Slack is a premium cloud-based messaging platform with superior UX and 2,000+ integrations, while Rocket.Chat is an open-source alternative offering self-hosted deployment and lower total cost of ownership. Slack dominates enterprise adoption with 750,000+ active workspaces; Rocket.Chat appeals to organizations prioritizing data sovereignty and budget constraints.
Slack vs Rocket.Chat — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud-based team messaging platform with 2,000+ integrations and 750,000+ active workspaces.
Open-source team communication platform with self-hosted or managed cloud options and 300+ integrations.
Deployment Model. Cost per User/Month. Message Search History. Native Integrations. Data Sovereignty/Compliance. Enterprise Adoption. UI/UX Polish
Choose Slack if you prioritize seamless integration ecosystem, superior user experience, and don't have strict data residency requirements—ideal for distributed teams in regulated industries with budget flexibility. Choose Rocket.Chat if you need complete data control, self-hosted infrastructure, unlimited search history, or operate in cost-sensitive environments where open-source flexibility and on-premise deployment are critical.
Slack: $87 (billed yearly) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Up to 2,000 (with paid plan) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Limited (third-party connectors) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Slack AI (summarization, search, assisted writing) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Excellent - optimized search indexing | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: $3,600 (Pro plan at $15/user) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 10,000 most recent | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: $8.25 (Pro plan, min 3 users) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Unlimited (Slack Huddles for video limited to 50 participants) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Huddles for brief video, limited to 50 participants; requires external tool for full conferencing | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Not native; requires integration with Otter.ai or similar third-party services | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 5 out of 5 (core feature with channels, threads, and history) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 2 out of 5 (available via integration, not native) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 30+ (CRM tools, meeting summaries, automation, SlackBot enhancements) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Cloud-based SaaS only | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Compliant but data on Salesforce servers | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: No increases for 33 months | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Unlimited group chats | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Workflow automation, search enhancement | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Optimized with threads and archives | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Slack AI (optional on paid plans) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Limited (requires custom setup) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Advanced with conditional logic | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Variable by plan | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: No, proprietary | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Advanced AI assistant, smart summaries, automation | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Requires 3rd party | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: $150 (billed monthly) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 0 (not native feature) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 3 participants | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Unlimited (slide deck view only) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: DMs only, Enterprise+ plan | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Slack AI (search, summarization, drafting) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: $12.50 per user/month | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 90 days maximum | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 2000+ integrations | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 15 participants | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Advanced (Workflow Builder, automations) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 2,300+ integrations | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Unlimited external guests via workspace invite | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: $8-12.50 (Pro/Business+) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 10 years standard | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Channel-based threads (contextual loss in active channels) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Proprietary (closed-source) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Native iOS/Android with feature-parity | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Yes (Slack Huddles) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Paid Workspaces/Users (Enterprise Adoption)
Slack: 750,000+ paid workspaces | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Proprietary/closed | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 2,400+ integrations | Rocket.Chat: 400+ integrations
