Best Self-Hosted Slack Alternatives in 2026
Slack is a team messaging platform with channels, direct messages, file sharing, and integrations for workplace communication. Free tier available; paid plans start at $8.75/user/mo.
22 Self-Hosted Alternatives to Slack
Rocket.Chat
45KRocket.Chat is an open-source team communication platform that combines messaging, video conferencing, and omnichannel customer engagement in a single self-hosted deployment.
Mattermost
36KSecure collaboration, workflow and AI on sovereign infrastructure. Operational sovereignty for national security and critical infrastructure.
Mattermost
36KSecure collaboration, workflow and AI on sovereign infrastructure. Operational sovereignty for national security and critical infrastructure.
Nextcloud
34KThe most popular open source content collaboration platform for tens of millions of users at thousands of organizations across the globe.
Huly
25KAll-in-one platform combining project management, team chat, document collaboration, and HR tools.
Zulip
25KReleased under Apache-2.0, Zulip provides team chat app that uses threaded conversations to keep communication organized and efficient on self-hosted...
Element
13KSelf-hosted communication & messaging tool that provides platform for encrypted communication, file sharing, and collaboration based on the Matrix protocol.
Element
13KElement lets you run secure, communication platform by Matrix creators entirely on your own server.
Fluxer
7.1KFluxer is a TypeScript-based application that provides , instant messaging and VOIP platform.
Colanode
4.7KColanode handles collaboration suite as a self-hosted solution.
Campfire
4.2KCampfire lets you install your own group chat system entirely on your own server.
Cinny
3.5KCinny is a self-hosted communication & messaging tool with support for reactjs, client, matrix.
Stoat
2.9KSelf-hosted team chat & messaging tool that provides modern chat platform featuring text channels.
Wire
2.5KReleased under GPL-3.0, Wire provides comprehensive collaboration platform offering end-to-end encrypted messaging on self-hosted infrastructure.
Revolt
2.3KRevolt is a self-hosted communication & messaging replacement for Discord, Microsoft Teams, and more.
Stoat
2.3KStoat handles user-first chat platform built with modern web technologies as a self-hosted solution.
Movim
2KMovim offers unified communications, device compatibility, xmpp standard as a self-hosted blogging platforms.
Twake
1.9KTwake is a self-hosted communication & messaging tool that provides platform for secure, productive collaboration.
Mezon
1.4KMezon handles build your own community space for gaming as a self-hosted solution.
Valour
375Valour handles communication platform as a self-hosted solution.
SAMA
150For communication & messaging, SAMA is a self-hosted solution that provides chat server with end-to-end encryption.
Twake Chat
147Twake Chat is a self-hosted kanban boards replacement for Microsoft Teams, Skype, and more.
Why Look for Slack Alternatives?
Slack is a team messaging platform with channels, direct messages, file sharing, and integrations for workplace communication. Free tier available; paid plans start at $8.75/user/mo.
Pricing
Here’s what Slack charges for its plans:
Free --- Free
Pro --- $8.75/month
Business+ --- $18/month
Self-hosted alternatives eliminate these recurring costs entirely. You pay only for your own infrastructure.
22 Best Open-Source Alternatives to Slack
Rocket.Chat
Discover the new features and enhancements in Rocket.Chat v7.0. — 44,917 GitHub stars. Licensed under MIT.
Mattermost
Internal chat and collaboration for organizations — 35,837 GitHub stars. Licensed under Custom.
Nextcloud
Nextcloud offers secure, self-hosted content collaboration. — 34,340 GitHub stars. Licensed under AGPL-3.0.
Zulip
Open-source team chat for productivity. — 24,857 GitHub stars. Licensed under Apache-2.0.
Huly
All-in-one project management platform (alternative to Linear, Jira, Slack, Notion, Motion — 25,013 GitHub stars. Licensed under EPL-2.0.
Element
Fully-featured Matrix client for Web, iOS & Android — 12,832 GitHub stars. Licensed under Apache-2.0.
Fluxer
Instant messaging and VoIP platform — 6,438 GitHub stars. Licensed under AGPL-3.0.
Campfire
Install your own group chat system with @mentions, DMs, and mobile support. One-time purchase, no monthly fees. Includes full source code for customization. — 4,115 GitHub stars. Licensed under MIT.
Colanode
Local-first collaborative workspace with real-time chat — 4,675 GitHub stars. Licensed under Apache-2.0.
Cinny
Elegant, secure Matrix client with e2ee. — 3,431 GitHub stars. Licensed under AGPL-3.0.
Stoat
Stoat is a user-first chat platform built with modern web technologies. Licensed under AGPL-3.0/MIT.
Wire
End-to-end encrypted chats, voice, and video. — 2,529 GitHub stars. Licensed under GPL-3.0.
