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OpenSourceChoice

Open-source alternatives guide · Updated 2026

Best open-source alternatives to Microsoft Teams

Compare the best free and open-source alternatives to Microsoft Teams — 15 verified projects with explicit catalog relationships. Inspect licenses, GitHub activity, self-hosting signals, and migration fit before you switch.

Official product reference Microsoft Teams
  • 15verified alternatives
  • 5self-hosted signals
  • 4categories

Only explicit alternative relationships are shown—never inferred competitor claims.

Overview

This guide compares 15 verified open-source alternatives to Microsoft Teams, including Rocket.Chat, Mattermost, NextCloud Server, and Jitsi.

Projects appear across Infrastructure, Content & Collaboration, and Productivity. 5 options include a self-hosting signal — see the self-hosted catalog. Ranking follows public GitHub stars and recorded momentum—not vendor marketing. Compare projects side by side, then confirm license fit, migration effort, and operational ownership before adopting any option.

Strongest repository-activity signal: Rocket.Chat · Jump to ranking · 45.8K stars

About Microsoft Teams

Proprietary workplace chat and meetings suite.

Visit Microsoft Teams

Ranked open-source alternatives to Microsoft Teams

Compare capabilities, licensing, and ownership model. Stars help with discovery; they are not a security or product-fit guarantee.

#1

Rocket.Chat

Open-source alternative to Microsoft Teams

BrazilInfrastructureLicense not declared

The Secure CommsOS™ for mission-critical operations

The Secure CommsOS™ for mission-critical operations Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment documentation before production adoption.

Best for
Infrastructure teams
Deployment
Inspectable source
License
License not declared
Activity
Updated 26 hours ago
#2

Mattermost

Open-source alternative to Microsoft Teams

United StatesInfrastructureLicense not declared

Mattermost is an open source platform for secure collaboration across the entire software development lifecycle..

Mattermost is an open source platform for secure collaboration across the entire software development lifecycle.. Review the official repository, license, release activity, and dep

Best for
Infrastructure teams
Deployment
Inspectable source
License
License not declared
Activity
Updated 26 hours ago
#3

NextCloud Server

Open-source alternative to Microsoft Teams

A safe home for all your data

NextCloud is an open source software for synchronisation and file sharing for everyone, by users using the server NextCloud free of charge in the privacy of your home, to large com

Best for
Knowledge teams
Deployment
Inspectable source
License
AGPL-3.0-only
Activity
Updated 28 hours ago
#4

Jitsi

Open-source alternative to Microsoft Teams

Jitsi Meet - Secure, Simple and Scalable Video Conferences that you use as a standalone app or embed in your web application.

Jitsi Meet - Secure, Simple and Scalable Video Conferences that you use as a standalone app or embed in your web application. Review the official repository, license, release activ

Best for
Knowledge teams
Deployment
Inspectable source
License
Apache-2.0
Activity
Updated 31 hours ago

Key capabilities

#5

Element

Open-source alternative to Microsoft Teams

A glossy Matrix collaboration client for the web.

A glossy Matrix collaboration client for the web. Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment documentation before production adoption.

Best for
Infrastructure teams
Deployment
Inspectable source
License
AGPL-3.0
Activity
Updated 26 hours ago
#6

Workadventure

Open-source alternative to Microsoft Teams

InfrastructureLicense not declared

A collaborative web application (virtual office) presented as a 16-bit RPG video game

A collaborative web application (virtual office) presented as a 16-bit RPG video game Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment documentation before

Best for
Infrastructure teams
Deployment
Inspectable source
License
License not declared
Activity
Updated 26 hours ago
#7

Colanode

Open-source alternative to Microsoft Teams

Open-source and local-first Slack and Notion alternative that puts you in control of your data

Open-source and local-first Slack and Notion alternative that puts you in control of your data Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment documentati

Best for
Individuals and small teams
Deployment
Self-hostable
License
Apache-2.0
Activity
Updated 3 months ago
#8

Campfire

Open-source alternative to Microsoft Teams

Super simple group chat, without a subscription

Super simple group chat, without a subscription Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment documentation before production adoption.

Best for
Data teams
Deployment
Self-hostable
License
MIT
Activity
Updated 33 hours ago
#10

Wire

Open-source alternative to Microsoft Teams

:wavy_dash: Overview of the open source code for Wire

:wavy_dash: Overview of the open source code for Wire Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment documentation before production adoption.

Best for
Knowledge teams
Deployment
Inspectable source
License
GPL-3.0
Activity
Updated 6 months ago
#11

UnInbox

Open-source alternative to Microsoft Teams

InfrastructureLicense not declaredSelf-hosted

Modern email for teams and professionals. A replacement for outdated email technology and tools. Alt to hey.com, front.com, missiveapp.com

Modern email for teams and professionals. A replacement for outdated email technology and tools. Alt to hey.com, front.com, missiveapp.com Review the official repository, license,

Best for
Infrastructure teams
Deployment
Self-hostable
License
License not declared
Activity
Updated 5 months ago
#12

Mezon

Open-source alternative to Microsoft Teams

Content & CollaborationLicense not declared

Mezon is a new way to communicate with your team. It's faster, better organized, better for WFH.

