Best Self-Hosted Microsoft Teams Alternatives in 2026
Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform with chat, video meetings, and file sharing integrated with Microsoft 365. Free tier available; paid plans start at $4/user/mo.
19 Self-Hosted Alternatives to Microsoft Teams
Rocket.Chat
45KRocket.Chat is an open-source team communication platform that combines messaging, video conferencing, and omnichannel customer engagement in a single self-hosted deployment.
Mattermost
36KSecure collaboration, workflow and AI on sovereign infrastructure. Operational sovereignty for national security and critical infrastructure.
Mattermost
36KSecure collaboration, workflow and AI on sovereign infrastructure. Operational sovereignty for national security and critical infrastructure.
Nextcloud
34KThe most popular open source content collaboration platform for tens of millions of users at thousands of organizations across the globe.
Jitsi Meet
29KSecure, fully featured, and completely free video conferencing. Self-hosted or use the free public instance at meet.jit.si.
Zulip
25KReleased under Apache-2.0, Zulip provides team chat app that uses threaded conversations to keep communication organized and efficient on self-hosted...
Element
13KSelf-hosted communication & messaging tool that provides platform for encrypted communication, file sharing, and collaboration based on the Matrix protocol.
Element
13KElement lets you run secure, communication platform by Matrix creators entirely on your own server.
Workadventure
5.3KWorkadventure handles create customizable virtual workspaces for remote teams to interact naturally as a self-hosted solution.
Colanode
4.7KColanode handles collaboration suite as a self-hosted solution.
Campfire
4.2KCampfire lets you install your own group chat system entirely on your own server.
Cinny
3.5KCinny is a self-hosted communication & messaging tool with support for reactjs, client, matrix.
Wire
2.5KReleased under GPL-3.0, Wire provides comprehensive collaboration platform offering end-to-end encrypted messaging on self-hosted infrastructure.
Revolt
2.3KRevolt is a self-hosted communication & messaging replacement for Discord, Microsoft Teams, and more.
Twake
1.9KTwake is a self-hosted communication & messaging tool that provides platform for secure, productive collaboration.
UnInbox
1.7KFor email servers, UnInbox is a self-hosted solution that provides streamline team communication.
Mezon
1.4KMezon handles build your own community space for gaming as a self-hosted solution.
SAMA
150For communication & messaging, SAMA is a self-hosted solution that provides chat server with end-to-end encryption.
Twake Chat
147Twake Chat is a self-hosted kanban boards replacement for Microsoft Teams, Skype, and more.
Why Look for Microsoft Teams Alternatives?
Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform with chat, video meetings, and file sharing integrated with Microsoft 365. Free tier available; paid plans start at $4/user/mo.
Self-hosted alternatives give you full data ownership, predictable costs, and zero vendor lock-in. You run the software on your own infrastructure and control everything.
19 Best Open-Source Alternatives to Microsoft Teams
Rocket.Chat
Discover the new features and enhancements in Rocket.Chat v7.0. — 44,917 GitHub stars. Licensed under MIT.
Mattermost
Internal chat and collaboration for organizations — 35,837 GitHub stars. Licensed under Custom.
Nextcloud
Nextcloud offers secure, self-hosted content collaboration. — 34,340 GitHub stars. Licensed under AGPL-3.0.
Zulip
Open-source team chat for productivity. — 24,857 GitHub stars. Licensed under Apache-2.0.
Element
Fully-featured Matrix client for Web, iOS & Android — 12,832 GitHub stars. Licensed under Apache-2.0.
Campfire
Install your own group chat system with @mentions, DMs, and mobile support. One-time purchase, no monthly fees. Includes full source code for customization. — 4,115 GitHub stars. Licensed under MIT.
Workadventure
Create customizable virtual workspaces for remote teams to interact naturally, host events, and collaborate through spontaneous conversations and scheduled meetings. — 5,309 GitHub stars. Licensed under Open Source.
Read full Workadventure review
Colanode
Local-first collaborative workspace with real-time chat — 4,675 GitHub stars. Licensed under Apache-2.0.
Cinny
Elegant, secure Matrix client with e2ee. — 3,431 GitHub stars. Licensed under AGPL-3.0.
Wire
End-to-end encrypted chats, voice, and video. — 2,529 GitHub stars. Licensed under GPL-3.0.
