# Mumble review (2026): is it any good? > Free open-source voice chat with low latency Checked Nov 12, 2026 ยท graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA. Mumble is a free, open-source voice chat application with a client and a separate server program. It is built for low latency, and its features include positional audio in games, an in-game overlay and a multi-channel recorder. Administrators host the server themselves and control access through a detailed permission system, or users can connect to a public server. - **Category:** Team Communication - **Made by:** The Mumble project - **Website:** https://www.mumble.info - **Runs on:** Windows, macOS, Linux - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you want rich text chat, as it is basic. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 12, 2026, Mumble is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** Mumble is free and open source, with no licensing cost for the client or the server. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | Open-source client and server, free to download and host yourself, with no paid tiers. | Read from https://www.mumble.info on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Mumble before buying. ## Key features - **Low-latency voice:** Mumble describes itself as the first VoIP application to establish true low-latency voice communication, and targets talking while gaming. - **Positional audio and overlay:** In supported games you hear players from where they are located in the game, and an overlay shows who is talking. - **Permission system:** An extensive access control list sets who can speak, listen or enter which channels, for example letting leaders talk to two groups. - **Self-hosted server:** The server program runs on your own hardware, with administration through the Ice protocol, authenticators and community web interfaces. - **Encrypted communication:** The site says communication is always encrypted and uses public/private-key authentication by default. - **Multi-channel recorder:** Users record podcasts with the built-in multi-channel audio recorder, according to the project site. ## Good for - Gaming groups and communities that want to host their own voice server - Administrators who want control of data, permissions and privacy - Podcasters recording several speakers on separate channels ## Worth knowing - Mumble is voice chat first, and text chat is basic compared with team messengers. - You or a hosting provider must run the server; public servers are another way to connect. - Mobile apps are third-party projects the Mumble team says it does not maintain, and the latest macOS 1.5 build is 1.5.901. - Development is by a team of volunteers, with a release candidate of the 1.6 series available. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.8 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. Mumble is a free, open-source voice chat with a client and a separate server, known for low delay and in-game positional audio. Text chat is basic, someone has to run the server or you join a public one, and the mobile apps are third-party. - **Value for money: A.** The client and server are free and open source with no licence cost. You need a server to talk on: a public one, or one you host. - **Free plan and trial: A.** No paid tier and no cap on record: nothing to pay for. - **Features: C.** Low-latency voice, positional audio, an overlay, permissions, encryption and a recorder. Text chat is basic compared with team messengers. - **Ease of use: C.** No store rating on record. Joining a public server is simple, though running your own takes setup and a learning curve. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Windows, Mac and Linux clients. Mobile apps are third-party projects the Mumble team says it does not maintain. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Mumble's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among team communication apps - Mumble's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 32 of the 50 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 8. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 43 of 50) and worst on features (C, above 0). - Mumble has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/team-chat ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** Mumble is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. - You could not: Chat that a whole team counts on staying up. - You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other. - You could not: End-to-end encryption done properly. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** Team chat, Open source, Self-hostable, End-to-end encrypted ## Alternatives - [TeamSpeak](https://toolgpa.com/tools/teamspeak): Voice chat you run on your own server or a hosted one. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/mumble-vs-teamspeak) - [Discord](https://toolgpa.com/tools/discord): Free text, voice and video chat built around servers. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/discord-vs-mumble) - [Stoat](https://toolgpa.com/tools/stoat): Open-source group chat for friends and communities. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/mumble-vs-stoat) - [Element](https://toolgpa.com/tools/element): End-to-end encrypted chat and calls on the Matrix standard. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/element-vs-mumble) - [Jitsi Meet](https://toolgpa.com/tools/jitsi-meet): Free, open-source video meetings you can self-host. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/jitsi-meet-vs-mumble) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026: - https://www.mumble.info - https://www.mumble.info/downloads/ - https://www.mumble.info/about/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/mumble Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).