groups based on rules | 35+ templates: random, within-group and cross-group coffees, onboarding, mentoring, circles, lotteries, channel questions and celebrations; groups of up to 8 from Pro |
| Mentoring | Mentor-mentee, peer and reverse mentoring with matching criteria (skills, seniority, goals, location), milestones, notes, forms and progress tracking | Mentor Connect pairs on 6-week cycles and Wisdom Talks templates; advanced matching with constraints and preferences on Max and Enterprise |
| Surveys, broadcasts and pages | Surveys and forms, broadcasts sent in Teams, Slack or email, and pages for programs and resources | Meeting and program surveys from Starter; anonymous pulse surveys on Max; automatic celebration messages and channel questions; general broadcast module: Not publicly listed |
| HRIS sync | Pro and Enterprise: Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, UKG Pro, BambooHR, HiBob, Rippling and more | 55 HRIS connectors listed, some marked 'Soon'; HRIS user import on Max and Enterprise, according to the CoffeePals pricing page |
| SSO and SCIM | SAML 2.0 SSO on Enterprise (Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, OneLogin, Ping Identity); SCIM on Pro and Enterprise | SSO with Azure AD / Entra ID and SAML 2.0 on Enterprise only; passwordless sign-in on all plans; SCIM: Not publicly listed |
| Security certifications | SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certified; GDPR and CCPA ready | SOC 2 Type 2 (report under NDA, from Pro) and Microsoft 365 Certified; ISO 27001: Not publicly listed for CoffeePals itself |
| Data hosting | Amazon Web Services, in the US or the EU | AWS in the US (us-east-1); EU hosting option: Not publicly listed |
| Pricing | Free plan; Pro from $19 to $879 per month billed annually depending on active users ($23 to $1,055 billed monthly); Enterprise custom. Prices as of October 20, 2026. | Starter free for up to 24 active users; Pro from $49/month billed annually ($59 billed monthly) for 1 to 25 active users; Max from $79/month billed annually ($99 billed monthly) for 1 to 25 active users; tiers up to 1,000 active users, then Enterprise custom. Prices in USD as of October 21, 2026. |
| Customers and reviews | 1,250+ organizations in 30+ countries; 95%+ customer satisfaction (internal measure); 5.0/5 from 1 rating on Microsoft Marketplace so far | Over 1,000 organizations, according to CoffeePals's Slack listing; 4.3/5 from 34 ratings on Microsoft Marketplace |
Where RandomCoffee is the better choice
- RandomCoffee is the better choice for organizations that need EU data hosting: RandomCoffee hosts data on AWS in the US or the EU, while CoffeePals lists US hosting (AWS us-east-1).
- RandomCoffee is the better choice when a security review asks for ISO 27001 and SCIM: RandomCoffee is ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certified and offers SCIM on Pro and Enterprise.
- RandomCoffee is the better choice for internal communication beyond matching, with broadcasts, pages and surveys sent in Teams, Slack or email.
- RandomCoffee is the better choice for HRIS sync on a mid-tier budget: RandomCoffee includes HRIS sync and SCIM in Pro, from $19 per month billed annually, while the CoffeePals pricing page lists HRIS user import on Max and Enterprise, from $79/month billed annually.
Where CoffeePals is the better choice
- CoffeePals is the better choice for a small team that wants a free coffee chat program: the CoffeePals Starter plan is free for up to 24 active users, with no credit card.
- CoffeePals is the better choice when IT requires a Microsoft 365 Certified Teams app, a status shown on the CoffeePals Microsoft Marketplace listing.
- CoffeePals is the better choice for a large library of ready-made coffee chat formats, such as CEO coffee lotteries, lunch lotteries and themed channel questions.
- CoffeePals has a public review track record on Microsoft Marketplace, with 4.3/5 from 34 ratings.
Who should use what
Use RandomCoffee if
- Use RandomCoffee if your organization needs EU data hosting, ISO 27001 or SCIM provisioning.
