🎧 11 Chat & Community Apps Compared (October 2026)

Voice, video and text chat apps for communities and teams. 11 have a free option. Open any item to see its alternatives.

Discord

Voice, video and text chat built around community servers

Free option BotsCommunitiesMobile app

10 alternatives to Discord →

Free + paid

Visit site

Element

Open-source, end-to-end encrypted chat on the decentralized Matrix network

Free option Open source EncryptedMobile app

10 alternatives to Element →

Free + paid

Visit site

Mattermost

Open-source, self-hostable team messaging platform

Free option Open source ChannelsIntegrations

10 alternatives to Mattermost →

Free + paid

Visit site

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft's chat and meetings app for work and school

Free option ChannelsMobile appScreen sharing

10 alternatives to Microsoft Teams →

Free + paid

Visit site

Mumble

Free, open-source, low-latency voice chat software

Free option Open source Self hostedVoice chat

10 alternatives to Mumble →

Free

Visit site

Rocket.Chat

Open-source team communication platform that can be self-hosted

Free option Open source ChannelsSelf hosted

10 alternatives to Rocket.Chat →

Free + paid

Visit site

Slack

Workplace messaging with channels, huddles and app integrations

Free option ChannelsIntegrationsMobile app

10 alternatives to Slack →

Free + paid

Visit site

Stoat (formerly Revolt)

Open-source Discord-style chat app; renamed from Revolt in October 2025

Free option Open source CommunitiesVoice chat

10 alternatives to Stoat (formerly Revolt) →

Free

TeamSpeak

Low-latency voice chat long used by gamers; servers can be self-hosted

Free option Mobile appSelf hostedVoice chat

10 alternatives to TeamSpeak →

Free + paid

Visit site

Cloud-based messaging app with large groups and broadcast channels

Free option BotsCommunitiesMobile app

10 alternatives to Telegram →

Free + paid

Visit site

Zulip

Open-source team chat organized into topic-based threads

Free option Open source ChannelsSelf hosted

10 alternatives to Zulip →

Free + paid

Visit site

Frequently asked questions

How many chat & community apps do you compare?

This page compares 11 chat & community apps, including Discord, Element, Mattermost, Microsoft Teams, Mumble.

Which chat & community apps do people look for alternatives to most?

On our site the most searched are Discord.

Which chat & community apps are free?

Discord, Element, Mattermost, Microsoft Teams, Mumble, Rocket.Chat have a free option.

Which chat & community apps are open source?

Element, Mattermost, Mumble, Rocket.Chat, Stoat (formerly Revolt), Zulip.

Which chat & community apps have voice chat?

Discord, Element, Mumble, Stoat (formerly Revolt), TeamSpeak, Telegram.

Which chat & community apps can be self-hosted?

Element, Mattermost, Mumble, Rocket.Chat, TeamSpeak, Zulip.

Which chat & community apps have video calls?

Discord, Element, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Telegram.

Which chat & community apps have channels?

Mattermost, Microsoft Teams, Rocket.Chat, Slack, Zulip.

Which chat & community apps have communities?

Discord, Stoat (formerly Revolt), Telegram.

How do I find an alternative to one of these?

Open any item to see its ranked alternatives. For example, our Discord alternatives page lists 10 options, and each of those links to its own list.

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