RandomCoffee vs Donut: Slack-first intros or full programs in Microsoft Teams
This page is for HR and internal communications teams choosing between Donut and RandomCoffee to connect employees. It compares where each tool runs, which programs it supports, security, hosting and public prices. Facts about Donut come from Donut's own public pages and app listings.
Based on public information as of
The short version
Donut is a well-known Slack app for 1:1 intros, with a free plan and a wider Slack suite for onboarding, recognition and celebrations. Donut also offers a free Microsoft Teams app, but Donut's public documentation covers only Intros on Teams. RandomCoffee runs the whole experience inside Microsoft Teams, Slack and email, adds onboarding buddies, mentoring, surveys and broadcasts, and supports SAML SSO, SCIM, ISO 27001 and US or EU hosting. Donut is the better pick for a Slack team that wants simple intros; RandomCoffee is the better pick for a large organization on Teams.
Side by side
| Criterion | RandomCoffee | Donut |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Large organizations running several connection programs in Microsoft Teams, Slack or email | Slack-first teams; Donut describes its Enterprise plan as 'Ideal for teams and companies over 500 employees' |
| 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 (WA200006072), listed at $0/month. Donut documents Intros only on Teams: pairing, frequency, Outlook scheduling, snooze and opt-out. |
| Slack and email | Official app on the Slack Marketplace; every program also works by email, with custom sending domains on paid plans | Native Slack app and Donut's main product, with Slack Enterprise Grid multi-workspace channels on Premium; Journeys can also send emails |
| Program formats | Coffee chats, onboarding buddies, peer and reverse mentoring, cross-team networking, ERG and DEI connections, in pairs or groups based on rules | Intros (coffee chats, cross-department, custom group size on paid plans), Journeys for onboarding to offboarding, Watercooler, Celebrations, Shoutouts recognition |
| Mentoring | Mentor-mentee, peer and reverse mentoring with matching criteria (skills, seniority, goals, location), milestones, notes, forms and progress tracking | Mentoring program templates built with Journeys and Channels; mentor-mentee matching: Not publicly listed |
| Surveys and broadcasts | Surveys and forms, plus broadcasts sent in Teams, Slack or email, with pages and surveys embedded | Polls and quick-pulse feedback through Journeys; scheduled Journeys messages in Slack or email; separate survey or broadcast module: Not publicly listed |
| HRIS sync | Pro and Enterprise: Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, UKG Pro, BambooHR, HiBob, Rippling and more | 50+ HRIS through Merge from the Standard plan; Rippling, Google Workspace and ADP Canada not supported; Donut's HRIS FAQ covers Slack only |
| SSO and SCIM | SAML 2.0 SSO on Enterprise (Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, OneLogin, Ping Identity); SCIM on Pro and Enterprise | Sign-in through Slack OAuth (Donut says it indirectly supports any SSO that Slack supports); Donut's Slack Marketplace listing states SAML is not supported; SCIM: Not publicly listed |
| Security certifications | SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certified; GDPR and CCPA ready | SOC 2 Type II report in Donut's trust center; ISO 27001: Not publicly listed |
| Data hosting | Amazon Web Services, in the US or the EU | Donut says all data is stored in the US (Heroku and AWS); 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. | Free plan; Standard from $74/month billed annually ($89 billed monthly) for 1 to 24 participants; Premium from $119/month billed annually ($149 billed monthly) for 1 to 24 participants; Enterprise custom. Microsoft Teams app: $0/month. Prices as of October 21, 2026. |
| Installed base | 1,250+ organizations in 30+ countries | Donut says it is trusted by 20,000+ teams |
Where RandomCoffee is the better choice
- RandomCoffee is the better choice for organizations on Microsoft Teams that want the whole program in Teams: matches, reminders, booking, snooze, surveys, broadcasts and admin setup.
- RandomCoffee is the better choice for onboarding buddies and mentoring, with mentor-mentee matching criteria, milestones, notes and progress tracking.
- RandomCoffee is the better choice when IT requires SAML SSO, SCIM provisioning and ISO 27001, which RandomCoffee supports alongside SOC 2 Type II.
- RandomCoffee is the better choice for European data residency, since RandomCoffee hosts data on AWS in the US or the EU.
Where Donut is the better choice
- Donut is the better choice for a Slack-only team that wants simple 1:1 intros, since Slack is Donut's main product and Donut Premium supports Slack Enterprise Grid multi-workspace channels.
