# Alternatives to Slack

The default workplace chat with threads and huddles.

Slack ranks #8 of 8 in Team chat, with an Alt Score of 17. It is freemium. 1 of 12 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/slack/
Category: Team chat

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Teams and organizations of any size, across functions like engineering, sales, support, and marketing, who need a central place for real-time work communication.
- **What you get**: Persistent, searchable channels for team and topic-based discussion, plus direct messages and huddles (built-in audio/video calls) for quicker conversations. Workflow Builder automates routine tasks, and Canvas/Lists support light project tracking and docs. Integrations connect Slack to over a million third-party apps (Google Drive, Asana, etc.), and built-in AI features handle search, thread/channel summaries, and note-taking.
- **How it works**: Organizations set up a workspace and organize conversations into channels by team, project, or topic, with members posting messages, files, and threads that stay searchable over time. Users can jump into huddles for live conversation, trigger automated workflows, or connect external apps directly within the same interface.

## Profile

- **License**: ?
- **Pricing model**: Freemium (verified 2026-07-10)
- **Starts at**: ?
- **Platforms**: ?

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [Mattermost](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/mattermost.md) | 89 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 2 | [Microsoft Teams](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/microsoft-teams.md) | 78 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 3 | [Zulip](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/zulip.md) | 78 | Apache-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 4 | [Rocket.Chat](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/rocketchat.md) | 70 | MIT | Web, iOS, Android |
| 5 | [Element](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/element.md) | 55 | AGPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 6 | [Discord](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/discord.md) | 32 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 7 | [Twist](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/twist.md) | 29 | ? | ? |

Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/

## Feature comparison

Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).

| Team chat checklist | Slack | Mattermost | Microsoft Teams | Zulip | Rocket.Chat | Element |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium | OSS + paid hosting | Freemium | OSS + paid hosting | OSS + paid hosting | OSS + paid hosting |
| Starts at | ? | Free | $4.00/user/month | $6.67/user/mo | ? | ? |
| License | ? | Proprietary | Proprietary | Apache-2.0 | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Platforms | ? | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web | Web, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web |
| Message history limit (free) | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | ? | No |
| Threads | ? | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | ? |
| Huddles / audio rooms | ? | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | ? |
| Video calls | ? | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes |
| Guest access | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? |
| Federation | ? | Partial | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | ? | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| E2E encryption | ? | No | Partial | No | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations count | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes |
| Workflow automations | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ? |
| Search quality (filters) | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ? |
| Compliance exports | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |

## Sources

Sources for Slack. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **Pricing model**: Freemium — <https://slack.com/help/articles/29414264463635-Updates-to-message-and-file-history-on-free-workspaces> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Note: Free workspace + paid upgrade = Freemium. (Both Slack research agents were blocked by JS-rendered pricing / 404 help slugs; only this article verified — slack is thin, other facts/cells are gaps.)
  - Quote: “If you choose to remain on a free workspace, you'll have full access to the past 90 days of message and file history, and the remaining 275 days will become available should you upgrade to a paid plan”
- **Message history limit (free)**: Yes — <https://slack.com/help/articles/29414264463635-Updates-to-message-and-file-history-on-free-workspaces> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Note: Free plan limited to 90 days of history.
  - Quote: “If you choose to remain on a free workspace, you'll have full access to the past 90 days of message and file history”

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Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/