Alternatives
Slack alternatives
Slack is the chat app many companies run on. If you’re weighing a move, here are the alternatives teams most often consider, what each one is built for, and how to choose between them.
Why teams look beyond Slack
Teams look for a Slack alternative for different reasons: they already pay for an office suite that includes chat, they need to host chat themselves, they want a different style of voice and community space, or their chat is mostly about work tracked in another tool.
The right answer depends on which of those applies to you. Slack itself remains a strong choice for company-wide chat with a large ecosystem of apps.
On this list
Descriptions are general and based on each product’s public positioning. Check each vendor’s site for current features and prices.
Slack alternatives at a glance
1 · Our product
Deckbell
Team chat with the issue tracker built in
Deckbell has the chat you’d expect, with channels, direct messages, threads, reactions, file sharing, voice messages and huddles with video and screen sharing, in the same workspace as an issue tracker with boards, sprints, sub-tasks and saved views.
Every board has its own channel. A new issue posts a card there, the card’s thread is the issue’s comments, issue keys in any message become links, and any message can become an issue. One search covers issues, messages and pull requests, and every workspace is hosted in the EU, in Germany.
A good fit for
- Software teams whose chat is mostly about the work in their tracker.
- Teams paying for both a chat app and a tracker who would rather have one workspace.
- Teams who want chat history hosted in the EU.
Where it falls short
- No shared channels with other companies and no guest accounts: a workspace is for your own team.
- No app directory or no-code workflow builder; GitHub is the only integration today.
- Native desktop and mobile apps are coming soon. Until then Deckbell runs in the browser, including on phones.
- It’s built for product and engineering teams, so a whole company that only needs chat may be better served elsewhere.
2
Microsoft Teams
Chat and meetings in Microsoft 365
Microsoft’s workspace for chat, channels, video meetings and calls. It works closely with Outlook, Word, Excel and SharePoint, so files and meetings sit next to the conversation.
A good fit for
- Organisations already on Microsoft 365.
- Companies that hold many scheduled video meetings.
3
Google Chat
Messaging in Google Workspace
Direct messages and shared spaces for teams, built into Google Workspace alongside Gmail, Meet and Drive.
A good fit for
- Teams already using Google Workspace.
- Keeping chat next to email, calendar and documents.
4
Discord
Voice, video and text for communities
Organised into servers with text and voice channels that people drop in and out of. It started with gaming and is now widely used by online communities.
A good fit for
- Communities and open-source projects.
- Teams that like always-on voice rooms.
5
Mattermost
Open-source, self-hostable team messaging
Team chat that organisations can run on their own infrastructure, often chosen where control over data and deployment matters most.
A good fit for
- Organisations that need to host chat themselves.
- Teams that want to inspect or extend the source code.
How to choose
Questions worth answering before you replace Slack.
- 01
What you already use
If your company lives in an office suite, the chat that comes with it may be the least disruptive option.
- 02
Where your data must live
Check where each tool stores messages, and whether you need to host it yourself.
- 03
Calls and meetings
Decide whether you need scheduled meetings, quick drop-in calls, or both.
- 04
Who you talk to
Chatting with other companies or guests needs shared channels or guest accounts. Not every tool has them.
- 05
What the chat is about
If most of your messages are about issues in a tracker, a tool that keeps the two together saves copying between them.
See also all comparisons and Linear alternatives.
FAQ
Slack alternatives: questions
Anything else? Write to support@deckbell.com and a human replies.
What is the best alternative to Slack?
It depends on what you need. Companies on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace often use the chat that comes with it: Microsoft Teams or Google Chat. Communities often choose Discord, and organisations that must self-host look at Mattermost. Software teams who mostly talk about the work in their tracker can use Deckbell, which puts chat and the tracker in one workspace.
Is there a Slack alternative with an issue tracker built in?
Deckbell has channels, direct messages, threads and huddles alongside an issue tracker with boards, sprints, sub-tasks and saved views. Every board has its own channel, and any message can become an issue.
Can I bring my Slack history to Deckbell?
Yes. A Slack workspace owner or admin exports the workspace, and you upload the ZIP in Deckbell under Settings → Import. You choose the conversations to bring over, and messages keep their dates, authors, threads and reactions. People are matched by email.
Does Deckbell have huddles like Slack?
Yes. Start a huddle in any channel or direct message, with audio, video and screen sharing, or start one about a thread or an issue. Group huddles are on Pro and up; the Free plan has 1:1 voice huddles.
Does Deckbell have shared channels or guest accounts?
No. A Deckbell workspace is for your own team, with Owner, Admin and Member roles. If you chat with other companies in shared channels, keep a tool that supports them for that.
Where does Deckbell store chat data?
In the EU. Deckbell runs in Germany for every workspace, on every plan.
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