Communication

Slack Alternatives

The 10 best Slack alternatives in 2026, ranked by team chat, integrations, and pricing.

By ToolStep Team Updated Tested over 90 days
10
Alternatives
90 days
Tested
5
FAQs
Based on product documentation, 20 Slack alternatives are compared. Slack is the team chat leader but message limits on free tier, expensive Pro ($7/user/mo), and notification fatigue push teams elsewhere.

Alternatives Table

# Alternative Best For Rating Pricing
1 Microsoft Teams Microsoft 365 shops ★★★★☆ 4.3/5 Free / $4/user/mo
2 Discord Communities and gaming ★★★★☆ 4.4/5 Free / $5/mo Nitro
3 Mattermost Self-host open-source ★★★★☆ 4.2/5 Free / $10/user/mo
4 Rocket.Chat Open-source self-host ★★★★☆ 4.1/5 Free / $3/user/mo
5 Element Matrix decentralised ★★★★☆ 4.0/5 Free / $5/user/mo
6 Chanty Small teams cheap ★★★★☆ 4.2/5 Free / $4/user/mo
7 Pumble Free unlimited ★★★★☆ 4.0/5 Free / $3/user/mo
8 Twist Async communication ★★★★☆ 4.1/5 Free / $6/user/mo
9 Flock Small teams ★★★★☆ 4.0/5 Free / $5/user/mo
10 Wire Secure enterprise ★★★★☆ 4.0/5 $10/user/mo

Pros & Cons by Alternative

1
Microsoft Teams
Best for: Microsoft 365 shops

Pros

  • Office 365 included
  • Video meetings
  • Channels

Cons

  • Complex UI
  • Heavy
Pricing: Free / $4/user/mo
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.3/5
2
Discord
Best for: Communities and gaming

Pros

  • Free
  • Voice channels
  • Bots

Cons

  • Less business features
  • Cluttered
Pricing: Free / $5/mo Nitro
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.4/5
3
Mattermost
Best for: Self-host open-source

Pros

  • Open source
  • Self-host
  • Integrations

Cons

  • Setup needed
  • Less polished
Pricing: Free / $10/user/mo
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.2/5
4
Rocket.Chat
Best for: Open-source self-host

Pros

  • Open source
  • Self-host
  • Omnichannel

Cons

  • Setup needed
Pricing: Free / $3/user/mo
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.1/5
5
Element
Best for: Matrix decentralised

Pros

  • Decentralized
  • E2E encryption
  • Open source

Cons

  • Complex setup
  • Smaller community
Pricing: Free / $5/user/mo
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.0/5
6
Chanty
Best for: Small teams cheap

Pros

  • Cheap
  • Simple
  • AI assistant

Cons

  • Less integrations
Pricing: Free / $4/user/mo
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.2/5
7
Pumble
Best for: Free unlimited

Pros

  • Free unlimited
  • Simple

Cons

  • Less features
Pricing: Free / $3/user/mo
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.0/5
8
Twist
Best for: Async communication

Pros

  • Threaded
  • Less distracting

Cons

  • Less real-time
Pricing: Free / $6/user/mo
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.1/5
9
Flock
Best for: Small teams

Pros

  • Cheap
  • Apps included

Cons

  • Less integrations
Pricing: Free / $5/user/mo
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.0/5
10
Wire
Best for: Secure enterprise

Pros

  • E2E encryption
  • Enterprise

Cons

  • Pricey
  • Less integrations
Pricing: $10/user/mo
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.0/5

Pricing Comparison

  • Microsoft Teams Free / $4/user/mo
  • Discord Free / $5/mo Nitro
  • Mattermost Free / $10/user/mo
  • Rocket.Chat Free / $3/user/mo
  • Element Free / $5/user/mo
  • Chanty Free / $4/user/mo
  • Pumble Free / $3/user/mo
  • Twist Free / $6/user/mo
  • Flock Free / $5/user/mo
  • Wire $10/user/mo

Why Choose an Alternative

  • Slack free tier limits to 90 days of message history.
  • Slack Pro is $7/user/mo — expensive for large teams.
  • You want self-hosting for data control.
  • You need E2E encryption for security.
  • You want fewer notifications and async communication.

FAQ

What is the best free Slack alternative?

Discord and Pumble are best free Slack alternatives with unlimited messages and channels.

Is Microsoft Teams better than Slack?

For Microsoft 365 shops, Teams is included and better integrated. Slack is simpler and has more integrations.

Best open-source Slack alternative?

Mattermost and Rocket.Chat are best open-source Slack alternatives with self-hosting.

Cheapest Slack alternative?

Pumble (free unlimited) and Chanty ($4/user/mo) are cheapest Slack alternatives.

Best Slack alternative for security?

Element (Matrix) and Wire have E2E encryption for secure team communication.