The Best Free Slack AlternativesTop Group Chat Apps & Instant Messengers like Slack

The best free alternative to Slack is Element. It's not free, so if you're looking for a free alternative, you could try Element or Zulip. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Slack and loads of them is free so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free alternatives to Slack are Discord, Matrix, Wire and Stoat Chat.

filter to find the best alternatives

Slack alternatives are mainly Group Chat Apps, but if you're looking for Team Collaboration Tools or Video Calling Apps you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Self-Hosted, Self-Hosted + Open Source and Free. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Slack.
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Alternatives list

  1. Element icon

    Element

     776 likes

    Provides secure collaboration with end-to-end encryption, supporting chat, voice, and video calls. Available on all major platforms, it enables digital sovereignty with a decentralized design and interoperability through bridges to systems like Slack and Teams. Includes enterprise-grade SaaS.

    302 Element alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Matrix.org
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Cloudron
    • Snapcraft
    Video calls for desktop and mobile
     
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    13
    Comments about Element as an Alternative to Slack
    Top Positive Comment
    brinerustle
    6

    because its open source, decentralised, and end-to-end secure. Plus the folks at matrix.org are working to get us out of our communication silos by creating standards for communication interoperability!

    Top Negative Comment
    davaga6837
    1

    Element is way too buggy and slow. It's actually totally free unlike the description which says it's not free. But, free isn't enough when the software is just buggy and slow.

    Dserver Hosting
    Positive
    1

    this is a open source and free software that is very useful for me

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 13 comments
    Element icon
    Element icon
    • Element is Free Personal and Open SourceSlack is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Element is Privacy focused and LightweightSlack is not according to our users
  2. Zulip icon

    Zulip

     266 likes

    Zulip is the only modern team chat app that is designed for both live and asynchronous conversations. Zulip topics create a separate space for each discussion, so different conversations will never get in each other's way.

    222 Zulip alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    Zulip screenshot 1
     
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    76
    Comments about Zulip as an Alternative to Slack
    Top Positive Comment
    Paulo Coghi
    10

    More than feature parity with Slack, it's better because of Streams and Topics. It offer the same free tier with 10.000 max messages and better paid plans to the hosted version, and also provide the open source self-hosted option to install it on your own server and also remove the max messages limits. 5 stars

    gilbertbw
    Positive
    0

    Zulip's threading model is no much richer than Slacks (where it feels like a bolted feature). This starts to become noticable at even just three person organisations and only gets more important as you grow. In addition the ability to self host gives smaller businesses more flexability than Slack.

    Jump5231
    Positive
    1

    Excellent organization of topics and sub topics, great phone and desktop app, and web interface, new features and incredible support

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 76 comments
    Zulip icon
    Zulip icon
    • Zulip is Free Personal and Open SourceSlack is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Zulip is Privacy focusedSlack is not according to our users
  4. Rocket.Chat icon

    Rocket.Chat

     160 likes

    Rocket.Chat is a Web Chat Server, developed in JavaScript, using the Meteor fullstack framework.

    142 Rocket.Chat alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Cloudron
    Rocket.Chat screenshot 1
     
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    3
    Comments about Rocket.Chat as an Alternative to Slack
    John Fastman
    Positive
    10

    Does everything Slack does AND it's open source. However, it's also self-hosted. This means you have to put in the effort to set it up, but you control your own data, which is a huge advantage to your privacy - your chats and files don't sit on someone else's servers, ready for them or hackers to look at.

    Guest
    Positive
    7

    Rocket.Chat comes very close to slack regarding it's core features and handling.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    2

    open source, locally hosted so you own your data.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Rocket.Chat icon
    Rocket.Chat icon
    • Rocket.Chat is Freemium and Open SourceSlack is Freemium and Proprietary
  5. Ad
  6. Discord icon

    Discord

     1110 likes

    An integrated platform for text and voice communications. Offers tailored channels for different topics, customizable moderation tools, low latency for fluency, and managed user roles for optimal community facilitation.

    192 Discord alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Epic Games Store
    • Flathub
    • Electron
    • Playstation
    • Xbox
    Desktop UI
     
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    15
    Comments about Discord as an Alternative to Slack
    Top Positive Comment
    James Brown
    10

    Very very similar in terms of use and features. Of course, discord is marketed as for gamers while slack is for teams but usage is almost identical.

