The best Slack alternative for most companies is Microsoft Teams: unlimited message history, guest access and 300-person meetings from $4 a user a month, or included if you already pay for Microsoft 365. Google Chat is the pick for teams on Google Workspace (from $7 a user with Gmail and Drive), Mattermost is best if chat must run on your own servers, Element is best for end-to-end encrypted chat, and ClickUp is best if you want chat next to your tasks.
Best Slack alternatives in 2026
Microsoft Teams
Chat, channels, meetings and calls with unlimited history and guest access from $4 a user (Teams Essentials, billed yearly), or as part of Microsoft 365 Business Basic at $7 with email and SharePoint.
Google Chat
Spaces, threads and Meet huddles inside Gmail, included in every Workspace plan from $7 a user with a 1-year commitment, with guest accounts for outside people.
Mattermost
Slack-style channels, threads and calls on your own servers, with a Slack import tool; the free Entry edition shows only the latest 10,000 messages, and paid plans are quoted by sales.
Element
Messages and calls end-to-end encrypted by default on the open Matrix network; host your own server or use Element's, with business pricing through sales.
ClickUp
Channels, DMs and posts inside the same app as tasks and docs, so messages turn into tasks; Chat is free for now and ClickUp imports Slack channels and history.
Questions buyers ask
What is the best free alternative to Slack?
It depends on the limit that hurts. Slack Free hides messages after 90 days and deletes them after a year. Mattermost Team Edition is free and self-hosted with full history for up to 250 users, but you run the server and get no SSO. Element is free on public Matrix servers or self-hosted. ClickUp Chat is free for now. Free Microsoft Teams is meant for personal use and caps group meetings at 60 minutes.
Is Microsoft Teams better than Slack?
Teams is better value if you already use Microsoft 365: unlimited history, 300-person meetings and SharePoint files from $4 to $7 a user, against Slack Pro at $7.25 billed yearly. Slack is better for app integrations, workflows and a lighter, faster chat experience, and most developer tools ship a Slack app first.
Can I move my Slack history to another app?
Partly. Slack workspace owners can export public channels on any plan. Mattermost imports that export with its mmctl tool, and ClickUp imports Slack channels and history. Microsoft Teams and Google Chat have no first-party Slack importer, so history moves through paid third-party migration tools or custom code. Slack apps, workflows and huddle recordings never transfer.
Does Google Chat replace Slack?
For teams already on Google Workspace, yes for everyday messaging: spaces work like channels, with threads, Drive files, Meet huddles and guest accounts. It has fewer integrations and automation features than Slack, so teams that live on Slack apps and workflows often miss them.
Which Slack alternative can I host myself?
Mattermost and Element are the main options; Rocket.Chat and Zulip are also open source and self-hostable. Mattermost feels most like Slack and suits engineering and regulated teams; Element adds end-to-end encryption and federation between servers. Either way, someone has to install, update and back up the server.
What about Discord, Zulip or Rocket.Chat?
Discord is built for communities and gaming, with no business admin, compliance or guest controls, so most companies do not use it for work. Zulip organizes chat into topics inside channels, which suits async and open-source teams. Rocket.Chat is an open-source, self-hosted option that also handles customer messaging channels.
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