Top 13 Free Slack Alternatives to Use in 2026

Team Chat and Collaboration

Slack is popular, but many teams hit free plan constraints fast. This list focuses on free options you can actually use for team chat, with limits pulled from each tool’s official pricing or support docs. If you are comparing broader collaboration tools or building a stack for remote teams, start here, then validate your must-haves in a pilot.

13 Free Slack Alternatives Listed

100% Limits Sourced From Vendor Pages

1 Quick List + Comparison Table

Feb 23, 2026 Last Verified

Jump to Quick List See Comparison Table

Quick List: The 13 Best Free Slack Alternatives

Use this quick list to shortlist options, then scroll for verified limits and tool-by-tool notes.

Microsoft Teams (Free)

Chat plus meetings for Microsoft accounts

Discord

Fast chat and voice rooms for communities and teams

Google Chat

Spaces and threads with Gmail and Google Meet

Zoom Team Chat (Zoom Workplace Basic)

Team chat plus free Zoom meetings and retention rules

Pumble

Unlimited users and unlimited message history on free

Chanty

Small teams that want simple chat and 1 to 1 calls

Zoho Cliq

Zoho ecosystem teams that want structured chat

Bitrix24

Chat inside an all-in-one business suite

Mattermost (Entry)

Self-hosted team chat with a defined free cap

Rocket.Chat (Starter)

Self-managed secure chat with a published free tier

Element (Matrix)

Matrix-based chat with self-hosting and hosted limits

Zulip (Free)

Topic-based chat with a defined search history cap

Nextcloud Talk

Self-hosted chat and calls inside Nextcloud

How to Choose a Free Slack Alternative

Most comparisons fail because they treat every feature as equal. Instead, decide what must be true for your team, then validate each tool’s limits and workflows. If you are chat-first, also evaluate integrations and how you will run project management in chat.

1) Message history and search

Some free plans cap history by time, message count, or searchable history. Decide if your team needs durable knowledge, then pick accordingly.

🧠Unlimited history is ideal for long projects and support teams.
🔎Search limits matter more than storage limits for day-to-day retrieval.
📌If you rely on pinned answers, confirm they remain accessible.

2) File sharing and storage

Free tiers often hide limits in file size caps, storage quotas, or upload throttles. Confirm both per-file and total storage rules.

📎Check attachment size limits, especially for design and video files.
🗂️Shared storage (like Google Drive) may be enough for small teams.
🔒For sensitive work, prefer self-hosting where storage is your own.

3) Calls and meetings

Some free plans only support 1 to 1 calls, while others include group meetings with time limits. Map this to how your team actually meets.

🎥Check meeting duration limits for recurring standups and weekly syncs.
👥Confirm participant caps for company-wide updates.
📱Mobile call reliability matters for distributed and field teams.

4) Integrations and automation

If your chat is your command center, integrations and automation reduce manual updates. Make sure the free plan supports your minimum workflows.

⚙️Check integration limits and whether webhooks are included.
✅If approvals matter, align with an approval workflow.
🔁For repeatable work, consider workflow automation.

5) Admin controls and retention policies

Free tiers may not include admin controls, exports, or retention settings. If you need governance, verify admin and compliance capabilities early.

🧾Retention rules can be fixed on free plans.
📤Confirm export options if you need audit trails.
👤Check guest access and role permissions if you work with contractors.

6) Hosting and data control

Cloud chat is fast to adopt. Self-hosting gives maximum control. Your choice depends on compliance needs, budgets, and your willingness to maintain infrastructure.

☁️Cloud is easiest for quick adoption and minimal IT overhead.
🖥️Self-hosted options can be strongest for privacy and sovereignty.
🧪Run a pilot with real workflows before you commit.

Comparison Table: Free Slack Alternatives

This table only includes free-tier limits that are explicitly stated on vendor pricing or support pages. If a vendor does not publish a specific limit, it is marked as not stated.