    Top Negative Comment
    thompsonmj
    10

    Slack is a project productivity and communication enhancement tool with integrating with other collaborative tools like GitHub, document editors, storage, etc. Discord is for recreational chatting.

    KazimirPodolski
    Negative
    1

    Slack is a work tool, Discord is common chatting and communities.

    3 of 15 comments
    Discord icon
    Discord icon
    • Discord is Freemium and ProprietarySlack is also Freemium and Proprietary
  7. Matrix icon

    Matrix

     384 likes

    Matrix defines a set of open APIs for decentralised communication, suitable for securely publishing, persisting and subscribing to data over a global open federation of servers with no single point of control.

    166 Matrix alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • WebRTC
    • Python
    • JavaScript
    • Go (Programming Language)
    • Cloudron
    • Java
    • Perl
    Main Page
     
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    7
    Comments about Matrix as an Alternative to Slack
    Top Positive Comment
    Vladimir Studinsky
    2

    Open source, fecentralized, federation, chat-voice-video function.

    Top Negative Comment
    somegirlfromit
    18

    Matrix is a protocol, not a client.

    Guest
    Positive
    4

    Respects your Freedom. Increasingly popular

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 7 comments
    Matrix icon
    Matrix icon
    • Matrix is Free and Open SourceSlack is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Matrix is Privacy focused, Security-focused and LightweightSlack is not according to our users
  8. Wire icon

    Wire

     314 likes

    Wire is the most secure collaboration platform featuring messenger, voice, video, conference calls, file-sharing, and external collaboration –all protected by the most secure end-to-end-encryption.

    282 Wire alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Flathub
    • Snapcraft
    Wire screenshot 1
     
  10. Stoat Chat icon

    Stoat Chat

     108 likes

    Stoat (previously Revolt) is a chat platform that puts users first. With text & voice channels, video calling, screen sharing, permissions, mod tools, bots & more. Join any community or build one just the way you like it. It also respects your privacy.

    45 Stoat Chat alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Rust
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • GitHub
    User settings page, on "Appearance" tab
     
  11. Element X icon

    Element X

     41 likes

    It is the brand new, and fastest ever, Matrix client. It is for personal and community use, and will support enterprise functionality later this year.

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Element X screenshot 1
     
  12. AirSend icon

    AirSend

     53 likes

    AirSend is a simple collaboration space for professionals and small teams that brings all your conversations, files, notes, and to-do lists into one place so that you can get work done faster and easier.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    AirSend screenshot 1
     
    |
    18
    Comments about AirSend as an Alternative to Slack
    Top Positive Comment
    mio
    2

    Slack limits itself to specific workspaces of teams. If you want to communicate between organizations or teams, shared channels are hard to setup and manage. AirSend doesn't have those issues.

    Thiago Oliveira
    Positive
    0

    I think the combination of communication and task/file management makes Airsend an excellent tool. They are always including new features. Best of all it is Free.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    hazzelle721
    Positive
    0

    Collaboration is made easy

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 18 comments
    AirSend icon
    AirSend icon
    • AirSend is Freemium and ProprietarySlack is also Freemium and Proprietary
  13. Echoed icon

    Echoed

     20 likes

    Full-fledged Discord alternative. The communication platform for gamers and those who want to get rid of Discord. Written in tauri, very lightweight.

    57 Echoed alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    Chat Channels
     
  14. Microsoft Teams icon

    Microsoft Teams

     55 likes

    A comprehensive collaboration platform within Office 365, providing centralized chat, file sharing, and HD video meetings. Accessible on multiple platforms, it offers enterprise-grade security and compliance, customizable notifications, and private to group chat sessions.

    249 Microsoft Teams alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Android Auto
    • Microsoft 365
    • Apple Car Play
    Microsoft Teams screenshot 1
     
    |
    2
    Comments about Microsoft Teams as an Alternative to Slack
    C F
    Positive
    1

    Same as Slack plus a lot more features

    s b
    Positive
    -1

    Integration with MS Office, and most importantly - MS Teams are FREE!

    Microsoft Teams icon
    Microsoft Teams icon
    • Microsoft Teams is Freemium and ProprietarySlack is also Freemium and Proprietary
12 of 161 Slack alternatives