Rocket.Chat vs Mattermost: Complete Comparison 2026
An in-depth comparison of features, pricing, and user experience to help you make the right choice.
Rocket.Chat
8.2(3,600 reviews)
Open-source team chat with omnichannel support, federation and self-hosting for privacy-focused teams.
Mattermost
8.5(4,100 reviews)
Open-source, self-hostable team messaging built for security-conscious teams who need full data control.
Quick Comparison
| Aspect | Rocket.Chat | Mattermost |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Privacy-conscious organizations, governments and NGOs | Government agencies and defense contractors with data residency rules |
| Pricing Model | Open Source | Open Source |
| Starting Price | Free | Free |
| Deployment | self hosted, on premise, cloud, hybrid | self hosted, on premise, cloud, hybrid |
| Platforms | WEB, WINDOWS, MAC, LINUX, IOS, ANDROID | WEB, WINDOWS, MAC, LINUX, IOS, ANDROID |
| Rating | 8.2/10 | 8.5/10 |
Pros & Cons
Rocket.Chat
Pros
- Open-source and self-hostable with unlimited users on Community
- Omnichannel inbox unites team chat and customer support
- Federation lets users message across separate servers
- End-to-end encryption available for sensitive channels
- Highly themeable and extensible via apps and REST API
Cons
- Setup and administration are more involved than Slack
- Interface feels less polished than commercial rivals
- Performance can degrade on large servers without tuning
- Self-hosting means you own upgrades and scaling
- Enterprise features like advanced compliance sit behind paid tiers
Mattermost
Pros
- Fully self-hostable, including air-gapped networks with no internet
- Open-source core you can audit, fork and extend
- Strong fit for developer, DevOps and incident-response workflows
- Full REST API and plugin framework for custom integrations
- Free self-hosted edition has unlimited users and message history
Cons
- You own hosting, upgrades, backups and security patches
- SSO and compliance exports require paid Enterprise tiers
- Integration directory is far smaller than Slack's
- Interface is less polished than commercial competitors
- Initial setup needs real IT and DevOps expertise
Pricing Comparison
| Product | Pricing Model | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|
| Rocket.Chat | open source | Free0 |
| Mattermost | open source | Free0 |
Our Verdict
Choose Rocket.Chat if...
Privacy-conscious organizations, governments and NGOs
Choose Mattermost if...
Government agencies and defense contractors with data residency rules
Still Not Sure?
Explore more alternatives or read in-depth reviews to make your decision.