Whether your team thrives in the office, juggles hybrid schedules, or operates remotely, effective communication and collaboration are crucial. But finding the perfect team communication tool can feel like diving into a sea of indistinguishable options, each boasting similar features with minor variations.
If you’ve been there, you know the struggle is real.
Forget age-old rivalries – Coke vs. Pepsi, cats vs. dogs, even Gemini vs. ChatGPT debate. The true champion’s belt lies in the arena of team communication tools.
In one corner, we have the reigning champ Slack, beloved for its playful mascot and lively emoji-filled channels.
On the other, we have the challenger: Mattermost, with its open-source foundation and self-hosting capabilities.
So, who will take the communication crown? Which platform will fuel your team’s collaboration, and which will leave them floundering?
While both Mattermost and Slack serve the same general purpose, they offer distinct features and capabilities. In this comparison, I’ll tell you all about their features, pricing, and user experience, clearly showing which tool best suits your team’s needs and communication style.
Remember, this is a battle for productivity and efficiency, not popularity!
Slack – A Quick Overview
Slack is a popular instant messaging tool designed for businesses of all sizes. The tool aims to unite teams to share information, communicate efficiently, and collaborate seamlessly. Trusted by teams worldwide, Slack has transformed how organizations communicate and work together.
With Slack, you can quickly initiate video or voice conference calls with team members and use @mentions to notify specific individuals about messages directly. The tool is perfect for spontaneous voice chats, conducting quick polls, grabbing attention, facilitating quick decisions, and onboarding new members through shareable links.
Mattermost – A Quick Overview
Mattermost is an online team communication tool that is both self-hostable and open-source. Packed with search functionality, integrations, and easy file-sharing capabilities, it provides a dynamic workspace for engineering and operational teams to collaborate securely and efficiently.
Initially serving as SpinPunch’s internal chat tool, Mattermost originated within the gaming studio’s environment. However, it later transitioned into an open-source platform, with its first version hitting the scene on October 2nd, 2015.
Today, Mattermost Inc. leads the charge in continually developing and maintaining the platform as an open-source project.
Slack vs. Mattermost – Who Takes the Win?
Let’s take a closer look at Mattermost and Slack, comparing their strengths and other factors to help you determine which one might better fit your business.
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Slack Vs. Mattermost – Pricing
Let’s break down the pricing game.
Here, Mattermost earns a point!
Why is that so?
Because Mattermost starts strong with its freemium plan, it fits right for every small business and organization and includes multiple features. Also, you can enjoy 1:1 calls, which are available in 20 languages.
Not too shabby, right?
But if you are looking for more firepower, its Professional and Enterprise plans have you covered with extra perks for a reasonable price. The Mighty Professional Plan costs $10/month and is considered the best option for growing teams because of the plan’s diverse features.
On the other hand, we have Slack. Its free plan offers 5GB of storage per user, half of what Mattermost dishes out in its free plan. Sure, Slack gives you access to the most recent 90 days of message history, but when it comes to paid plans, Mattermost’s Professional plan may seem a tad pricier at $10 per user per month, compared to Slack’s Pro package at $8.75 per user per month.
Honestly, Mattermost confidently snags the crown in the pricing category, offering more bang for your buck with its generous features and affordable pricing plans.
So, here’s the score:
Mattermost: 1, Slack: 0
- Slack Vs. Mattermost- InterfaceDuring long work hours, the interface of your messaging app can significantly impact your experience. A sleek and intuitive design looks good and makes the platform easy to navigate and use. This ultimately leads to a more enjoyable interaction.First up, I’ll discuss Mattermost’s interface:
- Supports 20 languages
- Customizable UI and UX
- White labeling for personalized fonts and on-screen text
And if you are feeling fancy, Mattermost even throws in light/dark modes to spice things up.
Now, onto Slack’s interface. It’s got:
- Support for 12 languages
- Sidebar customization
- Themes, welcome messages, and emoji customization
While Slack holds its ground with some customization options, Mattermost steals the show with its broader language support and extensive customization capabilities.
So, in the battle of interfaces, Mattermost clinches the victory once again with its array of options and user-friendly design.
Let’s recheck the score:
Mattermost: 2, Slack: 0 -
Slack Vs. Mattermost- Notifications
Let’s talk about notifications.
In my opinion, Slack takes the win here.
Both Mattermost and Slack offer options to tailor your notifications to your liking, but let’s take a look at both tools in detail.
Starting with Mattermost, this handy tool alerts you when:
- You are mentioned
- You receive a direct message
- A channel you’re in gets notified using @channel or @all
- Your configured keywords pop up.
But here, Slack brings some notification firepower, too. It lets you know when:
- You get a direct message
- You are mentioned, or someone uses your keywords
- Slackbot slides into your DMs
- Someone replies to a thread you’re following
Both platforms also offer the lifesaver known as Do Not Disturb (DND) mode, which comes in handy for teams spanning different time zones. Slack edges ahead with more customization options, clinching the win in the notifications game.
Let’s check the score again:
Mattermost: 2, Slack: 1
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Slack Vs. Mattermost- Security
Now, let’s discuss security.
Both platforms come with encryption-in-transit and encryption-at-rest to protect your confidential data.
But when it comes to security certifications and compliance, Mattermost stands tall. The tool proudly touts itself as the world’s most secure platform for developer collaboration, with a list of accolades including compliance with HIPAA, FINRA, SOC 2 Type I, GDPR, and CCPA. Its self-hosted solution gives you ultimate control over your data and privacy.
On the flip side, Slack isn’t slacking off in the security department either. The tool is audited against compliance and assurance programs like SOC2, SOC3, ISO/IEC, and APEC and offers multi-factor authentication for added protection.
In my opinion, Mattermost takes the win here.
Here’s the score: Mattermost 3: Slack: 1
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Slack Vs. Mattermost: Customer Support
When it comes to customer support, I feel both Mattermost and Slack are competent tools.
Both platforms offer solid support systems in their free tiers, including email/help desk, FAQs/forums, and knowledge bases to help you troubleshoot any issues.
But when it comes to their paid plans, things get serious.
Mattermost steps up its game in the Professional plan, offering support during business hours, while the Enterprise plan kicks it up a notch with round-the-clock customer service and an impressive 4-hour response time.
Slack also elevates its support game in the paid tiers. The Pro plan provides priority support 24/7, with the next two plans offering 24/7 support, a 4-hour first response time, and a 99.99% guaranteed uptime SLA.
With both platforms offering top-notch support, including dedicated customer success teams, this is a tie in the customer support category.
Here’s the score:
Mattermost: 4, Slack: 2
Final Verdict: Slack Vs. Mattermost
It’s time to wrap up the comparison of Slack and Mattermost, and it’s safe to say Mattermost takes the lead with a score of 4 to 2. In terms of pricing, interface, security, and support, Mattermost has demonstrated its advantages at each step.
Please note that this is my honest opinion (not a paid review😂). Both Slack and Mattermost hold a special place in my experiences. At Social Champ, we’ve utilized both platforms. While the team currently favors Mattermost, ultimately, the ideal choice depends on your specific needs and priorities.