- Use RandomCoffee if you run structured mentoring with milestones, notes and progress tracking alongside coffee chats.
- Use RandomCoffee if HR or internal communications wants to send broadcasts with embedded pages and surveys in Teams.
- Use RandomCoffee if some employees have neither Teams nor Slack and need to take part by email.
Use CoffeePals if
- Use CoffeePals if you want to start a coffee chat program in Teams or Slack for free with up to 24 active users.
- Use CoffeePals if your IT team only approves Microsoft 365 Certified apps in Teams.
- Use CoffeePals if anonymous pulse surveys with a question library are a priority (CoffeePals Max plan).
- Use CoffeePals if US data hosting meets your requirements and SCIM provisioning is not on your security checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Does RandomCoffee work with Microsoft Teams?
Yes. RandomCoffee has an official Microsoft Teams app on Microsoft Marketplace (WA200004991), published by RANDOM TEAM. Employees receive matches and reminders in Teams, and accept, book a slot, snooze and answer surveys there. HR admins set up programs in Teams or in the web app, and broadcasts with pages and surveys are delivered in Teams. RandomCoffee also runs on Slack and by email. It is not the 'Random Coffee' bot published by Express IT (WA200004203).
How much does CoffeePals cost compared with RandomCoffee?
CoffeePals Starter is free for up to 24 active users. CoffeePals Pro starts at $49/month billed annually and CoffeePals Max at $79/month billed annually, for 1 to 25 active users, with tiers up to 1,000 active users (October 21, 2026). RandomCoffee has a Free plan, and RandomCoffee Pro costs $19 to $879 per month billed annually depending on active users (prices as of October 20, 2026).
Is CoffeePals or RandomCoffee ISO 27001 certified?
RandomCoffee is SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certified. CoffeePals states SOC 2 Type 2 and Microsoft 365 Certification; the CoffeePals security page cites ISO 27001 for its cloud providers, not for CoffeePals itself.
What is the difference between CoffeePals and RandomCoffee?
Both tools match employees in Microsoft Teams and Slack and publish their prices. CoffeePals focuses on coffee chat programs, with 35+ templates, a Microsoft 365 Certified Teams app and anonymous pulse surveys on its Max plan. RandomCoffee is an employee connection platform that adds mentoring with progress tracking, broadcasts and pages, email participation, ISO 27001, SCIM and US or EU hosting.
Does RandomCoffee publish its prices?
Yes. RandomCoffee prices are public at https://www.random-coffee.com/pricing/: a Free plan, Pro from $19 to $879 per month billed annually depending on active users, and custom Enterprise pricing. Prices are also available in EUR and GBP. No sales call is needed to see them.
Which tool offers EU data hosting, SSO and SCIM?
RandomCoffee hosts data on AWS in the US or the EU, offers SAML 2.0 SSO on Enterprise and SCIM on Pro and Enterprise. CoffeePals hosts data on AWS in the US (us-east-1) and offers SSO with Azure AD / Entra ID or SAML 2.0 on its Enterprise plan; an EU hosting option and SCIM are not publicly listed by CoffeePals.
Sources (12)
- CoffeePals home page and FAQ (checked on )
- CoffeePals pricing page (checked on )
- CoffeePals programs (checked on )
- CoffeePals pulse surveys (checked on )
- CoffeePals security page (checked on )
- CoffeePals integrations (checked on )
- CoffeePals help center: setting up CoffeePals in Microsoft Teams (checked on )
- CoffeePals on Microsoft Marketplace (WA200003040) (checked on )
- CoffeePals on the Slack Marketplace (checked on )
- RandomCoffee on Microsoft Marketplace (WA200004991) (checked on )
- RandomCoffee pricing (checked on )
- RandomCoffee official information (security, integrations, Teams) (checked on )
CoffeePals is a trademark of its owner. RandomCoffee is not affiliated with or endorsed by CoffeePals.