Tool	Best for	Hosting	History or search (verified)	Files or storage (verified)	Calls or meetings (verified)	Notes (verified when possible)
Microsoft Teams (Free)	Teams already using Microsoft accounts and Microsoft-first workflows	Cloud	Not stated on the free plan feature list	5GB cloud storage per user	Up to 60 minutes per meeting, up to 100 attendees	Good default for Microsoft-centric teams
Discord	Community-style chat, voice rooms, and informal team collaboration	Cloud	Not stated on official support pages	Non-Nitro upload limit: 10MB per file	Server video chat: limited to 25 participants	Strong for voice-first teams, weaker for corporate admin controls
Google Chat	Gmail-first teams that want spaces, threads, and Meet links	Cloud	History can be turned on or off in direct messages; in spaces organized by topics, history is always on	Google Account includes 15GB shared across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos	Google Meet at no cost: up to 60 minutes and up to 100 participants	Good for teams living inside Google Workspace style workflows
Zoom Team Chat (Zoom Workplace Basic)	Teams that already use Zoom and want chat alongside meetings	Cloud	Team Chat cloud retention on free accounts: 2 years (and cannot be changed)	Not stated on retention docs as a fixed storage quota	Basic group meetings: 40 minutes; meeting participant cap: 100	Great for meeting-first orgs that also want chat retention clarity
Pumble	Teams that want a Slack-like chat experience with generous free tier limits	Cloud	Unlimited message history	10GB storage per workspace	1 to 1 voice and video meetings	Up to 3 apps and integrations on free plan
Chanty	Very small teams that want simple chat plus 1 to 1 calls	Cloud	Unlimited searchable history	20GB storage per team	Unlimited 1 to 1 audio calls and 1 to 1 video calls	Free plan caps team size at 5 members; up to 10 integrations
Zoho Cliq	Zoho users who want structured chat and channels with defined limits	Cloud	Searchable messages: 10,000	File storage: 100GB per organization	Meeting duration: 60 mins; meeting participants: 100	Max participants per channel group: 100
Bitrix24	Teams that want chat inside a broader business suite	Cloud	Not stated on pricing pages as a message cap	5GB online storage on free plan	Not stated on the cited pricing sources as a fixed free meeting limit	Free plan is listed as free forever and supports unlimited users; inactive accounts may be deleted after 50 days without activity
Mattermost (Entry)	Teams that want a self-hosted Slack alternative with a clearly defined free cap	Self-hosted	Usage up to 10,000 messages	Not stated in the Entry edition summary as a storage quota	Not stated in the Entry edition summary as a meeting limit	Entry edition summary states support up to 100 users
Rocket.Chat (Starter)	Security-focused teams that want self-managed chat with a published free plan	Self-managed hosting only	Searchable message history is listed, but a message cap is not stated on the pricing page	File sharing is listed, but a storage quota is not stated on the pricing page	Video conferencing integrations are listed, but a built-in meeting limit is not stated for Starter	$0 user/month; one workspace per organization; peer-to-peer community assistance: up to 50 users
Element (Matrix)	Teams that want Matrix-based chat and self-hosting options	Self-hosted, plus hosted Matrix.org plans	Not stated as a message cap on the cited pricing pages	Matrix.org Free plan: 10MB max attachment; total attachments and data usage: 100MB per 24 hours (up to 500MB per 28 days)	Element Server Suite Community includes Element Call	Element Server Suite Community is listed as open source and free of charge
Zulip (Free)	Teams that prefer topic-based chat and threaded organization	Cloud	10,000 messages of search history	File storage up to 5GB total	Not stated on pricing page as a built-in meeting limit	Strong for structured discussions via topics
Nextcloud Talk	Teams that want self-hosted chat and calls inside Nextcloud	Self-hosted	Retention depends on your server configuration	Uses your Nextcloud storage, so quotas depend on your deployment	Chat and video calls are core features; meeting caps depend on deployment and scaling choices	Positioned as a fully self-hosted audio, video, and chat communication service

Tool Reviews: What Each Free Slack Alternative Is Best At

Each tool below includes a practical best-fit summary and only the free-tier limits that are explicitly documented.