Mezon is a new way to communicate with your team. It's faster, better organized, better for WFH. Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment documenta

Best for
Knowledge teams
Deployment
Inspectable source
License
License not declared
Activity
Updated 29 hours ago
#13

Chatto

Open-source alternative to Microsoft Teams

Privacy-first self-hosted team chat with channels, SSO options, and voice/video via LiveKit in a compact Go binary.

Chatto is a 2026 open-source Slack/Discord-style chat you can self-host as a single binary (or Docker Compose with NATS and LiveKit). Pilot moderation, mobile notifications, and vo

Best for
Infrastructure teams
Deployment
Self-hostable
License
AGPL-3.0
Activity
Updated Jul 9, 2026
#14

Twake Chat

Open-source alternative to Microsoft Teams

A multi-platform (Flutter) application for connecting to Matrix - an open network for secure, decentralized communication, with your favorite devices.

A multi-platform (Flutter) application for connecting to Matrix - an open network for secure, decentralized communication, with your favorite devices. Review the official repositor

Best for
Individuals and small teams
Deployment
Inspectable source
License
AGPL-3.0
Activity
Updated Jul 15, 2026
#15

SAMA

Open-source alternative to Microsoft Teams

SAMA - Simple but Advanced Messaging Alternative chat server, powered by uWebsockets.js

SAMA - Simple but Advanced Messaging Alternative chat server, powered by uWebsockets.js Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment documentation befo

Best for
Data teams
Deployment
Self-hostable
License
GPL-3.0
Activity
Updated Jul 10, 2026
How to choose a Microsoft Teams alternative
01

Map must-have capabilitiesList the workflows in Microsoft Teams you cannot drop during migration.

02

Verify the licenseConfirm it fits your use, distribution, and compliance model. Browse license briefs.

03

Run a proof of conceptTest real data, integrations, clients, and failure modes. Use Compare for side-by-side checks.

04

Plan ownershipAssess upgrades, backups, support, and an exit path. Read when self-hosting is worth it.

Frequently asked questions about Microsoft Teams alternatives

What are the best open-source alternatives to Microsoft Teams?

OpenSourceChoice currently lists 15 projects with an explicit alternative relationship to Microsoft Teams. Catalog highlights include Rocket.Chat, Mattermost, and NextCloud Server. Rankings follow public GitHub stars and recorded momentum—not paid placement. Match capabilities and license fit to your workflow before adopting any option.

Are open-source alternatives to Microsoft Teams free?

Most catalogued alternatives publish source under OSI or source-available licenses and are free to inspect. Hosting, commercial support, or cloud model APIs may still cost money. Always read the project license for your use case.

Can I self-host an alternative to Microsoft Teams?

5 options in this list carry a self-hosting signal. Confirm the official install guide, backups, upgrades, and hardening steps before production.

How should I evaluate Microsoft Teams alternatives?

Map must-have Microsoft Teams workflows, verify license and compliance fit, run a proof of concept with real data and integrations, then plan ownership for upgrades, backups, support, and an exit path.

Browse and filter the catalog

Narrow the same alternatives by search, license, tags, or self-hosting signals when you need a tighter shortlist.

BrazilLicense not declared

The Secure CommsOS™ for mission-critical operations

Free–CustomPricingFree Community; premium workplace/enterprise editions availableFree–Custom45.8K13.7K26 hours ago
United StatesLicense not declared

Mattermost is an open source platform for secure collaboration across the entire software development lifecycle..

Free–CustomPricingFree Team Edition; Enterprise Edition is commercialFree–Custom38.4K8.8K26 hours ago

A safe home for all your data

ITIT - Developers ItaliaFederated from IT - Developers Italia (Italy) in the EU Open Source Solutions Catalogue. Software type: Standalone/Web.Stable · Digital Asset Management · Document ManagementStableStableMarked Stable in the EU OSS Catalogue: considered ready for production use by the publishing public administration.EU OSS Catalogue maturity
Free–CustomPricingFree Community; Enterprise Subscription is commercialFree–Custom36.2K99/100Vitality 99/100Very active. The EU OSS Catalogue vitality index (0–100) is an AGID-compatible score of recent repository activity—commits, releases, and contributor signals—not a quality or security rating.EU OSS Catalogue · AGID-compatible28 hours ago

Jitsi Meet - Secure, Simple and Scalable Video Conferences that you use as a standalone app or embed in your web application.

FreePricingFree and open sourceFree29.6K8K31 hours ago

A glossy Matrix collaboration client for the web.

FreePricingFree and open sourceFree13.3K2.7K26 hours ago
License not declared

A collaborative web application (virtual office) presented as a 16-bit RPG video game

FreePricingFree and open sourceFree5.6K91026 hours ago
Apache-2.0

Open-source and local-first Slack and Notion alternative that puts you in control of your data

FreePricingFree and open sourceFree5K3073 months ago

Super simple group chat, without a subscription

FreePricingFree and open sourceFree4.4K75033 hours ago
AGPL-3.0

Yet another matrix client

FreePricingFree and open sourceFree3.8K5524 days ago
GPL-3.0

:wavy_dash: Overview of the open source code for Wire

FreePricingFree and open sourceFree2.5K1796 months ago
License not declared

Modern email for teams and professionals. A replacement for outdated email technology and tools. Alt to hey.com, front.com, missiveapp.com

FreePricingFree and open sourceFree1.8K1265 months ago
License not declared

Mezon is a new way to communicate with your team. It's faster, better organized, better for WFH.

FreePricingFree and open sourceFree1.5K5129 hours ago
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