switchpoint

Team chat · Free picks

Free Slack
alternatives

Free tier — meaning actually free, not "free for 14 days". Open-source self-hostable options, or vendors with a free plan you can run a real workflow on.

Reviewed by Switchpoint Editors ·

  1. 1

    Discord

    Voice-first chat with permanent free history.

    Free. Nitro optional.

    Best for: Communities and small companies.

    Try Discord free
  2. 2

    Mattermost

    Open-source, self-hosted Slack alternative.

    Free self-hosted. Pro $10/user/mo.

    Best for: Regulated industries and security-conscious teams.

    Try Mattermost free
  3. 3

    Zulip

    Threaded chat that actually keeps conversations organized.

    Free self-hosted. Cloud from $8/user/mo.

    Best for: Async-first teams.

    Try Zulip free
  4. 4

    Element

    End-to-end encrypted chat on the Matrix protocol.

    Free. Hosted from $5/user/mo.

    Best for: Privacy-first orgs and federated networks.

    Try Element free
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