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Mattermost alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Mattermost: self-hosting requires maintenance, and smaller integration catalog than Slack. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Mattermost, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Slack currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Rocket.Chat logoRocket.ChatOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +41 of 361.8
2Zulip logoZulipOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +42 of 361.3
3Wire logoWireFree plan + paidYesWeb, Windows, macOS +35 of 538.6
4Element logoElementOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +44 of 438.6
  1. Rocket.Chat logo

    1. Rocket.ChatTop pick

    Best for: Teams that need self-hosted chat plus customer messaging

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    61.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Mattermost

    Also open source and self-hosted, with omnichannel and federation.

    Pros

    • Open source and self-hostable
    • Omnichannel customer inbox
    • Matrix federation

    Cons

    • Setup and upgrades take effort
    • Interface less polished than Slack
    Visit Rocket.Chat Compare with MattermostDetails and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1553
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Rocket.Chat a good Mattermost alternative?

    Verified facts

    1 of 3 verified
    Open source
    Yes
    Not checked yetgithub.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes
    Checked Oct 24, 2026rocket.chat(opens source in a new tab)
    Free edition
    Yes
    Not checked yetrocket.chat(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Zulip logo

    2. Zulip

    Best for: Distributed teams that work asynchronously across time zones

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    61.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Mattermost

    Open source and self-hosted, with topic-based threading.

    Pros

    • Topic threads keep chat organized
    • Open source and self-hostable
    • Great for async work

    Cons

    • Topic model takes getting used to
    • Fewer third-party integrations
    Visit Zulip Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1577
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Zulip a good Mattermost alternative?

    Verified facts

    2 of 3 verified
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Oct 24, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes
    Checked Oct 24, 2026zulip.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    Yes
    Not checked yetzulip.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Wire logo

    3. Wire

    Best for: Small teams and organisations that want an encrypted European messenger they can audit or self-host

    Free plan + paidOpen sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

    38.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Mattermost

    Encrypted collaboration with managed cloud or on-premises deployment.

    Pros

    • End-to-end encryption with the MLS standard
    • Sign up with email, no phone number required
    • Open source, with on-premises deployment

    Cons

    • Few personal contacts use it
    • Product direction centres on businesses
    • Free plan limited to small teams
    Visit Wire Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.37
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Wire a good Mattermost alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Free plan
    Free for teams up to 5 people
    Checked Oct 25, 2026wire.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    €7.45 per person/month (annual)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026wire.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Devices
    Up to 8
    Checked Oct 25, 2026wire.com(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    GPL-3.0 (web app)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Encryption
    MLS, end-to-end by default
    Checked Oct 25, 2026wire.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Element logo

    4. Element

    Best for: Communities and organisations that want open, federated, encrypted chat they can run themselves

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    38.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Mattermost

    Self-hosted, end-to-end encrypted chat on the open Matrix standard.

    Pros

    • Federated: talk across servers, or host your own
    • Encrypted by default for private chats
    • Open source, with bridges to other networks

    Cons

    • More complex than mainstream messengers
    • Key backup and device verification confuse newcomers
    • Self-hosting a homeserver takes real admin work
    Visit Element Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.37
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Element a good Mattermost alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    AGPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Free community edition
    Checked Oct 25, 2026element.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise pricing
    Per seat/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026element.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Certification
    ISO/IEC 27001:2022
    Checked Oct 25, 2026element.io(opens source in a new tab)

The best Mattermost alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Slack logo

Best Mattermost alternative for most people

Slack

Hosted chat with the largest integration ecosystem, no servers to run.

Rocket.Chat logo

Best Mattermost alternative for a free option

Rocket.Chat

Also open source and self-hosted, with omnichannel and federation.

Wire logo

Best Mattermost alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Wire

Encrypted collaboration with managed cloud or on-premises deployment.

Zulip logo

Best Mattermost alternative for open source

Zulip

Open source and self-hosted, with topic-based threading.

Campfire logo

Best Mattermost alternative for self-hosting

Campfire

Much simpler self-hosted chat with a one-command install.

Element logo

Best Mattermost alternative for Mac

Element

Self-hosted, end-to-end encrypted chat on the open Matrix standard.

Slack logo

Best Mattermost alternative for Windows

Slack

Hosted chat with the largest integration ecosystem, no servers to run.

Slack logo

Best Mattermost alternative for Linux

Slack

Hosted chat with the largest integration ecosystem, no servers to run.

Slack logo

Best Mattermost alternative for iPhone and Android

Slack

Hosted chat with the largest integration ecosystem, no servers to run.

Slack logo

Best Mattermost alternative for working in the browser

Slack

Hosted chat with the largest integration ecosystem, no servers to run.

Mattermost alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Mattermost?

Slack ranks first right now. Hosted chat with the largest integration ecosystem, no servers to run. Rocket.Chat and Zulip follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Mattermost?

Yes. Slack (free plan + paid), Rocket.Chat (open source), Zulip (open source) and Campfire (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Mattermost?

Yes: Rocket.Chat, Zulip, Campfire and Wire, plus 1 more in the list above. Rocket.Chat, Zulip and Campfire can also be self-hosted.

Which Mattermost alternatives work on Linux?

Slack, Rocket.Chat, Zulip, Wire and Element run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Mattermost?

The complaints we hear most: self-hosting requires maintenance; smaller integration catalog than Slack.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Mattermost, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.