Microsoft Teams (Free)

Cloud chat and meetings for Microsoft accounts, with a clear meeting time cap and per-user storage quota.

Meetings: 60 minutes Attendees: up to 100 Storage: 5GB per user

Good fit for

Teams already using Microsoft accounts and Microsoft apps day to day
Organizations that want chat plus built-in meetings without adding a new tool

Verified free tier facts

Meetings for up to 60 minutes
Up to 100 attendees per meeting
5GB of cloud storage per user

Discord

Fast chat plus persistent voice rooms, popular with communities and teams that talk frequently.

Upload: 10MB (non-Nitro) Server video chat: 25 people Voice rooms: core feature

Good fit for

Voice-first teams that want rooms, quick huddles, and informal collaboration
Communities that need channels, roles, and fast onboarding

Verified free tier facts

Maximum upload for non-Nitro users is 10MB per file
Server video chat is limited to 25 participants

Google Chat

Spaces and threads tied into Gmail and Google Meet, with shared Google Account storage.

Meet: 60 minutes Meet: up to 100 participants Google storage: 15GB shared

Good fit for

Teams already living in Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Meet
Groups that prefer threaded conversations inside spaces

Verified free tier facts

Chat history can be turned on or off in direct messages, depending on the conversation type
In spaces organized by topics, history is always on
Google Meet at no cost supports up to 60 minutes and up to 100 participants
Google Account includes 15GB shared across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos

Zoom Team Chat (Zoom Workplace Basic)

Team chat combined with Zoom meetings, with a clearly published retention window for free accounts.

Meetings: 40 minutes Meetings: 100 participants Chat retention: 2 years

Good fit for

Teams that already run meetings in Zoom and want chat in the same environment
Organizations that care about knowing retention rules up front

Verified free tier facts

Basic group meetings are limited to 40 minutes
Zoom meeting participant cap is 100
Zoom Team Chat cloud retention for free accounts is 2 years, and it cannot be changed

Pumble

A Slack-style team chat app with an unusually generous free plan on users and message history.

Users: unlimited History: unlimited Storage: 10GB per workspace Integrations: 3

Good fit for

Teams replacing Slack mainly because of message history limits
Organizations that want a simple chat rollout with minimal friction

Verified free tier facts

Unlimited users
Unlimited message history
10GB storage per workspace
Up to 3 apps and integrations
1 to 1 voice and video meetings

Chanty

Simple team chat with a small free team size cap, plus 1 to 1 audio and video calls.

Team size: up to 5 History: unlimited searchable Storage: 20GB per team Integrations: 10

Good fit for

Very small teams that want a lightweight Slack alternative
Teams that value simplicity over deep customization

Verified free tier facts

Up to 5 team members
Unlimited searchable history
20GB storage per team
Up to 10 integrations
Unlimited 1 to 1 audio calls and 1 to 1 video calls

Zoho Cliq

Channel-based chat inside the Zoho ecosystem, with explicit caps on searchable messages and org storage.

Searchable messages: 10,000 Storage: 100GB per org Meetings: 60 mins, 100 participants

Good fit for

Zoho-first teams that want chat, channels, and internal collaboration in one suite
Small teams that can live within a searchable message cap

Verified free tier facts

Searchable messages: 10,000
File storage: 100GB per organization
Meetings: 60 mins duration and 100 participants
Max participants per channel group: 100

Bitrix24

Team chat bundled with a broader business suite, with an unlimited user claim and a small published storage quota on free.

Plan: free forever Users: unlimited Storage: 5GB Inactivity: 50 days rule

Good fit for

Teams that want chat plus broader tools in one place
Organizations that can work within 5GB storage on the free plan

Verified free tier facts

Pricing page positions the free plan as free forever and supports unlimited users
Free plan storage: 5GB
Helpdesk policy states accounts with no activity for more than 50 days may be deleted along with data

Mattermost (Entry)

Self-hosted team chat with a newly defined free edition that includes published caps for evaluation and small teams.

