Slack vs Mattermost Team Edition

Fit:

Migration notes

Team offers channels, DMs and core search, but no group calls or guest accounts. Current Slack migration guide targets Entry/paid editions; Team import parity requires verification; integrations must be rebuilt.

Sources: docs.mattermost.com, docs.mattermost.com · checked 2026-10-21

SlackPaid incumbent

Entry priceUSD 7.25 / seat / month

Pricing modelper-seat, billed annual

OwnerSalesforce, Inc. (NYSE: CRM)

Pro standard annual price per user/month; free plan available; temporary introductory discount excluded. Source

Slack plans reviewed
Pro	entry	USD 8.75 / user / mo
Business+	business	USD 18 / user / mo
Enterprise+	enterprise	Quote only

Mattermost Team EditionOpen-source alternative

Fit for Slack

License

GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 Permissions of this strongest copyleft license are conditioned on making available complete source code of licensed works and modifications, which include larger works using a licensed work, under the same license. Copyright and license notices must be preserved. Contributors provide an express grant of patent rights. When a modified version is used to provide a service over a network, the complete source code of the modified version must be made available. May Commercial useModificationDistributionPatent usePrivate use Must License and copyright noticeState changesDisclose sourceNetwork use is distributionSame license No LiabilityWarranty Summary from GitHub's choosealicense.com

Apache License 2.0 A permissive license whose main conditions require preservation of copyright and license notices. Contributors provide an express grant of patent rights. Licensed works, modifications, and larger works may be distributed under different terms and without source code. May Commercial useModificationDistributionPatent usePrivate use Must License and copyright noticeState changes No Trademark useLiabilityWarranty Summary from GitHub's choosealicense.com

Paid-feature tier C

Self-host

Paid-feature limits2 noted

Mattermost Team Edition plans reviewed
Team Edition	self-hosted core	Free
Professional	paid self-hosted license	Quote only
Enterprise	paid self-hosted license	Quote only

What you may give up

Group calling and guest accounts excluded from Team Edition.
SSO removed from Team Edition; advanced identity, permissions, compliance and HA in proprietary editions.

Tier C: Core source AGPLv3; designated webapp/admin/config folders Apache-2.0; vendor-compiled Team binary MIT. Enterprise code separately commercial. Tier C because everyday group calls/guests are gated. Proprietary Entry free mode is separate; its 10,000-message cap does not apply to Team. Vendor positions Team below 250 activated users. License source

What running it takes

Hover or focus an icon for its name. Dashed means not established; struck through means no; grouped icons are alternatives.

v12 current requirements. PostgreSQL required, no generic SQL substitution. Search/monitoring services described for enterprise scope, not a Team prerequisite. Infrastructure and staff time are not priced here; this page does not compare total cost.