Alternatives · 2026
Alternatives to Mattermost
Open-source team chat alternative built for self-hosting.
8 hand-curated alternatives from MintedSaaS's directory. See the Mattermost listing →
Mattermost is an open-source team chat platform designed for organizations that want to self-host their communications infrastructure. It's built as a Slack alternative for companies that need on-premise control over data, compliance requirements that demand local storage, or teams unwilling to depend on SaaS providers. Mattermost runs on your own servers, letting you own the full stack from database to UI. It's popular among enterprises, government agencies, and tech-forward teams that have the ops capacity to run their own messaging layer.
Teams typically deploy Mattermost when they've already invested in internal infrastructure, need message retention policies they can enforce themselves, or operate in regulated industries where third-party hosting isn't permitted. It's used in parallel with — not instead of — other tools like project management software or video conferencing. The friction point is setup: Mattermost requires installation, maintenance, and ongoing system administration, which suits teams with dedicated DevOps staff or managed hosting providers rather than small startups looking for simplicity.
What we offer that competes
Twist
Asynchronous team messaging organised by threads.
Element
Decentralised Matrix-based messenger for secure team chat.
Google Chat
Team messaging integrated with Google Workspace.
Rocket.Chat
Open-source communication platform with chat and channels.
Discord
Voice, video, and chat platform popular with communities and teams.
Microsoft Teams
Chat, meetings, and files unified inside Microsoft 365.
Slack
Channels-based team messaging built around integrations.
What to look for
- Whether the product is self-hosted on your own infrastructure or delivered as managed SaaS with no server maintenance
- Whether message search includes full-text indexing of files and whether search results are paginated or limited by time window
- Whether you can set custom message retention policies per channel and permanently delete messages on schedule
- Whether the platform supports end-to-end encryption for direct messages and whether encryption can be enabled per-channel
- Whether you can invite external users (vendors, clients, contractors) to channels without creating full org accounts
- Whether API rate limits and webhook documentation are published and whether custom integrations require code or can be configured via UI
FAQ
What are the best alternatives to Mattermost?
Rocket.Chat and Element are the leading open-source alternatives, both self-hostable. For managed SaaS options, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord, Twist, and Google Chat all serve team communication but without on-premise hosting. Missive bridges team chat and email in a single inbox, which suits teams handling customer support alongside internal chat.
Are there free alternatives to Mattermost?
Yes. Rocket.Chat, Element, and Mattermost itself are all free and open-source. Discord and Google Chat offer free tiers with feature limits. Slack's free plan is limited to recent message history, while Teams and Missive are paid-first products.
What's the difference between Mattermost and Rocket.Chat?
Both are self-hosted open-source alternatives to Slack. Rocket.Chat has more extensive marketplace integrations and plugin support out of the box. Mattermost emphasizes enterprise security and compliance features. Choose Rocket.Chat if you want more extensibility; choose Mattermost if your org prioritizes data isolation and regulatory controls.
How do I choose a team chat tool for remote teams?
Consider whether you need on-premise hosting (Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Element) or SaaS is acceptable (Slack, Teams, Discord, Google Chat). Evaluate search quality, file storage limits, mobile support, and whether integrations with your other tools are built-in or require workarounds.
Are there chat platforms that combine messaging with email?
Missive is purpose-built to merge team chat and shared email inboxes, making it useful for support teams or sales departments. It's not a general-purpose chat tool like Mattermost, but it eliminates context switching for teams that live in both channels.
Which team chat platforms support end-to-end encryption?
Element (formerly Riot.im) provides encrypted conversations across all messages by default through the Matrix protocol. Rocket.Chat and Mattermost support encrypted channels with setup and configuration. Slack, Teams, Discord, and Google Chat do not offer end-to-end encryption for team conversations.
What integrations matter most for team chat?
Look for native connectors to your existing tools: GitHub, Jira, Salesforce, Zapier, or your internal APIs. Self-hosted platforms like Mattermost and Rocket.Chat let you build custom integrations, but they require engineering time. SaaS options like Slack and Teams have larger integration marketplaces.
Can I export my chat history from team chat platforms?
Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, and Element let you export data since you control the database. Slack exports are restricted to Enterprise Grid customers. Teams, Discord, and Google Chat do not offer bulk export functionality for users.