Discord
Free plan
Starting at $2.99/mo
Compare the billing unit, included usage and features before comparing starting prices.
Microsoft Teams Essentials Alternatives
4 alternatives compared · Microsoft Teams Essentials pricing: Price unavailable · Dataset dated April 21, 2026
Prefer the original?
Sticking with Microsoft Teams Essentials? Check its current plans and terms.
Compare 4 other products in team chat, listed alphabetically. Products in one category may cover different work. Match your required features, billing unit and migration needs before treating one as a substitute for Microsoft Teams Essentials.
Open each product’s pricing page for recorded plans, limits and sources. The comparison links show differences against Microsoft Teams Essentials; they do not establish an overall winner.
Mattermost
Free trial
Starting at Price unavailable
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Rocket.Chat
Free plan Free trial
Starting at Price unavailable
Compare the billing unit, included usage and features before comparing starting prices.
Slack
Free plan
Starting at $10/mo
Compare the billing unit, included usage and features before comparing starting prices.
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About the team chat category
Team chat choices differ in their application integrations, meeting tools, administrative controls and hosting options. Slack and Teams offer hosted workplace messaging; Discord centers on communities and voice channels; Rocket.Chat and Mattermost include self-managed deployment options. Compare current packages and operating requirements rather than assuming equivalent features from a per-user price.
How to choose: buying criteria for team chat
Check whether your existing Microsoft or Google subscription includes the chat product you need. Then test guest access, search, files, integrations and offboarding. Review retention and export requirements with the appropriate administrators. If self-hosting is required, include infrastructure, backups, updates and support in the budget.
Building Your Business Stack?
Decision-makers comparing tools often need more than one category. Here are related comparisons:
Frequently Asked Questions
- How should I compare alternatives to Microsoft Teams Essentials?
- These are other products in the team chat category, listed alphabetically. Match the service, required features, billing unit and migration needs before comparing prices. Microsoft Teams Essentials: Price unavailable in this snapshot. Check current vendor terms.