Best free option: Mattermost (Strong). Switching saves about $48 USD a year.
$48 USDa year
$64.80 CAD
Every pick below has a free version.
3 alternatives
Covers most of the same work, with trade-offs noted on each card.
Best for self-hosted chat with developer integrations
The free self-hosted Entry edition keeps 10,000 messages of history and has community support only. Larger teams need a paid plan. Free version: Self-hosted Entry edition is free with 10,000 messages of history and community support. Paid plans remove the limits and add support.
Best for self-hosted team chat on an open protocol
Uses the Matrix protocol, so you can self-host or use a Matrix account on a public server. The free community server suite is for non-professional use. Free version: The client and the Element Server Suite Community edition are free to use and host. Paid Pro and Sovereign plans add support and scale.
Right for specific needs, or not yet mature enough to recommend widely.
Best for free video calls without accounts
Covers only the meetings part of Teams. Pair it with a chat tool such as Element or Mattermost.
Sponsor this page: $149 for 30 days. Sponsors appear above the ranking, labeled; the ranking itself is not for sale.
How each alternative covers what people use Microsoft Teams for. Numbers link to editor notes.
| Feature | Mattermost | Element | Jitsi Meet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Messaging | |||
| Team chat and channels | YesNote 1Channels, threads and direct messages | YesNote 2Rooms, spaces and threads | NoNote 3Chat exists only inside a meeting |
| Meetings | |||
| Video meetings and screen sharing | PartialNote 4Calls plugin covers voice and screen sharing; Entry sets a 40-minute call limit that is not yet enforced | PartialNote 5Element Call handles group video and screen sharing; scale depends on your server | YesNote 6Browser and app meetings with screen sharing, no account needed |
| Files | |||
| File sharing in chats and channels | YesNote 7File sharing in channels | YesNote 8Files can be sent in any room | NoNote 9No file storage or sharing |
| Collaboration | |||
| Co-editing Office files in the app | NoNote 10No built-in Office co-editing | NoNote 11No built-in document editing | NoNote 12No document editing |
| Extensibility | |||
| Apps, bots and integrations | YesNote 13Webhooks, slash commands, bots and plugins | PartialNote 14Bots, bridges and widgets need server-side setup | PartialNote 15Embeddable in other apps through its API |
| Administration | |||
| Single sign-on and admin controls | PartialNote 16Entry includes SSO; compliance tools, delegated admin roles and high availability are not included | PartialNote 17Synapse supports single sign-on; admin tools differ from Teams | PartialNote 18Self-hosted servers can require authentication |
| Parity score | 67% | 58% | 33% |
Not covered by any free alternative yet: Co-editing Office files in the app, Single sign-on and admin controls. See all feature gaps
Switching saves about $48 USD / $65 CAD a year. Prices checked .
Based on Microsoft Teams Essentials, per user. Price source.
Last verified . Ranking: tier first, then the published score.
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Microsoft Teams is a product of Microsoft, named here for comparison only. Platforms listed for Microsoft Teams: Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Android.