- Donut is the better choice for free intros in Microsoft Teams: Donut lists its Teams app at $0/month with unlimited Intros.
- Donut is the better choice when peer recognition matters, since Donut Shoutouts adds points, a rewards store and gift cards in Slack.
- Donut has a very large installed base: Donut says it is trusted by 20,000+ teams and has made 18.5M intros.
Who should use what
Use RandomCoffee if
- Use RandomCoffee if most of your employees work in Microsoft Teams, or if some of them only use email.
- Use RandomCoffee if you run several programs at once, such as onboarding buddies, mentoring, ERG connections and cross-team networking.
- Use RandomCoffee if your security review asks for SAML SSO, SCIM, ISO 27001 or EU data hosting.
- Use RandomCoffee if you want to survey participants and send broadcasts from the same platform.
Use Donut if
- Use Donut if your organization works mainly in Slack and wants simple 1:1 intros in Slack channels.
- Use Donut if you want onboarding Journeys, Celebrations and Shoutouts recognition in the same Slack app.
- Use Donut if you only need free 1:1 intros in Microsoft Teams and no other module there.
- Use Donut if US data hosting and sign-in through Slack meet your security requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Does Donut work with Microsoft Teams?
Yes. Donut has an official Microsoft Teams app (Microsoft Marketplace WA200006072). Donut's pricing page lists it at $0/month; Donut's Teams FAQ describes free use as a limited-time offer for early adopters. Donut's public documentation covers Intros only on Teams: pairing, frequency, Outlook scheduling, snooze and opt-out. Journeys, Shoutouts, Watercooler and Celebrations on Teams: Not publicly listed by Donut.
How much does Donut cost compared with RandomCoffee?
Donut has a free plan. Donut Standard starts at $74/month billed annually for 1 to 24 participants, and Donut Premium starts at $119/month billed annually, with prices by participant tier (October 21, 2026). Donut lists its Teams app at $0/month. 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, see https://www.random-coffee.com/pricing/).
Where does Donut store data, and does RandomCoffee offer EU hosting?
Donut states that all data is stored in the US, on Heroku and AWS. RandomCoffee hosts data on Amazon Web Services in the US or the EU, which helps organizations with European data residency requirements.
What is a good Donut alternative for Microsoft Teams?
RandomCoffee is a Donut alternative built for Microsoft Teams, Slack and email. In Teams, employees receive matches and reminders, book a slot, snooze and answer surveys, and HR admins set up programs in Teams or in the web app. RandomCoffee also runs onboarding buddies, mentoring and broadcasts with pages and surveys.
Does Donut support SAML SSO, SCIM and ISO 27001?
Donut users sign in through Slack OAuth, and Donut's Slack Marketplace listing states that SAML is not supported. SCIM and ISO 27001 are not publicly listed by Donut, which shows a SOC 2 Type II report in its trust center. RandomCoffee is SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certified, offers SAML 2.0 SSO on Enterprise and SCIM on Pro and Enterprise.
Can Donut run onboarding and mentoring programs?
Yes, in Slack. Donut Journeys automates onboarding messages by Slack or email, and Donut offers mentoring program templates built on Journeys and Channels. RandomCoffee runs onboarding buddy programs and mentoring with mentor-mentee matching criteria, milestones, notes and progress tracking, in Microsoft Teams, Slack or email.
Sources (19)
- Donut pricing page (checked on )
- Donut home page (checked on )
- Donut help center: pricing (Free, Standard, Premium) (checked on )
- Donut help center: active users and billing (checked on )
- Donut help center: data access, security and privacy (checked on )
- Donut trust center (checked on )
- Donut trust center FAQ (checked on )
- Donut on the Slack Marketplace (security and compliance) (checked on )
- Donut on Microsoft Marketplace (WA200006072) (checked on )
- Donut for Microsoft Teams product page (checked on )
- Donut help center: Donut for MS Teams FAQs (checked on )
- Donut help center: settings in the Microsoft Teams app (checked on )
- Donut Channels (Intros, Watercooler, Celebrations) (checked on )
- Donut Journeys (checked on )
- Donut Shoutouts (checked on )
- Donut help center: syncing Donut with HRIS (checked on )
- Donut mentoring solution page (checked on )
- RandomCoffee pricing (checked on )
- RandomCoffee official information (security, integrations, Teams) (checked on )
Donut is a trademark of its owner. RandomCoffee is not affiliated with or endorsed by Donut.
