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Communication · head to head

KakaoTalk vs Mattermost

KakaoTalk logo

KakaoTalk

Communication

The default messaging app in South Korea, bundled with payments, taxi hailing and other Kakao services

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mattermost logo

Mattermost

Communication

Channel-centric collaboration for secure workflows

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only KakaoTalk has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: KakaoTalk kakaoTalk has minimal relevance outside South Korea, so it is the wrong tool for reaching audiences anywhere else.; Mattermost no published pricing on public website; requires sales contact for all tiers
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which KakaoTalk and Mattermost actually diverge.

Attributes where KakaoTalk and Mattermost differ
AttributeKakaoTalkMattermost
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree to download, paid emoticons, gifting and business messagingquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, Windows, macOS, WebWeb

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Communication).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in KakaoTalk

  • Plus Friend business accounts
  • KakaoPay integration
  • Gift sending
  • KakaoT integration
  • Emoticons
  • Open chat

Only in Mattermost

Nothing recorded that KakaoTalk does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

KakaoTalk

  • A business entering the South Korean consumer market that needs a Plus Friend account to message customersnot Mattermost
  • An individual living in South Korea who needs the app almost everyone else there uses by defaultnot Mattermost
  • A brand running a digital gifting campaign through KakaoTalk during a Korean holiday periodnot Mattermost
  • A company integrating KakaoPay as a checkout option for Korean customersnot Mattermost

Mattermost

  • Team messaging and collaborationnot KakaoTalk
  • Secure enterprise communicationnot KakaoTalk
  • On-premise or self-hosted deploymentnot KakaoTalk

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

KakaoTalk

  • KakaoTalk has minimal relevance outside South Korea, so it is the wrong tool for reaching audiences anywhere else.
  • Standard chats are not end to end encrypted by default; a Secret Chat mode with encryption exists but must be turned on per conversation.
  • Concentration of messaging, payments, banking and mobility data inside one company creates a single point of both convenience and risk that has drawn scrutiny from Korean regulators.
  • Plus Friend business messaging costs scale with volume, so a company messaging its full Korean customer base regularly can face a meaningful recurring bill.
  • A 2022 data centre fire caused a multi-day outage across KakaoTalk and related Kakao services, which showed how much everyday activity in Korea depends on a single provider staying online.

Mattermost

  • No published pricing on public website; requires sales contact for all tiers
  • Three tiers (Professional, Enterprise, Enterprise Advanced) have feature differences but no cost transparency
  • User scaling caps differ between tiers without public price justification

Pricing, plan by plan

KakaoTalk

Free
  • KakaoTalkFree
    • Free messaging and calling
    • Emoticon packs typically cost a few thousand won each
    • Plus Friend business messaging is billed per message beyond a free allowance

Mattermost

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Mattermost review.

Which should you pick?

Choose KakaoTalk if

  • You need plus friend business accounts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web.
  • You also want kakaopay integration.
KakaoTalk review

Choose Mattermost if

Nothing in the data separates Mattermost from KakaoTalk on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Mattermost review

Questions people ask

Is KakaoTalk or Mattermost better?
Neither clearly leads. KakaoTalk starts at Free and Mattermost at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, KakaoTalk or Mattermost?
KakaoTalk has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for KakaoTalk and On request for Mattermost.
Does KakaoTalk or Mattermost run on more platforms?
KakaoTalk runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web. Mattermost runs on Web.
Can I use KakaoTalk for free?
Yes. KakaoTalk has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Mattermost starts at On request.
What is KakaoTalk best used for?
KakaoTalk is most often used for a business entering the south korean consumer market that needs a plus friend account to message customers, an individual living in south korea who needs the app almost everyone else there uses by default, a brand running a digital gifting campaign through kakaotalk during a korean holiday period, a company integrating kakaopay as a checkout option for korean customers. Of those, a business entering the south korean consumer market that needs a plus friend account to message customers and an individual living in south korea who needs the app almost everyone else there uses by default are not what Mattermost is typically brought in for.
What can KakaoTalk do that Mattermost cannot?
KakaoTalk covers Plus Friend business accounts, KakaoPay integration, Gift sending, KakaoT integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

KakaoTalk: Is KakaoTalk free?

Yes to download and for standard messaging and calling. Emoticons, gifting and business messaging are paid.

Mattermost: What user limits apply to each Mattermost pricing tier?

Professional tier supports maximum 250 users. Enterprise scales to 50,000 concurrent users. Enterprise Advanced scales to 200,000 concurrent users. Exact per-user costs not stated.

Source
KakaoTalk: Is KakaoTalk encrypted by default?

No, standard chats are not end to end encrypted by default. A separate Secret Chat mode offers encryption but has to be enabled per chat.

Mattermost: What support response times are included with each plan?

Professional includes community support plus business hours professional support with next business day response. Enterprise includes 24x7 support with 4-hour response time. Enterprise Advanced includes 24x7 with Premier Support option.

Source
KakaoTalk: Do I need KakaoTalk to do business in South Korea?

Not legally, but a very large share of Korean consumers expect to interact with businesses through a Plus Friend account, so most consumer brands operating there use one.

Mattermost: How much does Mattermost cost for teams under 250 users?

Pricing for Professional tier with user counts under 250 is not disclosed publicly. Contact Mattermost sales for specific quotes.

Source
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