Users: up to 100 Messages: up to 10,000 Hosting: self-hosted

Good fit for

Teams that want self-hosting but accept a defined free cap
Evaluation pilots that need a realistic environment before upgrading

Verified free tier facts

Entry edition summary describes rate limits that include usage up to 10,000 messages
Entry edition summary states support up to 100 users

Rocket.Chat (Starter)

Self-managed team chat with a published Starter plan and a clear self-hosting stance.

$0 user/month Self-managed hosting One workspace per org Up to 50 users (community assistance)

Good fit for

Teams that want self-managed deployments and infrastructure control
Security-conscious organizations that want published plan boundaries

Verified Starter plan facts

Starter is listed as $0 user/month
Self-managed hosting only
One workspace per organization
Peer-to-peer community assistance is listed up to 50 users

Element (Matrix)

Matrix-based chat with a free self-hosted community distribution, plus published usage limits for Matrix.org hosted plans.

Self-hosted: free of charge Includes Element Call Matrix.org attachment: 10MB Matrix.org usage: 100MB/day

Good fit for

Teams that want Matrix protocol compatibility and ecosystem flexibility
Organizations that prefer self-hosting for data control

Verified facts

Element Server Suite Community is listed as open source under AGPL and free of charge
Community distribution includes Element Call
Matrix.org Free plan lists a 10MB maximum per attachment
Matrix.org Free plan lists total attachments and data usage as 100MB per 24 hours, up to 500MB per 28 days

Zulip (Free)

Topic-based chat that keeps discussions organized, with a clearly defined search history cap on the free plan.

Search history: 10,000 messages Storage: 5GB total Topics: core workflow

Good fit for

Teams that struggle with noisy channels and want topic structure
Engineering and ops teams that need organized, searchable discussions

Verified free tier facts

10,000 messages of search history
File storage up to 5GB total

Nextcloud Talk

Chat and calls inside Nextcloud, positioned as a fully self-hosted communication service.

Self-hosted Chat + video calls Storage depends on deployment

Good fit for

Teams already using Nextcloud for files and internal collaboration
Organizations that need self-hosting for privacy and sovereignty

Verified facts

Nextcloud Talk is presented as a self-hosted audio, video, and chat communication service
Main features include chat and video calls

How to Migrate from Slack to a Free Alternative Without Chaos

Switching tools is not just about features. It is about behavior change.

If you move from Slack to a free alternative without a plan, adoption drops and shadow Slack channels reappear.

Here is a practical migration sequence that works.

Step 1: Audit Your Current Slack Usage

Before moving anything, document:

Number of active channels
Integrations currently in use
Message history reliance
File storage usage
Meeting workflows

If your team heavily relies on integrations, confirm the alternative supports them before switching.

Step 2: Decide What Not to Migrate

Most teams do not need their entire Slack history.

Choose one of these strategies:

Archive everything and start clean
Export key knowledge into documentation
Keep Slack read-only for reference

A clean break often improves adoption.

Step 3: Run a Pilot Team First

Do not move the entire organization on day one.

Pick:

One department
One cross-functional project
One sprint cycle

Run the new tool for two to four weeks and document friction points.

Step 4: Standardize Channels and Naming

Before launch, define:

Channel naming conventions
File storage rules
Notification expectations
When to use threads versus new channels

This prevents clutter from day one.

Step 5: Set a Hard Cutover Date

Announce a date when Slack becomes read-only.
If you allow both tools to run indefinitely, Slack will win through habit.

Migration succeeds when the new tool becomes the default place for updates.

Security, Compliance, and Data Ownership in Free Slack Alternatives

Free does not mean insecure.
But free does mean you must read the fine print.

Before adopting any alternative, verify three things.

1. Data Hosting Location

Cloud-hosted tools store your data on vendor infrastructure.

If your organization has:

Regional compliance requirements
Client confidentiality obligations
Data residency constraints

You may need self-hosted options like Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Element, or Nextcloud Talk.

