Open Source Self-Hosted Slack Alternatives

Slack is not available as a self-hosted solution but there are plenty of alternatives for power users and business that want to host a solution on-premise. The best open source Self-Hosted alternative is Zulip. It's not free, so if you're looking for a free alternative, you could try Zulip or Element. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Slack and many of them are open source and available as a self-hosted solution so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source Self-Hosted alternatives to Slack are Wire, Rocket.Chat, Armada and Buzz.

filter to find the best alternatives

Slack alternatives are mainly Group Chat Apps, but if you're looking for Video Calling Apps or Team Collaboration Tools 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
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Alternatives list

  1. Zulip icon
     275 likes

    Threaded group conversations combine live and asynchronous messaging, separating topics for organized collaboration, supporting open-source, cloud, and self-hosted deployments, secure communication with encryption, and multi-platform access for diverse teams.

    252 Zulip alternatives

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    • Mac
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    • Online
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    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    • US flagUnited States
    Zulip screenshot 1
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    78
  2. Element icon
     840 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.

    354 Element alternatives

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    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • Matrix.org
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Cloudron
    • OpenAPK
    • GB flagUnited Kingdom
    Element screenshot 1
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    13
  3. Matrix icon
     419 likes

    Open standard protocol enabling decentralized, encrypted instant messaging, VoIP signaling, IoT device connectivity, and persistent data management across federated servers without central control or single points of failure, bridging communication platforms.

    199 Matrix alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • WebRTC
    • Python
    • JavaScript
    • Go (Programming Language)
    • Cloudron
    • Java
    • Perl
    • GB flagUnited Kingdom
    Main Page
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    7
  4. Wire icon
     334 likes

    Secure communication platform featuring encrypted chats and calls, file and media sharing, self-deleting messages, device verification, group collaboration, and customizable settings. Supports use across multiple devices with no phone number required for access.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Good alternative?
     
  5. Rocket.Chat icon
     163 likes

    Open-source chat server supporting real-time group, direct, and private messaging, video calls, file sharing, helpdesk chat, API integrations, desktop notifications, emojis, LDAP authentication, cross-platform apps, and customizable extensions for teams.

    168 Rocket.Chat alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Cloudron
    Good alternative?
     
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    3
  6. Armada icon
     14 likes

    Open-source, end-to-end encrypted chat supporting decentralized, serverless communities and Concord. Features self-hosting, cryptographic login, encrypted text channels, threads, live voice and video rooms, compatibility with Nostr and other protocols, custom emojis, and GIFs.

    25 Armada alternatives

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    Platforms

    • Mac
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    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Self-Hosted
    • US flagUnited States
    Armada screenshot 1
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  7. Buzz icon
     6 likes

    Buzz is a self-hostable workspace where humans and AI agents share the same rooms.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    • Docker
    • AppImage
    • iPhone
    • US flagUnited States
    Buzz screenshot 1
    Good alternative?
     
  8. Movim icon
     56 likes

    Decentralized social and blog platform based on XMPP, enabling self-hosting, cross-network chat, video calls, and group collaboration. Users control and migrate their data, communicate across various networks, and access services from any node while preserving privacy and open-source principles.

    Cost / License

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    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
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  9. Twake icon
     29 likes

    Twake is a real-time teamwork platform. It is a suite of collaborative tools that includes the specificities of some bestsellers (Slack, Trello, Google Drive...). We provide professional messaging, storage space, online collaborative editors (Words, Excel, PowerPoint), task...

    133 Twake alternatives

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    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    • iPhone
    • Android
    • Online
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    1
  10. Nextcloud Talk icon
     35 likes

    Self-hosted communication platform with secure audio, video, chat, web conferencing, screensharing, advanced encryption, and metadata privacy, running on user-controlled servers, supporting web and mobile apps, and eliminating third-party data exposure.

    121 Nextcloud Talk alternatives

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    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Nextcloud
    • F-Droid
    • Flatpak
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
    • OpenAPK
    Good alternative?
     
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    1
  11. Flotilla icon
     11 likes

    Decentralized chat platform built on the nostr protocol with support for multi-group communities, event calendars, threads, private messaging, web of trust, customizable access controls, monetization via zaps, full privacy, and white-label options for branding.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Self-Hosted
    Good alternative?
     
  12. Mirotalk icon
     18 likes

    Powered by WebRTC, Real-time video call, chat room and screen sharing entirely browser based.

    89 Mirotalk alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    • Docker Hub
    • YunoHost
    • Cloudron
    Good alternative?
     
12 of 42 Slack alternatives