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Alternatives · Team Chat

Rocket.Chat alternatives

Rocket.Chat compared with 9 alternatives: Mattermost, Element, Zulip, Slack, Microsoft Teams and 4 more.

Rocket.Chat 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 9, 2026 · Where the facts come from

At a glance

ToolPriceFree planRuns on
Rocket.ChatThis toolFree planYesWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
MattermostFree planYesWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
ElementFree planYesWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
ZulipFree plan · from $3.50/moYesWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
SlackFree plan · from $7.25/moYesWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
Microsoft TeamsFree plan · from $4.00/moYesWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
DiscordFree plan · from $2.99/moYesWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
ONCE CampfireFreeFreeWeb
Troop MessengerFree trial · from $2.50/moTrial onlyWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
WireFree plan · from €7.45/moYesWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android

How each one differs from Rocket.Chat

  1. Mattermost

    Self-hosted team messaging with playbooks, calls and boards

    • Rocket.Chat is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
    • Mattermost also covers kanban boards, workflow automation and AI agents.
    • Rocket.Chat also covers file sharing.

    Suits: Organizations that must keep chat on their own servers or air-gapped networks

    Mattermost vs Rocket.ChatMattermost pricing and details

  2. Element

    End-to-end encrypted chat and calls on the Matrix standard

    • Element also covers video calls.

    Suits: Governments and regulated organizations that self-host encrypted chat

    Element vs Rocket.ChatElement pricing and details

  3. Zulip

    Open-source team chat that organizes channels by topic

    • Rocket.Chat is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.

    Suits: Distributed teams that prefer asynchronous, topic-organized conversations

    Zulip vs Rocket.ChatZulip pricing and details

  4. Slack

    Channel-based team messaging with huddles, workflows and AI

    • Rocket.Chat is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
    • Slack also covers workflow automation, documents and video calls.

    Suits: Teams that want conversations organized by channel rather than email threads

    Slack vs Rocket.ChatSlack pricing and details

  5. Microsoft Teams

    Chat, video meetings and calling tied into Microsoft 365

    • Only Rocket.Chat lists a Linux app.
    • Rocket.Chat is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
    • Microsoft Teams also covers transcription, noise cancellation, whiteboard and video calls.

    Suits: Organizations that already pay for Microsoft 365

    Microsoft Teams vs Rocket.ChatMicrosoft Teams pricing and details

  6. Discord

    Free text, voice and video chat built around servers

    • Rocket.Chat is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
    • Discord also covers video calls.

    Suits: Gaming groups and friends who want always-open voice chats

    Discord vs Rocket.ChatDiscord pricing and details

  7. ONCE Campfire

    Self-hosted group chat from 37signals, free and open source

    • Only Rocket.Chat lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
    • Rocket.Chat is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.

    Suits: Teams that want group chat without a recurring subscription

    ONCE Campfire vs Rocket.ChatONCE Campfire pricing and details

  8. Troop Messenger

    Secure business messenger with calls, sold as SaaS or on-premise

    • Rocket.Chat has a free plan. Troop Messenger does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Rocket.Chat is open source, according to its own site.
    • Troop Messenger also covers video calls.

    Suits: Organizations that want to host their chat on their own servers

    Troop Messenger vs Rocket.ChatTroop Messenger pricing and details

  9. Wire

    End-to-end encrypted messaging and calls for organizations

    • Wire also covers video calls.

    Suits: Organizations that need end-to-end encryption for messages, calls and files

    Wire vs Rocket.ChatWire pricing and details

Limits worth knowing in Rocket.Chat

  • Paid plan prices are not published; Commercial, Government and Defense are quoted by sales.
  • Starter stops at 50 users, cannot be deployed air-gapped and has community support only, with no option to buy support.
  • The Community edition has core messaging only and 100 concurrent users, and the vendor says it is not suited to business-critical production use.
  • The free options are self-managed, so the team installs and maintains the server; Rocket.Chat-run hosting comes with paid plans.
Rocket.Chat pricing and details

Common questions

What are the alternatives to Rocket.Chat?

The alternatives to Rocket.Chat in this directory are Mattermost, Element, Zulip, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord, ONCE Campfire, Troop Messenger and Wire. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Rocket.Chat.

Is there a free alternative to Rocket.Chat?

Yes. ONCE Campfire is free to use. Mattermost, Element, Zulip, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord 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 9, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.