The Mumble Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Mumble in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Mumble
The Insider’s Guide
Free open-source voice chat with low latency
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among team communication apps, read from Mumble’s own pages.
Made by The Mumble project · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Mumble’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Mumble’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 32 of the 50 other team communication apps we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Mumble, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Text chat is basic, someone has to run the server or you join a public one, and the mobile apps are third-party.
- 1
Best for low-latency voice chat on a server you control
Mumble is a free, open-source voice chat with a client and a separate server, known for low delay and in-game positional audio.
- 2
It is free
Mumble has no paid plan at all. Mumble is free and open source, with no licensing cost for the client or the server.
- 3
It runs on 3 platforms
Windows, macOS and Linux.
- 4
Low-latency voice
Mumble describes itself as the first VoIP application to establish true low-latency voice communication, and targets talking while gaming.
- 5
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.
- 6
Permission system
An extensive access control list sets who can speak, listen or enter which channels, for example letting leaders talk to two groups.
- 7
A 2.8 GPA, above 32 of 50
That is against the other team communication apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Mumble is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Mumble at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux
- Made by
- The Mumble project
- Category
- Team Communication
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
Best for low-latency voice chat on a server you control
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Mumble is for
- Fits if you want voice chat with low delay for a gaming group
- Works for admins who want to run their own voice server
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want rich text chat, as it is basic
- Not for you if you don't want to run or find a server, since one is needed
- Watch out: the mobile apps are third-party and not maintained by the team
- Watch out: development is by volunteers, and the 1.6 series is still a release candidate
Good to know
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Mumble is free to use.
The client and server are free and open source with no licence cost.
Free
$0
Open-source client and server, free to download and host yourself, with no paid tiers.
The free plan
Mumble is free and open source, with no licensing cost for the client or the server.
Read from mumble.info on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: macOS, Windows and Linux
Free open-source voice chat with low latency. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, end-to-end encrypted, team chat.
Low-latency voice, positional audio, an overlay, permissions, encryption and a recorder.
- 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.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Mumble is made by The Mumble project.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
32/50
Other team communication apps it is graded above
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.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 51 team communication apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Mumble’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 41 of 50
- AFree plan and trialAbove 43 of 50
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 50
- CEase of useAbove 7 of 50
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 50
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 45 team communication apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Mumble is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Mumble is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
What you could not
- Chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- End-to-end encryption done properly.
What this rests on. Mumble’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
TeamSpeak, Discord, Stoat, Element and Jitsi Meet
The 5 tools Mumble is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
TeamSpeak
Paid
Voice chat you run on your own server or a hosted one.
- Mumble has a free plan. TeamSpeak does not.
- Only TeamSpeak lists iOS and Android apps.
- Mumble is open source, according to its own site.
- 3.6GPA
Discord
Free plan · from $2.99/mo
Free text, voice and video chat built around servers.
- Only Discord lists a web app.
- Only Discord lists iOS and Android apps.
- Mumble is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- 3.2GPA
Stoat
Free
Open-source group chat for friends and communities.
- Only Stoat lists a web app.
- Only Stoat lists iOS and Android apps.
- Mumble is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- 2.8GPA
Element
Free plan
End-to-end encrypted chat and calls on the Matrix standard.
- Only Element lists a web app.
- Only Element lists iOS and Android apps.
- Element also covers video calls and file sharing.
- 3.0GPA
Jitsi Meet
Free
Free, open-source video meetings you can self-host.
- Only Jitsi Meet lists a web app.
- Only Jitsi Meet lists iOS and Android apps.
- Mumble also covers team chat.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Mumble free?
Yes. Mumble is free to use.
How much does Mumble cost?
Mumble lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does Mumble work on?
Mumble is available on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Does Mumble have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Mumble is listed for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Does Mumble have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Mumble is listed for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Is Mumble open source?
Yes. Mumble is open source, according to its own site.
Is Mumble end-to-end encrypted?
Mumble describes itself as end-to-end encrypted on its own site. Nobody here has audited that.
Who makes Mumble?
Mumble is made by The Mumble project.
What are the alternatives to Mumble?
The closest alternatives to Mumble in our directory are TeamSpeak, Discord, Stoat, Element and Jitsi Meet.
How does Mumble compare with other 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.
Is Mumble good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Mumble A for value for money. Mumble has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Mumble?
Mumble is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Mumble’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. 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.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by The Mumble project. Prices change, so check mumble.info before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Mumble, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/mumble
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Mumble: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/mumble
Know someone choosing between team communication apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/mumble/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded team communication apps after Mumble, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Team Communication Insider's GuideEvery one of the 51 team communication apps we grade, compared
- Discord Insider's GuideFree text, voice and video chat built around servers3.6 GPA
- Pumble Insider's GuideTeam chat with unlimited message history on the free plan3.6 GPA
- Zoho Cliq Insider's GuideTeam chat, calls and meetings from the Zoho suite3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Mumble’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Mumble is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by The Mumble project. Prices and plans change: check mumble.info before you buy.