Steady alternatives · Team Chat
Open-source alternatives to Steady
Steady is not described as open source on its own site. 22 of the 75 other team communication apps in this directory are open source, according to their own sites.
Steady is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $25 per month for 500 credits, with unlimited users. All of them are free or have a free plan.
22 tools · Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from
The 12 closest to Steady
- Free plan
Mattermost
Self-hosted team messaging with playbooks, calls and boards
- Mattermost has a free plan. Steady does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Mattermost lists Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Mattermost is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Mattermost also covers kanban boards, workflow automation and team chat.
- Free plan
Rocket.Chat
Open-source, self-managed chat for security-focused teams
- Rocket.Chat has a free plan. Steady does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Rocket.Chat lists Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Rocket.Chat is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Rocket.Chat also covers team chat and file sharing.
- Free plan · from $3.50/mo
Zulip
Open-source team chat that organizes channels by topic
- Zulip starts at $3.50 per user / month self-hosted (billed monthly); Cloud from $6.67 billed annually. Steady starts at $25 per month for 500 credits, with unlimited users.
- Zulip has a free plan. Steady does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Zulip lists Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Zulip is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Free
Jitsi Meet
Free, open-source video meetings you can self-host
- Jitsi Meet is free. Steady starts at $25 per month for 500 credits, with unlimited users.
- Jitsi Meet has a free plan. Steady does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Jitsi Meet lists Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Jitsi Meet is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Free
ONCE Campfire
Self-hosted group chat from 37signals, free and open source
- ONCE Campfire is free. Steady starts at $25 per month for 500 credits, with unlimited users.
- ONCE Campfire has a free plan. Steady does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Steady lists macOS and Windows apps.
- ONCE Campfire is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Free
Stoat
Open-source group chat for friends and communities
- Stoat is free. Steady starts at $25 per month for 500 credits, with unlimited users.
- Stoat has a free plan. Steady does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Stoat lists Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Stoat is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Free plan · from $1.50/mo
Tinode
Open-source instant messaging server you host or rent
- Tinode starts at $1.50 per user / month (Cloud). Steady starts at $25 per month for 500 credits, with unlimited users.
- Tinode has a free plan. Steady does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Tinode lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Steady lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Free
SimpleX Chat
Private messenger that uses no user identifiers at all
- SimpleX Chat is free. Steady starts at $25 per month for 500 credits, with unlimited users.
- SimpleX Chat has a free plan. Steady does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only SimpleX Chat lists iOS, Android and Linux apps.
- Only Steady lists a web app.
- Free
Openfire
Open-source XMPP chat server you run on your own hardware
- Openfire is free. Steady starts at $25 per month for 500 credits, with unlimited users.
- Openfire has a free plan. Steady does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Openfire lists a Linux app.
- Only Steady lists a web app.
- Free plan · from €200/mo
ejabberd
Erlang messaging server for XMPP, MQTT, SIP and Matrix
- ejabberd starts at €200 per month (Fluux managed cloud). Steady starts at $25 per month for 500 credits, with unlimited users.
- ejabberd has a free plan. Steady does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only ejabberd lists a Linux app.
- Only Steady lists a web app.
- Free plan
OpenIM
Open-source chat, voice and video infrastructure for apps
- OpenIM has a free plan. Steady does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only OpenIM lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Steady lists macOS and Windows apps.
- OpenIM is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Free plan
Element
End-to-end encrypted chat and calls on the Matrix standard
- Element has a free plan. Steady does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Element lists Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Element is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Element also covers team chat, video calls and file sharing.
Common questions
Is there an open-source alternative to Steady?
Yes. Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zulip, Jitsi Meet, ONCE Campfire, Stoat, Tinode, SimpleX Chat and 14 more are open source, according to their own sites.
Is Steady open source?
Steady is not described as open source on its own site. The listing was checked on Oct 6, 2026 against the pages it cites.
When was this checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices and plans without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.
This page is built from the listings. A tool is here because its listing says so, and the order is how close each is to Steady: the alternatives its listing names first, then the tools that share the most features with it.