Free, open-source alternatives to Gitter
Chat rooms for developer communities. 3 apps you can run yourself instead of Gitter, sorted by how well they replace it. Each one is open source, so your data stays with you.
Rocket.ChatBest match
Communications platform that puts data protection first (alternative to Gitter.im and Slack).
Element
Fully-featured Matrix client for Web, iOS & Android.
Zulip
Zulip is a powerful, open source group chat application.
Side by side
| App | Stars | License | Activity | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocket.Chat | 46,248 | MIT | Node.js, Docker, Kubernetes | |
| Element | 13,561 | Apache-2.0 | Node.js | |
| Zulip | 26,033 | Apache-2.0 | Python |
Why replace Gitter?
Gitter works, but your data lives in someone else's account, the price can change at any time, and features can disappear. An open-source app you run yourself is yours: you choose where it runs, who can see the data, and when to update.
Questions
What is the best free alternative to Gitter?
Rocket.Chat is the closest open-source replacement for Gitter in our list. Element and Zulip are worth a look too, depending on what you need.
Can I self-host an alternative to Gitter?
Yes. All 3 apps on this page are open source and can run on your own server, usually with Docker, or on a managed host that installs them for you.