UnInbox
Streamline team communication with shared inboxes, unlimited email addresses, and customizable workflows. Perfect for modern businesses seeking organized email management. — 1,713 GitHub stars. Licensed under Open Source.
Mezon
Build your own community space for gaming, chatting, and hanging out with friends worldwide. Customize your environment for the perfect social experience. — 1,409 GitHub stars. Licensed under Open Source.
Twake Chat
Free Matrix-based messenger with end-to-end encryption, multi-platform bridges, and on-premise deployment. Connect across 30+ networks securely. — 145 GitHub stars. Licensed under AGPL-3.0.
SAMA
Next-Gen self-hosted chat server and clients — 150 GitHub stars. Licensed under GPL-3.0.
Mattermost
Open-source platform for secure, mission-critical collaboration. — 35,832 GitHub stars. Licensed under Open Source.
Jitsi Meet
Simple, secure, and scalable video conferencing solution. — 28,813 GitHub stars. Licensed under Apache-2.0.
Element
A secure, open-source communication platform by Matrix creators. — 12,831 GitHub stars. Licensed under AGPL-3.0.
Revolt
Stay connected with friends securely. — 2,345 GitHub stars. Licensed under Open Source.
Twake
Open source platform for secure, productive collaboration. — 1,908 GitHub stars. Licensed under AGPL-3.0.
Why Self-Host Instead of Microsoft Teams?
- Data ownership. Your data stays on your server, not on Microsoft Teams’s infrastructure.
- Predictable costs. Pay a fixed VPS cost instead of growing per-user or per-usage fees.
- No vendor lock-in. Export and migrate your data anytime. You control the database.
- GDPR and compliance. Hosting your own tools simplifies data residency and compliance requirements.
How much can you save?
Microsoft Teams (Teams Essentials)
$40/mo
10 users x $4.00/user
$480/year
Rocket.Chat (self-hosted)
$10/mo
VPS hosting only. $0 per-user fees.
$320 year 1 (incl. $200 setup)
Your annual savings
$160
Year 1 (after setup cost). Year 2+: $360/year (75% less).
That's $30 saved every month.
Rocket.Chat runs on a $10/mo VPS with unlimited users. Setup by upready.dev starts at $200 (one-time). Microsoft Teams pricing as of March 2026.
Why teams switch from Microsoft Teams
- → Data ownership. Your data stays on your server -- not on Microsoft Teams's infrastructure.
- → Predictable costs. Pay a fixed VPS cost instead of growing per-user or per-usage fees.
- → No vendor lock-in. Export and migrate your data anytime. You control the database.
- → GDPR and compliance. Hosting your own tools simplifies data residency and compliance requirements.
Head-to-Head Comparisons
Chatwoot is purpose-built for customer support (live chat, ticketing, omnichannel). Rocket.Chat is a team messaging platform that also offers customer-facing features. Choose Chatwoot for customer support, Rocket.Chat for team communication.
Both are document management tools. Colanode has 3 unique features, Memos has 3.
Both are communication tools. Gotify has 2 unique features, Mattermost has 3.
Both are communication tools. Gotify has 2 unique features, Mattermost has 3.
Both are communication tools. LobeChat has 3 unique features, Mattermost has 3.
Both are communication tools. LobeChat has 3 unique features, Mattermost has 3.
Both are communication tools. Mattermost has 2 unique features, MiroTalk P2P has 4.
Both are communication tools. Mattermost has 2 unique features, Tiledesk has 3.
Both are communication tools. Mattermost has 2 unique features, MiroTalk P2P has 4.
Both are communication tools. Mattermost has 2 unique features, Tiledesk has 3.
Mattermost for teams that want a Slack-like experience with enterprise features. Zulip for teams that value organized, topic-based conversations over noisy channel-based chat.
Nextcloud wins for most teams with its broader feature set, active community, and built-in collaboration tools. ownCloud is better for organizations that need enterprise-grade file sync with minimal complexity.
Both Rocket.Chat and Zulip are strong open-source options in the communication space. Rocket.Chat has 45k GitHub stars and Zulip has 25k. Compare their features, deployment, and community to choose the right fit for your needs.
Syncthing for decentralized, peer-to-peer file sync without a server. Nextcloud for a full cloud platform with file sharing, calendar, contacts, and collaboration. Syncthing syncs, Nextcloud collaborates.
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