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Rocket.Chat alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Rocket.Chat: setup and upgrades take effort, and interface less polished than Slack. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Rocket.Chat, 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
1Mattermost logoMattermostOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +41 of 361.8
2Zulip logoZulipOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +42 of 361.3
3Campfire logoCampfireOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Web5 of 540.0
4Element logoElementOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +44 of 438.6
  1. Mattermost logo

    1. MattermostTop pick

    Best for: Security-conscious organizations that must self-host chat

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

    61.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Rocket.Chat

    Open-source and self-hosted with a Slack-like interface and playbooks.

    Pros

    • Open source and self-hosted
    • Slack-like interface
    • Strong compliance options

    Cons

    • Self-hosting requires maintenance
    • Smaller integration catalog than Slack
    Visit Mattermost Compare with Rocket.ChatDetails 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 Mattermost a good Rocket.Chat 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, 2026mattermost.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free edition
    Yes
    Not checked yetmattermost.com(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 Rocket.Chat

    Open source with a distinctive topic model for async teams.

    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 Rocket.Chat 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. Campfire logo

    3. Campfire

    Best for: Small companies and groups that want simple, free, self-hosted chat with no subscription

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Web

    40.0

    score / 100

    Why switch from Rocket.Chat

    A far simpler free self-hosted chat for small teams.

    Pros

    • Free and MIT-licensed, with one-command install
    • Works on air-gapped networks
    • Simple, clean design that covers the essentials

    Cons

    • No native mobile apps, mobile web only
    • Can't import Slack or Teams history
    • Few integrations beyond a basic bot API
    Visit Campfire Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.312
    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 Campfire a good Rocket.Chat alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026once.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Deployment
    Self-hosted
    Checked Oct 25, 2026once.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Air-gapped use
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026once.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Slack/Teams import
    Not available
    Checked Oct 25, 2026once.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Capacity
    250 users on 2 GB RAM, 1 CPU
    Checked Oct 25, 2026once.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 Rocket.Chat

    Native Matrix client and server with end-to-end encryption by default.

    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 Rocket.Chat 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 Rocket.Chat alternative for…

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

Slack logo

Best Rocket.Chat alternative for most people

Slack

Fully hosted, polished chat if you no longer want to self-host.

Mattermost logo

Best Rocket.Chat alternative for a free option

Mattermost

Open-source and self-hosted with a Slack-like interface and playbooks.

Slack logo

Best Rocket.Chat alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Slack

Fully hosted, polished chat if you no longer want to self-host.

Zulip logo

Best Rocket.Chat alternative for open source

Zulip

Open source with a distinctive topic model for async teams.

Campfire logo

Best Rocket.Chat alternative for self-hosting

Campfire

A far simpler free self-hosted chat for small teams.

Element logo

Best Rocket.Chat alternative for Mac

Element

Native Matrix client and server with end-to-end encryption by default.

Slack logo

Best Rocket.Chat alternative for Windows

Slack

Fully hosted, polished chat if you no longer want to self-host.

Slack logo

Best Rocket.Chat alternative for Linux

Slack

Fully hosted, polished chat if you no longer want to self-host.

Slack logo

Best Rocket.Chat alternative for iPhone and Android

Slack

Fully hosted, polished chat if you no longer want to self-host.

Slack logo

Best Rocket.Chat alternative for working in the browser

Slack

Fully hosted, polished chat if you no longer want to self-host.

Rocket.Chat alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Rocket.Chat?

Slack ranks first right now. Fully hosted, polished chat if you no longer want to self-host. Mattermost and Zulip follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Rocket.Chat?

Yes. Slack (free plan + paid), Mattermost (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 Rocket.Chat?

Yes: Mattermost, Zulip, Campfire and Element. Mattermost, Zulip and Campfire can also be self-hosted.

Which Rocket.Chat alternatives work on Linux?

Slack, Mattermost, Zulip and Element run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Rocket.Chat?

The complaints we hear most: setup and upgrades take effort; interface less polished than Slack.

How is this list ranked?

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