Microsoft Teams is in the awkward position of being the chat client people use because the company already pays for it, not because they chose it. The 2024 rewrite trimmed the memory footprint, but the notification firehose, the channel-and-tab UX, and the Copilot tier structure are still common complaints among teams that have to live in it for eight hours a day. Outside the Microsoft 365 universe, Teams is a hard sell.
We tested 7 Microsoft Teams alternatives for desktop in 2026 on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The picks cover the three reasons teams shop around: notification overload, the bundle dependency, and the need for a chat product that does not require a full Office license to feel complete.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free tier | Self-host | E2E |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slack | Polished team chat | Yes (90-day history cap) | No | No |
| Zoom | Meetings-first teams | Yes (40-min cap) | No | No (CMK on paid) |
| Mattermost | Self-hosted, open-source | Yes (self-host) | Yes | No |
| Rocket.Chat | Customizable open-source chat | Yes (self-host) | Yes | Yes (opt-in) |
| Element | Federated Matrix chat | Yes | Yes (Matrix) | Yes |
| Webex | Enterprise comms with chat | Yes | No | Yes (on paid) |
| Google Chat | Workspace shops | Yes | No | No |
Why people leave Microsoft Teams
The notification model is the most common complaint on r/MicrosoftTeams and IT subreddits. The default is to ping you on activity that turns out not to require a response, and tuning the per-channel notification rules takes effort most users never put in. By the time you have configured it, you have spent the productivity gain it was supposed to give you.
The second reason is the resource footprint. The 2024 rewrite shipped to address this, and on modern hardware Teams now behaves itself. On a 4-year-old laptop with 8 GB of RAM, it still feels like the second-heaviest thing running after the browser. Slack and Zoom run lighter; Mattermost runs lighter still.
The third reason is the bundle dependency. Teams is most useful when the org is also on Microsoft 365 for mail, calendar, files, and Loop. Take any one of those out of the picture and the value proposition collapses. Teams without the rest of 365 is not very compelling, and many small businesses do not need the rest of 365.
The 7 best Microsoft Teams alternatives for desktop
Slack — best for polished team chat
Slack is the chat product everyone benchmarks Teams against. The Windows, macOS, and Linux clients are well-built, the channel and DM model is famous for a reason, and the Huddles feature has matured into a real drop-in voice and video tool for stand-ups. Apps and integrations are deeper than Teams’, and the search is the single feature most ex-Teams users miss after switching.
Where it falls short: The free tier caps message history visibility to the last 90 days. Pricing scales fast above 50 users. Calls are still better as a drop-in tool than as scheduled meetings.
Pricing:
- Free: 90-day history visibility
- Paid: Pro, Business+, and Enterprise Grid monthly subscriptions
- vs Teams: Polished chat product, weaker meetings, paid for what Teams bundles
Download: slack.com/downloads (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Bottom line: Pick Slack when chat is the primary workload and meetings happen on a separate tool.
Zoom — best for meetings-first teams
Zoom has been steadily catching up on the chat side. Team Chat now ships inside the Zoom Workplace client on Windows, macOS, and Linux, with channels, threads, files, and search that no longer feel bolted on. For teams whose actual core workflow is video meetings and where chat is a side concern, Zoom is a credible Teams swap that removes the Office bundle dependency.
Where it falls short: Chat still feels like a second-class citizen compared to Slack. The 40-minute free tier cap on group calls still applies. AI Companion features sit behind paid tiers.
Pricing:
- Free: 40-minute cap on group meetings, chat included
- Paid: Pro, Business, and Enterprise subscriptions
- vs Teams: Better meetings, worse chat, no Office dependency
Download: zoom.us/download (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Bottom line: Pick Zoom when the meeting is the core unit of the workday.
Mattermost — best for self-hosted open-source chat
Mattermost is the Slack-style chat platform that runs on infrastructure you control. The Windows, macOS, and Linux desktop clients connect to a server you can self-host on a single VPS or scale to thousands of users in a regulated environment. The DevOps, security, and government segments have moved to Mattermost specifically because the data stays on-premises.
Where it falls short: First-time setup is a Linux server task, not a sign-up form. The free version of the integrations marketplace is smaller than Slack’s. Voice and video are weaker.
Pricing:
- Free: Self-hosted Team Edition, open-source
- Paid: Enterprise Edition for high-availability and advanced features
- vs Teams: Real self-hosting, no bundle dependency, fewer features out of the box
Download: mattermost.com/download (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Bottom line: Pick Mattermost when the data has to live on your own servers and you have a Linux admin available.
Rocket.Chat — best for customizable open-source chat
Rocket.Chat is the other major open-source Slack alternative, with a stronger plugin and theming story than Mattermost. The desktop clients on Windows, macOS, and Linux give you channels, threads, omnichannel integrations (web chat, email, Telegram, WhatsApp), and optional end-to-end encryption per room. Self-hosting is the default; a managed cloud is available.