2. Retention and Export Controls

Some free plans:

Fix retention windows
Restrict export functionality
Limit admin controls

If you need audit trails or regulatory documentation, confirm retention policies before rollout.

Zoom Team Chat, for example, publishes fixed retention rules for free accounts.

3. Access and Permissions

Free plans sometimes restrict:

Guest access
Role-based permissions
Advanced admin policies

If your team includes contractors, vendors, or clients, test permission workflows early.

4. Encryption and Security Claims

Most mainstream tools advertise encryption in transit.
Fewer clarify encryption at rest or enterprise-grade controls on free tiers.

If security is mission-critical, confirm:

Hosting model
Encryption details
Authentication options

Do not assume feature parity between free and paid plans.

‍

FAQ: Free Slack Alternatives in 2026

Common questions teams ask when switching from Slack to a free chat platform.

Which free alternatives have the best message history?

Based on vendor-published limits, Pumble lists unlimited message history on free, and Chanty lists unlimited searchable history on free. Several others publish caps on searchable messages or usage, like Zoho Cliq, Zulip, and Mattermost Entry.

Which free options include meetings?

Microsoft Teams (Free) and Google Meet (via Google Chat) publish 60-minute meeting limits with up to 100 participants. Zoom Workplace Basic publishes a 40-minute limit for group meetings and a 100 participant cap, and also publishes Team Chat retention.

What should we verify before migrating off Slack?

Verify message history and search caps, file upload limits, retention controls, integrations, and whether your team needs group calls or only 1 to 1 calls. If you rely on automations, validate the minimum workflows you need, not the maximum feature list.

Which tools are best if we want self-hosting?

Rocket.Chat Starter, Nextcloud Talk, Element Server Suite Community, and Mattermost Entry are positioned with self-hosted deployment options. Self-hosting puts storage and retention under your control, but also adds responsibility for uptime and maintenance.

Pick the Free Chat Tool That Matches How Your Team Works

Start with the quick list, shortlist 2 or 3 options, then validate message history, file limits, meeting constraints, and integrations with a real pilot. The best Slack alternative is the one your team adopts daily and trusts as the source of truth.

Top 13 Free Slack Alternatives in 2024

Quick List: The 13 Best Free Slack Alternatives

How to Choose a Free Slack Alternative

1) Message history and search

2) File sharing and storage

3) Calls and meetings

4) Integrations and automation

5) Admin controls and retention policies

6) Hosting and data control

Comparison Table: Free Slack Alternatives

Tool Reviews: What Each Free Slack Alternative Is Best At

Microsoft Teams (Free)

Good fit for

Verified free tier facts

Discord

Good fit for

Verified free tier facts

Google Chat

Good fit for

Verified free tier facts

Zoom Team Chat (Zoom Workplace Basic)

Good fit for

Verified free tier facts

Pumble

Good fit for

Verified free tier facts

Chanty

Good fit for

Verified free tier facts

Zoho Cliq

Good fit for

Verified free tier facts

Bitrix24

Good fit for

Verified free tier facts

Mattermost (Entry)

Good fit for

Verified free tier facts

Rocket.Chat (Starter)

Good fit for

Verified Starter plan facts

Element (Matrix)

Good fit for

Verified facts

Zulip (Free)

Good fit for

Verified free tier facts

Nextcloud Talk

Good fit for

Verified facts

How to Migrate from Slack to a Free Alternative Without Chaos

Step 1: Audit Your Current Slack Usage

Step 2: Decide What Not to Migrate

Step 3: Run a Pilot Team First

Step 4: Standardize Channels and Naming

Step 5: Set a Hard Cutover Date

Security, Compliance, and Data Ownership in Free Slack Alternatives

1. Data Hosting Location

2. Retention and Export Controls

3. Access and Permissions

4. Encryption and Security Claims

FAQ: Free Slack Alternatives in 2026

Which free alternatives have the best message history?

Which free options include meetings?

What should we verify before migrating off Slack?

Which tools are best if we want self-hosting?

Pick the Free Chat Tool That Matches How Your Team Works

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