Alternatives · Team Chat
Mattermost alternatives
Mattermost compared with 9 alternatives: Slack, Rocket.Chat, Zulip, Element, Microsoft Teams and 4 more.
Mattermost has a free plan. 8 of the 9 alternatives are free or have a free plan. One more offers a free trial.
9 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 6, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| MattermostThis tool | Free plan | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Slack | Free plan · from $7.25/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Rocket.Chat | Free plan | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Zulip | Free plan · from $3.50/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Element | Free plan | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Microsoft Teams | Free plan · from $4.00/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |
| ONCE Campfire | Free | Free | Web |
| Troop Messenger | Free trial · from $2.50/mo | Trial only | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Twist | Free plan · from $6/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Wire | Free plan · from €7.45/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
How each one differs from Mattermost
- Free plan · from $7.25/mo
Slack
Channel-based team messaging with huddles, workflows and AI
- Mattermost is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Slack also covers documents, video calls and file sharing.
- Mattermost also covers kanban boards and AI agents.
Suits: Teams that want conversations organized by channel rather than email threads
- Free plan
Rocket.Chat
Open-source, self-managed chat for security-focused teams
- Rocket.Chat is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Rocket.Chat also covers file sharing.
- Mattermost also covers kanban boards, workflow automation and AI agents.
Suits: Organizations that must host chat themselves for data sovereignty
- Free plan · from $3.50/mo
Zulip
Open-source team chat that organizes channels by topic
- Zulip also covers file sharing.
- Mattermost also covers kanban boards, workflow automation and AI agents.
Suits: Distributed teams that prefer asynchronous, topic-organized conversations
- Free plan
Element
End-to-end encrypted chat and calls on the Matrix standard
- Element is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Element also covers video calls and file sharing.
- Mattermost also covers kanban boards, workflow automation and AI agents.
Suits: Governments and regulated organizations that self-host encrypted chat
- Free plan · from $4.00/mo
Microsoft Teams
Chat, video meetings and calling tied into Microsoft 365
- Only Mattermost lists a Linux app.
- Mattermost is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Microsoft Teams also covers transcription, noise cancellation, whiteboard, video calls and file sharing.
- Mattermost also covers kanban boards, workflow automation and AI agents.
Suits: Organizations that already pay for Microsoft 365
- Free
ONCE Campfire
Self-hosted group chat from 37signals, free and open source
- Only Mattermost lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- ONCE Campfire also covers file sharing.
- Mattermost also covers kanban boards, workflow automation and AI agents.
Suits: Teams that want group chat without a recurring subscription
- Free trial · from $2.50/mo
Troop Messenger
Secure business messenger with calls, sold as SaaS or on-premise
- Mattermost has a free plan. Troop Messenger does not, though it has a free trial.
- Troop Messenger is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Mattermost is open source, according to its own site.
- Troop Messenger also covers video calls and file sharing.
- Mattermost also covers kanban boards, workflow automation and AI agents.
Suits: Organizations that want to host their chat on their own servers
- Free plan · from $6/mo
Twist
Async team messaging organized into threads
- Mattermost is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Twist also covers file sharing.
- Mattermost also covers kanban boards, workflow automation and AI agents.
Suits: Distributed teams that reply across time zones rather than in real time
- Free plan · from €7.45/mo
Wire
End-to-end encrypted messaging and calls for organizations
- Wire is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Wire also covers video calls and file sharing.
- Mattermost also covers kanban boards, workflow automation and AI agents.
Suits: Organizations that need end-to-end encryption for messages, calls and files
Limits worth knowing in Mattermost
- No prices are published: Professional, Enterprise and Enterprise Advanced are quoted by sales and sold as prepaid annual seat subscriptions.
- Entry shows only the latest 10,000 channel messages and has community support only; the vendor suggests it for teams of fewer than 50 users.
- It is self-hosted by design; the only vendor-hosted option described is single-tenant Mattermost Cloud Enterprise, arranged through sales.
- Team Edition has no single sign-on, and the vendor does not recommend it for government or sensitive commercial workloads.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Mattermost?
The alternatives to Mattermost in this directory are Slack, Rocket.Chat, Zulip, Element, Microsoft Teams, ONCE Campfire, Troop Messenger, Twist and Wire. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Mattermost.
Is there a free alternative to Mattermost?
Yes. ONCE Campfire is free to use. Slack, Rocket.Chat, Zulip, Element, Microsoft Teams, Twist and Wire have a free plan alongside paid ones.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Oct 6, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.