Where it falls short: UX has been improving but still feels less polished than Slack’s. Omnichannel features are powerful but add complexity. Performance on very large teams can lag.
Pricing:
- Free: Community Edition, self-hosted
- Paid: Pro and Enterprise tiers, plus managed cloud
- vs Teams: Customizable, omnichannel, more configuration up front
Download: rocket.chat/install (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Bottom line: Pick Rocket.Chat when you also need a web-chat or omnichannel layer next to internal team chat.
Element — best for federated, end-to-end encrypted chat
Element is the flagship client for the Matrix protocol. The Windows, macOS, and Linux desktop clients deliver end-to-end encrypted DMs and rooms by default, federation across homeservers, and a Slack-style room model that fits team work. Bridges exist for Slack, IRC, Discord, and other networks. For organizations that need a chat product with the cryptography written down and audited, Element is the standard pick.
Where it falls short: UX is closer to Slack than Teams but still less polished than both. Onboarding around E2E key backup takes a minute. Performance on very large rooms can lag.
Pricing:
- Free: Self-hosted or public Matrix accounts
- Paid: Element Server Suite for organizations
- vs Teams: Federated, self-hostable, E2E by default
Download: element.io/download (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Bottom line: Pick Element when the encryption story has to hold up to an audit and federation is a feature you actually want.
Webex — best for enterprise comms with chat baked in
Webex by Cisco ships chat, meetings, calling, and whiteboarding inside the same desktop client on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The chat side is competent (channels, threads, app integrations), the calls have Cisco’s noise removal model on by default, and the AI Assistant handles summaries and action items on paid tiers. For organizations that already have Cisco gear in the network closet, Webex is the natural successor to Teams.
Where it falls short: Chat does not have Slack’s polish. Pricing on Enterprise tiers skews higher than Teams. Smaller third-party ecosystem.
Pricing:
- Free: 40-minute meeting cap, chat included
- Paid: Webex Suite plans, monthly or annual
- vs Teams: Better audio, similar feature breadth, separate Office bundle
Download: webex.com/downloads (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Bottom line: Pick Webex when Cisco is already in the building.
Google Chat — best for Workspace shops
Google Chat is the Microsoft Teams equivalent inside Google Workspace. Spaces are persistent rooms, threads work the way you would expect, and the integration with Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Calendar is as tight as Teams’ integration with the Microsoft 365 stack. The desktop experience runs as a PWA on Windows, macOS, and Linux, with deep links from Meet, Calendar, and Gmail.
Where it falls short: Chat is not a separate desktop binary in the way Teams or Slack is. Bot ecosystem is smaller. No end-to-end encryption.
Pricing:
- Free: Personal Google accounts (limited Spaces features)
- Paid: Workspace Business and Enterprise plans
- vs Teams: Same bundle logic on the other side of the fence
Download: chat.google.com (PWA on Windows, macOS, Linux)
Bottom line: Pick Google Chat when the org is on Workspace, not Microsoft 365.
How to choose
Pick Slack if chat is the actual workload and the free 90-day cap is not a dealbreaker.
Pick Zoom if meetings are 80 percent of the day and you want chat on the side.
Pick Mattermost or Rocket.Chat if the data has to live on your servers and you have a Linux admin.
Pick Element if the encryption and federation story matters more than mass-market polish.
Pick Webex if Cisco already runs the network and you want the same vendor on chat.
Pick Google Chat if the org has standardized on Workspace.
Stay on Microsoft Teams if Microsoft 365 is already on the invoice and the Copilot features have started doing useful work.
FAQ
Is there a free Microsoft Teams alternative?
Yes. Slack Free, Zoom Free, Mattermost Team Edition (self-hosted), Element on a public Matrix homeserver, and Google Chat (with a personal account) are all free. Each carries its own caps.
What is the best self-hosted Teams alternative?
Mattermost is the closest one-to-one swap. Rocket.Chat is the best fit when you also need omnichannel features. Element on a self-hosted Matrix homeserver is the best fit when end-to-end encryption is non-negotiable.
Does Slack have video meetings like Teams?
Yes, through Huddles. Huddles are drop-in audio and video rooms that work well for stand-ups and quick syncs. For scheduled external client meetings, Slack still leans on Zoom or Google Meet integrations.
Can I use Teams on Linux?
Yes. Microsoft ships an official Linux client for Teams. It is not always at perfect feature parity with Windows and macOS, but it is usable for daily work.
Which Teams alternative has the best search?
Slack. The search index, modifiers, and channel-scoped queries are widely considered the best in the category and the single feature most ex-Teams users miss after they switch.
Is Microsoft Teams end-to-end encrypted?
Most Teams traffic is encrypted in transit and at rest, not end-to-end. End-to-end encryption is available for one-on-one calls on specific tiers, not for group chat or channel posts. Element, Wire, and Rocket.Chat (opt-in) offer E2E by default.
