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Stoat alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Stoat: much smaller user base than Discord, and some features and apps are still maturing. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Stoat, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Discord currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Mumble logoMumbleOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux +13 of 357.2
2Element logoElementOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +44 of 452.2
3Rocket.Chat logoRocket.ChatOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +41 of 350.5
  1. Mumble logo

    1. MumbleTop pick

    Best for: Gaming groups and communities that want free, low-latency voice on their own server

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWindows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Stoat

    Free, open-source, low-latency voice chat for groups.

    Pros

    • Free and open source
    • Very low latency and positional audio
    • Self-hosted with a detailed permission system

    Cons

    • Basic text chat and a dated interface
    • No official mobile apps
    • You host or rent the server yourself
    Visit Mumble Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    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 Mumble a good Stoat alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Price
    Free and open source
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mumble.info(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mumble.info(opens source in a new tab)
    Large sessions
    100+ simultaneous speakers
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mumble.info(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Element logo

    2. 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

    52.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Stoat

    Open, federated Matrix chat with end-to-end encryption.

    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 ×0.352
    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 Stoat 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)
  3. Rocket.Chat logo

    3. Rocket.Chat

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

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

    50.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Stoat

    Open-source, self-hosted chat for larger organisations and communities.

    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 Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    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 Stoat 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)

The best Stoat alternative for…

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

Discord logo

Best Stoat alternative for most people

Discord

The dominant community chat app with a much larger user base.

Mumble logo

Best Stoat alternative for a free option

Mumble

Free, open-source, low-latency voice chat for groups.

TeamSpeak logo

Best Stoat alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

TeamSpeak

Voice-first community servers you can host yourself.

Element logo

Best Stoat alternative for open source

Element

Open, federated Matrix chat with end-to-end encryption.

Rocket.Chat logo

Best Stoat alternative for self-hosting

Rocket.Chat

Open-source, self-hosted chat for larger organisations and communities.

Discord logo

Best Stoat alternative for Mac

Discord

The dominant community chat app with a much larger user base.

Discord logo

Best Stoat alternative for Windows

Discord

The dominant community chat app with a much larger user base.

Discord logo

Best Stoat alternative for Linux

Discord

The dominant community chat app with a much larger user base.

Discord logo

Best Stoat alternative for iPhone and Android

Discord

The dominant community chat app with a much larger user base.

Discord logo

Best Stoat alternative for working in the browser

Discord

The dominant community chat app with a much larger user base.

Stoat alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Stoat?

Discord ranks first right now. The dominant community chat app with a much larger user base. TeamSpeak and Mumble follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Stoat?

Yes. Discord (free plan + paid), TeamSpeak (free plan + paid), Mumble (open source) and Element (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Stoat?

Yes: Mumble, Element and Rocket.Chat. Mumble, Element and Rocket.Chat can also be self-hosted.

Which Stoat alternatives work on Linux?

Discord, TeamSpeak, Mumble, Element and Rocket.Chat run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Stoat?

The complaints we hear most: much smaller user base than Discord; some features and apps are still maturing; small team, so development pace varies.

How is this list ranked?

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