Mezon
Build your own community space for gaming, chatting, and hanging out with friends worldwide. Customize your environment for the perfect social experience. — 1,409 GitHub stars. Licensed under Open Source.
Valour
Open-source communication platform with multi-window chat, economy systems, and privacy-first approach. Built by communities for superior performance. — 377 GitHub stars. Licensed under AGPL-3.0.
Twake Chat
Free Matrix-based messenger with end-to-end encryption, multi-platform bridges, and on-premise deployment. Connect across 30+ networks securely. — 145 GitHub stars. Licensed under AGPL-3.0.
SAMA
Next-Gen self-hosted chat server and clients — 150 GitHub stars. Licensed under GPL-3.0.
Mattermost
Open-source platform for secure, mission-critical collaboration. — 35,832 GitHub stars. Licensed under Open Source.
Element
A secure, open-source communication platform by Matrix creators. — 12,831 GitHub stars. Licensed under AGPL-3.0.
Stoat
Open source, user-first chat platform — 2,837 GitHub stars. Licensed under Custom.
Revolt
Stay connected with friends securely. — 2,345 GitHub stars. Licensed under Open Source.
Movim
Movim centralizes all your communications in one place. — 1,972 GitHub stars. Licensed under AGPL-3.0.
Twake
Open source platform for secure, productive collaboration. — 1,908 GitHub stars. Licensed under AGPL-3.0.
Why Self-Host Instead of Slack?
- Data ownership. Your data stays on your server, not on Slack’s infrastructure.
- Predictable costs. Pay a fixed VPS cost instead of growing per-user or per-usage fees.
- No vendor lock-in. Export and migrate your data anytime. You control the database.
- GDPR and compliance. Hosting your own tools simplifies data residency and compliance requirements.
How much can you save?
Slack (Pro)
$88/mo
10 users x $8.75/user
$1,050/year
Rocket.Chat (self-hosted)
$10/mo
VPS hosting only. $0 per-user fees.
$320 year 1 (incl. $200 setup)
Your annual savings
$730
Year 1 (after setup cost). Year 2+: $930/year (89% less).
That's $78 saved every month.
Rocket.Chat runs on a $10/mo VPS with unlimited users. Setup by upready.dev starts at $200 (one-time). Slack pricing as of March 2026.
Why teams switch from Slack
- → Data ownership. Your data stays on your server -- not on Slack's infrastructure.
- → Predictable costs. Pay a fixed VPS cost instead of growing per-user or per-usage fees.
- → No vendor lock-in. Export and migrate your data anytime. You control the database.
- → GDPR and compliance. Hosting your own tools simplifies data residency and compliance requirements.
Head-to-Head Comparisons
Chatwoot is purpose-built for customer support (live chat, ticketing, omnichannel). Rocket.Chat is a team messaging platform that also offers customer-facing features. Choose Chatwoot for customer support, Rocket.Chat for team communication.
Both are document management tools. Colanode has 3 unique features, Memos has 3.
Both are document management tools. Crawl4AI has 4 unique features, Huly has 4.
Both are communication tools. Fluxer has 3 unique features, LobeChat has 4.
Both are communication tools. Gotify has 2 unique features, Mattermost has 3.
Both are communication tools. Gotify has 2 unique features, Mattermost has 3.
Both are document management tools. Huly has 4 unique features, SiYuan has 3.
Both are communication tools. LobeChat has 3 unique features, Mattermost has 3.
Both are communication tools. LobeChat has 3 unique features, Mattermost has 3.
Both are communication tools. LobeChat has 4 unique features, Stoat has 3.
Both are communication tools. LobeChat has 3 unique features, Stoat has 6.
Both are social tools. Mastodon has 4 unique features, Valour has 1.
Both are social tools. Mastodon has 4 unique features, Valour has 1.
Both are communication tools. Mattermost has 2 unique features, MiroTalk P2P has 4.
Both are communication tools. Mattermost has 2 unique features, Tiledesk has 3.
Both are communication tools. Mattermost has 2 unique features, MiroTalk P2P has 4.
Both are communication tools. Mattermost has 2 unique features, Tiledesk has 3.
Mattermost for teams that want a Slack-like experience with enterprise features. Zulip for teams that value organized, topic-based conversations over noisy channel-based chat.
Nextcloud wins for most teams with its broader feature set, active community, and built-in collaboration tools. ownCloud is better for organizations that need enterprise-grade file sync with minimal complexity.
Both Rocket.Chat and Zulip are strong open-source options in the communication space. Rocket.Chat has 45k GitHub stars and Zulip has 25k. Compare their features, deployment, and community to choose the right fit for your needs.
Syncthing for decentralized, peer-to-peer file sync without a server. Nextcloud for a full cloud platform with file sharing, calendar, contacts, and collaboration. Syncthing syncs, Nextcloud collaborates.
Browse more Communication & Messaging tools
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