Slack: 90-day limited access | Rocket.Chat: Unlimited history
Slack: 750,000+ active workspaces | Rocket.Chat: 20,000-30,000 deployments
Slack: No (cloud-only) | Rocket.Chat: Yes (open-source)
Slack: 99.99% | Rocket.Chat: Self-hosted (depends on setup)
Slack: Yes (Business+ plan required) | Rocket.Chat: Yes (available)
Slack: $12.50/user (Pro plan) | Rocket.Chat: $5-7.50/user (managed cloud)
Slack: 10,000 messages (free); unlimited (paid) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: No (requires integrations) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 50-100ms (instant) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 5GB (Free), varies by plan | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, FedRAMP | Rocket.Chat: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, HIPAA-ready
Slack: 1 GB shared workspace | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Annual Subscription Cost (Pro, 100 users)
Maximum video call participants (free tier)
Slack: 100 participants | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 90 days searchable | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 2,000+ apps (Slack App Directory) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Cost-effective until ~12 users | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: No: messaging-only, requires integrations | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 90 days (Free/Pro), unlimited with Enterprise | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 750+ million messages daily across 750k+ organizations | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro/Standard)
Slack: All messages indexed instantly | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: API-based (basic) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 100 (workspace) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Maximum Video Conference Participants (Free)
Slack: Limited (typically 3-4) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: 4.6/5 (12,400 reviews) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Full-text indexed across all messages | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Slack: Partial (DMs only, beta feature) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Cost Per User (Annual, Lowest Paid Tier)
Slack: Certified (SOC 2 Type II, GDPR) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Monthly Cost Per User (Standard Tier, Annual Billing)
Slack: 0 GB (integrations only) | Rocket.Chat: N/A
Maximum Video Conference Participants (Standard Plan)
Slack: 10,000 (free tier); unlimited (paid) | Rocket.Chat: Unlimited (all tiers)
Slack: $8.99 | Rocket.Chat: $0 (self-hosted) or $4
Slack: 750,000 | Rocket.Chat: 50,000 (estimated)
Slack: Cloud SaaS only | Rocket.Chat: Self-hosted + cloud managed
Slack: N/A (proprietary) | Rocket.Chat: 40,000+
How to choose between Slack and Rocket.Chat
Slack vs Rocket.Chat — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Slack vs Rocket.Chat. Contains 165 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Slack vs Rocket.Chat — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Slack vs Rocket.Chat.
No. Slack is cloud-only SaaS. Slack Enterprise Grid offers single-workspace-per-organization deployments in dedicated cloud regions, but not true on-premises deployment. For self-hosting requirements, Rocket.Chat is the only option between the two.
Which is cheaper for a team of 50 people?
Rocket.Chat (self-hosted): $0/month ongoing. Rocket.Chat (managed cloud): $200-300/month ($4-6/user). Slack Pro: $449.50/month ($8.99/user) or Business+: $625/month ($12.50/user). Rocket.Chat saves $249-625/month for mid-sized teams.
Does Slack limit message history on free plans?
Yes. Slack free tier shows only the last 10,000 messages across all channels and DMs combined. Older messages become unsearchable. Paid plans (Pro and above) offer unlimited search history. Rocket.Chat provides unlimited history on all plans.
Rocket.Chat is superior for HIPAA due to self-hosted deployment ensuring data never leaves your infrastructure. Slack's cloud-only model limits HIPAA compliance—only Enterprise Grid offers limited HIPAA support but requires BAA and higher costs. Healthcare organizations typically prefer Rocket.Chat.
Can I import data from Slack to Rocket.Chat?
Partial migration possible: Rocket.Chat supports importing Slack workspaces via Slack's standard export format (messages, channels, basic metadata). However, integrations, workflows, and app configurations must be manually reconfigured. Professional migration services charge $5,000-20,000+ for enterprise deployments.
How to Choose Between Slack and Rocket.Chat
Deployment Model: Slack has Cloud-only SaaS, while Rocket.Chat has Self-hosted or cloud options.
Cost per User/Month: Slack has $8.99 (Pro) to $12.50 (Business+), while Rocket.Chat has $0 (open-source) or $4-6/user (hosted).
Message Search History: Slack has Limited to paid plans; Free tier shows last 10,000, while Rocket.Chat has Unlimited on all plans.
Native Integrations: Slack has 2,000+ via App Directory, while Rocket.Chat has 300+ integrations available.
Data Sovereignty/Compliance: Slack has Single cloud region; limited HIPAA support, while Rocket.Chat has Full data control; HIPAA, GDPR-ready.
Enterprise Adoption: Slack has 750,000+ active workspaces (2024), while Rocket.Chat has 50,000+ deployments estimated.
UI/UX Polish: Slack has Highly refined, intuitive interface, while Rocket.Chat has Functional but steeper learning curve.