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Communication & Collaboration · head to head

Mattermost vs Slack

Mattermost logo

Mattermost

Communication & Collaboration

Channel-centric collaboration for secure workflows

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Slack logo

Slack

All industries

Where work happens

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Slack has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Mattermost no prices are published for any of the three paid tiers (Professional, Enterprise, Enterprise Advanced); all require contacting sales; Slack 90-day message history limit on free plan results in important conversations disappearing

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mattermost and Slack actually diverge.

Attributes where Mattermost and Slack differ
AttributeMattermostSlack
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux
CategoryCommunication & CollaborationAll industries
FoundedUnknown2009

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

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 Mattermost

Nothing recorded that Slack does not also cover.

Only in Slack

  • Channels
  • Direct messaging
  • Voice & video calls
  • Screen sharing
  • File sharing
  • Search
  • Workflow builder
  • Slack Connect

What people use each for

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

Mattermost

No use cases recorded yet. See the Mattermost review.

Slack

  • Team communicationnot Mattermost
  • Project coordinationnot Mattermost
  • Customer supportnot Mattermost
  • Remote worknot Mattermost
  • Cross-functional collaborationnot Mattermost

Where each one falls short

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

Mattermost

  • No prices are published for any of the three paid tiers (Professional, Enterprise, Enterprise Advanced); all require contacting sales
  • Professional is capped at a maximum of 250 users, forcing a move to Enterprise for larger teams
  • Licenses are sold only as prepaid annual subscriptions, and organizations that exceed their licensed seat count must purchase additional seats on a prorated quarterly basis

Slack

  • 90-day message history limit on free plan results in important conversations disappearing
  • Per-user pricing becomes expensive quickly for larger teams
  • Notification overload with 78% of employees feeling overwhelmed by notifications
  • Mobile app performance issues including lag and slow syncing
  • Huddles limited to 50 people and cannot be recorded
  • Requires dedicated video conferencing service for formal meetings and webinars

Pricing, plan by plan

Mattermost

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Mattermost review.

Slack

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Slack review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Mattermost if

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

Mattermost review

Choose Slack if

  • You need channels.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want direct messaging.
Slack review

Questions people ask

Is Mattermost or Slack better?
Neither clearly leads. Mattermost starts at On request and Slack at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mattermost or Slack?
Slack has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Mattermost and Free for Slack.
Does Mattermost or Slack run on more platforms?
Mattermost runs on Web. Slack runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux.
Can I use Slack for free?
Yes. Slack has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Mattermost starts at On request.
What can Mattermost do that Slack cannot?
Slack covers Channels, Direct messaging, Voice & video calls, Screen sharing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Slack: Does Slack have a free plan?

Yes, Slack offers a free plan indefinitely with no credit card required. Free users get 90-day message history, up to 10 app integrations, and 1:1 huddles.

Source
Slack: What are Slack's pricing plans?

Slack offers Free, Pro ($7.25/user/month with annual billing), Business+ ($12.50/user/month), and Enterprise Grid (custom pricing). Monthly billing costs approximately 20% more than annual.

Source
Slack: Does Slack support offline use?

Slack is a cloud-based platform and does not support robust offline work. Internet connectivity is required to access messages and collaborate.

Source
Slack: What integrations does Slack support?

Slack integrates with 43+ apps on average per team, including Google Drive, ChatGPT, Vercel, Asana, GitHub, and many others through their app marketplace.

Source
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Related pages

More on Mattermost

More on Slack

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