Ledger / team chat
Self-hosted alternatives to Slack, Discord
Read 2026-11-14 · 4 projects · 2 pass
We read the repository pages of 4 projects that people put forward as a replacement for Slack, Discord (team chat). 2 pass all three checks: zulip/zulip, element-hq/synapse. Left out of that list: RocketChat/Rocket.Chat (open source plus separately licensed parts); mattermost/mattermost (open source plus separately licensed parts).
| Project | License as read | License · Live · Active | Stars | Latest release / last push |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| zulip/zulipPython | Apache-2.0 | licliveactive | 26,226 | 13.2 2026-11-13 pushed 2026-11-14 |
What it says it is Zulip server and web application. Open-source team chat that helps teams stay productive and focused. Install In the repository: Dockerfile README mentions none of the terms we looked for | ||||
| element-hq/synapsePython | AGPL-3.0, or a commercial license on request | licliveactive | 4,795 | v1.165.0 2026-11-10 pushed 2026-11-13 |
What it says it is Synapse: Matrix homeserver written in Python/Twisted + Rust Install In the repository: Dockerfile, compose file README mentions Matrix, federation | ||||
| RocketChat/Rocket.ChatTypeScript | MIT plus ee/ directories under a separate license | x licliveactive | 46,509 | 9.0.0 2026-11-10 pushed 2026-11-14 |
What it says it is Interoperable by design. Governed by you. Open-source, secure platform for messaging, voice, video and governed AI, built for defense and government. Install In the repository: Dockerfile, compose file README mentions voice, federation, end-to-end | ||||
| mattermost/mattermostTypeScript | AGPL-3.0 or commercial for source, plus a source-available enterprise directory | x licliveactive | 39,611 | v12.0.2 2026-11-04 pushed 2026-11-14 |
What it says it is Mattermost is an open source platform for secure collaboration across the entire software development lifecycle.. Install In the repository: Dockerfile, compose file README mentions voice | ||||
Checks per row: lic = one open-source license across the whole repository (a commercial option on request is allowed), live = not archived, active = a release or push within 90 days of 2026-11-14. A red x marks a failed check. Full definitions and limits: method.
Why 2 of 4 did not pass
- RocketChat/Rocket.Chat · MIT plus ee/ directories under a separate license
The license file says: “All content that resides under the "apps/meteor/ee/" and "ee/" directories of this repository, if that directory exists, is licensed under the license defined in "apps/meteor/ee/LICENSE".” Repository - mattermost/mattermost · AGPL-3.0 or commercial for source, plus a source-available enterprise directory
The license file (server/enterprise/LICENSE) says: “may only be used in production, if you (and any entity that” Repository
How they differ
Mentioned in some READMEs and not others
- voice: RocketChat/Rocket.Chat, mattermost/mattermost
- Matrix: element-hq/synapse
- federation: element-hq/synapse, RocketChat/Rocket.Chat
- end-to-end: RocketChat/Rocket.Chat
Main language
- Python: zulip/zulip, element-hq/synapse
- TypeScript: RocketChat/Rocket.Chat, mattermost/mattermost
Install files
- In the repository: Dockerfile: zulip/zulip
- In the repository: Dockerfile, compose file: element-hq/synapse, RocketChat/Rocket.Chat, mattermost/mattermost
From each README (first part) and file tree as read; a missing mention only means the README does not use the word.
Where people asked for this
- Revolt: Open-Source Alternative to Discord 729 points, 539 comments
- Strafe: A new open-source, E2E Encrypted, and federated alternative to Discord 118 points, 90 comments
Thread titles and counts as collected 2026-11-09. The original product: Slack, Discord.