Alternatives to Slack
A team chat platform organized into channels, with huddles, file sharing, app integrations and AI features. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Slack
A team chat platform organized into channels, with huddles, file sharing, app integrations and AI features.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Slack.
Microsoft Teams (free)
The free edition of Microsoft Teams for chat, file sharing and video meetings.
Microsoft Teams (free) combines chat, file sharing and meetings for up to 100 participants, but requires a Microsoft account and remains proprietary with business features on paid plans.
Google Chat
Google's team messaging app with spaces, direct messages and threaded conversations.
Google Chat offers spaces with threaded conversations and fits teams already in Google Workspace, but it needs a Google account, runs in the web only and cannot be self-hosted.
Mattermost
A self-hosted team chat platform with a desktop client, aimed at organisations that want Slack without the cloud.
Mattermost is open source under Apache-2.0 and self-hosted, so message data stays on your own servers, though you must run the server and some features are paid.
Zulip
Team chat organised by topic inside each channel, so conversations stay readable when you come back hours later.
Zulip is open source and organises chat by topic inside each channel, can be self-hosted or hosted, but has a smaller integration ecosystem than Slack.
Rocket.Chat Desktop
Connect to Rocket.Chat workspaces from a desktop client.
Rocket.Chat Desktop is an MIT-licensed client for Rocket.Chat workspaces, which you connect to separately, with server licensing handled apart from the desktop app.
Pumble
A team messaging app with channels, threads, direct messages and voice and video calls.
Pumble keeps a similar channel and thread layout with unlimited users and message history on its free offering, but it is closed source and hosted only.
Campfire
A self-hosted group chat system from 37signals with rooms, direct messages and @mentions.
Campfire from 37signals is MIT licensed and self-hosted with no per-user fees, but covers chat basics rather than a large integration ecosystem.
Chanty
A hosted team chat workspace for organizing internal and external communication, with a free plan.
Chanty is a hosted, proprietary team chat with a free plan and free guest access for external contacts, and states HIPAA, GDPR and SOC 2 compliance.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Slack as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Flock
A team messaging app with channels, voice and video calls, screen sharing and file sharing.
Slack provides hosted channel-based chat with huddles, a large range of integrations and workflow automation, available on desktop, mobile and web, with many features on paid plans.
Stoat
An open-source group chat app with servers, channels, voice chat and role-based moderation for communities.
Slack is a hosted, closed-source channel chat with many integrations and huddles, with many features behind paid plans.
Twist
An asynchronous team messaging app that organizes conversations into threads inside channels.
Slack offers hosted real-time channel chat with huddles, many integrations and workflow automation, with many features and AI tools behind paid plans.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Discord
A voice, video and text chat app for communities and friends, organised into servers and channels.
Huly
An open-source team platform combining project tracking, chat, documents, planning and video meetings.
Google Workspace
Google's online office suite with Docs, Sheets, Slides, Gmail, Drive and Meet in one account.
Zoho Workplace
An online suite from Zoho combining mail, team chat, meetings, file storage and office editors.
