Open source alternatives to Slack

8 projects on starwire do the same job. Ranked by how much of what Slack does each one covers, read from its README and website. Ties go to the most active.

What Slack does

  1. Channels for team chatcore
  2. Direct messagescore
  3. Threads
  4. File sharing
  5. Search across messages
  6. Voice and video calls
  7. Bots and integrations
  8. Desktop and mobile apps

Each dot in the table is one job, in this order. Square dots are core jobs and count double. Full means yes, half means partly. "See the evidence" under a project shows the line behind each one. Coverage is what a project documents, not how well it works or how hard it is to move to. How we score this

ProjectCoversStarsCommits, 12 weeksLast releaseClosed vs openedSetupLicense
macroTeam workspace combining email, chat, docs, tasks, calls and CRM with AI memory Replaces it90%6.3k+117
3,624
 2 days ago33% Install like an app AGPL-3.0
Covers all 2 core jobs. Not shown: Desktop and mobile apps.See the evidence
  • Channels for team chatcoreYesChannels and direct messages designed for focused technical discussions
  • Direct messagescoreYesChannels and direct messages designed for focused technical discussions
  • ThreadsYesthe rest collapse into a thread
  • File sharingYesAuto-imported from email and channels, fully searchable
  • Search across messagesYesEverything in your workspace is @linked and searchable
  • Voice and video callsYesRecorded calls, transcripts, and summaries
  • Bots and integrationsYesUse our models or your agents to work across Macro
  • Desktop and mobile appsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
circlechatTeam chat with channels, threads, file uploads and a built-in agent runtime Replaces it80%96+3
40
 NoneToo few Hosted, paid MIT
Covers all 2 core jobs. Not shown: Voice and video calls; Desktop and mobile apps.See the evidence
  • Channels for team chatcoreYesChannels, DMs, and threads with typing indicators
  • Direct messagescoreYesChannels, DMs, and threads with typing indicators
  • ThreadsYesChannels, DMs, and threads with typing indicators
  • File sharingYesFile uploads straight into messages
  • Search across messagesYesSearch across conversations you're a member of.
  • Voice and video callsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Bots and integrationsYesSigned incoming webhooks
  • Desktop and mobile appsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
cumoraCross-platform team chat app where AI agents appear as team members Same job, different way70%4.2k+45
344
 16 days ago74% Install like an app MIT
Covers all 2 core jobs. Not shown: Threads; Search across messages; Voice and video calls.See the evidence
  • Channels for team chatcoreYessame group conversations
  • Direct messagescoreYessame roster, same DMs
  • ThreadsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • File sharingYesgive them projects, attach files
  • Search across messagesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Voice and video callsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Bots and integrationsYesAI agents are first-class participants alongside humans
  • Desktop and mobile appsYesElectron / PWA / iOS / Android
swarmchatSlack-style chat space for coordinating a group of AI agents Same job, different way70%192+68
5
 NoneToo few Needs a server MIT
Covers all 2 core jobs. Partly: Bots and integrations; Desktop and mobile apps. Not shown: Search across messages; Voice and video calls.See the evidence
  • Channels for team chatcoreYeschannels, direct messages, threads, files and notifications
  • Direct messagescoreYeschannels, direct messages, threads, files and notifications
  • ThreadsYesa reply in a thread
  • File sharingYesfiles and folders
  • Search across messagesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Voice and video callsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Bots and integrationsPartlyfrom swarmchat.client import Client
  • Desktop and mobile appsPartlyIt works on phones and tablets too
platformAll in one project management, chat, CRM and HR platform Replaces it65%28k+49
77
 4 months ago100% Needs a server EPL-2.0
Covers all 2 core jobs. Partly: File sharing. Not shown: Threads; Search across messages; Desktop and mobile apps.See the evidence
  • Channels for team chatcoreYesSend DM and create group chats
  • Direct messagescoreYesSend DM and create group chats
  • ThreadsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • File sharingPartlyDocuments can be enhanced with rich text formatting, images, attachments
  • Search across messagesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Voice and video callsYeshigh quality audio and video conferencing
  • Bots and integrationsYescan be used to build integrations and custom applications
  • Desktop and mobile appsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
colanodeLocal-first chat and knowledge base app, an alternative to Slack and Notion Replaces it55%5.2k+10
0
 8 months agoToo few Install like an app Apache-2.0
Covers all 2 core jobs. Partly: Desktop and mobile apps. Not shown: Threads; Search across messages; Voice and video calls; Bots and integrations.See the evidence
  • Channels for team chatcoreYesReal-time chats with individuals or channels
  • Direct messagescoreYesReal-time chats with individuals or channels
  • ThreadsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • File sharingYesStore, share, and manage files effortlessly
  • Search across messagesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Voice and video callsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Bots and integrationsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Desktop and mobile appsPartlyclient app (web or desktop)
zulipSelf-hostable team chat server and web app with topic-based threads Replaces it40%26k+39
748
 8 days ago93% Hosted version Apache-2.0
Covers 0 of 2 core jobs. Partly: Channels for team chat. Not shown: Direct messages; File sharing; Search across messages; Voice and video calls.See the evidence
  • Channels for team chatcorePartlyOrganized chat for distributed teams
  • Direct messagescoreNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • ThreadsYestopic-based threading
  • File sharingNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Search across messagesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Voice and video callsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Bots and integrationsYesIntegrations API
  • Desktop and mobile appsYesDesktop and mobile apps
once-campfireGroup chat you host yourself, from Basecamp Not checked yet4.8k+6
264
 yesterday63% Needs a server MIT

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